Hierdie is die storie van Ngede, die heuningwyser, en ‘n gierige jong man met die naam Gingile. Eendag terwyl Gingile gejag het, het hy Ngede se roep gehoor. Gingile se mond het begin water as hy net aan heuning dink. Hy het gestop, fyn geluister en gesoek totdat hy die voëltjie in die takke bokant sy kop gesien het. “Tjitik-tjitik-tjitik,” het die voëltjie geratel terwyl hy van boom tot boom gevlieg het. “Tjitik, tjitik, tjitik,” het hy geroep en soms gestop om seker te maak dat Gingile hom gevolg het.
This is the story of Ngede, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gingile.
One day while Gingile was out hunting he heard the call of Ngede. Gingile’s mouth began to water at the thought of honey. He stopped and listened carefully, searching until he saw the bird in the branches above his head.
“Chitik-chitik-chitik,” the little bird rattled, as he flew to the next tree, and the next.
“Chitik, chitik, chitik,” he called, stopping from time to time to be sure that Gingile followed.
Na ‘n halfuur, het hulle ‘n groot wilde vyeboom bereik. Ngede het opgewonde tussen die takke rondgehop. Toe het hy op ‘n tak gaan sit met sy koppie na Gingile gedraai, asof hy wou sê: “Hier is dit! Kom nou! Waarom draai jy so?” Gingile kon nie enige bye van onder af sien nie, maar hy het Ngede vertrou.
After half an hour, they reached a huge wild fig tree.
Ngede hopped about madly among the branches. He then settled on one branch and cocked his head at Gingile as if to say, “Here it is! Come now! What is taking you so long?”
Gingile couldn’t see any bees from under the tree, but he trusted Ngede.
Gingile het sy jagspies onder die boom neergesit, ‘n klompie droë takkies bymekaargemaak en ‘n klein vuurtjie gemaak. Toe die vuur goed gebrand het, het hy ‘n lang, droë stok binne-in die vuur gedruk. Die soort hout was bekend daarvoor om baie te rook wanneer dit brand. Hy het begin om in die boom op te klim, terwyl hy die koue end van die rokende stok tussen sy tande vasgebyt het.
So Gingile put down his hunting spear under the tree, gathered some dry twigs and made a small fire.
When the fire was burning well, he put a long dry stick into the heart of the fire. This wood was especially known to make lots of smoke while it burned.
He began climbing, holding the cool end of the smoking stick in his teeth.
Gou kon hy die harde gezoem van die besige bye hoor. Hulle het in en uit ‘n hol boomstam – hulle nes, gevlieg. Toe Gingile die bynes bereik het, het hy die rokende stok in die holte gedruk. Die woedende bye het vinnig uitgevlieg. Hulle het weggevlieg omdat hulle nie van die rook gehou het nie – maar nie voordat hulle Gingile ‘n paar geniepsige steke gegee het nie!
Soon he could hear the loud buzzing of the busy bees. They were coming in and out of a hollow in the tree trunk – their hive.
When Gingile reached the hive he pushed the smoking end of the stick into the hollow.
The bees came rushing out, angry and mean. They flew away because they didn’t like the smoke – but not before they had given Gingile some painful stings!
Toe die bye uit was, het Gingile sy hande in die nes gesteek. Hy het handevol van die swaar heuningkoeke, vol ryk heuning en vet wit byelarwes uitgehaal. Hy het die heuningkoeke versigtig in sy skouersak gepak en begin afklim ondertoe.
When the bees were out, Gingile pushed his hands into the nest. He took out handfuls of the heavy comb, dripping with rich honey and full of fat, white grubs.
He put the comb carefully in the pouch he carried on his shoulder, and started to climb down the tree.
Ngede het vir Gingile gretig dopgehou. Hy het vir hom gewag om ‘n vet stuk heuningkoek as ‘n dankie-sê te gee omdat hy die heuning aangewys het. Ngede het van tak tot tak gefladder, nader en nader aan die grond. Uiteindelik het Gingile die voet van die boom bereik. Ngede het op ‘n rots naby die seun gaan sit en wag op sy beloning.
