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Sekgwa Sa Dinoga Inyoka Yehlathi, Umagilogilo Ihlathi Leenyoka Forest of snakes

Written by Joseph Sanchez Nadimo

Illustrated by Rob Owen

Translated by Lorato Trok

Language Tswana

Level Level 3

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Motse wa Maruping o dikaganyeditswe ke dithaba. Dinoga tse dintsi di dula mo sekgweng mo dithabeng tseo. Go ne go na le noga e kgolo go di feta tshotlhe. Baagi ba motse ba ne ba e bitsa Serodumo. E ne e le noga e e tshosang. E ne e metsa dipodi le dinku di feletse.

Indawo yaseNsingweni izungezwe amagquma, amahlathi nezintaba. Zaziziningi izinyoka ezazitholakala kula mahlathi akulezi zintaba. Kwelinye lamahlathi, kwakukhona inyoka enkulu, inhlwathi, eyaze yanikwa igama kwathiwa nguMagilogilo. Le nyoka, akekho owayengayesabi, ngemikhuba yayo. Yayigwinya wena mvu, wena mbuzi.

Ilali iSinyaire ijikelezwe ziinduli neentaba. Kuhlala iinyoka ezininzi kwihlathi elikwezi ntaba. Eyona nyoka inkulu yayibizwa ngokuba yi-Unyalego ngabantu belali. Le nyoka yayisoyikisa abantu abaninzi kuba yayiginya ibimbilize iibhokhwe kunye neegusha ezipheleleyo.

Sinyaire village is surrounded by hills. Many snakes live in the forest on those hills. The biggest snake was called Unyalego by the villagers. This snake scared many people. It swallowed whole goats and sheep.


Ka letsatsi lengwe Atang, Agang le Amo ba ne ba ya kgonnyeng kwa sekgweng. E ne e le bana ba motho. Nkoko wa bone o ne a ba gakolola, “Lo tlhokomeleng noga e kgolo Serodumo. Lo se tseye sepe se sengwe kwa sekgweng ntle fela le dikgong.” Amo ke ene fela o neng a sa utlwelela Nkoko wa gagwe.

Langa limbe, uNono, uSanele noNtonjana bahamba bayotheza kuleli hlathi. Ugogo wabo wayebadonse ngendlebe wathi, “Anibobhasobha uMagilogilo. Ningathathi lutho olunye ehlathini ngaphandle kwezinkuni.” Kodwa uNtonjana akalalelanga isiyalo sikagogo wabo.

Ngenye imini u-Apiyo, u-Ajoh kunye no Atieno babesiya ehlathini beyokutheza. Umakhulu wala mantombazana wayewalumkisile wathi, “Nilumkele u-Unyalego inyoka enkulu. Ningathathi nenye into ehlathini ngaphandle kweenkuni.” U-Ajoh akazange ayihoye nokuyihoya into awayeyixelelwa ngumakhulu wakhe.

One day, sisters Apiyo, Ajoh and Atieno were going to the forest to fetch firewood. The girls’ grandmother warned, “Beware of Unyalego the big snake. Do not take anything from the forest except the wood.” Only Ajoh did not pay attention to her grandmother.


Basetsana ba ne phutha mašwi, dipanana, dipotata le metsi, e le dijo tsa tsela. Ba ne ba tsaya dithudi tse di tiileng go bofa dikgong le selepe se se bogale go rema dikgong. Mme ba tsena tsela go ya sekgweng.

Amantombazane ayeziphathele umphako wobisi, wena bhanana, bhatata kanye namanzi. Bathatha nezibopho kanye nembazwana yokugawula izinkuni. Nabaya belibhekise ehlathini.

Amantombazana apakisha umphako wobisi, iibhanana, ibhatata kunye namanzi. Athatha neentambo zokubopha inyanda kunye nezembe lokugawula iinkuni. Ahamba ke aphathelela ukuya ehlathini.

The girls packed milk, bananas, sweet potatoes and water. They took ropes for tying firewood and a sharp machete for chopping the wood. Then they left for the forest.


Fa ba le mo tseleng, basetsana ba ne ba tsaya dikgang go le monate. O mogolo mo go bona, Atang, a ba gakolola ka gangwe a re, “Didimalang. Re tsena mo tulong ya ga Serodumo.”

Endleleni amantombazane ayehamba ezixoxela futhi ehleka. Besazixoxela kanjalo kwezwakala uNono okunguyena omdala esethithi, “Sh! Sh! Sesisondele endaweni kaMagilogilo manje.”

Endleleni amantombazana ayehamba ezincokolela nje futhi ehleka, kumnandi. U-Apiyo owayemdala kubo bonke wavakala esithi, “Thulani. Sele sisondele apho kuhlala khona u-Unyalego.”

On the way, the sisters chatted and laughed. Suddenly, Apiyo, the eldest of them, said, “Be quiet. We are coming to where Unyalego lives.”


