Back to stories list

婆婆嘅香蕉 Grandma's bananas

Written by Ursula Nafula

Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald

Translated by dohliam

Read by Zoe Lam

Language Cantonese

Level Level 4

Narrate full story

Reading speed

Autoplay story


婆婆有個好靚嘅花園,種滿晒啲高粱,小米同埋木薯,但係咁多嘢入面最好嘅就係香蕉。婆婆雖然有好多孫仔孫女,但係我心入面知道佢最鍾意我㗎。佢時時都會請我嚟佢屋企玩,講啲小秘密俾我聽。但係有一個秘密佢從來都冇試過同我講,就係佢催熟香蕉嘅辦法。

Grandma’s garden was wonderful, full of sorghum, millet, and cassava. But best of all were the bananas. Although Grandma had many grandchildren, I secretly knew that I was her favourite. She invited me often to her house. She also told me little secrets. But there was one secret she did not share with me: where she ripened bananas.


有一日,我見到婆婆放咗一個巨大嘅草籃喺門外。我問婆婆呢個係攞嚟做咩嘢嘅,但係婆婆就單單話:「呢個係我嘅神秘籃仔。」喺籃仔一邊放咗幾塊香蕉葉,婆婆間中都會去翻轉啲葉幾下。我好好奇,就問婆婆:「呢啲葉係攞嚟做咩嘢嘅?」但係婆婆只係應咗一句:「呢啲係我嘅神秘葉仔。」

One day I saw a big straw basket placed in the sun outside Grandma’s house. When I asked what it was for, the only answer I got was, “It’s my magic basket.” Next to the basket, there were several banana leaves that Grandma turned from time to time. I was curious. “What are the leaves for, Grandma?” I asked. The only answer I got was, “They are my magic leaves.”


我好好奇噉睇住婆婆、香蕉、香蕉葉仲有嗰個巨大嘅草籃。但係婆婆就打發咗我去媽咪嗰便幫手。我噅住婆婆就話:「俾我留响度睇吓啦!」但係婆婆就堅持話:「唔好咁硬頸啦,小朋友,照我講嘅去做啦。」我唯有走開囉。

It was so interesting watching Grandma, the bananas, the banana leaves and the big straw basket. But Grandma sent me off to my mother on an errand. “Grandma, please, let me watch as you prepare…” “Don’t be stubborn, child, do as you are told,” she insisted. I took off running.


到我返嚟嗰陣時,婆婆正坐喺外便唞吓,但係就唔見個籃同香蕉!我就問婆婆:「個籃去咗邊度呀?香蕉去咗邊度呀?仲有嗰啲……」但係婆婆只係應咗一句:「佢哋都喺一個神秘嘅地方。」我好失望!

When I returned, Grandma was sitting outside but with neither the basket nor the bananas. “Grandma, where is the basket, where are all the bananas, and where…” But the only answer I got was, “They are in my magic place.” It was so disappointing!


過咗兩日時間,婆婆就叫我由佢間房度攞佢支士的嚟俾佢。我一打開道門,就聞到朕熟香蕉嘅味道。原來婆婆嘅神秘籃仔就擺响佢間房度!上面𢫏咗條舊毛氈,我揭開條毛氈,大力噉聞嗰朕香噴噴嘅味道。

Two days later, Grandma sent me to fetch her walking stick from her bedroom. As soon as I opened the door, I was welcomed by the strong smell of ripening bananas. In the inner room was grandma’s big magic straw basket. It was well hidden by an old blanket. I lifted it and sniffed that glorious smell.


婆婆嗌我嘅時候,嚇咗我一跳:「你喺度做緊乜嘢?快啲攞我支士的嚟。」我趕緊攞咗支士的出去俾婆婆。婆婆睇住我,就問:「你喺度笑緊乜嘢呀?」我先至意識到,我仲喺度因為發現咗呢個神奇嘅秘密而偷笑緊。

Grandma’s voice startled me when she called, “What are you doing? Hurry up and bring me the stick.” I hurried out with her walking stick. “What are you smiling about?” Grandma asked. Her question made me realise that I was still smiling at the discovery of her magic place.


第二日呢,婆婆嚟睇我媽咪,我又走到婆婆屋企去偷睇嗰啲熟香蕉。有一梳香蕉已經非常之熟嘞。我摘咗一條香蕉,收埋咗佢喺我條裙仔度。𢫏返好個籃仔之後,我就走到間屋後面,偷偷噉食咗條香蕉:呢個絕對係我食過最好味嘅香蕉嚟!

The following day when grandma came to visit my mother, I rushed to her house to check the bananas once more. There was a bunch of very ripe ones. I picked one and hid it in my dress. After covering the basket again, I went behind the house and quickly ate it. It was the sweetest banana I had ever tasted.


第二日,我趁婆婆喺花園度摘蔬菜嘅時候,又偷偷走入佢間房去睇嗰啲香蕉。啲香蕉差唔多全部都熟晒嘞。我就頂唔順誘惑,攞咗四條香蕉。我趷高腳離開佢間房,就聽到婆婆喺度咳緊。我收埋啲香蕉喺條裙仔下底,好似乜都冇發生過噉就走開咗。

The following day, when grandma was in the garden picking vegetables, I sneaked in and peered at the bananas. Nearly all were ripe. I couldn’t help taking a bunch of four. As I tiptoed towards the door, I heard grandma coughing outside. I just managed to hide the bananas under my dress and walked past her.


第二日係婆婆趁墟打市嘅日子。婆婆好早就起身,佢將成熟咗嘅香蕉同木薯運到墟場度去賣。我嗰日冇急住去睇佢,但係我知道,我冇可能永遠避開婆婆。

The following day was market day. Grandma woke up early. She always took ripe bananas and cassava to sell at the market. I did not hurry to visit her that day. But I could not avoid her for long.


嗰日挨晚,我被爹哋媽咪同埋婆婆叫咗過去。我知道佢哋點解搵我。嗰日晚上,當我上床瞓覺嘅時候,我知道我再又唔會偷嘢啦,唔偷婆婆嘅,唔偷爹哋媽咪嘅,邊個啲嘢都唔可以再偷。

Later that evening I was called by my mother and father, and Grandma. I knew why. That night as I lay down to sleep, I knew I could never steal again, not from grandma, not from my parents, and certainly not from anyone else.


Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Catherine Groenewald
Translated by: dohliam
Read by: Zoe Lam
Language: Cantonese
Level: Level 4
Source: Grandma's bananas from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
Options
Back to stories list Download PDF