Back to stories list

Goat, the false king Imbuzi, Inkosi Eyayingenalo Iqiniso Goat, the false king

Written by Alice Nakasango

Illustrated by Marleen Visser

Translated by Cornelius Wambi Gulere

Read by Darshan Soni

Language English

Level Level 4

Narrate full story The audio for this story is currently not available.


Once upon a time, there was a goat called Igodhoobe. Igodhoobe the goat was the king of farm animals and birds. He lived a good life. One day, Igodhoobe the goat called all the animals and birds to a meeting.

Emandulo kwakukhona imbuzi, igama layo kwakungu Bhoklolo. UBhoklolo-ke wayeyinkosi yezilwane nezinyoni ezifuyiwe emakhaya ngaleso sikhathi. Wayephila impilo emnandi, ezicabangela yena isikhathi esiningi. Langa limbe, uBhoklolo njengenkosi, wamema zonke izilwane nezinyoni ukuba zize emhlanganweni ayewubizile.

Once upon a time, there was a goat called Igodhoobe. Igodhoobe the goat was the king of farm animals and birds. He lived a good life. One day, Igodhoobe the goat called all the animals and birds to a meeting.


“My friends, I have called you because I had a dream,” said Igodhoobe the king. All the animals and birds kept quiet. They listened to their king carefully.

“Zihlobo zami, nginibize ngoba ngibe nephupho,” kusho uBhoklolo. Izilwane nezinyoni athula zathi cwaka zinanela le nkulumo yenkosi yazo.

“My friends, I have called you because I had a dream,” said Igodhoobe the king. All the animals and birds kept quiet. They listened to their king carefully.


“I dreamed that there was no food or water left in the land. Many of our relatives died!” said Igodhoobe the king. When the animals and the birds heard the dream, they were worried. “What shall we do?” asked the cat.

Aqhubeke uBhoklolo athi, “Ngiphuphe kungasekho kudla namanzi ezweni lethu. Izihlobo zethu eziningi bese zifile.” Zathi izilwane zingezwa ngaleli phupho, zakhathazeka kakhulu. Kwezwakala ikati selibuza, “Pho, sizokwenzenjani?”

“I dreamed that there was no food or water left in the land. Many of our relatives died!” said Igodhoobe the king. When the animals and the birds heard the dream, they were worried. “What shall we do?” asked the cat.


The hen and the duck had an idea. They said, “Let each one of us bring food and put it in the king’s store.” All the animals agreed with this idea.

Isikhukhukazi nedada bathi bona banecebo. “Yilowo nalowo kithina makalethe ukudla sizokugcina lapha enqolobaneni yenkosi ukuze sibe nokudla.” Zonke izilwane zavumelana nalo mbono.

The hen and the duck had an idea. They said, “Let each one of us bring food and put it in the king’s store.” All the animals agreed with this idea.


Igodhoobe the king made a rule. He said, “Get ropes. Tie up anyone who does not bring food to my store. Then carry him to me.”

UBhoklolo inkosi yabe seyishaya umthetho yathi, “Tholani izintambo enizobopha ngazo lezo zilwane ezizohluleka ukuletha ukudla enqolobaneni. Lezo zilwane niyoziletha lapha kimi.”

Igodhoobe the king made a rule. He said, “Get ropes. Tie up anyone who does not bring food to my store. Then carry him to me.”


Soon after this, it was time for a new king to rule over the farm. All the animals and birds met and elected the cat as their new king.

Okudidayo, emva kwalo mhlangano kwabe sekuvela ukuthi isikhathi sokukhethwa kwenye inkosi ezobusa izilwane ezifuyiwe sabe sesiseduze. Izilwane zonke zahlangana, zakhetha inkosi entsha, zakhetha ikati njengenkosi esizophatha.

Soon after this, it was time for a new king to rule over the farm. All the animals and birds met and elected the cat as their new king.


But Igodhoobe the goat refused to agree that the cat was king. “I’m the king. There is no other king. I can’t obey any other animal,” said Igodhoobe the goat.

Waphatheka kabi uBhoklolo, akazange amukele enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi ikati yilo elizoba inkosi yezilwane. Wezwakala esethi, “Yimina inkosi yezilwane lapha, ayikho enye inkosi, futhi NGEKE ngalalela esinye isilwane mina!”

But Igodhoobe the goat refused to agree that the cat was king. “I’m the king. There is no other king. I can’t obey any other animal,” said Igodhoobe the goat.


The animals took food to the new king’s store. But Igodhoobe the goat did not take anything. “When Igodhoobe the goat was king, we all obeyed him. Now he does not want to obey our new king. What shall we do to him?” asked the cow.

Izilwane zawugcina umthetho wokuletha ukudla enqolobaneni yenkosi. Zahambisa ukudla enkosini entsha - IKATI. UBhoklolo yena akazange ahambise lutho enqolobaneni. Khona manjalo inkomo yayisibeka umbono wayo, “Ngesikhathi uBhoklolo eyinkosi, besimhlonipha sonke. Manje, yena akasafuni ukuhlonipha inkosi yethu entsha. Sizomenzenjani, madoda?”

The animals took food to the new king’s store. But Igodhoobe the goat did not take anything. “When Igodhoobe the goat was king, we all obeyed him. Now he does not want to obey our new king. What shall we do to him?” asked the cow.


All the domestic animals and birds were angry. “He thinks he is different to us,” they all muttered.

Zonke izilwane zazithukuthele kabi isenzo sikaBhoklolo. Kwezwakala zikhononda, “Uyazi uBhoklolo ucabanga ukuthi uhlukile noma ungcono kunathi.”

