A did wahn likl gyal pikni uu fos si di schrienj shiep fram faar out.
It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.
Az di shiep kom nier, shi si se a did wahn prignant uman uu suuhn av biebi.
As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Fried bot briev, di likl gyal pikni go niera tu di uman. “Wi afi kip ar wid wi,” di likl gyal pikni piipl dem se. “We a go kip ar an di pikni sief.”
Shy but brave, the little girl moved nearer to the woman.
“We must keep her with us,” the little girl’s people decided. “We’ll keep her and her child safe.”
Di pikni did suuhn baan. “Push!” “Kyari som blangkit!” “Waata!” “Puuuuuuush!”
The child was soon on its way.
“Push!”
“Bring blankets!”
“Water!”
“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”
Bot wen dem si di biebi, evribadi jomp bak an fraitn. “Wahn dangki?!”
But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock.
“A donkey?!”
Evribadi staat kos. “Wi se wi wuda kip mada an pikni sief, an a dat wi a go du,” som a dem se. “Bot dem a go bring bad lok!” som se.
Everyone began to argue.
“We said we would keep mother and child safe, and that’s what we’ll do,” said some.
“But they will bring us bad luck!” said others.
An so di uman en op bai ar self agen. Shi did a wanda wa fi du wid dis foni pikni. Shi did a wanda wa fi du wid ar self.
And so the woman found herself alone again.
She wondered what to do with this awkward child.
She wondered what to do with herself.
Bot in a di en shi afi aksep se im a fi ar pikni an shi a im mada.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.
Nou, ef di pikni did stie a di siem likl saiz, evriting wuda difrant. Bot di dangki pikni gruo an gruo so til im kudn fit pan im mada bak no muor. An no mata ou aad im chrai, im kudn biyiev laik a yuuman biin. Im mada di taiyad aal di taim an no nuo we fi du. Somtaim shi mek im du animal wok.
Now, if the child had stayed that same, small size, everything might have been different. But the donkey child grew and grew until he could no longer fit on his mother’s back.
And no matter how hard he tried, he could not behave like a human being. His mother was often tired and frustrated. Sometimes she made him do work meant for animals.
Ignarans an beksieshan bil op ina di Dangki. Im kudn du dis an im kudn du dat. Im kudn bi laik dis an im kudn bi laik dat. Im get so opset das, wan die, im kik dong im uona mada pan di grong.
Confusion and anger built up inside Donkey. He couldn’t do this and he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t be like this and he couldn’t be like that.
He became so angry that, one day, he kicked his mother to the ground.
Dangki did shiem-shiem. Im ronwe az faar an a faas az im kud.
Donkey was filled with shame. He started to run away as far and fast as he could.
Bai taim im stap ron, a did nait, an Dangki did laas. “Iihn aahn?” im bieli se ina di daak. “Iihn aahn?” it eko bak. Im did bai imself. Im korl op ina wahn tait baal, an jrap ina a diip an taamentin sliip.
By the time he stopped running, it was night, and Donkey was lost.
“Hee haw?” he whispered to the darkness.
“Hee Haw?” it echoed back. He was alone.
Curling himself into a tight ball, he fell into a deep and troubled sleep.
Dangki wiek op an si wahn schrienj uol man a luk pan im. Im luk ina di uol man yai dem an staat fiil a likl beta.
Donkey woke up to find a strange old man staring down at him. He looked into the old man’s eyes and started to feel a twinkle of hope.
Dangki go an go stie wid di uol man, uu tiich im nof difrant wie fi liv. Dangki lisn an lorn, an di uol man lisn an lorn tu. Dem elp wan aneda, an dem laaf tugeda.
Donkey went to stay with the old man, who taught him many different ways to survive.
Donkey listened and learned, and so did the old man. They helped each other, and they laughed together.
Wan maanin, di uol man aks Dangki fi kyari im go op wahn moutn tap.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Wie op ina di kloud dem, dem jrap asliip. Dangki jriim se im mada did sik an a kaal im. An wen im wiek op…
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
… di kloud dem an im fren di uol man, gaan.
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Dangki nou nuo we fi du.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Dangki fain im mada bai ar self a baal fi ar pikni. Dem luk pan wan aneda fi a lang taim. An den dem og op wan aneda tait-tait.
Donkey found his mother, alone and mourning her lost child. They stared at each other for a long time.
And then hugged each other very hard.
Di dangki pikni an im mada gruo tugeda an fain uol iip a wie fi liv wid wan aneda. Afta a wail, ada fambili staat fi liv roun dem.
The donkey child and his mother have grown together and found many ways of living side by side.
Slowly, all around them, other families have started to settle.
Lindiwe Matshikiza
Meghan Judge
Georgette McGlashen
Jamaican Creole
Level 3
The audio for this story is currently not available.
