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Kuku na Tai Hen and Eagle

Written by Ann Nduku

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Matteo E. Mwita

Read by Lauwo George

Language Kiswahili

Level Level 3

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Hapo zamani za kale, Kuku na Tai walikuwa marafiki. Waliishi kwa amani na ndege wengine. Hakuna kati yao aliyeweza kupaa.

Once upon a time, Hen and Eagle were friends. They lived in peace with all the other birds. None of them could fly.


Kuna siku njaa ilitokea. Ikamlazimu Tai kutembea umbali mrefu kutafuta chakula. Alirudi akiwa amechoka sana. “Lazima kuwe na njia rahisi ya kusafiri!” Tai alisema.

One day, there was famine in the land. Eagle had to walk very far to find food. She came back very tired. “There must be an easier way to travel!” said Eagle.


Baada ya usingizi mnono wa usiku, Kuku alijiwa na wazo zuri sana. Akaanza kukusanya manyoya yaliyodondoka kutoka kwa ndege wenzao. “Tuyashonee haya manyoya juu ya manyoya yetu,” Kuku alisema. “Labda itaturahisishia kusafiri.”

After a good night’s sleep, Hen had a brilliant idea. She began collecting the fallen feathers from all their bird friends. “Let’s sew them together on top of our own feathers,” she said. “Perhaps that will make it easier to travel.”


Tai pekee ndiye aliyekuwa na sindano kijijini, kwa hiyo akaanza kushona wa kwanza. Akajitengenezea mabawa mawili mazuri na akapaa juu ya kuku. Kuku aliazima sindano lakini akachoka kushona baada ya muda mfupi. Akaacha sindano kabatini na akaenda jikoni kuandaa chakula kwa ajili ya watoto wake.

Eagle was the only one in the village with a needle, so she started sewing first. She made herself a pair of beautiful wings and flew high above Hen. Hen borrowed the needle but she soon got tired of sewing. She left the needle on the cupboard and went into the kitchen to prepare food for her children.


Lakini ndege wengine walimwona Tai akipaa. Wakamwomba Kuku awaazime sindano ili nao wajishonee mabawa pia. Muda si mrefu ndege wakawa wamepaa na kuzagaa anga zima.

But the other birds had seen Eagle flying away. They asked Hen to lend them the needle to make wings for themselves too. Soon there were birds flying all over the sky.


Ndege wa mwisho aliporudisha sindano aliyoazima, Kuku hakuwepo. Kwa hiyo watoto wake wakachukua sindano na wakaanza kuichezea. Walipochoka na mchezo wao, wakaiacha sindano kwenye mchanga.

When the last bird returned the borrowed needle, Hen was not there. So her children took the needle and started playing with it. When they got tired of the game, they left the needle in the sand.


Baadaye jioni Tai akarudi. Akaomba sindano ili aweze kushona baadhi ya manyoya yaliyokuwa yameanza kulegea alipokuwa safarini. Akaangalia kwenye kabati. Akaangalia jikoni. Akaangalia uani. Ila sindano haikupatikana.

Later that afternoon, Eagle returned. She asked for the needle to fix some feathers that had loosened on her journey. Hen looked on the cupboard. She looked in the kitchen. She looked in the yard. But the needle was nowhere to be found.


“Nipatie siku moja,” Kuku alimwomba Tai. “Halafu utaweza kushona bawa lako na kuruka tena kwenda kutafuta chakula.” “Siku moja tu,” alisema Tai. “Kama hutaipata sindano, itabidi unipe kimoja cha vifaranga vyako kama malipo.”

“Just give me a day,” Hen begged Eagle. “Then you can fix your wing and fly away to get food again.” “Just one more day,” said Eagle. “If you can’t find the needle, you’ll have to give me one of your chicks as payment.”


Tai aliporudi siku iliyofuata, alimkuta Kuku akichakura mchangani, ila hakukuwa na sindano. Kwa hiyo Tai alishuka kwa kasi na kukwapua kifaranga kimoja. Akaondoka nacho. Tangu hapo, kila Tai anapojitokeza humkuta Kuku akichakura kwenye mchanga akitafuta sindano.

When Eagle came the next day, she found Hen scratching in the sand, but no needle. So Eagle flew down very fast and caught one of the chicks. She carried it away. Forever after that, whenever Eagle appears, she finds Hen scratching in the sand for the needle.


Kila kivuli cha mabawa ya Tai kinapoonekana ardhini, Kuku huwatahadharisha vifaranga vyake. “Tokeni kwenye eneo la wazi.” Na wanajibu: “Sisi si wajinga. Tutakimbia.”

As the shadow of Eagle’s wing falls on the ground, Hen warns her chicks. “Get out of the bare and dry land.” And they respond: “We are not fools. We will run.”


Written by: Ann Nduku
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Matteo E. Mwita
Read by: Lauwo George
Language: Kiswahili
Level: Level 3
Source: Hen and Eagle from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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