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Kokonyana O Pholosa Leeba
Wamphephisa Kanjani Utsheketshe Ujuba
Indlela imbovane eyalihlangula ngayo ihobe
How ant saved dove
Kholeka Mabeta
Wiehan de Jager
Tseliso Masolane
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E ne e le lehlabula le tjhesang hare morung o ommeng.
Lalishisa ngelinye ilanga ehlobo, ehlathini elomile.
Ilanga laligqats’ ubhobhoyi kwihlathi elomileyo.
It was a hot summer
day in the dry forest.
Kokonyana e monyenyane o ne a se na metsi matsatsitsatsi.
Kwase kuyizinsuku eziningi uTsheketshe omncane engenamanzi.
Kwakusele kuziintsuku ezininzi imbovane encinane ingawaseli amanzi.
Little Ant had no water
for many days.
“Ke hloka lerothodi la metsi, leha le ka tswa lehlakung,” ha tletleba Kokonyana e monyenyane.
Ngidinga iconsi lamanzi, noma ngabe kungathiwa liconsa eqabungeni nje.
“Ndidinga ithontsi lamanzi nokuba liwa egqabini.”
“I need a drop of water,
even if it falls from a
leaf.”
Empa le mohodi o ne o se o apohile.
Kodwa akusekho ngisho amazolo lawa.
Kodwa nombethe wawusele womile.
But even the dew had
dried up.
“Ebang ke se na metsi, ke tlo shwa,” ha tletleba Kokonyana e monyenyane.
“Uma ngingaphuzi ngizofa, kuzomele ngiye kulomfula engake ngezwa ngawo,” kusho uTsheketshe omncane.
“Ukuba andiseli manzi ngoku, ndiza kufa,” yatsho imbovane encinane inyembezana. “Kufuneka ndiye kula mlambo bendive ngawo.”
“If I don’t drink, I will
die,” cried Little Ant.
“I must go to the river I
have heard about.”
“Noka e tletse haholo ebile e matla. E tla o hohola,” ha hlokomedisa mosha ya masene.
“Uzomuka nomfula, ” kuxwayisa uNgwejeje ohlakaniphile.
“Umlambo uza kumka nawe,” watsho unomatse okrelekrele eyilumkisa.
“The river will sweep
you away,” a wise
squirrel warned him.
Empa Kokonyana e monyenyane o ne a nyorilwe haholo. “Ke tla shwa ebang ke sa nwe metsi.”
Kodwa uTsheketshe omncane wayenxanwe kakhulu. “Ngizofa uma ngingaphuzi,” kusho yena.
Kodwa yayomile lunxano imbovane encinane. “Ndiza kufa ukuba andiseli manzi ngoku.”
But Little Ant was so
thirsty.
“I will die if I don’t drink
some water.”
A feta hlathe ya jwang le makala a omeletseng.
UTsheketsheke omncane wahamba wayofuna umfula.
Imbovane encinane yahamba isiya kukhangela loo mlambo.
Little Ant went to look
for the river…
A tsamaya ho fihlela a utlwa metsi a qaputsa.
Wayenqamula otshanini obomile, nasemagatsheni omile.
Yahamba yahamba idlula kwingca eyomileyo nakumahlahla awomileyo.
across dry grass and
over dry branches…
Kokonyana e monyenyane a nwa nako e telele metsing a phodileng.
Kwaze kwaba uzwa umsindo wamagagasi echaphaka lapha nalaphaya.
Yahamba yade yeva ukugwinkciza kwamanzi omlambo.
…until he heard the
waves of the river
splashing.
O ne a thabile hoo a sa kang a bona leqhubu ha le tla.
UTsheketshe omncane wahabula amanzi engaphezi.
Imbovane encinane yathatha ithamo lamanzi ixesha elide.
Little Ant took a long
sip of cool water.
Kokonyana e monyenyane o ile a leka ho itshwarella ka jwang bo neng bo phaphalla bo feta pela hae. Empa o ile a hoholwa ke metsi.
Wayejabule kangangoba akalibonanga igagasi elikhulu elabe liza lizomemboza.
Ngendlela eyayivuya ngayo ayizange ilibone iliza elikhulu lamanzi elalisiza.
