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Tom omutundi w’amalafu
Tom the banana seller
Tom muuza ndizi
Humphreys Odunga
Zablon Alex Nguku
Bukheye Mulongo Christopher
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Tom agega ahasuniya h’amalafu.
Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.
Tom anabeba tenga la ndizi zilizoiva.
Tom atiina mu hatale ohutunda amalafu.
Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.
Tom anaenda sokoni kuuza ndizi.
Abaatu mu hatale bali hugula ebibala.
People at the market are buying fruit.
Sokoni watu wananunua matunda.
Naye eŋuma ali hugula amalafu ga Tom.
Benda hugula bibala hu bahaasi.
But no one is buying
Tom’s bananas.
They prefer to buy fruit from women.
Lakini hakuna anayenunua ndizi za Tom. Wanapenda kununua matunda kutoka kwa akina mama.
“Mu hitehere hyeefe, abahasi nja batunda ebibala. Musinde hi ono?” bawuusa.
“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.
“Kwenye jamii yetu, ni wanawake pekee ndio wanaouza matunda,” watu wanasema. “Ni mwanamume wa aina gani huyu?” watu wanahoji.
Aye Tomu sigesonia.
Alangirira, “Mugule amalafu gange! Mugule amalafu gange!”
But Tom does not give up.
He calls, “Buy my bananas!
Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
Lakini Tom hakati tamaa. Anaita, “Nunua ndizi zangu! Nunueni ndizi zangu tamu zilizoiva!”
Omuhasi nabugula amalafu hu sununiya, getegeresa bugali bweene.
One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray.
She looks at the bananas carefully.
Mwanamke mmoja anachukua kichane cha ndizi kutoka kwenye tenga. Anaziangalia ndizi kwa umakini.
Omuhasi agula amalafu.
The woman buys the bananas.
Mwanamke ananunua ndizi.
Abaatu abandi baalya.
Bagula amalafu ga Tom baalya.
More people come to the stall.
They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.
Watu wengine wanakuja kwenye kichanja. Wananunua ndizi za Tom na kuzila.
Amalafu nigaŋwa.
Tom nga abala epiiya ejasunire.
Soon, the tray is empty.
Tom counts the money he earned.
Mara, tenga linakuwa tupu. Tom anahesabu pesa alizopata.
Tom gagula sabbuni, sukaali n’omugatigabiita hu suniya.
Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread.
He puts the things in his tray.
Tom ananunua sabuni, sukari, na mkate. Anaweka vitu kwenye tenga lake.
Tom gagega esuniya hu mutwe gatiina engo.
Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.
Tom anajitwisha tenga kichwani na kwenda nyumbani.
Written by: Humphreys Odunga
Illustrated by: Zablon Alex Nguku
Translated by: Bukheye Mulongo Christopher
