Moya wa Mariha o se o fetile. Hwetla e a tla motseng wa Naledi. Haufinyane baahi ba tla bokana ho keteka sehla se setjha. Naledi o ne a ikemiseditse ho bona mokete wa Hwetla ho feta letsatsi lefe kapa lefe la selemo.
The Winter cold had passed.
Spring was coming to Nkanyezi’s village.
Soon the villagers would gather to celebrate the new season. Nkanyezi looked forward to the Spring festival more than any other day in the year.
Hoseng ho hong ho futhumetseng, Naledi a utlwa baahi ba babedi ba baholo ba bua ka mokete. “Batloung ba lahlehetswe ke moya wa ho keteka,” e mong a rialo.
One warm morning, Nkanyezi overheard two village elders talking about the festival.”The people of Ndlovu have lost their spirit of celebration,” one sighed.”How can we have a Spring festival in a village that has forgotten how to celebrate?” asked another.
Naledi o ne a tshwenyehile. “Letsatsi le tla tjhaba hape jwang ka ntle le hore re bine re le tsose borokong ba lona ba mariha?” Naledi a ipotsa.
Nkanyezi was worried.”How will the sun shine again unless we sing to wake it from its winter slumber?” she asked herself.
Nkanyezi thought for a long time.”I must find what we have lost,” she decided.”I must go in search of things that will bring back the spirit of celebration to my village.”
Baholo ba ile ba fa Naledi kananelo ya bona ka leeto la hae. Ba ile ba mo fa mokotla hore a tshele dintho tseo a neng a tla di fumana. Naledi o ne a tshohile, empa a dumela hore o tla atleha.
The elders gave Nkanyezi their blessing for the journey. They gave her a bag to carry the things she would find.
Nkanyezi was afraid, but she believed she would succeed.
Naledi o ile a tsamaya letsheare lohle. O ne a nyoloha thajana, le ho theohela phuleng. O ile a sesetsa nokeng e kgolo, mme a hlwella mafika. O ile a tsamaya hodima dihlaba ho fihlela a fihla moriting wa dithaba tse kgubedu.
Nkanyezi walked all day. She hiked up a hill, and down into a valley. She sailed across the great river, and climbed between sharp rocks. She marched across the plains until she reached the shadow of the red mountains.
Ha shwalane e tshwara, Naledi o ile a fihla motseng wa dipaterone le mebala eo a neng a so e bone. O ile a bolella baholo ba motseng ka leeto la hae. Mme wa setjhaba sena o ile a fa Naledi mpho.
As night was closing in, Nkanyezi arrived at a village of patterns and colours as she had never seen before. She told the village elders about her journey to bring back the spirit of celebration to her people.
The mother of this tribe gave Nkanyezi a gift. She told the girl, “With love we give to you this paint to restore colour to a village that has gone dull.”
Nkanyezi thanked the elders and put the paint in her bag.
Early the next morning she went on her way, excited with this gift of colour.
Naledi o ile a tsamaya letsatsi lohle, merung e fapaneng ya difate tse kgolohadi. Ha ho se ho phirima, o ile a utlwa modumo wa dikupu. O ile a potlakela moo modumo wa dikupu o tswang teng, a utlwa moya wa ho tjeka o fihlela maoto a hae a kgathatseng.
Nkanyezi walked all day, through a vast forest of giant trees. As the sky became too dark for her to see, she heard the sound of beating drums. She hurried towards the drumming, feeling the spirit of dance coming to her tired feet.
Naledi o ile a iphumana a le motseng wa Taung. Batho ba ne ba dutse ho potoloha mollo, ba letsa dikupu ebile ba bina. O ne a so utlwe mmino o monate jwalo haesale. O ile a bolella baholo ba motseng ka leeto la hae la ho kgutlisa moya wa ho keteka bathong ba habo. Bataung ba ile ba mo mema hore a phomole mme a robaletse.
Nkanyezi found herself in the village of the Bhubezi. People were sitting around a fire, drumming and singing. She had never before heard such wonderful music.
She told the village elders about her journey to bring back the spirit of celebration to her people. The Bhubezi invited her to rest and stay the night.
Hoseng morena a bitsa Naledi. “Ngwanaka,” a rialo, “nka sekupu se ikgethang ke sena. Se bapala pina e ntjha ka nako tsohle ha o se letsa.”
In the morning the chief called on Nkanyezi.”My child,” he said, “here is a special drum. It plays a new song every time you beat it.”
Nkanyezi thanked the elders and put the drum in her bag. She went on her way again, delighted with this gift of music and dance.
Letsatsing la boraro la leeto, a feta tshimo e nang le dikgomo tse nonneng. Monko o ile wa tsikinyetsa dinko tsa hae a ba a kolla mathe ka hanong. O ile a sala monko morao, a ba a fihla motseng moo batho ba neng ba eme ba phehile. Morabe ona o ne o tumme ka mekete mme Naledi o ne a so ka a latswa dijo tse monate jwalo. Kamora hore a je, o ile a bolella baholo ba motse ka leeto la hae.
On the third day of her journey, as she a passed a field of fat cows, her nose started to tingle. An aroma tickled her taste buds and her mouth started to water. She followed the scent, and arrived in a village to find people standing over steaming pots of stew.
This tribe was famous for its feasts and Nkanyezi had never before tasted such flavours. After she had eaten her fill, she told the village elders about her journey to bring back the spirit of celebration to her people.
Tsatsi le latelang, lekgotla la diphehi la mo fa motswako wa senoko sa sephiri.
The next day, the council of cooks gave her a secret spice blend.”Our daughter,” they said, “with these spices, happy tummies are guaranteed! We give you the gift of good food.”
Nkanyezi thanked the elders and put the spices in her bag.
She knew she had everything she needed. With new energy she started the long journey back to the village of Ndlovu.
Ha a fihla hae baahi ba ile ba mo bokanela ho utlwa ka dikenkeng tsa leeto la hae. O ile a ba bolella dipale tsa dintho tseo a di boneng, tseo a di utlwileng, le tseo a di jeleng.
When she arrived home the villagersgathered around her to hear of heradventures. She told them the talesof what she had seen, heard, andeaten.
Then she opened her bag toshare the gifts given. The villagersrejoiced to receive these treasures.
The generosity of others and the courage of Nkanyezi brought back colour,song and dance to the people.
And so the spirit of celebration was restored to the village of Ndlovu.