He was so happy he did
not see the huge wave
coming.
“Nthuseng hleng. Ka kopo, nthuseng!” a hweletsa.
UTsheketshe wazama ukubambelela otshanini obomile eduze kwakhe. Kodwa wathathwa amanzi amphonsa kude.
Imbovane yazama ukubambelela emcingeni owomileyo wengca owawudlula ngakuyo. Kodwa yemka namanzi.
Ant tried to grab the
dry grass floating past
him.
But he was swept away
by the water.
“Potlaka, palama mona,” ha rialo Leeba le lesweu, le tshwere lekala ka molomo.
“Ngisizeni bo! Ngisizeni bo!”
“Ndincedeni bantu. Khanindincede.”
“Help someone. Help
me please.”
“Ke tla ema mona ho fihlela ke leboha leeba,” Kokonyana e monyenyane a qeta jwalo.
“Shesha gibela lana, ” kusho uJuba omhlophe ebambe ukhuni ngomlomo wakhe.
“Khawuleza, bambelela apha,” latsho ihobe elimhlophe liphethe ikhuni ngomlomo.
“Quick, climb on,” said
White Dove, holding a
branch in his beak.
Tsatsi le leng ha a ntse a eme jwalo, bashanyana ba babedi ba tla nokeng.
“Ho na le leeba le leholo le lesweu le tlang mona ho tla nwa metsi,” ha rialo moshanyana e mong. “Re tla le ja bakeng sa dijo tsa mantsiboya kajeno.”
“Angizukuhamba ngize ngibonge kujuba. Ngizolinda aze abuye azophuza futhi, ” kusho Utsheketshe.
“Andinakuhamba ndingekalibuleli ihobe. Ndiza kulinda lide lize kusela amanzi.”
“I cannot leave until I
say thank you to the
dove. I will wait until he
comes back to drink.”
“Nke ke ka dumella bashanyana bana ho bolaya Leeba,” ha nahana Kokonyana. “Empa ke monyenyane haholo, ke tla etsa jwang?”
Ngelinye ilanga esaloku alinda njalo uTsheketshe, kwaqhamuka abafana ababili bephethe izihlilingi.
Ngenye imini isalindile njalo, kwafika amakhwenkwe amabini emlanjeni ephethe iiketi zawo.
One day as he waited,
two boys came to the
river with their
slingshots.
Ka ona motsotso oo Leeba le lesweu la fofela tlase ho tswa sefateng ho tla nwa metsi.
“Kunejuba elikhulu elimhlophe eliphuza kulomfula, lizoba ukudla kwethu kwasebusuku, ” kusho omunye umfana.
“Kukho ihobe elikhulu elimhlophe elidla ngokuza kusela amanzi apha,” yatsho enye inkwenkwe. “Siza kutya lona ngale ngokuhlwa.”
“There is a big white
dove that comes here
to drink,” said one boy.
“We will have it for
supper tonight.”
Kokonyana e monyenyane o ne a na le leqheka.
A qhomela hodima leoto la e mong wa bashanyana.
“Angeke ngavumela labafana babulale uJuba omhlophe. Kodwa ngimncane kakhulu, yini nje engingayenza?”.
“Andinakuwavumela la makhwenkwe alibulale eli hobe limhlophe. Kodwa njengokuba ndimncinane kangaka nje, ndingenza ntoni?”
“I cannot let the boys
kill White Dove.
But I am so tiny, what
can I do?”
Moshanyana a qhoma.
Ngawo lowo mzuzu uJuba omhlophe wandiza wehlela phansi ukuzophuza.
Kanye ngelo xesha ihobe elimhlophe labhabha lisuka emthini lisiya kusela.
Just then White Dove
flew down from the tree
to drink.
Leeba le lesweu la makalla seo haholo yaba le fofela polokehong.
Ke ka moo Kokonyana e monyenyane a ileng a leboha Leeba le lesweu ha a ile a mo pholosa.
UTsheketshe omncane waba nesu.
Imbovane encinane yavela necebo.
Little Ant had an idea.
Written by: Kholeka Mabeta
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Tseliso Masolane
