Download PDF
Back to stories list

Awi cini yeiyanju Maduye? What Vusi's sister said

Written by Nina Orange

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Language Kanuri

Level Level 4

Narrate full story The audio for this story is currently not available.


Yim laa sǝwa lǝp, Madua kakanju bowoyen. Kakanjuye tiro: «Madu marne wuro ngǝwul adǝa amwurawanǝmbo yade. Biskit cadi larusa yeiyanǝmbero.»

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.


Jawalnin, Madu-a kuloma fea-a kattadǝra. «Kajǝm ngǝla adǝa rangǝkke gǝna laa ngokki wa?» yeno feye. Kajǝmdǝ jauro ngǝla nangaro fedǝ tǝgǝmbo giwo.

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.


Written by: Nina Orange
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Language: Kanuri
Level: Level 4
Source: What Vusi's sister said from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
Read more level 4 stories:
Options
Back to stories list Download PDF