Agang a bitsa ba bangwe, “Bonang, meno a ga Serodumo a gauta ke a. A re a tseyeng.” Atang a ba gakolola, “Lo se lebale kgakololo ya ga Nkoko. Ga re a tshwanela go tsaya sepe se sengwe ntle le dikgong.”

USanele waphendula ngelokuthi, “Hhayi bo! Bhekani! Sengathi amazinyo kaMagilogilo egolide nje lawa abantu abahlale bexoxa ngawo. Asizithatheleni wona.” uNono washeshe wabakhumbuza, “Niyashesha ukukhohlwa. Utheni ugogo kithi? Akashongo ukuthi singathathi noma singacoshi lutho olunye ngaphandle kwezinkuni?”

U-Atieno wathi, “Yehake, khanijonje nanga amazinyo ka-Unyalego abugolide, masiwathatheni.” U-Apiyo wabakhumbuza, “Ningalibali imiyalelo kamakhulu. Akufanelanga ukuba sithathe nantoni na apha ehlathini ngaphandle kweenkuni.”

Atieno called to the others, “Look, here are Unyalego’s golden teeth. Let us take them.” Apiyo reminded them, “Don’t forget grandmother’s warning. We must not take anything from the forest except firewood.”


Amo a re, “Ga ke tshepe Nkoko. Ke nagana gore o ne a bua se fela gore re se nne le se se re batlang. Ke batla meno a gauta.” Bo ausi ba gagwe ba ne ba tshwenyegile. “Amo, re go kgalemile,” ba rialo. Amo o ne a sa kgathale.

“Ogogo! Angikholwa mina yiloko. Ubezikhulumela nje ugogo. Mina ngiyawafuna, ngizozithathela la mazinyo. Awegolide pho! Hhayisuka! Ngiyawathatha,” kuphendula iqhalaqhala elinguNtonjana. Odadewabo bakhathazeka ngesenzo sikaNtonjana, mncane kodwa akakhuzeki. Omunye wabo wezwakala esegcizelela inkulumo yabo wathi, “Ungasho njalo ukuthi asikukhuzanga.” Yize odadewabo babemkhuza, akalalelanga.

U-Ajoh wathi, “Andiyikholelwa mna into ethethwa ngumakhulu. Ndicinga ukuba ubesitsho nje kuba engafuni ukuba sizithathele izinto esizithandayo. Unomona umakhulu. Ndiza kuwathatha mna la mazinyo egolide.” Oodadewabo bakhathazeka kakhulu ngale nto. “Ajoh, uze ungathi khange sikuxelele.” U-Ajoh akazange abahoye.

Ajoh said, “I don’t trust grandmother. I think she said that to stop us having what we want. I want the golden teeth.” Her sisters were worried. “Ajoh, we warned you,” they said. Ajoh did not care.


Ka motlha oo, Serodumo a tla go batla meno a gagwe a gauta. O ne a tlala bogale fa a ne a sa a bone. Jaanong Serodumo a utlwa basetsana ba bua ebile ba tshega. A iphitlha mo tlase ga letlapa mo thoko ga tsela, mo basetsana ba neng ba ya go feta teng go boela gae.

Ngaso leso sikhathi, memfu uMagilogilo ezobheka amazinyo akhe. Yacasuka yafa inyoka ingasawatholi amazinyo ayo. Kusenjalo, yezwa umsindo wamazwi amantombazane exoxa, egegetheka. Yacabanga ikhuluma yodwa, “Ngizobathola, bacabanga bahlakaniphile, nami-ke, ngihlakaniphile. “Yahuqazela inyoka yahamba yayocasha ngaphansi kwetshe elikhulu elaliseduze nendlela lapho amantombazane ayezodlula khona.

Kwathi kusenjalo kwathi gqi u-Unyalego ezokukhangela amazinyo akhe. Wacaphuka kakhulu akungawaboni. U-Unyalego weva amantombazana encokola futhi ehleka. Wazimela phantsi kwelitye elikhulu elalikufutshane nendlela amantombazana ayeza kudlula kuyo.

At that moment Unyalego came looking for his golden teeth. He was furious when he could not find the teeth. Then Unyalego heard the girls chatting and laughing. He hid under a rock next to the road where the girls would pass on their way back.


Basetsana ba ne ba rwele dikgong tsa bona mo ditlhogong ba boela gae. Ka ponyo ya leitlho ba utlwa, “Hzzzzzzzz!” E ne e le Serodumo, molomo wa gagwe o bulegile gotlhelele, a ikemiseditse go loma. Basetsana ba ne ba tshogile tota.

Aqhamuka amantombazane ethwele iminyaba yezinkuni. Bezwa ngomsindo ohazayo, bathuka bazama ukucasha. Waloku uqhubekile umsindo sengathi usondela kubo. “Ssssss!” Besalalele loko, memfu! UMagilogilo phambi kwabo. Wayesephakamise ikhanda lakhe, evule umlomo elindele ukugadla.

