Daar was eendag ‘n meisie genaamd Tselane. Na haar pa se dood het sy alleen by haar ma gebly. Op ‘n dag besluit haar ma dat hulle ‘n nuwe lewe in ‘n ander dorpie moet begin. Tselane het gehuil. Sy wou nie haar ou dorpie verlaat nie.
Once upon a time there was a little girl called Tselane. After her father died, she lived alone with her mother. One day her mother decided that they would move to another village to start a new life. Tselane did not want to leave her old village and she started to cry.
Haar ma was bang om haar dogter alleen te laat, want daar het reuse in die grotte naby die dorpie gewoon. Maar Tselane het so baie gehuil dat haar ma uiteindelik ingestem het dat sy mag bly.
Her mother was scared to leave her daughter alone because giants lived in the caves nearby that village. But Tselane cried so much that her mother finally agreed that she could stay behind.
Tselane se ma het belowe om elke dag vir haar kos te bring. Sy het gesê: “Ek sal ‘n liedjie sing sodat jy weet dat dit ek is. Moenie die deur vir enige iemand anders oopmaak nie, my kind.” Sy het die liedjie gesing: “Tselane, my kind! Tselane, my kind! Kom uit en eet jou pap! Kom uit en eet jou pap!”
Tselane’s mother told her that she would bring food every day. She said, “I will sing a song so that you know it’s me. Don’t open the door for anyone else, my child.” She sang the song: “Tselane my child! Tselane my child! Come out and eat your porridge! Come out and eat your porridge!”
Die volgende oggend kom Tselane se ma met kos na die huis toe. Sy het haar spesiale liedjie gesing. Tselane het die deur oopgemaak en haar ma se lekker kos gevat. Haar ma het haar gesoen en teruggegaan na haar nuwe huis toe.
The next morning Tselane’s mother came to the house with food. She sang their special song. Tselane opened the door and took her mother’s delicious food. Then her mother kissed her and went back to her new home.
‘n Reus het in die bosse weggekruip en vir Tselane en haar ma dopgehou en na hulle geluister! Nadat Tselane daardie aand haar lig doodblaas, het sy ‘n diep stem haar ma se liedjie hoor sing. “Tselane, my kind! Kom uit en eet jou pap!” het die reus gesing.
A giant was hiding in the bushes, watching and listening to Tselane and her mother! After Tselane switched off her light that night, she heard a deep voice singing her mother’s song outside the door. “Tselane my child! Come out and eat your porridge!” sang the giant. “Go away! You are not my mother! You are a giant!” shouted Tselane.
Die reus het teleurgesteld na sy grot toe weggestap. Tselane se ma het elke oggend en aand vir haar kos gebring. Die reus het ook gekom, maar Tselane het hom weggestuur. Sy het elke keer sy diep stem herken as hy haar ma se liedjie sing.
The giant walked away disappointed and disappeared into the caves. Every morning and every evening, Tselane’s mother brought her food. Every morning and every evening, the giant also came. But each time Tselane sent him away. She recognised his deep voice as he sang her mother’s song.
Op ‘n dag kry die reus ‘n idee: “Ek kan my stem verander sodat dit soos Tselane se ma s’n klink!” het hy vir homself gesê. Hy het ‘n vuur gemaak en ‘n gladde, ronde klippie in die vlamme gegooi. Toe die klippie rooiwarm was, het hy dit uit die vuur gehaal en ingesluk! “Kudutlu!” het die steen gemaak soos dit in die reus se keel afglip.
One day the giant had an idea. “I can change my voice to resemble that of Tselane’s mother!” he said to himself. He made a fire and threw a round smooth stone into the flames. When the stone was very hot and red, he took it out of the fire and swallowed it! “Kudutlu!” went the hot stone down the throat of the giant.
Die reus het begin sing. Hy was vreeslik bly toe hy hoor sy stem klink net so mooi en soet soos Tselane se ma s’n! Vroeg die volgende oggend het die reus na Tselane se huis toe gestap. By die deur het hy gesing: “Tselane, my kind! Kom uit en eet jou pap!”
