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Bana ba kerese Children of wax

Written by Southern African Folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Maphokane Mapule Mohlamme

Language Sepedi

Level Level 2

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Kgale kgale go be go na le balapa le lengwe la go phela ka thabo.

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family.


Ba be ba sa kgopišane. Ba be ba thuša batswadi ba bona ka gae le kua mašemong.

They never fought with each other. They helped their parents at home and in the fields.


Eupša ba be sa dumelelwa go ba kgaufsi le mollo.

But they were not allowed to go near a fire.


Ba be ba swanetšwe ke go dira mešomo ya bona bošego fela. Ka gobane ba be ba bopilwe ka kerese!

They had to do all their work during the night. Because they were made of wax!


E fela, e mongwe wa bašimanyana o be a hlologela go bona letšatši.

But one of the boys longed to go out in the sunlight.


Ka letšatši le lengwe tlhologelo ya gagwe e ile ya tla ka maatla. Bomorwarragwe ba ile ba mo lemoša…

One day the longing was too strong. His brothers warned him…


Eupša go be go šetše go senyegile. O ile a tologa mo letšatšing le le fišago.

But it was too late! He melted in the hot sun.


Bana ba kerese ba ile ba kwa bohloko go bona yo mongwe wa bona a tologa.

The wax children were so sad to see their brother melting away.


Eupša ba ile ba dira maano. Ba ile ba tšea lekwate la kerese ye e tologilego gomme ba le bopa go ba nonyana.

But they made a plan. They shaped the lump of melted wax into a bird.


Ba ile ba tšea morwarrabo wa nonyana ba mo iša godimo dimo kua thabeng.

They took their bird brother up to a high mountain.


Ge letšatši le hlaba, o ile a fofela godimo a opela ka fase ga tlhabo ya letšatši.

And as the sun rose, he flew away singing into the morning light.


Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Maphokane Mapule Mohlamme
Language: Sepedi
Level: Level 2
Source: Children of wax from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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