Early one morning Vusi’s granny
called him, “Vusi, please take this
egg to your parents. They want to
make a large cake for your sister’s
wedding.”
Jawallan Madu tadawa yindi
tadakǝska cawurdi nayayen. Tada
faldǝ ngǝwul maduyedǝa cǝmoye
kǝskadǝro gǝpkeyen. Ngǝwul
falgada.
On his way to his parents, Vusi met
two boys picking fruit. One boy
grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot
it at a tree. The egg broke.
«Awi sǝddǝm attǝ?» yeno Madu
tadadǝro. Ngǝwul tilan biskit larusa
yeiyaniye cadi. Adǝ bawoa awi
yeiyani wulji?
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That egg was for a cake. The cake
was for my sister’s wedding. What
will my sister say if there is no
wedding cake?”
Tadawadǝ awo cadǝnaye
kashshanju cadi.
«Rangiye biyanjiyewawo, amman
ngo ka Njuttuwuye yeiyanǝmbo ye
yeno tada faldǝ». Madu kǝla
fuwunna giya.
The boys were sorry for teasing
Vusi.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is a walking stick for your
sister,” said one.
Vusi continued on his journey.
Jawalnin,am yindi ngim catandia
kattadǝra.
«Rangiye ka adǝn faidadiye» yeno
kam faldǝ.Kadǝ duno bawoa,
namngada.Ngim cәtandiwawo.
Along the way he met two men
building a house. “Can we use that
strong stick?” asked one.
But the stick was not strong enough
for building, and it broke.
«Awi diwi?» yeno Maduye. «Ka adǝ
yeiyaniro kǝnjo caddo.Tadakǝska
fǝrdowu ka adǝa wuro sado,
ngǝwulni faljanadǝro biskit dioro.
Biskitdǝ yeiyaniye. Kuwa ngǝwul-a
biskit -a kǝnjo caddǝnadǝ-a samma
bawo. Yeiyani awi wulji.»
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That stick was a gift for my sister.
The fruit pickers gave me the stick
because they broke the egg for the
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Tandowudǝ kadǝa namjanadǝro
karwunja kuttu.
Biskitdǝro rangiye awima
yiddiyewawo, amma.ngo kajǝm
yeiyanǝmbo ye, yeno falnjaye.
Madu Jawalnju jǝgane leyeno.
The builders were sorry for breaking
the stick.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is some thatch for your sister,”
said one.
And so Vusi continued on his
journey.
Along the way, Vusi met a farmer
and a cow. “What delicious thatch,
can I have a nibble?” asked the cow.
But the thatch was so tasty that the
cow ate it all!
«Awi dim?» yeno Maduye.
«Kajǝm adǝ kǝnjo yeiyaniro caddo.
Tandowudǝ kajǝm sado, don ka
tadakǝska fǝrdowudǝ namjanaro.
Tadakǝska fǝrdowu ka sado don
nguwul biskit yeiyaniro caddidǝa
faljanadǝro. Kuwa ngǝwul-a biskit -a
kǝnjo caddǝnadǝ samma
bawo.Yeiyani awi wulji.»
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That thatch was a gift for my
sister. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for my sister’s
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Kǝmbomaro walje kajǝmdǝa cotto
jǝwuna nangaro fedǝ karwunju
kuttu. Kulomadǝ Maduro fenju ce
yeiyanjuro cado yeno. Madu
Jawalnju giya.
The cow was sorry she was greedy.
The farmer agreed that the cow
could go with Vusi as a gift for his
sister. And so Vusi carried on.
Amma, sa masǝnaye kidǝnniya, fe
ngǝrǝmje kǝmanjuyero leyeno.
Madu jawalnin fakkeyeno.
Jama dojana masǝna dio cadi
duwon larusa yeiyanjuro kadio.
But the cow ran back to the farmer
at supper time.
And Vusi got lost on his journey.
He arrived very late for his sister’s
wedding. The guests were already
eating.
«Awi dikki?» yeno Maduye.
«Fe cǝgasǝnadǝye kundiro tandowu
kajǝm sado, don ka tadakǝskaye
fǝrdowudǝ namjanaro. Tadakǝska
fǝrdowu ka sado don nguwul biskit
yeiyaniro caddidǝa faljanadǝro.
Kuwa ngǝwul-a biskit -a kǝnjo
caddǝnadǝ-a samma bawo. Yeiyani
awi wulji? Tandowudǝ kajǝm sado,
don ka tadakǝska fǝrdowudǝa
namjanaro. Tadakǝska fǝrdowu ka
sado don nguwul biskit yeiyaniro
caddidǝa faljanadǝro. Biskitdǝ
larusaye, biskit -a kǝnjo caddǝnadǝa samma bawo.
“What shall I do?” cried Vusi.
“The cow that ran away was a gift,
in return for the thatch the builders
gave me. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for the cake.
The cake was for the wedding. Now
there is no egg, no cake, and no
gift.”
Yeiya Maduye sa laa tacce yeno,
«Madu kannani, kǝnjowadǝ-a
biskitdǝ-a bawo yaye nankamnde
mbeji, kǝji fanǝkki. Kuwa lene
kajumunǝm ngǝla yakke, ku sala
nangaro.»
Madu awo yeiyanju wuljinadǝa kido.
Vusi’s sister thought for a while,
then she said,
“Vusi my brother, I don’t really care
about gifts. I don’t even care about
the cake! We are all here together, I
am happy. Now put on your smart
clothes and let’s celebrate this
day!”
And so that’s what Vusi did.
