When Simbegwire’s mother died,
she was very sad. Simbegwire’s
father did his best to take care of
his daughter. Slowly, they learned
to feel happy again, without
Simbegwire’s mother.
Every morning they sat and talked
about the day ahead. Every evening
they made dinner together. After
they washed the dishes,
Simbegwire’s father helped her with
homework.
Wen Simbegwiere mada did ded, shi did sad-sad. Simbegwiere faada did du im bes fi tek kier a im daata. Likl bai likl, dem lorn fi fiil api agen, wid out Simbegwiere mada. Evri maanin dem siddong an taak bout di die infronta dem. Evri iivlin dem mek dina tugeda. Afta dem wash di pliet dem, Simbegwiere faada elp ar wid ar uomwok.
One day, Simbegwire’s father came
home later than usual. “Where are
you my child?” he called.
Simbegwire ran to her father. She
stopped still when she saw that he
was holding a woman’s hand. “I
want you to meet someone special,
my child. This is Anita,” he said
smiling.
Wan die Simbegwiere faada kom uom lieta dan yuuzhal. “We yu de mi pikni?” im kaal. Simbegwiere ron go to ar faada. Shi stap wan plies wen shi si se ar faada did a uol aan pan wahn uman an. “Mi waahn yu fi miit sumadi speshal, mi pikni. Dis a Aniita,” im se a smail.
“Hello Simbegwire, your father told
me a lot about you,” said Anita. But
she did not smile or take the girl’s
hand.
Simbegwire’s father was happy and
excited. He talked about the three
of them living together, and how
good their life would be. “My child, I
hope you will accept Anita as your
mother,” he said.
“Eluo Simbegwiere, yu faada tel mi uol iip bout yu,” Aniita se. Bot shi neva smail ar tek di pikni an. Simbegwiere faada did api an fiil gud bout we apm. Im did a taak bout di chrii a dem a liv tugeda, an ou gud dem laif wuda bi. “Mi pikni, mi uop yu wi tek Aniita fi yu mada,” im se.
Simbegwire’s life changed. She no
longer had time to sit with her
father in the mornings. Anita gave
her so many household chores that
she was too tired to do her school
work in the evenings. She went
straight to bed after dinner.
Her only comfort was the colourful
blanket her mother gave her.
Simbegwire’s father did not seem to
notice that his daughter was
unhappy.
Simbegwiere laif chienj. Shi neva av no muor taim fi siddong wid ar faada inna di maanin dem. Aniita did gi ar so moch ous wok fi du dat shi did tuu taiyad fi du ar skuul wok inna di iivlin. Shi go schriet a ar bed afta dina. Ar ongl komfat a did di priti-priti blangkit we ar mada did gi ar. Simbegwiere faada neva siim fi nuotis se im daata did sad.
After a few months, Simbegwire’s
father told them that he would be
away from home for a while. “I have
to travel for my job,” he said. “But I
know you will look after each other.”
Simbegwire’s face fell, but her
father did not notice. Anita did not
say anything. She was not happy
either.
Afta a kopl monts, Simbegwiere faada did tel dem se im wuda gaan we fram uom fi a wail. “Mi jab mek mi afi chravl,” im se. “Bot mi nuo se yu wi luk afta unu wananeda.” Simbegwiere fies did jrap, bot ar faada neva nuotis. Aniita neva se notn. Shi neva api naida.
Things got worse for Simbegwire. If
she didn’t finish her chores, or she
complained, Anita hit her. And at
dinner, the woman ate most of the
food, leaving Simbegwire with only
a few scraps.
Each night Simbegwire cried herself
to sleep, hugging her mother’s
blanket.
Tingz get wors fi Simbegwiere. Ef shi neva don ar ous wok, ar shi komplien, Aniita lik ar. An wen a dina taim, di uman nyam muos a di fuud, an lef likl bit fi Simbegwiere. Evri nait Simbegwiere baal til shi jrap asliip, a og op ar mada blangkit.
One morning, Simbegwire was late
getting out of bed. “You lazy girl!”
Anita shouted. She pulled
Simbegwire out of bed. The
precious blanket caught on a nail,
and tore in two.
Wan maanin, Simbegwiere did wiek op liet. “Yu liezi gyal pikni!” Aniita baal out. Shi jrag Simbegwiere aaf a di bed. Di speshal blangkit kech pan wahn niel, an tier inna tuu.
Simbegwire was very upset. She
decided to run away from home.
She took the pieces of her mother’s
blanket, packed some food, and left
the house. She followed the road
her father had taken.
Simbegwiere did wel opset. Shi mek op ar main fi ron we fram uom. Shi did tek di piisiz dem fram ar mada blangkit, pak op som fuud, an lef di ous. Shi tek di ruod we ar faada di tek.
When it came to evening, she
climbed a tall tree near a stream
and made a bed for herself in the
branches.
As she went to sleep, she sang:
“Maama, maama, maama, you left
me.
You left me and never came back.
Father doesn’t love me anymore.
Mother, when are you coming back?
You left me.”
