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لِمَاذَا لاَ تَمْلِكُ أَفْرَاسُ اَلْنَّهْرِ شَعْراً Why hippos have no hair Kwa nini Viboko Hawana Nywele

Written by Basilio Gimo, David Ker

Illustrated by Carol Liddiment

Translated by Heba Tesheh, Maaouia Haj Mabrouk

Read by Mashael Muhanna

Language Arabic

Level Level 2

Narrate full story

Reading speed

Autoplay story


فِي أَحَدِ اَلْأَيَّامِ، كَانَ أَرْنَبٌ يَمْشِي بِاْلْقُرْبِ مِنْ حَافَةِ النَّهْرِ.

One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.

Siku moja, Sungura alikuwa akitembea pembeni ya mto.


كَانَ هُنَاكَ أَيْضًا فَرَسُ نَهْرٍ جَاءَتْ في نُزْهَةٍ، وَكَانَتْ تَأْكُلُ بَعْضَ العُشْبِ الأَخْضَرِ اللَّذِيذِ.

Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.

Kiboko alikuwepo pia, akitembea huku akila majani mazuri ya kijani.


لَمْ تَكُنْ اَلْفَرَسُ تَعْرِفُ بِوُجُودِ اَلأَرْنَبِ فَدَاسَتْ بِطَريقِ اَلْخَطَأَ عَلى قَدَمِهِ. صَرَخَ الأرْنَبُ بِوَجْهِ فَرَسِ اَلْنَّهْر، “أَنْتِ يَا فَرَسَ اَلْنَّهْرِ! أَلاَ تَرَيْنَ أَنَّكِ دُسْتِ عَلَى قَدَمِي؟”

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?”

Kiboko hakumwona Sungura na kwa bahati mbaya akaukanyaga mguu wa Sungura. Sungura akaanza kumpigia Kiboko kelele. “We Kiboko huoni kama umeukanyaga mguu wangu?”


اِعْتَذَرَتْ فَرَسُ اَلْنَّهْرِ، وَقَالَتْ، “أَنَا آسِفةٌ يَا صَدِيقِي، فَأَنَا لَمْ أَرَكَ … أَرْجُوكَ سَامِحْنِي”. لَكِنَّ الأَرْنَبَ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ كَلاَمَهَا وَصَرَخَ بِهَا، “أَنْتِ قَصَدْتِ هَذَا وَسَتَدْفَعِينَ اَلثَّمَنَ”!

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!”

Kiboko akamwomba Sungura msamaha, “Samahani, sikukuona, tafadhali nisamehe!” Lakini Sungura hakukubali na akaendelea kumbwatukia Kiboko, “Umefanya makusudi! Kuna siku utakiona, na nitakulipizia!”


ذَهَبَ اَلأَرْنَبُ ليَبْحَثَ عَنِ النّار وَقَالَ، “اِذْهَبِي وَاَحْرِقِي فَرَسَ اَلْنًّهْرِ عِنْدَمَا تَأْتِ إِلَى المَاءِ لِتَأْكُلَ اَلْعُشْبَ لِأَنَّهَا دَاسَتْ عَلَيَّ”. أَجَابَتْهُ النَّارُ، “سَأَفْعَلُ مَا طَلَبتَ مِنِّي يَا صَدِيقِي”.

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.”

Sungura alienda kumtafuta moto na akamwambia, “Nenda, ukamchome Kiboko akitoka majini kuja kula majani. Alinikanyaga!” Moto ukajibu, “Hakuna tatizo, rafiki yangu Sungura, nitafanya ulichoniomba kufanya.”


وَبَعْدَ ذَلِكَ بَيْنَمَا كَانَتْ فَرَسُ اَلنَّهْرِ تَأْكُلُ اَلْعُشْبَ، اِنْدَلَعَتِ النِّيرَانُ وَبَدَأَتْ بِحَرْقِ شَعْرِ فَرَسِ اَلنَّهْرِ.

Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.

Baadaye, Kiboko alikuwa akila majani mbali na mto, aliposhtuka moto umelipuka. Miale ya moto ikaanza kuzichoma nywele za Kiboko.


بَدَأَتْ فَرَسُ النَّهْرِ بِالبُكَاءِ ثُمَّ رَكَضَتْ إِلَى اَلْمَاءِ. لَقَدْ أَحْرَقَتْ اَلنَّارُ كُلَّ شَعْرهَا. ظَلَّت فَرَسُ اَلنَّهْرِ تَبْكِي، “لَقَدْ اِحْتَرَقَ كُلُّ شَعْري بِالنَّارِ، لَقَدْ أَحْرَقْتِ كُلَّ شَعْري ذَهَبَ كُلُّ شَعْرِي! شَعْرِي اَلجَمِيلُ، شَعْرِي اَلْجَميلُ”!

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!”

Kiboko akaanza kulia na kukimbilia kwenye maji. Nywele zake zote zilikuwa zimeungua na moto. Kiboko aliendelea kulia, “Nywele zangu zimeungua na moto! Nywele zangu zote zimeisha! Nywele zangu nzuri!”


فَرِحَ الأَرْنَبُ أَنَّ شَعْرَ فَرَسِ النَّهْرِ قَدْ احْتَرَقَ. وَحَتَّى يَوْمِنَا هَذَا، وَخَوْفًا مِنَ النَّارِ، لاَ تَبْتَعِدُ فَرَسُ النَّهْرِ عَنِ المَاءِ أَبَدًا.

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.

Sungura alikuwa na furaha kwa kuwa nywele za Kiboko ziliungua. Hadi leo kwa kuogopa moto, Kiboko hawezi kwenda mbali na maji.


Written by: Basilio Gimo, David Ker
Illustrated by: Carol Liddiment
Translated by: Heba Tesheh, Maaouia Haj Mabrouk
Read by: Mashael Muhanna
Language: Arabic
Level: Level 2
Source: Why hippos have no hair from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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