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Kungani umvubu engena zinwele? Why hippos have no hair

Written by Basilio Gimo, David Ker

Illustrated by Carol Liddiment

Translated by Missing

Read by Beauty Ngwenya

Language Zulu

Level Level 2

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Ngelinye ilanga unogwaja wayehamba ngasemfuleni.

One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.


Umvubu naye wayekhona lapho, ezihambela futhi ezidlela utshani obumnandi.

Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.


Umvubu akazange abone ukuthi nonogwaja ukuthi ukhona, wamnyathela unyawo ngephutha. Unogwaja wamemeza ethethisa umvubu ” wena mvubu!, awuboni yini ukuthi unginyathela unyawo?”

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?”


Umvubu waxolisa kuye wathi, ” ngiyaxolisa mngani wami, angikubonanga, ngicela ungixolele!” Kodwa unogwaja akafunanga ukuzwa lutho, wathethisa umvubu wathi, “wenze lokhu ngabomu!,ngelinye ilanga, uzabona! uzokhokha!”

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!”


Kwase kuthi unogwaja wahamba wayofuna umlilo, wathi kuye ” hamba, uma umvubu ephuma emanzini eyodla utshani ufike umshise. Unginyathelile!” umlilo waphendula, ” akunankinga mngani wami, ngizoyenza lokhu ongicela kona.”

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.”


Lokhuyana, umvubu eyodla utshani kude nasemfuleni “whoosh!” umlilo waphenduka amalangabi. Lawo malangabi acala ashisa izinwele zika mvubu.

Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.


Umvubu wacala wakhala egijimela emanzini. Izinwele zakhe zonke zazishile emlilweni. wayeloku ekhala ethi ” izinwele zami zishile emlilweni! ushise zonke izinwele zami! izinwele zami ezinhle kakhulu!”

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!”


Yingakho umvubu akadlaleli kude namanzi ngoba esaba ukuthi uzoshiswa wumlilo. Unogwaja wathokoza kakhulu ngenkathi umvubu esha ethi, ” ngaze ngamthola!”

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.


Written by: Basilio Gimo, David Ker
Illustrated by: Carol Liddiment
Translated by: Missing
Read by: Beauty Ngwenya
Language: Zulu
Level: Level 2
Source: Why hippos have no hair from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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