Only human beings had legs because Maguru had given legs to humans.
Ka letsatsi lengwe, Montshiwa o ne
a swetsa gore o tla fa phologolo e
nngwe le e nngwe maoto.
O ne a tsamaya gotlhe mo motseng
a bega tshwetso ya gagwe.
O ne a batla gore diphologolo
tsotlhe di tsamaye jaaka batho.
One day, Maguru decided to give legs to every animal.
He walked round the village announcing from a loudspeaker.
He wanted each animal to walk like a human being.
Diphologolo di ne di itumetse fa di
utlwa gore di tlile go fiwa maoto.
Phologolo e nngwe le e nngwe e ne
e batla go nna le maoto gore e
kgone go tsamaya le go taboga.
Di ne tsa opela, tsa tshikinya
megatla le go tsharolola diphuka tsa
tsona.
The animals were happy when they heard that they would be given legs.
Each animal wanted to have legs so that it could walk and run.
They sang, wagged their tails and flapped their wings.
Diphologolo di ne tsa kopana mme
tsa bua ka moo go leng boima ka
teng go gagaba.
Mmu o gotlha mala a tsona.
Maoto a tla thusa gore di bonele
kgakala, fela jaaka batho.
Animals gathered and discussed how difficult it was to crawl.
The ground scratched their bellies.
Legs would also help them to stand and see far, like human beings did.
Ka letsatsi leo, diphologolo di ne tsa
gagabela kwa ntlong ya ga
Montshiwa go fiwa maoto a tsona.
Dithutlwa, ditau, ditlou, mebitlwa, bogopane le dinonyane di ne tsa ema
mola mme tsa leta go fiwa maoto.
When the day came, many animals crawled to Maguru’s house to get their legs.
Giraffes, lions, elephants, rabbits, crocodiles, and birds queued and waited to be given legs.
Phologolo e nngwe le e nngwe e ne
ya fiwa maoto a le mane.
Nonyane e nngwe le e nngwe e ne ya
fiwa maoto a mabedi.
Each animal was given four legs.
Birds were given two legs each.
Ditebego tsa diphologolo di ne tsa
fetoga morago ga go nna le maoto.
Tse dingwe tsa bina ka ntlha ya
boitumelo.
Tse dingwe di ne sa kgone go
tsamaya mme tsa wela mo fatshe.
They walked round the village showing off to human beings.
All the animals said, “We will never crawl again.”
Phologolo ya bofelo mo moleng e ne
e le Sebokolodi.
“A go nale mongwe gape mo
morago ga gago?”, Montshiwa a
botsa.
“Nnyaa, ke nna wa bofelo,”
Sebokolodi a araba.
Maguru checked in his house to see whether there were any legs remaining.
But he did not find any.
Montshiwa o ne a tswela kwa ntle
mme a re, “Ke maswabi, ga gona
maoto a a setseng.”
Noga o ne a tshwanela ke go boela
gae a gagaba.
Go tloga ka letsatsi leo, Noga a
tlogela go robala thata.
O dula a emetse motlha o mogwe
wa go fiwa maoto.
Maguru came out and said, “Sorry, Snake, there are no legs remaining.” Snake had to crawl back home without legs.
Since that day Snake does not sleep much.
He is always waiting for the next chance to get legs.
