Ngaminazana ithile, uMvundlana wawuzihambela ngasemlanjeni.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
UMvubu naye wayelapho, ezithele chu emane ukugramza ingca eluhlaza.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
UMvubu wayengaboni ukuba uMvundla ukhona nawo apha waze ngelishwa wathi gximfi enyathela unyawo loMvundla. Wasitsho isikhalo uMvundla ekwangxolisa uMvubu, “Hey wena Mvubu! Awuziboni ukuba uyandinyathela enyaweni?”
Hippo didn’t see that Rabbit was there and she accidentally stepped on Rabbit’s foot.
Rabbit started screaming at Hippo, “You Hippo! Can’t you see that you’re stepping on my foot?”
Waxolisa uMvubu kuMvundla, “Ndiyaxolisa kakhulu, mhlobo wam. Andikubonanga. Yhini! Khawundixolele kaloku!” Kodwa uMvundla wayengafuni nokuva waqhubeka ungxolisa uMvubu, “Wenze ngabom nangoku! Ngenye imini, inene ndiza kukufumana, uzukhangele! Uzawuva shu nawe!”
Hippo apologised to Rabbit, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. Please forgive me!”
But Rabbit wouldn’t listen and he shouted at Hippo, “You did that on purpose! Someday, you’ll see! You’re going to pay!”
Wahamba emva koko uMvundla usiya kukhangela uMlilo, wafika wathi, “Hamba, uyotshisa uMvubu xa ephuma emanzini ezokutya ingca. Undinyathele! Waphendula uMlilo, “Ilula loo nto, Mvundla mhlobo wam. Ndiza kwenza njengokuba usitsho.
Rabbit went to find Fire and said, “Go, burn Hippo when she comes out of the water to eat grass. She stepped on me!”
Fire answered, “No problem, Rabbit, my friend. I’ll do just what you ask.”
Ethubeni uMvubu wabantu esazityela ingca kude le nomlambo suka kwevakala “uwushu!” UMlilo udubule waba ngamadangatye watsho ukubutshisa bonke uboya bukaMvubu.
Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.
UMvubu wakhala ebaleka ukuya emanzini. Bonke uboya bakhe babutshe baphela emlilweni. Waqhubeka ekhala uMvubu, “Uboya bam butshe baphela tu emlilweni! Ubutshise bonke uboya bam! Uboya bam, uboya bam buphele bonke vuthu! Obuhle kangako bona uboya!”
Hippo started to cry and ran for the water. All her hair was burned off by the fire.
Hippo kept crying, “My hair has burned in the fire! My hair is all gone! My beautiful hair!”
Yiyo loo nto iMvubu ingahambeli kude namanzi kuba yoyika ukuphinda itshiswe nguMlilo. Wavuya uMvundla xa ubona uMvubu esitshwa nguMlilo, ekhwaza esithi, “Heke, ndimfumene, ndimfume-e-ene!”
Rabbit was happy that Hippo’s hair was burned.
And to this day, for fear of fire, the hippo never goes far from the water.