All the domestic animals and birds were angry. “He thinks he is different to us,” they all muttered.


The dog said, “I helped him when he was king. I did not sleep at night. I was always with him, ready to help.”

Kwaqhamuka inja isola uBhoklolo, imbuzi seyithi, “Ngangimsiza eseyinkosi, ngingalali ebusuku, ngimgada, ngimsiza. Manje usezibona ukuthi ungcono kunathi.”

The dog said, “I helped him when he was king. I did not sleep at night. I was always with him, ready to help.”


The sheep said, “I gave him my wool to cover his children.”

Nemvu nayo yanezezela, “Mina ngangimsiza ngovolo wami wembathisa izingane azange zigodole.”

The sheep said, “I gave him my wool to cover his children.”


The pig said, “When he was king, he told his friends that I eat a lot. But I was often in his garden digging and weeding his maize and millet.”

Nengulube nayo yaqhamuka ibeka eyayo indaba. “Ngesikhathi eyinkosi, wayetshela abangani bakhe ukuthi mina ngidla kakhulu. Okumangazayo, ngangihlala ngisebenza emasimini akhe njalo, ngihlakulela ummbila wakhe namabele. Namhlanje, ngoba engaseyona inkosi, akafuni ukusebenza.”

The pig said, “When he was king, he told his friends that I eat a lot. But I was often in his garden digging and weeding his maize and millet.”


The sheep asked, “What did he say? That you eat a lot? Did he think that he will be king forever?” Then the sheep added, “Let him understand that he is not king any more. I don’t know why he thinks he is so important.”

Imvu yona yathi nje, “Utheni uBhoklolo ngawe ngulube? Uthe udla kakhulu? Ubecabanga ukuthi uyohlala eyinkosi ungunaphakade?” Yaqhubeka imvu yathi, “UBhoklolo yena, kufanele azi nje ukuthi akaseyona inkosi. Angazi kungani ezibona ebaluleke ngale ndlela.”

The sheep asked, “What did he say? That you eat a lot? Did he think that he will be king forever?” Then the sheep added, “Let him understand that he is not king any more. I don’t know why he thinks he is so important.”


All the animals laughed and agreed that Igodhoobe the goat must take food to the new king. King Cat ordered Igodhoobe to come to him.

Zonke izilwane zamane zafa insini, kuyileso naleso sithi, “He! He! He! Soke sibone.” Zonke zavumelana ngokuthi uBhoklolo yena uzokuhambisa ukudla enkosini entsha, ethanda engathandi. Inkosi entsha, ikati, yambizela esigodlweni sayo uBhoklolo.

All the animals laughed and agreed that Igodhoobe the goat must take food to the new king. King Cat ordered Igodhoobe to come to him.


When the animals went to fetch Igodhoobe the goat, he was sitting on a chair with his legs crossed. The cow told Igodhoobe what the new king said. “I shall not go to the cat. There is no other king except me. When you become a king, you are always a king,” replied Igodhoobe the goat.

Ngesikhathi ezinye izilwane seziyomlanda uBhoklolo ngoba inkosi yayimfuna, zamthola eqhwakele esitulweni sakhe. Inkomo yamtshela ukuthi inkosi, ikati, itheni. “Ubani? Mina? Angeke ngiye kuleyo nkosi yenu. Yimina inkosi. Uma uyinkosi, uyinkosi njalo,” kuphendula imbuzi, uBhoklolo.

When the animals went to fetch Igodhoobe the goat, he was sitting on a chair with his legs crossed. The cow told Igodhoobe what the new king said. “I shall not go to the cat. There is no other king except me. When you become a king, you are always a king,” replied Igodhoobe the goat.


“We will tie you with ropes and take you to the new king,” said the sheep.

Imvu yasukumela phezulu, yasho ithatha intambo iyiphakamisela phezulu, yathi, “Bheka lapha wembuzi, uyakubona loku, sizokubopha ngalezi zintambo sikudonsele enkosini.”

“We will tie you with ropes and take you to the new king,” said the sheep.


So the cow tied Igodhoobe the goat to her tail. She then pulled Igodhoobe to the king. The sheep, the duck, the dog, the pig, and the cock cheered as the cow pulled the goat. They all shouted together, “Take this stubborn goat to our new king!”

Kwasondela inkomo yayigaxa embuzini intambo yaphinde yayibophela emsileni wayo. Yasho idonsa ngamandla. Ezinye izilwane zona, zazikhuthaza inkomo lapho idonsa. Uyothi wabonani, izimvu, amadada, izinja izingulube, wena zinkukhu zinanela lapho inkomo idonsana nembuzi. Zonke zazimemeza ngezwi linye, “Hambisa le mbuzi enenkani enkosini yethu. Kuzophela yonke le nkani yayo.”

So the cow tied Igodhoobe the goat to her tail. She then pulled Igodhoobe to the king. The sheep, the duck, the dog, the pig, and the cock cheered as the cow pulled the goat. They all shouted together, “Take this stubborn goat to our new king!”


From that time, every goat refuses to move when it is pulled. It thinks that you are taking it to the king’s court.

Nanamhlanje, uye ubone izimbuzi uma zidonswa ziyazimelela, zidaze inkani. Mhlawumbe zisacabanga ukuthi uzidonsela enkantolo yenkosi yezilwane ukuyothetha icala layo.

From that time, every goat refuses to move when it is pulled. It thinks that you are taking it to the king’s court.


Written by: Alice Nakasango
Illustrated by: Marleen Visser
Translated by: Cornelius Wambi Gulere
Read by: Darshan Soni
Language: English
Level: Level 4
Source: Goat the false king from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Options
Back to stories list Download PDF