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Tšhošwane E Phološa Leeba
Wamphephisa Kanjani Utsheketshe Ujuba
Indlela imbovane eyalihlangula ngayo ihobe
How ant saved dove
Kholeka Mabeta
Wiehan de Jager
Motlhago Sara Mohale
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E be e le letšatši la go fiša la selemo sekgweng sa go ba le komelelo.
Lalishisa ngelinye ilanga ehlobo, ehlathini elomile.
Ilanga laligqats’ ubhobhoyi kwihlathi elomileyo.
It was a hot summer
day in the dry forest.
Tšhošwane e be e feditše matšatši a mantši e se na meetse.
Kwase kuyizinsuku eziningi uTsheketshe omncane engenamanzi.
Kwakusele kuziintsuku ezininzi imbovane encinane ingawaseli amanzi.
Little Ant had no water
for many days.
“Ke nyorilwe, ke nyaka meetse, le ge e ka ba lerothi go tšwa letlakaleng la mohlare,” gwa lla Tšhošwane.
Ngidinga iconsi lamanzi, noma ngabe kungathiwa liconsa eqabungeni nje.
“Ndidinga ithontsi lamanzi nokuba liwa egqabini.”
“I need a drop of water,
even if it falls from a
leaf.”
Efela le phoka e be e se gona, e omile.
Kodwa akusekho ngisho amazolo lawa.
Kodwa nombethe wawusele womile.
But even the dew had
dried up.
“Ge nka se hwetše meetse, ke tlo hwa,” gwa lla Tšhošwane. “Ke swanetše go leba kua nokeng yeo ke kwelego ka yona.”
“Uma ngingaphuzi ngizofa, kuzomele ngiye kulomfula engake ngezwa ngawo,” kusho uTsheketshe omncane.
“Ukuba andiseli manzi ngoku, ndiza kufa,” yatsho imbovane encinane inyembezana. “Kufuneka ndiye kula mlambo bendive ngawo.”
“If I don’t drink, I will
die,” cried Little Ant.
“I must go to the river I
have heard about.”
“Noka e tletše wa go falala. E tlo go rwala,” gwa eletša legotlo la bohlale.
“Uzomuka nomfula, ” kuxwayisa uNgwejeje ohlakaniphile.
“Umlambo uza kumka nawe,” watsho unomatse okrelekrele eyilumkisa.
“The river will sweep
you away,” a wise
squirrel warned him.
Efela Tšhošwane e be e nyorilwe kudu. “Ke tla hwa ge nka se nwe meetse.” Ka fao, ya sepela go yo nyakana le noka.
Kodwa uTsheketshe omncane wayenxanwe kakhulu. “Ngizofa uma ngingaphuzi,” kusho yena.
Kodwa yayomile lunxano imbovane encinane. “Ndiza kufa ukuba andiseli manzi ngoku.”
But Little Ant was so
thirsty.
“I will die if I don’t drink
some water.”
Tšhošane ya sepela ya feta bjang bjo bo telele godimo ga dithabe tša go oma.
UTsheketsheke omncane wahamba wayofuna umfula.
Imbovane encinane yahamba isiya kukhangela loo mlambo.
Little Ant went to look
for the river…
E ile ya sepela go fihla e ekwa lešata la meetse. Ke noka! E ile ya kwa maphoto a meetse!
Wayenqamula otshanini obomile, nasemagatsheni omile.
Yahamba yahamba idlula kwingca eyomileyo nakumahlahla awomileyo.
across dry grass and
over dry branches…
Tšhošwane e ile ya nwa meetse ao a fodilego, a noka, lebaka le le telele.
Kwaze kwaba uzwa umsindo wamagagasi echaphaka lapha nalaphaya.
Yahamba yade yeva ukugwinkciza kwamanzi omlambo.
…until he heard the
waves of the river
splashing.
E be e thabile kudu gomme e sa lemoge lephotho la meetse leo le bego le tšwelela.
UTsheketshe omncane wahabula amanzi engaphezi.
Imbovane encinane yathatha ithamo lamanzi ixesha elide.
Little Ant took a long
sip of cool water.
Tšhošwane e ile ya leka go swarelela bjang bjoo bo bego bo feta ka meetsing. Efela e ile ya rwalwa ke meetse ao.
Wayejabule kangangoba akalibonanga igagasi elikhulu elabe liza lizomemboza.
