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Nogwaja Ngaphasi Kwesihlahla Rabbit under the tree

Phumy Zikode

Wiehan de Jager

Khulekani Mabuza and Adam Nkambule

Swati

Level 4

The audio for this story is currently not available.

Logwaja bekalele ngaphasi kwesihlahla. Lihhabhula lawela phasi lisuka egatjeni lesihlahla.

Rabbit was sleeping under an apple tree. An apple fell down from a branch.

Kwavakala livi litsi: Baleka logwaja baleka! Wavuka ngekuphutfuma wabaleka ngesivinini lesikhulu.

A voice said, “Run rabbit run!” She woke up quickly and ran away with great speed.

Endleleni wahlangana nenkhukhu. “Kungani ubaleka?” kubuta ematjwele alogwaja. Logwaja atiphendvulele, “Angati. Ngive intfo iwa esihlahleni ngase ngiva livi litsi: Baleka logwaja baleka!”

She met a chicken. “Why are you running?” asked the chicken. Rabbit replied, “I don’t know. I just heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”

Inkhukhu yavele yatfuka. Yacala yabaleka ngemva kwekuva loku bekushiwo ngologwaja.

The chicken was frightened. She started running when she heard what the rabbit said.

Bahlangana nenja. Inja yabuta, “Yindzaba nibaleka?” Inkhukhu yavakala itsi, “Angati. Ngive loku bekushiwo ngulogwaja, naye logwaja akati. Uve intfo letsite iwa kwase kwavakala livi litsi: Baleka logwaja baleka!”

They met a dog. Dog asked, “Why are you running?” Chicken said, “I don’t know. I just heard what the rabbit said, and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”

Nenja beyimangele ngaloku leyikuva ngenkhukhu. Yase yacala yabaleka nalogwaja nenkhukhu.

The dog was surprised about what she heard. She started running with Rabbit and Chicken.

Bahlangana nelihhashi. Lihhashi labuta inja, “Yindzaba nibaleka kangaka?” Inja yatsi, “Angati name. Ngive inkhukhu itsi nayo ayati, logwaja utsi uve intfo letsite iwa esihlahleni kwase kwakala livi litsi: Baleka logwaja baleka!” Lihhashi lacala kugijima kanye nabo.

They met a horse. The horse asked the dog, “Why are you running?” Dog said, “I don’t know. I just heard what the chicken said, and she doesn’t know. She heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”

Bahlangana nembongolo endleleni. Imbongo yababuta, “Yindzaba nibaleka?” Lihhashi laphandvula latsi, “Mine angati.”

The horse starts to run with the others.

“Ngive loku lokukhulunywe yinja lapho itsi, nayo ayati kepha ive lokhu lokukhulunywe yinkhukhu, nayo inkhukhu ayati kepha ive loku lokukhulunywe ngulogwaja lapho logwaja atse uve intfo letsite iwa kwase kuvakala livi litsi: Baleka logwaja baleka!” Ngaloko neMbongolo yacala kugijima nayo.

They met a donkey. The donkey asked, “Why are you running?” Horse replied, “I don’t know. I just heard what the dog said, and he doesn’t know. He heard what the chicken said and she doesn’t know. She heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”

Bahlangana nenkhomo. Inkhomo yabuta, “Yindzaba nibaleka?” Imbongo yaphendvula, “Nami angati.”

So Donkey starts running too.

“Ngisandza kuva nge Lihhashi loku lelitsi nalo alikwati nalo live ngenja nayo lengati lutfo nayo. Inja yona ive ngenkhukhu nayo lengati lutfo yona leve ngalogwaja lotse uve intfo letsite iwa esihlahleni kwavakala nelivi litsi: Baleka logwaja baleka!” Inkhomo beyikhatsatekile nayo yacala kugijima.

They met a cow. The cow asked, “Why are you running?” Donkey replied, “I don’t know. I just heard what the horse said, and she doesn’t know. She heard what the dog said and he doesn’t know. He heard what the chicken said and she doesn’t know. She heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”

Letilwane tase tihlanga nelikati, lase liyababuta, “Yindzaba nibaleke?” Inkhomo yaphendvula, “Mine angati.”

The cow is worried and starts to run as well.

Ngisandza kuva loku lokukhulunywe yimbongolo nayo lengati lutfo, nayo ive ngelihhashi nalo lelingati lutfo, nalo live lokukhulunywe yinja, nayo lengati lutfo yona ive lokukhulunywe inkhukhu, nayo lengati lutfo naye ive loku lokuvela kulogwaja lotsi naye akati lutfo kepha uve intfo iwa kwase kwevakala livi litsi: Baleka logwaja baleka!

They met a cat. The cat asked, “Why are you running?” Cow replied, “I don’t know. I just heard what the donkey said, and he doesn’t know. He heard what the horse said and she doesn’t know. She heard what the dog said and he doesn’t know. He heard what the chicken said and she doesn’t know. She heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”

Ne likati lacala lagijima kanye naletinye tilwane.

The cat started running with the other animals.

Base bahlangana nemfana atiihambela ngebhayisikili yakhe wase wabuta, “Yindzaba nibaleka?” Tilwane ngekuhlanganyela taphendula tatsi, “Asati. Sive loku logwaja logwaja latsi akakakuva. Utsi uve intfo letsite iwa kwase kuvakala livi litsi: Baleka logwaja baleka!”

Then they met the boy riding the bicycle and he asked, “Why are you running?” And the animals replied, “We don’t know. We heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”

Umfana wavele wafa insini wavakala sekatsi, “Li apula leliwe esihlahleni ngobe bekunemoya. Ngimi lengitse: Baleka logwaja baleka!”

The boy laughed and said, “An apple feel off the tree because of the wind. I’m the one who said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”

Written by: Phumy Zikode

Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager

Translated by: Khulekani Mabuza and Adam Nkambule

Language: Swati

Level: Level 4

Source: Rabbit under the tree from African Storybook

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.

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