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Tshoswane O Thusa Leeba
Wamphephisa Kanjani Utsheketshe Ujuba
Indlela imbovane eyalihlangula ngayo ihobe
How ant saved dove
Kholeka Mabeta
Wiehan de Jager
Lorato Trok
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E ne e le letsatsi le le mogote mo sekgweng se se omeletseng.
Lalishisa ngelinye ilanga ehlobo, ehlathini elomile.
Ilanga laligqats’ ubhobhoyi kwihlathi elomileyo.
It was a hot summer
day in the dry forest.
Tshoswane o ne a nyorilwe thata. O ne a na le malatsi a sa nwe metsi.
Kwase kuyizinsuku eziningi uTsheketshe omncane engenamanzi.
Kwakusele kuziintsuku ezininzi imbovane encinane ingawaseli amanzi.
Little Ant had no water
for many days.
“Ke tlhoka thoti fela ya metsi, le fa e ka wa mo letlhareng.”
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.”
Le lona letlhatsana tota le ne le omeletse.
Kodwa akusekho ngisho amazolo lawa.
Kodwa nombethe wawusele womile.
But even the dew had
dried up.
“Fa ke sa nwe metsi, ke tlile go swa,” Tshoswane a lela. “Ke tshwanetse go ya nokeng e ke e utlwaletseng.”
“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 tla tsamaya ka wena,” Mosha yo o botlhale a mo thiba.
“Uzomuka nomfula, ” kuxwayisa uNgwejeje ohlakaniphile.
“Umlambo uza kumka nawe,” watsho unomatse okrelekrele eyilumkisa.
“The river will sweep
you away,” a wise
squirrel warned him.
Fela Tshoswane o ne a nyorilwe thata. “Ke tlile go swa fa 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.”
Tshoswane o ne a ya go batla noka.
UTsheketsheke omncane wahamba wayofuna umfula.
Imbovane encinane yahamba isiya kukhangela loo mlambo.
Little Ant went to look
for the river…
Go kgabaganya majang a a omileng le dikala tse di omeletsetseng.
Wayenqamula otshanini obomile, nasemagatsheni omile.
Yahamba yahamba idlula kwingca eyomileyo nakumahlahla awomileyo.
across dry grass and
over dry branches…
Go fitlhela a utlwa mosumo wa makhubu a metsi.
Kwaze kwaba uzwa umsindo wamagagasi echaphaka lapha nalaphaya.
Yahamba yade yeva ukugwinkciza kwamanzi omlambo.
…until he heard the
waves of the river
splashing.
Tshoswane o ne a nwa metsi a a monate a a tsiditsana.
UTsheketshe omncane wahabula amanzi engaphezi.
Imbovane encinane yathatha ithamo lamanzi ixesha elide.
Little Ant took a long
sip of cool water.
O ne a itumetse thata mme a se bone lekhubu le legolo la metsi le atamela.
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.
Tshoswane o ne a leka go itshwarelela ka bojang. Go le jalo metsi a feta ka ena.
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.
“Thusang! Thusang!”
“Ngisizeni bo! Ngisizeni bo!”
“Ndincedeni bantu. Khanindincede.”
“Help someone. Help
me please.”
“Ka bonako, palama,” ga bua Leeba le lesweu, a tshwere kala mo molomomg wa gagwe.
“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.
“Ga ke na go tsamaya ke ise ke leboge Leeba. Ke tla leta go fitlhela a tla go nwa metsi.”
Ka letsatsi lengwe fa a letile, basimane ba babedi ba ne ba tla kwa nokeng ba tshwere diragamaje.
“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.”
“Go na le leeba le le tlang fano ka metlha go tla go nwa metsi,” ga bua mongwe wa basimane. “Re tla le dira nama ya rona ya go lalela gompieno.”
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.
“Ga ke na go letla basimane ba go bolaya Leeba le lesweu. Fela ke monnye, nka dira eng?”
“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.”
Ka yone nako eo Leeba le lesweu la fologa setlhare go ya go nwa metsi.
Tshoswane o ne a tlelwa ke kakanyo.
“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?”
O ne a tlolela mo godimo ga leoto la mongwe wa basimane mme a mo loma botlhoko.
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.
Mosimane o ne a tlola. “Ijoo!” a lela.
Leeba le lesweu le ne la tshoga mme la fofela kwa godimo.
UTsheketshe omncane waba nesu.
Imbovane encinane yavela necebo.
Little Ant had an idea.
Se e ne e le thuso ya ga Tshoswane go leboga Leeba le lesweu ka a mo pholositse mo metsing.
Wagxumela onyaweni lomfana wamluma ngamandla akhe wonke.
Yatsibela unyawo lwenye yala makhwenkwe, yaza yalithi nkxii kanobom.
He jumped onto one
boy’s foot, and bit him
as hard as he could.
Written by: Kholeka Mabeta
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Lorato Trok
