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Baana ba buloto
Children of wax
Les enfants de cire
Southern African Folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Christabel Songiso and Akombelwa Muyangana
The audio for this story is currently not available.
Nekunai lubasi lwene lupila mwa tabo.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
Il était une fois une famille bien heureuse.
Basamba kuba balwane kwateni. Nebatusanga bashemi babona kwandu ni kwa masimu.
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Ils ne se disputaient jamais. Ils aidaient leurs parents à la maison et dans les champs.
Kono nebasika lumelezwa kuya fakaufi ni mulilo.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
Mais ils n’avaient pas le droit de s’approcher d’un feu.
Nebanani ku beleka misebezi yabona kaufela busihu. Kakuli neba pangilwe ki buloto.
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Ils devaient faire tout leur travail pendant la nuit. Puisqu’ils étaient faits de cire !
Kono yomumu kwa bashimani na nyolezwi kuya mwa ka zazi.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
Mais un des garçons désirait se promener au soleil.
Zazi lelimu nyolelo neitoba yetuna. Likezeli zahae nezito mu lemusa…
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Un jour son désir était trop puissant. Ses frères l’avertirent…
Kono nako neseifitelezi. Nashengunukile mwa lizazi lene lilenga.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
Mais c’était trop tard ! Il fondit au soleil brûlant.
Bana ba buloto nebatilo swaba ahulu kubona munyenaabona inge ashengunuka.
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Les enfants de cire étaient si tristes de voir leur frère fondre.
Kono nebatoba ni mulelo. Nebatopanga lilundu lenelishengunikile la buloto mwa nyunwani.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
Mais ils firent un plan. Ils façonnèrent le morceau de cire fondue en oiseau.
Batoinga munyenaabona wa nyunywani fa lilundu leli pahami.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Ils apportèrent leur frère l’oiseau jusqu’au sommet d’une montagne haute.
Lizazi alipazula, afufa inge ahopela mwa liseli la kakusasani.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
Et lorsque le soleil se leva, il s’envola vers la lumière du matin en chantant.
Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Christabel Songiso and Akombelwa Muyangana
