Back to stories list
يَحْمِلُ توم طَبَقَ المَوْزِ النَّاضِجِ.
Tom anabeba tenga la ndizi zilizoiva.
Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.
يَتَّجِهُ تُومْ إِلَى السُّوقِ لِبَيْعِ المَوْزِ.
Tom anaenda sokoni kuuza ndizi.
Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.
النَّاسُ فِي السُّوقِ يَشْتَرُونَ الفَاكِهَة.
Sokoni watu wananunua matunda.
People at the market are buying fruit.
لَكِنْ لاَ أَحَدَ يَشْتَرِي مَوْزَاتِ تُومْ. إِنَّهُمْ يُحَبِّذُونَ شِرَاءَ الفَاكِهَةِ مِنَ النَّسَاءِ.
Lakini hakuna anayenunua ndizi za Tom. Wanapenda kununua matunda kutoka kwa akina mama.
But no one is buying
Tom’s bananas.
They prefer to buy fruit from women.
يَقُولُ النَّاسُ “فِي مُجْتَمَعِنَا لاَ يَبِيعُ الفَاكِهَةَ إِلاَّ النِّسَاءُ” وَيَتَسَاءَلُونَ “مَا نَوْعُ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ؟”
“Kwenye jamii yetu, ni wanawake pekee ndio wanaouza matunda,” watu wanasema. “Ni mwanamume wa aina gani huyu?” watu wanahoji.
“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.
لَكِنَّ تُومْ لاَ يَسْتَسْلِمُ. هَا هُوَ يُنَادِي “اِشْتَرُوا مَوْزِي … اِشْتَرُوا مَوْزِيَ النَّاضِجَ اللَّذِيذَ.”
Lakini Tom hakati tamaa. Anaita, “Nunua ndizi zangu! Nunueni ndizi zangu tamu zilizoiva!”
But Tom does not give up.
He calls, “Buy my bananas!
Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
أَخَذَتْ امْرَأَةٌ حِزْمَةَ المَوْزِ مِنْ عَلَى الطَّبَقِ وَتَفَحَّصَتْهَا بِعِنَايَةٍ.
Mwanamke mmoja anachukua kichane cha ndizi kutoka kwenye tenga. Anaziangalia ndizi kwa umakini.
One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray.
She looks at the bananas carefully.
اشْتَرَتْ المَرْأَةُ المَوْزَ.
Mwanamke ananunua ndizi.
The woman buys the bananas.
تَوَافَدَ النَّاسُ عَلَى المِنْضَدَةِ. يَشْتَرُونَ مَوْزَاتِ تُومْ وَيَأْكُلُونَهَا.
Watu wengine wanakuja kwenye kichanja. Wananunua ndizi za Tom na kuzila.
More people come to the stall.
They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.
أُفْرِغَ الطَّبَقُ بِسُرْعَةٍ. أَخَذَ تُومْ يُحْصِي المَالَ الذِي رَبِحَهُ.
Mara, tenga linakuwa tupu. Tom anahesabu pesa alizopata.
Soon, the tray is empty.
Tom counts the money he earned.
ثُمَّ اشْتَرَى تُومْ صَابُونًا وَسُكَّرًا وَخُبْزًا وَوَضَعَ المُشْتَرَيَاتِ فِي الطَّبَقِ.
Tom ananunua sabuni, sukari, na mkate. Anaweka vitu kwenye tenga lake.
Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread.
He puts the things in his tray.
وَضَعَ تُومْ الطَّبَقَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَرَجَعَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ.
Tom anajitwisha tenga kichwani na kwenda nyumbani.
Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.
Written by: Humphreys Odunga
Illustrated by: Zablon Alex Nguku
Translated by: Maaouia Haj Mabrouk
Read by: Mashael Muhanna