Gabar yar ayaa aragtay muuqaal aan la garaneyn oo masaafo ka muuqdo.
It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.
Markii uu muuqaalki soo dhowaaday, waxa ay aragtay in ay tahay haweeney xaamilo culus ah.
As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Xishood laakiin geesi nimo, gabadhii waxa ay ku sii dhowaatay haweeneydii. “Waa in ay nala joogtaa,” ayay gabadha dadkeedii go’aansadeen. “Iyada iyo ilmaheedaba waa aannu nabad gelinaynaa.”
Shy but brave, the little girl moved nearer to the woman.
“We must keep her with us,” the little girl’s people decided. “We’ll keep her and her child safe.”
Ilmaha ayaa soo dhakhso ba wadada soo galay. “Riix!” “Bustayaal la kaalaya!” “Biyo!” “Riiiixxxxxx!!!”
The child was soon on its way.
“Push!”
“Bring blankets!”
“Water!”
“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”
But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock.
“A donkey?!”
Qof waliba muran ayuu bilaabay. “Waxa aynnu ballan qaadnay in aan ilmaha iyo hooyadaba nabad gelyo siinno, waana in aan sidaas yeelnaa,” qaar baa sidaa yiri. “Laakiin waxa ay noo horseedi doonaan nasiib darro!” qaar kale ayaa sidaa iyana yiri.
Everyone began to argue.
“We said we would keep mother and child safe, and that’s what we’ll do,” said some.
“But they will bring us bad luck!” said others.
Sidaa darteed haweeneydii way cidlowday mar kale. Waxa ay ka la yaabaneyd wixii ay ku sameyn lahayd ilmahan qaabka daran. Waxa kale oo ay ka la yaabaneyd wixii ay iyaduna isku sameyn lahayd.
And so the woman found herself alone again.
She wondered what to do with this awkward child.
She wondered what to do with herself.
Aakhirkii waxa ay isku qancisay in ay aqbasho in uu ilmaheedii yahay, iyaduna ay hooyadiis tahay.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.
Hada, hadii uu dameerka ku joogi lahaa sidiisi,bar yaraanta,wax walbo waxaan ahaan lahaayeen si ka duwan sidan. Laakiin ilmihii dameerka ahaa wuu koray oo koray ilaa uu la ekaan waayay dhabarkii hooyadii. Si kasta oo uu isku deyay na, waa uu u dhaqmi waayey sidii dadkii oo kale. Hooyadii aad bay u daashay oo waa ay isku buuqday. Marmar waxa ay isku dayday in uu sida xayawaanka u shaqeeyo.
Now, if the child had stayed that same, small size, everything might have been different. But the donkey child grew and grew until he could no longer fit on his mother’s back.
And no matter how hard he tried, he could not behave like a human being. His mother was often tired and frustrated. Sometimes she made him do work meant for animals.
Jahawareer iyo carro ayaa iskugu darsantay dameerkii. Sidan ma yeeli karo sidaana ma yeeli karo. Sidan ma noqon karo sidaana ma noqon karo. Mar uu aad u xanaaqay, ayaa uu maalin hooyadii laad ku kiciyey oo dhulka ku tuuray.
Confusion and anger built up inside Donkey. He couldn’t do this and he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t be like this and he couldn’t be like that.
He became so angry that, one day, he kicked his mother to the ground.
Dameerkii ceeb ayuu dareemay. Waxa aanu bilaabay in uu aad u ordo oo uu u cararo meel fog.
Donkey was filled with shame. He started to run away as far and fast as he could.
Waqtigii uu joojiyay orodkii, habeen bay ahayd, Dameerkiina waa uu lumay. “Haa’i Aaa?” ayuu mugdigi uga dhex gunuunacay. “Haa’i Aaa?” ayuu mugdiga ka daba dhahay. Waaxuu ahaa mid cidloobay. Intuu isku duuduubay sidii kubad adag, ayuu la dhacay hurdo dheer oo dhiban.
By the time he stopped running, it was night, and Donkey was lost.
“Hee haw?” he whispered to the darkness.
“Hee Haw?” it echoed back. He was alone.
Curling himself into a tight ball, he fell into a deep and troubled sleep.
Dameerkii waxa uu toosay isaga oo oday la yaab leh hoos usoo eeegayo. Indhihi odayga ayuu eegay waxuu na billaabay inyar oo rajo ah in uu dareemo.
Donkey woke up to find a strange old man staring down at him. He looked into the old man’s eyes and started to feel a twinkle of hope.
Dameerkii waxa uu raacay si uu ula joogo odagii, kaas oo baray qaabab kala duwan oo ah sida loo noolaado. Dameerkii waxa uu noqday mid wax dhageystay oo na wax bartay, sidoo kale ayuu sameeyay odaygana. Waa ay is caawiyeen, waa ayna wada qosleen si wada jir ah.
Donkey went to stay with the old man, who taught him many different ways to survive.
Donkey listened and learned, and so did the old man. They helped each other, and they laughed together.
Subax subaxyada ka mid ah, ayaa uu odagii weyddiistay Dameerkii in uu u qaado buur dhaladeed.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Meeel kore oo daruuraha ka mid ah ayey hurdo kula dul dhaceen. Dameerkii waxa uu ku riyooday hooyadiis oo xanuunsanaysa oo isaga u yeeraysa. Markii uu toosay na…
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Ugu dambeyntii dameerkii waa uu ogaaday waxa in la sameeyo ah.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Dameerkii waxa uu helay hooyadii, oo cidlootay una barooranaysa ilmaheedii lumay. Muddo dheer ayay is eegteen midba midka kale. Dabadeedna ihabisi siiyeen waliba si adag.
Donkey found his mother, alone and mourning her lost child. They stared at each other for a long time.
And then hugged each other very hard.
Ilmihi dameerka ahaa iyo hooyadii waa ay wada koreen waxa ayna heleen qaabab badan oo ay ku wada noolaan karaan midba midka kale dhiniciisa. Tartiib tartiib, dhinacyadooda oo dhan, qoysas ayaa bilaabay in ay soo dagaan.
The donkey child and his mother have grown together and found many ways of living side by side.
Slowly, all around them, other families have started to settle.