Ngendlela eyayivuya ngayo ayizange ilibone iliza elikhulu lamanzi elalisiza.
He was so happy he did
not see the huge wave
coming.
“Nthušeng. Thušang hle!” ya goelela.
UTsheketshe wazama ukubambelela otshanini obomile eduze kwakhe. Kodwa wathathwa amanzi amphonsa kude.
Imbovane yazama ukubambelela emcingeni owomileyo wengca owawudlula ngakuyo. Kodwa yemka namanzi.
Ant tried to grab the
dry grass floating past
him.
But he was swept away
by the water.
“Phakiša, namela,” gwa bolela Leeba le le šweu, le swere thabe ka molomong, le thuša Tšhošwane.
“Ngisizeni bo! Ngisizeni bo!”
“Ndincedeni bantu. Khanindincede.”
“Help someone. Help
me please.”
“Ke tla dula mo go fihla ke kgona go leboga leeba,” gwa akanya Tšhošwane. “Ke tla ema go fihla a etla go nwa meetse.”
“Shesha gibela lana, ” kusho uJuba omhlophe ebambe ukhuni ngomlomo wakhe.
“Khawuleza, bambelela apha,” latsho ihobe elimhlophe liphethe ikhuni ngomlomo.
“Quick, climb on,” said
White Dove, holding a
branch in his beak.
Ka letšatši le lengwe Tšhošwane ge e sa letile moo nokeng, gwa tšwelela bašemane ba babedi. Ba be ba swere diketi.
“Go na le leeba le legolo le lešweu leo le tlago le enwa meetse mo,” gwa bolela yo mongwe wa bašemane. “Re tla lalela ka lona.”
“Angizukuhamba ngize ngibonge kujuba. Ngizolinda aze abuye azophuza futhi, ” kusho Utsheketshe.
“Andinakuhamba ndingekalibuleli ihobe. Ndiza kulinda lide lize kusela amanzi.”
“I cannot leave until I
say thank you to the
dove. I will wait until he
comes back to drink.”
“Nka se tlogele bašemane ba bolaya Leeba le lešweu,” gwa nagana Tšhošwane. “Eupša ke nna yo monnyane kudu, ke eng seo nka se dirago?”
Ngelinye ilanga esaloku alinda njalo uTsheketshe, kwaqhamuka abafana ababili bephethe izihlilingi.
Ngenye imini isalindile njalo, kwafika amakhwenkwe amabini emlanjeni ephethe iiketi zawo.
One day as he waited,
two boys came to the
river with their
slingshots.
Ka yona nako yeo, ke ge Leeba le fofela fase go tšwa mohlareng go tlo nwa meetse.
“Kunejuba elikhulu elimhlophe eliphuza kulomfula, lizoba ukudla kwethu kwasebusuku, ” kusho omunye umfana.
“Kukho ihobe elikhulu elimhlophe elidla ngokuza kusela amanzi apha,” yatsho enye inkwenkwe. “Siza kutya lona ngale ngokuhlwa.”
“There is a big white
dove that comes here
to drink,” said one boy.
“We will have it for
supper tonight.”
Tšhošwane ya tlelwa ke kgopolo.
Ya tabogela godimo ga leoto la o tee wa bašemane bale. Tšhošwane ya loma mošemane kudu ka moo e ka kgonago.
“Angeke ngavumela labafana babulale uJuba omhlophe. Kodwa ngimncane kakhulu, yini nje engingayenza?”.
“Andinakuwavumela la makhwenkwe alibulale eli hobe limhlophe. Kodwa njengokuba ndimncinane kangaka nje, ndingenza ntoni?”
“I cannot let the boys
kill White Dove.
But I am so tiny, what
can I do?”
Mošemane a taboga. “Mmawe!” a goelela.
Ngawo lowo mzuzu uJuba omhlophe wandiza wehlela phansi ukuzophuza.
Kanye ngelo xesha ihobe elimhlophe labhabha lisuka emthini lisiya kusela.
Just then White Dove
flew down from the tree
to drink.
Leeba le ile la tšhoga gomme la fofela lefelong la go bolokega.
Ke ka wona mokgwa woo Tšhošwane e ilego ya leboga Leeba ge le kile la mo phološa kotsing ya meetse.
UTsheketshe omncane waba nesu.
Imbovane encinane yavela necebo.
Little Ant had an idea.
Written by: Kholeka Mabeta
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Motlhago Sara Mohale
