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Habwaki Ensere Tizigira Bwoya? Why hippos have no hair Kwa nini Viboko Hawana Nywele

Basilio Gimo, David Ker

Little Zebra Books, Carol Liddiment

Kangume Rhodah

Rutooro

Level 2

The audio for this story is currently not available.

Kiro kimu wakame akaba nagendera harubaju rw’enyanja.

One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.

Siku moja, Sungura alikuwa akitembea pembeni ya mto.

N’ensere ekaba eroho, negenda kwemaramara nokulya ebinyansi ebirungi.

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

Kiboko alikuwepo pia, akitembea huku akila majani mazuri ya kijani.

Ensere etarole ngu wakame ekaba eroho kandi yarubata ekigere kyayo etakigenderire. Wakame yatokera haiguru kandi yatandika nokukunga, “Lwe nsere! Tolikurora ngu orubasire ekigere kyange?”

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?”

Kiboko hakumwona Sungura na kwa bahati mbaya akaukanyaga mguu wa Sungura. Sungura akaanza kumpigia Kiboko kelele. “We Kiboko huoni kama umeukanyaga mguu wangu?”

Nsere yasaba ekiganyiro hali wakame, “Nganyira munywani wange. Tinkuboine. Caali nganyira!” Baitu wakame atahulirize kandi yatoka, “Okikozire okigenderire! Ekiro ekindi noija kurora! Noija kusasura!”

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!”

Kiboko akamwomba Sungura msamaha, “Samahani, sikukuona, tafadhali nisamehe!” Lakini Sungura hakukubali na akaendelea kumbwatukia Kiboko, “Umefanya makusudi! Kuna siku utakiona, na nitakulipizia!”

Wakame akagenda kuserra omurro kandi yagamba, “Genda, oyokye Nsere obwararuga omumaizi kugenda kulya ebinyansi andubasirege.”

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.”

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.”

Hanyumaho, nsere akaba nalya ebinyansi haraho ne Nyanja. “Whoosh!” omurro gwarugwamu omwika. Omwika gwatandika kwokya obwoya bw’ensere.

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

Baadaye, Kiboko alikuwa akila majani mbali na mto, aliposhtuka moto umelipuka. Miale ya moto ikaanza kuzichoma nywele za Kiboko.

Nsere yatandika kurra kandi nairuka nagenda mumaizi. Obwoya bwayo bukaba buhyeriire omumurro.

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!”

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!”

Nikyo habwaki enseretegenda hara namaizi habwokutina kuhyera mumurro. Wakame ekasemererwa muno obuyahulire nsere ahire, yagamba, “Musaswize!”

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.

Sungura alikuwa na furaha kwa kuwa nywele za Kiboko ziliungua. Hadi leo kwa kuogopa moto, Kiboko hawezi kwenda mbali na maji.

Written by: Basilio Gimo, David Ker

Illustrated by: Little Zebra Books, Carol Liddiment

Translated by: Kangume Rhodah

Language: Rutooro

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.

Read more level 2 stories:

Tingi N’Ente Embuzi, Embwa, N’Ente

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