PukhtunWomen

This is a nonsense tale but is special becuase of the way it rhymes and how it illustrates how something very trivial can result in very serious consequences.

One day a mashay (mosquito) flies into a thorn and is impaled, his friends the spaga (head lice) and wraga (flea) on learning of his death rush to the spot and mourn him. The tree on hearing their wails asks what is going on. they reply

Mashrang rangi zwan mar dey da karkani pa azghi (A handsome young youth has perished on the thorn of the Karkana tree)

The Karkana on learning her role in the mosquitos untimely death sheds all her flowers.

A crow flying by stops to ask why the tree has shed all its flowers.

the tree replies

Zu shoom Gulreza (I shed my flowers)
Ooraga, spaga jaree (The flea and the head lice are crying)
Mashrang rangi zwan mar dey da karkani pa azghi (A handsome young youth has perished on the thorn of the Karkana tree)

The crow is deeply moved and he starts pulling his feathers out.

A goat that had been resting under the tree wakes up when the feathers starting falling on him. Looking up he inquires as to what is going on. The crow replies

Zu shwama bana rez (I plukced out my feathers)
wana shwa gulreza (The tree shed her flowers)
Ooraga, spaga jaree (The flea and the head lice are crying)
Mashrang rangi zwan mar dey da karkani pa azghi (A handsome young youth has perished on the thorn of the Karkana tree)

this distraughts the goat so it chews and spits out its goatee into the stream beside the tree.
The stream raises up and asks why it was polluted with he goats beard

The goat replies

zu shwam gir khrayelay (I shaved my beard)
kargha shwo bana rez (The crow plucked his feathers)
wana shwa gulreza (the tree shed her flowers)
Ooraga, spaga jaree (The flea and the head lice are crying)
Mashrang rangi zwan mar dey da karkani pa azghi (A handsome young youth has perished on the thorn of the Karkana tree)

The saddened streamrises and breaking its banks flood the field of a farmer who is working there. Rushing to the stream the farmer asks why his hard work has been destroyed by the flood.

The stream replies

Zu shwam khat patoley (I broke my banks)
biza shwo gir khrayelay (The goat shaved his beard)
kargha shwo bana rez (The crow plucked his feathers)
wana shwa gulreza (The tree shed her flowers)
Ooraga, spaga jaree (The flea and the head lice are crying)
Mashrang rangi zwan mar dey da karkani pa azghi (A handsome young youth has perished on the thorn of the Karkana tree)

the distraught farmer picks up his hoe and kills himself at the loss of his crop.