The giant started singing. He jumped for joy when he heard his voice sounding as sweet as that of Tselane’s mother! Early the next day, the giant went to Tselane’s house early in the morning. When he got to the door of the house, he sang: “Tselane my child! Tselane my child! Come out and eat your porridge! Come out and eat your porridge!”
Tselane was baie bly om haar ma se stem te hoor. Sy het die deur oopgemaak. Die reus het reg voor haar gestaan! Sy het die deur probeer toemaak, maar die reus was te vinnig. Hy het Tselane gegryp en haar in ‘n sak gegooi.
Tselane was excited to hear her mother’s voice. She opened the door, and there was the giant! She tried to close the door but the giant was too quick. He grabbed Tselane and threw her into a sack.
Die gelukkige reus het na sy grot toe teruggeloop. “Wat ‘n wonderlike dag. As ek nou net ‘n bietjie tradisionele bier gehad het, sou dit my aandete verder opkikker,” het hy vir homself gesê.
The happy giant walked back to his cave.”What a beautiful day! If only I had traditional beer, it would go so well with my dinner tonight,” he said to himself.
‘n Rukkie later het Tselane se ma soos gewoonlik haar dogter se kos gebring. Sy het haar liedjie gesing, maar Tselane het nie uitgekom nie. Weer het sy haar liedjie gesing, en steeds het Tselane nie uitgekom nie. Na die derde keer wat sy gesing het, het sy die deur oopgeskop. Tselane was nêrens te siene nie. Haar ma het besef wat gebeur het. Gou het sy ‘n plan gemaak.
A little later in the morning, Tselane’s mother came as usual to bring her daughter food. She sang her song, but Tselane did not come out. She sang her song again, but still Tselane did not come out. After singing for the third time, she kicked the door open. Tselane was nowhere to be found. Her mother realised what had happened, and she quickly made a plan.
Sy het ‘n bietjie bier in ‘n kalbas gegooi, dit op haar kop gesit en na die grotte toe geloop. “Goeienaand, reus!” het Tselane se ma geroep. Die reus het die wonderlike geur van die tradisionele bier geruik en die deur oopgemaak. Tselane se ma het gesê: “Ek het net hier verbygeloop toe ek jou hoor sing. Ek is op pad na ‘n partytjie in ‘n ander dorpie.”
She poured some beer into a big calabash, put it on her head, and walked down to the caves. “Good evening, giant!” called Tselane’s mother. The giant smelled the delicious smell of traditional beer and opened the door. Tselane’s mother said, “I was passing through and I heard you singing so beautifully. I am on my way to another village for a party.”
“Kom ek gee vir jou ‘n bietjie van my bier voordat ek verder loop,” het Tselane se ma gesê. Die reus sou nie ‘n kans laat verbygaan om tradisionele bier te drink nie! Hy het Tselane se ma die grot binnegenooi. Met een groot sluk het die reus die bier gedrink. Tselane se ma het hom meer en meer – en nog meer – gegee totdat die kalbas leeg was. Die reus was gou vreeslik dronk. Hy het omgeval en op die grond aan die slaap geraak.
“Let me pour you some beer before I continue on my journey,” said Tselane’s mother. The giant was not going to let the opportunity of drinking traditional beer pass him by! He invited Tselane’s mother into his cave. The giant drank the beer in one great gulp. Tselane’s mother gave him more and more – and more – until the calabash was empty. The giant was soon so drunk that he fell asleep on the floor.
Toe Tselane se ma hoor hoe die reus snork, het sy die sak wat in die grot lê, oopgemaak. Tselane het uit die sak gespring. Hulle het vinnig huis toe gehardloop. Van daardie dag af het Tselane by haar ma in die nuwe dorpie gebly. Hulle was baie gelukkig en die reuse het hulle nooit weer gepla nie.
As soon as Tselane’s mother heard the giant’s loud snores, she opened the sack lying in the cave. Tselane jumped out of the sack, and they ran home as fast as they could. From then on Tselane stayed with her mother at the new village. They lived happily and were never again bothered by giants.