Amantombazana ayethwele iinyanda entloko. Eva ngomsindo wenyoka efuthayo, “Fu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u!” Oothuka azama ukuzimela. Nankuya u-Unyalego phambi kwabo evule umlomo wakhe elindele ukuluma.

The sisters were going home carrying their firewood on their heads. Suddenly, they heard “Hzzzzzzzz!” There was Unyalego with his mouth wide open, ready to bite. The girls were terrified.


“Ke mang a tseileng meno a me a gauta?” Serodumo a botsa basetsana. Go se nne le yo o arabang. Noga e ne ya nagana go leka basetsana. “Yo o senang molato o tla kgona go opela ntle le diphoso. O tla ya gae ka dikgong tsa gagwe. Mme yo o molato, a ka se kgone go opela. O tla nna dijo tsa me malatsi a mararo a a latelang!”

“Ngitsheleni kahle, ngubani othathe amazinyo ami egolide?” kubuza uMagilogilo ngokucasuka. Waqhubeka wathi, “Owathathile ngizomthola masinya nje. Lalelani la, nizongiculela-ke. Loyo oyocula ngaphandle kokwenza iphutha, nguye ongenacala. Futhi loyo, nguye oyoqhubeka nomyaba wakhe aye ekhaya. Kodwa-ke, loyo oyobhimba ngiyamzwela.”

U-Unyalego wawabuza amantombazana wathi, “Ngubani othathe amazinyo am egolide?” Akuzange kubekho mntu uphendulayo. Inyoka yathi ndiza kumfumana umntu owabileyo. “Lo ongenatyala uza kucula kakuhle angayenzi impazamo kodwa lowo onetyala yena uza kuthi xa ecula kwenzeke impazamo. Uza kuba kukutya kwam kweentsuku ezintathu ezizayo!”

Unyalego asked the girls, “Who took my golden teeth?” No one answered. The snake decided to test the girls. “Whoever is innocent, will be able to sing without mistakes. She will go home with her firewood. But the guilty one will sing badly. She will be my food for the next three days!”


Atang a simolola go opela ka lentswe le le edileng:

Kwacaca ukuthi kumele acule amantombazane ukuze kubonakale onecala. Kwaqala uNono, kwalandela uSanele.

U-Apiyo waqala wacula kakuhle akabinangxaki. Kwalandela u-Atieno, naye wacula kakuhle.

Apiyo started to sing with a clear voice: “Sio mimi, sio mimi aliye na meno, Mwenye meno bado yuko nyuma.” Then Atieno sang the song. She also sang well.


Wa bofelo e ne e le Amo. O ne a tshogile. A ya kwa pele mme a simolola go opela. Mme kopelo ya gagwe e ne e sa kgatlhise, ebile mantswe e se one. Serodumo a mo goelela, “Ke eng o sa opele sentle go tshwana le ba ba bangwe?” Noga ya itse gore ke Amo a tseileng meno a yona.

Kwagcina isalakutshelwa esingu Ntonjana. Wayevevezela ukwethuka. Wathi uyaqala, izwi alangaphuma kahle, wahoshozela, namagama eyengezwakali nokuthi uthini. Kwezwakala uMagilogilo esethi, “Uyabhimba, awuzizwa?” Kwacaca enyokeni ukuthi nguye othathe amazinyo ayo.

Ekugqibeleni kwacula u-Ajoh. Wayenexhala kakhulu. Wathi xa eqala ukucula ilizwi latshothoza namazwi engoma akavakala kakuhle. Wakhwaza u-Unyalego wathi, “Awukwazi ukucula kakuhle njengabanye?” Inyoka yabona ukuba nguye kanye u-Ajoh owayethathe amazinyo egolide.

Lastly, it was Ajoh’s turn. She was scared. She stepped forward and started singing. But her singing sounded terrible and the words were wrong. Unyalego shouted, “Can’t you sing properly like the others?” The snake knew that Ajoh took his golden teeth.


Serodumo o ne a bula metlhagare ya gagwe e megolo mme a metsa Amo. Bo ausi ba bagwe ba ne boela kwa motseng ka lebelo le legolo. Ba ne ba anegela baagi ba motse ka se se diragetseng. “Ke mo kgalemetse, fa fela a ne a nkutlwelela,” nkoko wa basetsana a bua a utlwile botlhoko.

Akazange achithe isikhathi uMagilogilo, mimiliti uNtonjana. Bathathela ngejubane odadewabo bebheke ekhaya, beyobikela abadala ngokwenzekekile.

Bimbilili! U-Unyalego wamginya u-Ajoh. Oodadewabo babaleka bagoduka bayokuxela esi senzo sibi kangaka esenzekileyo.

Unyalego opened his huge jaws and swallowed Ajoh. Her sisters ran back to the village. They told everyone the story of what happened. “I warned her, if only she had listened,” the girls’ grandmother said sadly.


Written by: Joseph Sanchez Nadimo
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Lorato Trok
Language: Tswana
Level: Level 3
Source: Forest of snakes from African Storybook
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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