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Dangki Pikni Donkey Child daŋki pikni

Written by Lindiwe Matshikiza

Illustrated by Meghan Judge

Translated by Georgette McGlashen

Language Jamaican Creole

Level Level 3

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

Autoplay story


A did wahn likl gyal pikni uu fos si di schrienj shiep fram faar out.

It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.

a @did wan likl̩ ɟal pikni uː fos si di @schrienj @shiep @fram faːɹ @out


Az di shiep kom nier, shi si se a did wahn prignant uman uu suuhn av biebi.

As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.

@az di @shiep kom @nier @shi si se a @did wan @prignant uman uː @suuhn @av bɪɛbi


Fried bot briev, di likl gyal pikni go niera tu di uman. “Wi afi kip ar wid wi,” di likl gyal pikni piipl dem se. “We a go kip ar an di pikni sief.”

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.”

@fried bot bɹɪɛv di likl̩ ɟal pikni @go @niera tu di uman wi @afi @kip aɹ wid wi di likl̩ ɟal pikni piːpl̩ dem se @we a @go @kip aɹ an di pikni sɪɛf


Di pikni did suuhn baan. “Push!” “Kyari som blangkit!” “Waata!” “Puuuuuuush!”

The child was soon on its way. “Push!” “Bring blankets!” “Water!” “Puuuuussssshhh!!!”

di pikni @did @suuhn baːn @push kjaɹi som @blangkit waːta @puuuuuuush


Bot wen dem si di biebi, evribadi jomp bak an fraitn. “Wahn dangki?!”

But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock. “A donkey?!”

bot @wen dem si di bɪɛbi @evribadi dʒomp @bak an fɹaɪtn̩ wan daŋki


Evribadi staat kos. “Wi se wi wuda kip mada an pikni sief, an a dat wi a go du,” som a dem se. “Bot dem a go bring bad lok!” som se.

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.

@evribadi staːt kos wi se wi @wuda @kip mada an pikni sɪɛf an a dat wi a @go @du som a dem se bot dem a @go @bring bad @lok som se


An so di uman en op bai ar self agen. Shi did a wanda wa fi du wid dis foni pikni. Shi did a wanda wa fi du wid ar self.

And so the woman found herself alone again. She wondered what to do with this awkward child. She wondered what to do with herself.

an @so di uman en op baɪ aɹ @self agen @shi @did a @wanda wa fi @du wid dis @foni pikni @shi @did a @wanda wa fi @du wid aɹ @self


Bot in a di en shi afi aksep se im a fi ar pikni an shi a im mada.

But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.

bot @in a di en @shi @afi @aksep se im a fi aɹ pikni an @shi a im mada


Nou, ef di pikni did stie a di siem likl saiz, evriting wuda difrant. Bot di dangki pikni gruo an gruo so til im kudn fit pan im mada bak no muor. An no mata ou aad im chrai, im kudn biyiev laik a yuuman biin. Im mada di taiyad aal di taim an no nuo we fi du. Somtaim shi mek im du animal wok.

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.

@nou ef di pikni @did stɪɛ a di sɪɛm likl̩ @saiz @evriting @wuda @difrent bot di daŋki pikni gɹuɔ an gɹuɔ @so @til im kudn̩ @fit @pan im mada @bak @no muɔɹ an @no @mata ɔu aːd im tʃɹaɪ im kudn̩ @bihiev laɪk a juːman @biin im mada di @taiyad aːl di taɪm an @no nuɔ @we fi @du @somtaim @shi mek im @du @animal wok


Ignarans an beksieshan bil op ina di Dangki. Im kudn du dis an im kudn du dat. Im kudn bi laik dis an im kudn bi laik dat. Im get so opset das, wan die, im kik dong im uona mada pan di grong.

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.

@ignarans an @veksieshan bil op ina di daŋki im kudn̩ @du dis an im kudn̩ @du dat im kudn̩ @bi laɪk dis an im kudn̩ @bi laɪk dat im @get @so @opset @das wan dɪɛ im @kik doŋ im uɔna mada @pan di gɹoŋ


Dangki did shiem-shiem. Im ronwe az faar an a faas az im kud.

Donkey was filled with shame. He started to run away as far and fast as he could.

daŋki @did @shiem-shiem im @ronwe @az faːɹ an a faːs @az im @kud


Bai taim im stap ron, a did nait, an Dangki did laas. “Iihn aahn?” im bieli se ina di daak. “Iihn aahn?” it eko bak. Im did bai imself. Im korl op ina wahn tait baal, an jrap ina a diip an taamentin sliip.

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.

baɪ taɪm im @stap ɹon a @did naɪt an daŋki @did @laas ĩː @aahn im @bieli se ina di @daak ĩː @aahn it @eko @bak im @did baɪ @imself im koɹl op ina wan @tait baːl an dʒɹap ina a @diip an @taamentin sliːp


Dangki wiek op an si wahn schrienj uol man a luk pan im. Im luk ina di uol man yai dem an staat fiil a likl beta.

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.

daŋki @wiek op an si wan @schrienj uɔl man a luk @pan im im luk ina di uɔl man jaɪ dem an staːt fiːl a likl̩ @beta


Dangki go an go stie wid di uol man, uu tiich im nof difrant wie fi liv. Dangki lisn an lorn, an di uol man lisn an lorn tu. Dem elp wan aneda, an dem laaf tugeda.

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.

daŋki @go an @go stɪɛ wid di uɔl man uː tiːtʃ im nof @difrent wɪɛ fi @liv daŋki lisn̩ an loɹn an di uɔl man lisn̩ an loɹn tu dem elp wan aneda an dem laːf @tugeda


Wan maanin, di uol man aks Dangki fi kyari im go op wahn moutn tap.

One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.

wan maːnin di uɔl man @aks daŋki fi kjaɹi im @go op wan @moutn tap


Wie op ina di kloud dem, dem jrap asliip. Dangki jriim se im mada did sik an a kaal im. An wen im wiek op…

High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep. Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him. And when he woke up…

wɪɛ op ina di @kloud dem dem dʒɹap @asliip daŋki @jriim se im mada @did sɪk an a kaːl im an @wen im @wiek op


… di kloud dem an im fren di uol man, gaan.

… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.

di @kloud dem an im @fren di uɔl man @gaan


Dangki nou nuo we fi du.

Donkey finally knew what to do.

daŋki @nou nuɔ @we fi @du


Dangki fain im mada bai ar self a baal fi ar pikni. Dem luk pan wan aneda fi a lang taim. An den dem og op wan aneda tait-tait.

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.

daŋki faɪn im mada baɪ aɹ @self a baːl fi aɹ pikni dem luk @pan wan aneda fi a laŋ taɪm an @den dem @og op wan aneda @tait-tait


Di dangki pikni an im mada gruo tugeda an fain uol iip a wie fi liv wid wan aneda. Afta a wail, ada fambili staat fi liv roun dem.

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.

di daŋki pikni an im mada gɹuɔ @tugeda an faɪn uɔl iːp a wɪɛ fi @liv wid wan aneda afta a waɪl ada @fambili staːt fi @liv @roun dem


Written by: Lindiwe Matshikiza
Illustrated by: Meghan Judge
Translated by: Georgette McGlashen
Language: Jamaican Creole
Level 3
Source: Donkey Child from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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