Wen iivlin kom, shi klaim go op inna wahn taal chrii nier wahn riva an mek a bed fi arself inna di lim dem. Az shi a jrap asliip, si did a sing: “Maama, maama, maama yu lef mi. Yu lef mi an neva kom bak. Papa no lov mi no muor. Mama, wen yu ago kom bak? Yu lef me.”
The next morning, Simbegwire sang
the song again. When the women
came to wash their clothes at the
stream, they heard the sad song
coming from the tall tree.
They thought it was only the wind
rustling the leaves, and carried on
with their work. But one of the
women listened very carefully to
the song.
Di neks maanin Simbegwiere did a sing di sang agen. Wen di uman dem did kom wash dem kluoz dem a di riva, dem did ier di sad sang a kom fram di taal chrii. Dem did tingk se a did onggl di briiz a bluo di liif dem, an did gwaan du dem wok. Bot wan a dem lisn gud-gud tu di sang.
This woman looked up into the tree.
When she saw the girl and the
pieces of colourful blanket, she
cried, “Simbegwire, my brother’s
child!”
The other women stopped washing
and helped Simbegwire to climb
down from the tree. Her aunt
hugged the little girl and tried to
comfort her.
Di uman did luk op inna di chrii. Wen shi si di gyal pikni an di piisiz a di priti-priti blangkit, shi baal, “Simbegwiere, mi breda pikni!” Di ada uman dem stap wash an elp Simbegwiere fi klaim dong outta di chrii. Ar anti og op di likl gyal pikni an chrai fi komfat ar.
Simbegwire’s aunt took the child to
her own house. She gave
Simbegwire warm food, and tucked
her in bed with her mother’s
blanket.
That night, Simbegwire cried as she
went to sleep. But they were tears
of relief. She knew her aunt would
look after her.
Simbegwiere anti tek di pikni go a fi ar yaad. Shi did gi Simbegwiere waam fuud, an put ar fi sliip inna wan bed wid ar mada blangkit. Da nait de, Simbegwiere baal az shi a jrap asliip. Bot a did yai-waata kaaz shi fiil riliif. Shi nuo se dat ar anti wud a luk afta ar.
When Simbegwire’s father returned
home, he found her room empty.
“What happened, Anita?” he asked
with a heavy heart. The woman
explained that Simbegwire had run
away. “I wanted her to respect me,”
she said. “But perhaps I was too
strict.”
Simbegwire’s father left the house
and went in the direction of the
stream. He continued to his sister’s
village to find out if she had seen
Simbegwire.
Wen Simbegwiere faada kom bak uom, im fain ar ruum emti. “A wa apm, Aniita?” im se wid a evi aat. Di uman tel im se Simbegwiere did ron we. “Mi did waahn ar fi rispek me,” shi se. “Bot miebi mi did tuu schrik pan ar.” Simbegwiere faada lef di ous an go inna di direkshan a di riva. Im kantinyuu go schriet a im sista vilij fi fain out ef shi did si Simbegwiere.
Simbegwire was playing with her
cousins when she saw her father
from far away. She was scared he
might be angry, so she ran inside
the house to hide.
But her father went to her and said,
“Simbegwire, you have found a
perfect mother for yourself. One
who loves you and understands
you. I am proud of you and I love
you.”
They agreed that Simbegwire would
stay with her aunt as long as she
wanted to.
Simbegwiere did a ramp wid ar kozn dem wen shi did si ar faada fram wie out. Shi did fried im mait a beks, so shi ron go inna di ous fi aid. Bot ar faada go tu ar se, “Simbegwiere, yu fain di porfek mada fi yuself. Wan uu lov yu an andastan yu. Mi proud a yu an mi lov yu.” Dem agrii se Simbegwiere wud a stie wid ar anti fi az lang az shi waahn.
Her father visited her every day.
Eventually, he came with Anita. She
reached out for Simbegwire’s hand.
“I’m so sorry little one, I was
wrong,” she cried. “Will you let me
try again?”
Simbegwire looked at her father
and his worried face. Then she
stepped forward slowly and put her
arms around Anita.
Ar faada go luk fi ar evridie. Ivenshali, im did kom wid Aniita. Shi uol aan pan Simbegwiere an, “Mi sari-sari likl wan, mi did rang,” shi baal se. “Yu wi mek mi chrai agen?” Simbegwiere luk pan ar faada an im fies did luk kansorn. Den shi tek taim waak tuwaadz Aniita an og ar op.
The next week, Anita invited
Simbegwire, with her cousins and
aunt, to the house for a meal. What
a feast! Anita prepared all of
Simbegwire’s favourite foods, and
everyone ate until they were full.
Then the children played while the
adults talked.
Simbegwire felt happy and brave.
She decided that soon, very soon,
she would return home to live with
her father and her stepmother.
Di neks wiik, Aniita aks Simbegwiere an ar kozn dem an anti, fi kom a di yaad fi it fuud. Wat a fiis! Aniita mek aal a Simbegwiere fievarit fuud dem, an evribadi nyam so til dem beli ful. Den di pikni dem ramp miinwail di big piipl dem did a taak. Simbegwiere did fiil api an briev. Shi mek op ar main se suuhn-suuhn, shi wuda go bak uom fi liv wid ar faada an ar stepmada.
