Download Options
Change language
English
Bemba
Lunda
Luvale
Nyanja
Tonga
Tumbuka
Kaonde
Lozi
───────
Afrikaans
French
Gujarati
Mandarin
Portuguese
Swahili
More languages...
Back to stories list
Kyabujila Byovwe Kwikala Nabooya
Why hippos have no hair
Ico imfubu ishakwatila umushishi
The audio for this story is currently not available.
Regular PDFs (full-page)
Bilingual PDFs
Booklet PDFs (for printing)
Juuba jimo, Kalulu waendelenga kubwipi namukola.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
Ubushiku bumo, kalulu aile aleenda mu lulamba lwa mumana.
Kyovwe naye wajinga konka, kabiji wenda uja nsono yanenkuma bulongo.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
Imfubu nayo eko yaali, yaletandala no kulya umulemfwe uusuma saana.
Kyovwe kechi wamumwene kalulu ne kabiji wamunyanchile kukuulu. Kalulu watendekele kumupachila kyovwe amba,” Obewa Kyovwe! Kechi wamoma amba wanyanta pakuulu nenyi?”
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?”
Imfubu tayamwene ukuti Kalulu nao eko ali, epakumunyanta pa kuulu. Kalulu ayambile ukupundilila imfubu. “Iwe Mfubu! Taulemona ukuti naunyanta pa kuulu?”
Kyovwe walombele lulekelo lwamambo kwi kalulu, “Napopwela ndekeleko mambo. Kechi najikukumona ne. Bino kalulu kechi waunvwine ne, kabiji watwajijile nakupachila kyovwe amba, “Wakubilamotu nshiji! Juuba jimo ukamona byonkakuba! Ukalapila juuba jimo! ”
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!”
Imfubu epakulomba ubwelelo kuli Kalulu. “Njelelako, nshacikumona. Napaapaata njelelako!” Nomba Kalulu taaleefwaya no kumfwa ifyo yaaleelanda, epakukalipila Mfubu ati, “Wacicitafye umufulo! Ubushiku bumo ukacimona, nkakulimuna!”
Kalulu waile kwi Mujilo nekumubuula amba,” Ganga ukansokeleko Kyovwe namujilo inge wafuma mumeema waiya nakuja nsono. Wajikunyanta!” Mujilo wakumbwile amba,” Kafwako lukatazhone nsakuya nakuba byonkabyo.”
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.”
Kalulu epakuya mukufwaya Mulilo no kumweba ati, “Kabiye oce Mfubu nga afuma mu meenshi aisa mu kulya icaani. Acinyanta!” Mulilo epakwasuka ati, “Takuli bwafya mune Kalulu, nalacita ifyo fine.”
Pakupita kimye, kyovwe wajilenga nsono kwalepa na mukola. Mujilo waubatu uushi. Kyovwe wabazhimukiletu mujilo kealulume. Mujilo watendekele kusoka booya bwakwa Kyovwe.
Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.
Panuma ya kashita akanoono, imfubu yaleelya icaani ukutali na mumana, “uuuu” Mulilo abilimuka mu lubingu. Ulubingu epakwamba ukooca umushishi wakwa Mfubu.
Kyovwe watendekele kujila ne kunyemena ku meema. Booya bwanji bonse bwapile namujilo. Kyovwe watwajijile kujila amba, “Booya bwami bwapya namujilo! Booya bwami bonse bwaya! Booya bwami bwawama!”
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!”
Imfubu epakwamba ukulila no kubutukila ku menshi. Mulilo alyoceele umushishi wakwa Mfubu onse. Mfubu akonkenyepo ukulila ati, “Umushishi wandi wapya! Umushishi wandi onse waya! Umushishi wandi ubusuma!”
Kalulu wasangalele pakumona amba booya bwakwa kyovwe bonse bwapya. Kufikatu ne jaleelo, kyovwe namambo akuchiina mujilo, kechi uya kwalepa na meema ne.
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.
Kalulu alitemenwe ukuti umushishi wa mfubu walipya. Mpaka na leelo, mukutina umulilo, imfubu taiya kutali na meenshi.
Written by: Basilio Gimo, David KerIllustrated by: Carol LiddimentTranslated by: Ruth Kapamba, Mwitila Ntabo
