Rukuru mukukomunene Tjikukae wa Vusi we mu isana, “Vusi twara ei ndi kovanene voye. Ovo mave vanga okuungura otjikuki otjinene tjorukupo rwomuṱena kwoye.”
Early one morning Vusi’s granny
called him, “Vusi, please take this
egg to your parents. They want to
make a large cake for your sister’s
wedding.”
Mondjira okuyenda kovanene ve, Vusi wa hakaenene novazondona vevari mbu mave pora ovihape. Omuzandona umwe wa hakana indi ei nu eri umbu momuti. Ei ari teka.
On his way to his parents, Vusi met
two boys picking fruit. One boy
grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot
it at a tree. The egg broke.
“Ove wa tjiti tjike nao?” Vusi wa tja. “Ei ndo ra ri orotjikuki. Otjikuki otjorukupo romuṱena kwandje. Omuṱena kwandje ma katja vi nao tji pe hi na otjikuki tjorukupo?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That egg was for a cake. The cake
was for my sister’s wedding. What
will my sister say if there is no
wedding cake?”
Ovazondona va ningire ondjesiro kokutoka Vusi. “Kamaatu yenene okuvatera na ihi otjikuki, posiya ka yandje okati okaṱaṱero inga komuṱena kwoye,” umwe wavo wa tja. Vusi wa kaenda komeho nouyenda we.
The boys were sorry for teasing
Vusi.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is a walking stick for your
sister,” said one.
Vusi continued on his journey.
Mondjira wa hakaene novarumendu vevari ovatunge vozondjuwo. “Mape ya atu ungurisa okati koye okakukutu nawa ngo?” umwe wavo wa pura. Posiya okati kaka ri okakukutu nawa okutunga na ko nu oko ake teka.
Along the way he met two men
building a house. “Can we use that
strong stick?” asked one.
But the stick was not strong enough
for building, and it broke.
“Ove wa tjiti tjike nao?” Vusi wa tja. “Okati ngo ka ri otjiyandjewa komuṱena kwandje. Ovapore wovihape ve ndji pere okati ngo mena rokutja va teya ei ndi mari soku kaungura otjikuki. Otjikuki otjomukandi. Nambano kape na ei, kape notjikuki, nu kape notjiyandjewa. Omuṱena kwandje ma katja vi?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That stick was a gift for my sister.
The fruit pickers gave me the stick
because they broke the egg for the
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Ovatunge va ningire ondjesiro kutja va teya okati. “Kamaatu yenene okuvatera notjikuki, posiya ka yandje ehozu ndi komuṱena kwoye,” umwe wa tja. Vusi wa kaenda komurungu nouyenda we.
The builders were sorry for breaking
the stick.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is some thatch for your sister,”
said one.
And so Vusi continued on his
journey.
Mondjira, Vusi wa hakaene nomuṱuta nongombe. “Ehozu raye etjate ndo, kape na okuya e humbura kaṱiṱi?” ongombe ya pura. Nungwari indi ehozu ra tjata ngandu ndi ongombe tji ya rya arihe okumana.
Along the way, Vusi met a farmer
and a cow. “What delicious thatch,
can I have a nibble?” asked the cow.
But the thatch was so tasty that the
cow ate it all!
“Ove wa tjiti tjike nao?” Vusi wa tja. “Ehozu ra ri otjiyandjewa komuṱena kwandje. Ovatunge ve ndji pe ehozu ndo mena rokutja va teya okati kovapore vovihape. Ovapore vovihape ve ndji pere okati mena rokutja va teya ei roku kaungura otjikuki tjomuṱena kwandje. Otjikuki otjorukupo rwomuṱena kwandje. Nambano kape na ei, kape notjikuki, nu kape notjiyandjewa. “Omuṱena kwandje ma katja vi?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That thatch was a gift for my
sister. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for my sister’s
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Ongombe ya ningire ondjesiro kutja ya ri nomunenetima. Omuṱuta wa munu kutja Vusi nga twaerere ongombe otja otjiyandjewa komuṱena. Nu Vusi wa kaenda komurungu.
The cow was sorry she was greedy.
The farmer agreed that the cow
could go with Vusi as a gift for his
sister. And so Vusi carried on.
Nu moiri yeriro rongurova ongombe ya tupuka okuyaruka komunyayo. Nungwari Vusi ndjira kati wa pandjara na kavaza eyuva a ratoko. Ovaṋangwa tjandje va utu okurya.
But the cow ran back to the farmer
at supper time.
And Vusi got lost on his journey.
He arrived very late for his sister’s
wedding. The guests were already
eating.
“Me tjiti vi nai?” Vusi wa tja. “Ongombe ndja tupuka ondja ri otjiyandjewa, tji tja pimbi ehozu ndi mba pewa i ovatunge. Ovatunge ve ndji pe ehozu mena rokutja va teya okati kovapore vovihape. Ovapore vovihape ve ndji pe okati mena rokutja va teya ei rotjikuki. Otjikuki tja sokurira otjorukupo. Nambano kape na ei, kape na otjikuki, nu kape na otjiyandjewa.”
“What shall I do?” cried Vusi.
“The cow that ran away was a gift,
in return for the thatch the builders
gave me. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for the cake.
The cake was for the wedding. Now
there is no egg, no cake, and no
gift.”
Omuṱena wa Vusi we ripura na tja, “Vusi muṱena kwandje, ami tjiri hi nokurikenda noviyandjewa. Ami hi nokurikenda notjikuki! Atuhe owete mba tu ri pamwe. Ami mbi nohange. Nambano riveta ozombanda zoye inḓa ozombwa nu tu yoroke pamwe meyuva ndi!” Nu Vusi wa tjiti nao.
Vusi’s sister thought for a while,
then she said,
“Vusi my brother, I don’t really care
about gifts. I don’t even care about
the cake! We are all here together, I
am happy. Now put on your smart
clothes and let’s celebrate this
day!”
And so that’s what Vusi did.
