Tsiku limodzi, Kalulu analikuyenda mumbali mwamtsinje.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
Mvuwu naye analiko kusowera, kuyenda-yenda ndi kudya mauzi.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
Mvuwu sanaone kuti kalulu naye alipo ndiponso mosadziwa, anadyaka pakwendo yakalulu. Kalulu anayamba kupunda nakukalipila Mvuwu, “Iwe Mvuwu! suona kuti wanidyaka pakwendo?”
Hippo didn’t see that Rabbit was there and she accidentally stepped on Rabbit’s foot.
Rabbit started screaming at Hippo, “You Hippo! Can’t you see that you’re stepping on my foot?”
Mvuwu anaphepetsa kwa kalulu “Phepani. Sindinakuoneni. Mundikhululukile!” Koma kalulu sana mvera phepetso nakalipila Mvuwu “Iwe wacitila dala! Tsiku limodzi uzaona ndizabwezera!”
Hippo apologised to Rabbit, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. Please forgive me!”
But Rabbit wouldn’t listen and he shouted at Hippo, “You did that on purpose! Someday, you’ll see! You’re going to pay!”
Kalulu anayenda kusakila moto ndiponso anati “Yenda, kamushoke Mvuwu akacoka mumanzi pakudya mauzu. Anandidyaka!” Moto unayankha, “Palibe bvuto kalulu munzanga. Ndizacita motere”.
Rabbit went to find Fire and said, “Go, burn Hippo when she comes out of the water to eat grass. She stepped on me!”
Fire answered, “No problem, Rabbit, my friend. I’ll do just what you ask.”
Pambuyo pache, Mvuwu analikudya mauzu patali ndi manzi pamene “whoosh!” moto unayamba. Moto unayamba kushoka sisi la Mvuwu.
Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.
Mvuwu anayamba kulila nakuthamangila mumanzi. Sisi lake lonse linapya ndi moto. Mvuwu anapitiliza kulira, “Sisi langa lapya ku moto! Sisi langa lonse layenda! Sisi langa labwino!”
Hippo started to cry and ran for the water. All her hair was burned off by the fire.
Hippo kept crying, “My hair has burned in the fire! My hair is all gone! My beautiful hair!”
Kalulu anakondwela kuwona sisi la Mvuwu lapya. Nipaka lelo, kuyopa moto, Mvuwu samayenda kutali ndi manzi.
Rabbit was happy that Hippo’s hair was burned.
And to this day, for fear of fire, the hippo never goes far from the water.
