Back to stories list

Koko le Sebokolodi Unkukhu Noshongololo Chicken and Millipede

Written by Winny Asara

Illustrated by Magriet Brink

Translated by Lorato Trok

Language Tswana

Level Level 3

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


Koko le Sebokolodi e ne e le ditsala tse di ntshanang seinong. Mme fela ba ne ka metlha ba rata go tlhodisana. Ka letsatsi lengwe ba ile ba swetsa ka go tshameka kgwele ya maoto. Ba ne ba batla go bona gore ke mang setshameki se se tlhwatlhwa.

UNkukhu noShongololo babengabangani. Kodwa babehlala bencintisana. Ngelinye ilanga banquma ukudlala ibhola lezinyawo befuna ukubona ukuthi ubani owayengumpetha.

Chicken and Millipede were friends. But they were always competing with each other. One day they decided to play football to see who the best player was.


Ba ile ba ya kwa lebaleng la kgwele ya maoto mme ba tshimolola go tshameka. Koko o ne a le lobelo, mme Sebokolodi ene o ne a le lobelo go gaisa. Koko o ile a ragela kgakala, fa Sebokolodi ena a ile a ragela kgakala le go feta. Koko o ile a tshimolola go sa itumele.

Baya enkundleni yebhola lezinyawo basebeqala umdlalo wabo. UNkukhu wayeshesha, kodwa uShongololo wayeshesha kakhulu. UNkukhu wayelikhahlela liye kude, kodwa elikaShongololo laliya kude kakhulu, uNkukhu waqala manje ukukhononda.

They went to the football field and started their game. Chicken was fast, but Millipede was faster. Chicken kicked far, but Millipede kicked further. Chicken started to feel grumpy.


Ba ile ba swetsa go raga dipenele. Sebokolodi o ne a nna motshwaradino wa ntlha. Koko o kgonne fela go nosa nno e le nngwe. Jaanong e ne ya nna nako ya gore Koko a sireletse dino.

Banquma ukuba bakhahlele amaphenathi. Kwaqala uShongololo ukuba avimbe emagoli. UNkukhu wafaka igoli elilodwa kuphela. Emva kwalokho kwasekuba ithuba likaNkukhu ukuvika ukungena kwegoli.

They decided to play a penalty shoot-out. First Millipede was goal keeper. Chicken scored only one goal. Then it was the chicken’s turn to defend the goal.


Sebokolodi o ile a raga kgwele mme a nosa. Sebokolodi o ile a raga ka leoto le le popota mme a nosa nno. Sebokolodi o ile a betsa bolo ka tlhogo mme a nosa nno. Sebokolodi o ile a nosa dino tse tlhano.

UShongololo wakhahlela ibhola langena ezintini. UShongololo wapheceza ejika nebhola langena. UShongololo walishaya ngekhanda ibhola langena ezintini. UShongololo washaya amagoli amahlanu.

Millipede kicked the ball and scored. Millipede dribbled the ball and scored. Millipede headed the ball and scored. Millipede scored five goals.


Phenyo ya ga Sebokolodi e ile ya kgopisa Koko thata. O ne a sa rate go latlhegelwa . Sebokolodi o ile a tshega ka Koko fa a ne a ngongoregela go sa fenye.

UNkukhu kwamthukuthelisa ukuthi uhluliwe. Wayengakubekezeleli ukuhlulwa. UShongololo wavele wamhleka ngoba umngane wakhe wayesexakanisekile.

Chicken was furious that she lost. She was a very bad loser. Millipede started laughing because his friend was making such a fuss.


Setshego sa ga Sebokolodi se ile sa kgopisa Koko thata. Koko o ne a bula molomo wa gagwe mme a metsa Sebokolodi.

UNkukhu wayesethukuthele kakhulu waze waligwinya ishongololo.

Chicken was so angry that she opened her beak wide and swallowed the millipede.


Mo tseleng fa a boela gae, Koko o ile a kopana le Mme Sebokolodi. ‘A o kile wa bona Sebokolodi Koko?’ ga botsa Mme Sebokolodi. mKoko ga a ka a araba. Mme Sebokolodi o ne a tshwenyegile.

Kuthe uNkukhu eseya ekhaya,nwahlangana noMama Shongololo. UMama Shongololo wabuza, “Uke wayibona ingane yami?” UNkukhu akaphendulanga. UMama Shongololo wakhathazeka.

As Chicken was walking home, she met Mother Millipede. Mother Millipede asked, “Have you seen my child?” Chicken didn’t say anything. Mother Millipede was worried.


Mme Sebokolodi o ne a utlwa molodinyana wa lentswe. Lentswenyana le le ne le lela le re “mme ke kopa thuso!” Mme Sebokolodi o ne a reetsa ka tlhoafalo, a lebelela gotlhe. Lentswe le, le ne le tswa mo maleng a ga Koko.

UMama Shongololo wezwa izwi elincane. “Ngelekelele Mama!” kukhala izwi. UMama Shongololo waqalaza walalelisisa, izwi laliqhamuka ngaphakathi enkukhwini.

Then Mother Millipede heard a tiny voice. “Help me mom!” cried the voice. Mother Millipede looked around and listened carefully. The voice came from inside the chicken.


“Dirisa maatla a gago a a kgethegileng ngwanake!” Dibokolodi di itsege ka go dira monkgo o o botlhoko le tatso e e bosula. Koko o ile a tshimolola go lwala.

UMama Shongololo wamemeza, “Sebenzisa amandla akho akhethekile mntanami!” Amashongololo akwazi ukukhipha iphunga elibi azenze anambitheke kabi. UNkukhu wazizwa efikelwa ukucanuzela kwenhliziyo.

Mother Millipede shouted, “Use your special power my child!” Millipedes can make a bad smell and a terrible taste. Chicken began to feel ill.


Koko o ile a botla, a metsa mme a tlhatsa. Gape a ethimola le go gotlhola. A tswelela go gotlhola. Sebokolodi o ne a ferosa dibete.

UNkukhu wagonyuluka. Wabuye wagwinya wakhafula. Wathimula, wakhwehlela kaningi. Ishongololo lalinyanyeka!

Chicken burped. Then she swallowed and spat. Then she sneezed and coughed. And coughed. The millipede was disgusting!


Koko o ile a gotlhola go fitlhela a tlhatsa sebokolodi. Mme Sebokolodi le morwa wa gagwe ba ile ba tshabela mo godimo ga setlhare.

UNkukhu wakhwehlela laze laphuma laqhasha ishongololo elalisesiswini sakhe. UMama Shongololo nengane yakhe banwabuzela bakhuphuka ngesihlahla bayocasha.

Chicken coughed until she coughed out the millipede that was in her stomach. Mother Millipede and her child crawled up a tree to hide.


Go tloga ka nako eo, dikoko le dibokolodi ba se tlhole ba utlwana.

Kusukela ngalelo langa, izinkukhu namashongololo baba yizitha.

From that time, chickens and millipedes were enemies.


Written by: Winny Asara
Illustrated by: Magriet Brink
Translated by: Lorato Trok
Language: Tswana
Level: Level 3
Source: Chicken and millipede from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
Options
Back to stories list Download PDF