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Lusunzi Lu Tshidza Tshiivha
Wamphephisa Kanjani Utsheketshe Ujuba
Indlela imbovane eyalihlangula ngayo ihobe
How ant saved dove
Kholeka Mabeta
Wiehan de Jager
Maphaha Tshimangadzo Nelson
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Ndi ḓuvha ḽi fhisaho ḽa tshilimo ḓakani ḽo omaho.
Lalishisa ngelinye ilanga ehlobo, ehlathini elomile.
Ilanga laligqats’ ubhobhoyi kwihlathi elomileyo.
It was a hot summer
day in the dry forest.
Lusunzi luṱuku a lwo ngo wana maḓi maḓuvha manzhi.
Kwase kuyizinsuku eziningi uTsheketshe omncane engenamanzi.
Kwakusele kuziintsuku ezininzi imbovane encinane ingawaseli amanzi.
Little Ant had no water
for many days.
“Ndi ṱoḓa shotha ḽa maḓi naho ḽa to wa u bva kha ṱari,” Lusunzi luṱuku lu a ṱavha mukosi.
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.”
Fhedzi na nwando wo oma.
Kodwa akusekho ngisho amazolo lawa.
Kodwa nombethe wawusele womile.
But even the dew had
dried up.
“Nda sa wana maḓi, ndi ḓo fa.” Lusunzi luṱuku lu a zhamba. “Ndi fanela u ya mulamboni we nda pfa nga hawo.”
“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.”
“Mulambo wo ḓala nahone u na maanḓa. U ḓo ni kumba,” thurwa yo thanyaho ya kaidza.
“Uzomuka nomfula, ” kuxwayisa uNgwejeje ohlakaniphile.
“Umlambo uza kumka nawe,” watsho unomatse okrelekrele eyilumkisa.
“The river will sweep
you away,” a wise
squirrel warned him.
Fhedzi Lusunzi luṱuku lwo vha lu na ḓora ḽo kalulaho. “Nda sa nwa maḓi ndi ḓo fa.” Lwa ya u ṱoḓa mulambo.
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.”
Lwa tshimbila, lwa pfuka ntha ha mahatsi malapfu na matvhi o omaho.
UTsheketsheke omncane wahamba wayofuna umfula.
Imbovane encinane yahamba isiya kukhangela loo mlambo.
Little Ant went to look
for the river…
Lwa tshimbila u swika lu tshi pfa magabelo a maḓi. Wo vha u mulambo. Lu khou pfa magabelo.
Wayenqamula otshanini obomile, nasemagatsheni omile.
Yahamba yahamba idlula kwingca eyomileyo nakumahlahla awomileyo.
across dry grass and
over dry branches…
Lusunzi Luṱuku lwa kabila maḓi a rotholelaho.
Kwaze kwaba uzwa umsindo wamagagasi echaphaka lapha nalaphaya.
Yahamba yade yeva ukugwinkciza kwamanzi omlambo.
…until he heard the
waves of the river
splashing.
Lwo takalela uri a lwo ngo vhona gabelo ḽi ḓaho.
UTsheketshe omncane wahabula amanzi engaphezi.
Imbovane encinane yathatha ithamo lamanzi ixesha elide.
Little Ant took a long
sip of cool water.
Lusunzi Luṱuku lwa nambatela luhatsi lwe lwa vha lu tshi khou tengama. Fhedzi lwa kumbiwa nga maḓi.
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.
“Nthuseni, Nthuseni ndi khou tou humbela,” lu a vhidzelela.
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.
“Ṱavhanyani, namelani.” Ndi ḽiivha ḽi no ralo ḽo muma lutavhi nga mulomo.
“Ngisizeni bo! Ngisizeni bo!”
“Ndincedeni bantu. Khanindincede.”
“Help someone. Help
me please.”
“Ndi ḓo dzula henefha u swika ndi tshi ḓo livhuwa ḽiivha.” Lwa dzudzanya Lusunzi Luṱuku. Ndi ḓo lindela u swika ḽi tshi vhuya u ḓa u nwa.
“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.
Liṅwe ḓuvha zwenezwo lwo lindela ha swika vhatukana vhavhili mulamboni. Vho vha vhe na ḽegere.
“Hu na tshiivha tshi hulwane tshi tshena tshi no ḓa tshi tshi nwa maḓi hafha.” Mutukana muṅwe a ralo. Ri ḓo sevha ngatsho tshilalelo ṋamusi.
“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.”
“Ndi nga si tende vhatukana vha tshi vhulaha tshiivha tshi tshena” Lusunzi Luṱuku lwa elekanya. “Fhedzi ndi muṱukusa, ndi nga ita mini?”
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.
Ḽiivha tshi tshena ḽa fhufhela fhasi ḽi tshi bva murini u ḓa u nwa maḓi.
“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.”
Lusunzi Luṱuku lwa ḓelwa nga muhumbulo.
Lwa fhufhela kha mulenzhe wa muṅwe wa vhala vhatukana. Lwa luma mutukana nga nḓila i vhavhaho.
“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?”
Mutukana a fhufha. “Yoo!” a vhidzelela.
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.
Ḽivha ḽitshena ḽa tshuwa ḽa fhufhela vhudzumbamoni.
Ndi yone ndila ye Lusunzi Luṱuku lwa livhuwa ngayo Ḽiivha ḽitshena.
UTsheketshe omncane waba nesu.
Imbovane encinane yavela necebo.
Little Ant had an idea.
Written by: Kholeka Mabeta
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Maphaha Tshimangadzo Nelson
