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يَحْمِلُ توم طَبَقَ المَوْزِ النَّاضِجِ.
Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.
Tom anabeba tenga la ndizi zilizoiva.
يَتَّجِهُ تُومْ إِلَى السُّوقِ لِبَيْعِ المَوْزِ.
Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.
Tom anaenda sokoni kuuza ndizi.
النَّاسُ فِي السُّوقِ يَشْتَرُونَ الفَاكِهَة.
People at the market are buying fruit.
Sokoni watu wananunua matunda.
لَكِنْ لاَ أَحَدَ يَشْتَرِي مَوْزَاتِ تُومْ. إِنَّهُمْ يُحَبِّذُونَ شِرَاءَ الفَاكِهَةِ مِنَ النَّسَاءِ.
But no one is buying
Tom’s bananas.
They prefer to buy fruit from women.
Lakini hakuna anayenunua ndizi za Tom. Wanapenda kununua matunda kutoka kwa akina mama.
يَقُولُ النَّاسُ “فِي مُجْتَمَعِنَا لاَ يَبِيعُ الفَاكِهَةَ إِلاَّ النِّسَاءُ” وَيَتَسَاءَلُونَ “مَا نَوْعُ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ؟”
“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.
“Kwenye jamii yetu, ni wanawake pekee ndio wanaouza matunda,” watu wanasema. “Ni mwanamume wa aina gani huyu?” watu wanahoji.
لَكِنَّ تُومْ لاَ يَسْتَسْلِمُ. هَا هُوَ يُنَادِي “اِشْتَرُوا مَوْزِي … اِشْتَرُوا مَوْزِيَ النَّاضِجَ اللَّذِيذَ.”
But Tom does not give up.
He calls, “Buy my bananas!
Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
Lakini Tom hakati tamaa. Anaita, “Nunua ndizi zangu! Nunueni ndizi zangu tamu zilizoiva!”
أَخَذَتْ امْرَأَةٌ حِزْمَةَ المَوْزِ مِنْ عَلَى الطَّبَقِ وَتَفَحَّصَتْهَا بِعِنَايَةٍ.
One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray.
She looks at the bananas carefully.
Mwanamke mmoja anachukua kichane cha ndizi kutoka kwenye tenga. Anaziangalia ndizi kwa umakini.
اشْتَرَتْ المَرْأَةُ المَوْزَ.
The woman buys the bananas.
Mwanamke ananunua ndizi.
تَوَافَدَ النَّاسُ عَلَى المِنْضَدَةِ. يَشْتَرُونَ مَوْزَاتِ تُومْ وَيَأْكُلُونَهَا.
More people come to the stall.
They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.
Watu wengine wanakuja kwenye kichanja. Wananunua ndizi za Tom na kuzila.
أُفْرِغَ الطَّبَقُ بِسُرْعَةٍ. أَخَذَ تُومْ يُحْصِي المَالَ الذِي رَبِحَهُ.
Soon, the tray is empty.
Tom counts the money he earned.
Mara, tenga linakuwa tupu. Tom anahesabu pesa alizopata.
ثُمَّ اشْتَرَى تُومْ صَابُونًا وَسُكَّرًا وَخُبْزًا وَوَضَعَ المُشْتَرَيَاتِ فِي الطَّبَقِ.
Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread.
He puts the things in his tray.
Tom ananunua sabuni, sukari, na mkate. Anaweka vitu kwenye tenga lake.
وَضَعَ تُومْ الطَّبَقَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَرَجَعَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ.
Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.
Tom anajitwisha tenga kichwani na kwenda nyumbani.
Written by: Humphreys Odunga
Illustrated by: Zablon Alex Nguku
Translated by: Maaouia Haj Mabrouk
Read by: Mashael Muhanna