Emandulo kwakukhona
umndeni owawuhlala
ujabule.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
Abantwana babezwana.
Behlale besiza abazali
babo endlini kanye
nasengadini.
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Kodwa
babengavunyelwe
ukusondela eduze
komlilo.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
Kwakumele benze
yonke imisebenzi yabo
ebusuku.
Ngoba babenziwe ngamakhandlela!
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Kodwa omunye
wabafana wayekufisa
ukuphumela
ngaphandle elangeni.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
Ngelinye ilanga
wayehalela ukuphumela
ngaphandle. Abafowabo
bamxwayisa.
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Kodwa kwabe
sekungasasizi ngalutho!
Wancibilika elangeni
elishisayo.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
Abafowakhe
babephatheke kabi
bebona umfowabo
encibilika ephela.
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Kodwa baveza isu.
Baphendula amafutha
ayesencibilikile
bawenza inyoni.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
Bamthatha umfowabo
oseyinyoni bambeka
phezulu entabeni.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Ngokuphuma kwelanga.
Wandiza eculela
ukukhanya
kwasekuseni.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
