Ngelinye ilanga unogwaja
wayehamba ngasemfuleni.
Siku moja, Sungura alikuwa akitembea pembeni ya mto.
Umvubu naye wayekhona
lapho, ezihambela futhi ezidlela
utshani obumnandi.
Kiboko alikuwepo pia, akitembea huku akila majani mazuri ya kijani.
Umvubu akazange abone ukuthi
nonogwaja ukuthi ukhona,
wamnyathela unyawo
ngephutha.
Unogwaja wamemeza ethethisa
umvubu ” wena mvubu!,
awuboni yini ukuthi
unginyathela unyawo?”
Kiboko hakumwona Sungura na kwa bahati mbaya akaukanyaga mguu wa Sungura. Sungura akaanza kumpigia Kiboko kelele. “We Kiboko huoni kama umeukanyaga mguu wangu?”
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!”
Kiboko akamwomba Sungura msamaha, “Samahani, sikukuona, tafadhali nisamehe!” Lakini Sungura hakukubali na akaendelea kumbwatukia Kiboko, “Umefanya makusudi! Kuna siku utakiona, na nitakulipizia!”
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.”
Sungura alienda kumtafuta moto na akamwambia, “Nenda, ukamchome Kiboko akitoka majini kuja kula majani. Alinikanyaga!” Moto ukajibu, “Hakuna tatizo, rafiki yangu Sungura, nitafanya ulichoniomba kufanya.”
Lokhuyana, umvubu eyodla
utshani kude nasemfuleni
“whoosh!” umlilo waphenduka
amalangabi. Lawo malangabi
acala ashisa izinwele zika
mvubu.
Baadaye, Kiboko alikuwa akila majani mbali na mto, aliposhtuka moto umelipuka. Miale ya moto ikaanza kuzichoma nywele za Kiboko.
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!”
Kiboko akaanza kulia na kukimbilia kwenye maji. Nywele zake zote zilikuwa zimeungua na moto. Kiboko aliendelea kulia, “Nywele zangu zimeungua na moto! Nywele zangu zote zimeisha! Nywele zangu nzuri!”
Yingakho umvubu akadlaleli kude namanzi ngoba esaba ukuthi uzoshiswa
wumlilo. Unogwaja wathokoza kakhulu ngenkathi umvubu esha ethi, ” ngaze
ngamthola!”
Sungura alikuwa na furaha kwa kuwa nywele za Kiboko ziliungua. Hadi leo kwa kuogopa moto, Kiboko hawezi kwenda mbali na maji.