Ngede eagerly watched everything that Gingile was doing. He was waiting for him to leave a fat piece of honeycomb as a thank-you offering to the Honeyguide.
Ngede flittered from branch to branch, closer and closer to the ground. Finally Gingile reached the bottom of the tree.
Ngede perched on a rock near the boy and waited for his reward.
Maar, Gingile het die vuur geblus, sy spies opgetel en begin huis toe loop, terwyl hy die voëltjie geïgnoreer het. Ngede het kwaad geroep, “VIK-torr! VIK-torrr!” Gingile het gestop, na die voëltjie gestaar en hardop gelag. “Jy wil heuning hê, né, my vriend? Ha! Maar ek moes al die werk doen en het al die bysteke gekry. Waarom sou ek hierdie wonderlike heuning met jou deel?” Hy het toe aangestap. Ngede was woedend! Dit was nie die manier om hom te behandel nie! Maar hy sou wraak neem.
But, Gingile put out the fire, picked up his spear and started walking home, ignoring the bird.
Ngede called out angrily, “VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!”
Gingile stopped, stared at the little bird and laughed aloud. “You want some honey, do you, my friend? Ha! But I did all the work, and got all the stings. Why should I share any of this lovely honey with you?” Then he walked off.
Ngede was furious! This was no way to treat him! But he would get his revenge.
Eendag ‘n paar weke later het Gingile weer Ngede se heuningroep gehoor. Hy het die heerlike heuning onthou en die voëltjie gretig gevolg. Nadat Ngede vir Gingile al met die rand van die woud gelei het, het hy in ‘n reuse sambreelvormige doringboom gaan sit om te rus. “Aaa,” het Gingile gedink. “Die bynes moet in hierdie boom wees.” Hy het vinnig sy vuurtjie aangesteek en begin klim met die rokende tak tussen sy tande. Ngede het gesit en kyk.
One day several weeks later Gingile again heard the honey call of Ngede. He remembered the delicious honey, and eagerly followed the bird once again.
After leading Gingile along the edge of the forest, Ngede stopped to rest in a great umbrella thorn. “Ahh,” thought Gingile. “The hive must be in this tree.” He quickly made his small fire and began to climb, the smoking branch in his teeth. Ngede sat and watched.
Terwyl hy geklim het, het Gingile gewonder waarom hy nie die gewone gezoem hoor nie. “Miskien is die nes diep in die boom,” het hy gedink. Hy het homself aan nog ‘n tak opgetrek. Maar in plaas van die bynes het hy reg in die gesig van ‘n luiperd vasgekyk! Luiperd was smoorkwaad omdat haar slaap ru onderbreek is. Sy het haar oë geskreef en haar mond oopgemaak om haar groot en baie skerp tande te ontbloot.
Gingile climbed, wondering why he didn’t hear the usual buzzing. “Perhaps the hive is deep in the tree,” he thought to himself. He pulled himself up another branch. But instead of the hive, he was staring into the face of a leopard!
Leopard was very angry at having her sleep so rudely interrupted. She narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to reveal her very large and very sharp teeth.
Voor Luiperd na Gingile kon kap, het hy vinnig teen die boom afgeklouter. In sy haas het hy ‘n tak gemis en met ‘n harde slag op die grond geland en sy enkel verstuit. Hy het so vinnig as moontlik weggehop. Gelukkig vir hom, was Luiperd nog te deur die slaap om hom te jaag. Ngede, die heuningwyser het wraak geneem en Gingile het sy les geleer.
Before Leopard could take a swipe at Gingile, he rushed down the tree.
In his hurry he missed a branch, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground twisting his ankle. He hobbled off as fast as he could. Luckily for him, Leopard was still too sleepy to chase him. Ngede, the Honeyguide, had his revenge.
And Gingile learned his lesson.
Daarna, toe Gingile se kinders die storie van Ngede gehoor het, het hulle die voëltjie gerespekteer. Wanneer hulle heuning uitgehaal het, het hulle seker gemaak dat hulle die grootste deel van die heuningkoek vir die heuningwyser los!
And so, when the children of Gingile hear the story of Ngede they have respect for the little bird. Whenever they harvest honey, they make sure to leave the biggest part of the comb for Honeyguide!
