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uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu Nozibele na nywele tatu

Written by Tessa Welch

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Zimbili Dlamini, Phumy Zikode

Read by Beauty Ngwenya

Language Zulu

Level Level 3

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

Emandulo amantombazane amathathu ahamba ayotheza.

Hapo zamani za kale, wasichana watatu walienda kukusanya kuni.

Ilanga lalishisa kakhulu base behlela emfuleni ukuyobhukuda. Badlala, bethelana ngamanzi ngesikhathi bebhukuda.

Ilikuwa ni siku yenye jua kali na wakaamua kwenda mtoni kuogelea. Wakaogelea huku wakicheza na kurushiana maji.

Kusenjalo babona ukuthi isikhathi sase sihambile. Baphuthuma bephindela emakhaya.

Ghafla waligundua kuwa muda umekwenda. Wakaharakisha kurudi nyumbani.

Bathi sebesondele emakhaya, uNozibele wazithinta emqaleni wathola ukuthi umgexo wakhe wawungekho. Wayewukhohliwe! “Ngicela ningiphelezele bandla!” ebancenga. Kodwa abangane bakhe bathi sekuhlwile.

Walipokuwa wanakaribia kufika nyumbani, Nozibele akajishika shingoni. Alikuwa amesahau shanga zake! “Tafadhali turudini!” aliwasihi rafiki zake. Lakini rafiki zake wakasema tumechelewa.

UNozibele waphindela yedwa emfuleni. Wawuthola umgexo wakhe waphuthuma ephindela ekhaya. Kodwa endleleni waduka ebumnyameni.

Kwa hiyo Nozibele akarudi mwenyewe mtoni. Akapata shanga zake na akakimbia kurudi nyumbani. Lakini akapotea gizani.

Buqamama wabona ukukhanya okwakuqhamuka endlini. Washesha wayakhona, wafika wangqongqoza emnyango.

Kwa mbali akaona mwanga unatoka kwenye nyumba. Akakimbilia kwenye nyumba na kugonga mlango.

Wamangala kakhulu ukuthi kwavula inja, yathi “Ufunani la?” “Ngidukile ngicela indawo yokulala,“ kusho uNozibele. “Ngena ngaphakathi, ngale kwalokho ngizokuluma!”,kusho inja. UNozibele wangena ngaphakathi.

Akastaajabu kumwona mbwa akifungua mlango na akasema, “Unataka nini?” “Nimepotea na ninatafuta sehemu ya kulala,” akasema Nozibele. “Ingia ndani, la sivyo nitakung’ata!” mbwa akamwambia. Nozibele akaingia ndani.

Inja yathi, “Ngiphekele!” “Kodwa angikaze ngiyiphekele inja,” kuphendula uNozibele. “Phela ngale kwaloko ngizokuluma!“ kusho inja. UNozibele wayiphekela inja.

Mbwa akamwambia, “Nipikie!” “Sijawahi kumpikia mbwa,” akajibu. “Pika, la sivyo nitakung’ata!” mbwa akasema. Nozibele akampikia mbwa chakula.

Inja yathi, “Ngindlalele umbhede!” Nozibele wathi, “Angikaze ngendlalele inja.” “Ndlala ngale kwaloko ngizokuluma!”,kusho inja. uNozibele wawendlala umbhede.

Mbwa akamwambia, “Nitandikie kitanda!” Nozibele akajibu, “Sijawahi kumtandikia mbwa kitanda.” “Tandika kitanda, la sivyo nitakung’ata!” mbwa akasema. Nozibele akatandika kitanda.

Zonke izinsuku wayepheka, ashanele, futhi ayiwashele inja. Ngelinye ilanga inja yathi, “Nozibele, namhlanje ngizovakashela abangane bami. Shanela la endlini, upheke bese uwashe izingubo zami ngaphambi kokuba ngibuye.”

Akawa kila siku anampikia, anamfulia na kumfagilia mbwa. Siku moja mbwa akasema, “Nozibele, leo naenda kuwatembelea rafiki zangu. Fagia nyumba, pika chakula na osha vitu vyangu kabla sijarudi.”

Isikhashana nje inja isihambile, uNozibele wathatha izinwele ezintathu ekhanda lakhe. Wabeka unwele olulodwa ngaphansi kombhede, wabeka olunye unwele emva kwesivalo, wabeka olunye esibayeni. Wase wabaleka waya ekhaya ngokushesha.

Mara baada tu ya mbwa kuondoka, Nozibele akanyofoa nywele tatu kutoka kwenye kichwa chake. Akaweka unywele mmoja chini ya kitanda, mmoja nyuma ya mlango, na mwingine akauweka kwenye uzio wa nyumba. Halafu, akakimbia kuelekea nyumbani kwa nguvu zote.

Yathi inja ibuya, yafuna uNozibele. “Nozibele, ukuphi?” imemeza. “Ngilapha ngaphansi kombhede,” kusho unwele lokuqala. “Ngilapha, emva kwesivalo,” kusho unwele lwesibili. “Ngilapha, esibayeni,“ kusho unwele lwesithathu.

Mbwa aliporudi akaanza kumtafuta Nozibele. “Nozibele, uko wapi?” akapiga kelele. “Niko hapa, chini ya kitanda,” unywele wa kwanza ukajibu. “Nipo hapa nyuma ya mlango,” unywele wa pili ukajibu. “Niko hapa kwenye uzio,” unywele wa tatu ukajibu.

Inja yavele yabona nje ukuthi uNozibele wayeyicuphile. Inja yagijima imfuna. Kodwa abafowabo kaNozibele babeyilinde nezinkulu izinduku. Inja yabaleka yaphindela emuva, ayiphindanga yabonakala kusukela ngalelo langa.

Mbwa akagundua kuwa Nozibele amemkimbia. Kwa hiyo akakimbia kuelekea kijijini. Kaka zake Nozibele walikuwa wakimsubiri na fimbo. Mbwa alipowaona akageuka na kukimbia, na hajawahi kuonekana tena.

Written by: Tessa Welch
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Zimbili Dlamini, Phumy Zikode
Read by: Beauty Ngwenya
Language: Zulu
Level: Level 3
Source: Nozibele and the three hairs from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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