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Omberero Punishment

Written by Adelheid Marie Bwire

Illustrated by Melany Pietersen

Translated by Angelika Tjoutuku, Asnath Mundjindjiri

Language Herero

Level Level 2

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Eyuva rimwe mama wa muna ovihape ovingi.

One day, mama got a lot of fruit.


“Mo tu pe ruṋe ovihape?” eṱe twa pura. “Ovihape matu ri ngurova,” Mama wa tja.

“When can we have some fruit?” we ask. “We will have the fruit tonight,” says mama.


Omuṱena kwandje Rahim u nomunenetima. Eye wa roro ovihape avihe. Eye u rya ovihape ovingi.

My brother Rahim is greedy. He tastes all the fruit. He eats a lot of it.


“Tara Rahim mbya tjiti!” okaṱena kandje ka ravaere. Rahim omuhahu nu u na omunenetima,” ami mba tja.

“Look at what Rahim did!” shouts my little brother. “Rahim is naughty and selfish,” I say.


Mama wa pindike ku na Rahim.

Mother is angry with Rahim.


Eṱe wina twa pindike ku na Rahim. Posiya Rahima ke na kumuna kutja wa zunḓa.

We are also angry with Rahim. But Rahim is not sorry.


“Hapo mama ko nakuvera Rahim?” okaṱena kandje ka pura.

“Aren’t you going to punish Rahim?” asks little brother.


“Rahim, tarera mo rimunu kutja wa zunḓa tjimanga nai,” mama we mu rakiza.

“Rahim, soon you will be sorry,” warns mama.


Rahim wa utu okuhihamwa.

Rahim starts to feel sick.


“Me hihamwa pehuri,” Rahim wa hokora.

“My tummy is so sore,” whispers Rahim.


Mama wa ri ama tjiwa kutja mape kara nao. Ovihape ovini mavi vere Rahim!

Mama knew this would happen. The fruit is punishing Rahim!


Kombunda Rahim wa ningire ondjesiro ku eṱe. “Ami hi na okukara nomunenetima rukwao,” eye wa yanisa. Neṱe atuhe twa ri nongamburiro mu ye.

Later, Rahim says sorry to us. “I will never be so greedy again,” he promises. And we all believe him.


Written by: Adelheid Marie Bwire
Illustrated by: Melany Pietersen
Translated by: Angelika Tjoutuku, Asnath Mundjindjiri
Language: Herero
Level: Level 2
Source: Punishment from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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