A long time ago, three girls went
out to collect wood.
Nũndũ sua nĩyaĩte mũno nĩmaendie
ũsĩnĩ kũthambĩa.
Nĩmathaũkie na kũtivũa kĩw’ũ na
kũthambĩa.
It was a hot day so they went down
to the river to swim.
They played and splashed and
swam in the water.
Kwa mĩtũkĩ nĩmamanyie kana
nĩmaseleetwe kwĩnũka.
Nĩmekalatile masyoka ndũanĩ.
Suddenly, they realised that it was
late.
They hurried back to the village.
Mevakuvĩ na mũsyĩ Nozimbele
nĩwakwatie ngingo yake na amanya
kana nĩũlilwe nĩ ĩsoa yake!
Nĩwesũvie anyanyae make akĩmea,
“aũme ndũngei.” ĩndĩ anyanyae
make nĩmaleile makyasya nĩkũtukie.
When they were nearly home,
Nozibele put her hand to her neck.
She had forgotten her necklace!
“Please come back with me!” she
begged her friends.
But her friends said it was too late.
Kwou Nonzimbele nĩwasyokie ũsĩnĩ
eweka.
Nĩwosie ĩsoa yake na asemba
enũke.
Ĩndĩ nĩwoie nũndũ wa kĩvindu.
So Nozibele went back to the river
alone.
She found her necklace and hurried
home.
But she got lost in the dark.
Nĩwonie kyeni kĩkumĩla kanyũmbanĩ
kũndũ kũasa.
Nĩwekalatile na akũna oti mwangonĩ
wa kanyũmba kau.
In the distance she saw light
coming from a hut.
She hurried towards it and knocked
at the door.
Kwa ũsenyo ngitĩ nĩyavingũie
mwango na yamũkũlya, “wenda
kyaũ?”
Nĩwasũngĩie asya, “nĩnũie na
nendaa vandũ va kũkoma.
“Lika nzĩnĩ kana ngũũme,” ngitĩ
nĩyaisye ũu.
Nonzimbele nĩwalikile kanyũmbanĩ.
To her surprise, a dog opened the
door and said, “What do you want?”
“I’m lost and I need a place to
sleep,” said Nozibele.
“Come in, or I’ll bite you!” said the
dog.
So Nozibele went in.
Then the dog said, “Cook for me!”
“But I’ve never cooked for a dog
before,” she answered.
“Cook, or I’ll bite you!” said the dog.
So Nozibele cooked some food for
the dog.
Then the dog said, “Make the bed
for me!”
Nozibele answered, “I’ve never
made a bed for a dog.”
“Make the bed, or I’ll bite you!” the
dog said.
So Nozibele made the bed.
Kĩla mũthenya auwaa na kũtuta na
kũthambĩsya ngitĩ.
Mũthenya ũmwe ngitĩ nĩyaisye,
“Nonzimbele ũmũnthĩ nonendaa
kũkethya anyanyae makwa. Tutaa,
ua lĩu na wĩthambya syĩndũ syakwa
ndanasyokethya.
Every day she had to cook and
sweep and wash for the dog.
Then one day the dog said,
“Nozibele, today I have to visit
some friends. Sweep the house,
cook the food and wash my things
before I come back.”
Ngitĩ aumala oou Nonzimbele
nĩwosie nzwĩĩ itatũ kuma mũtweni
wake.
Nĩwaiie ũswĩĩ ũmwe uungu wa
kĩtanda, ũngĩ mwĩlingĩlĩlo wa
mwango na ũngĩ kyũũnĩ.
Na ĩndĩ nĩwasembie ũndũ ũla ũtonya
enũka.
As soon as the dog had gone,
Nozibele took three hairs from her
head.
She put one hair under the bed, one
behind the door, and one in the
kraal.
Then she ran home as fast as she
could.
Ĩla ngitĩ yasyokie nĩyamanzie
Nonzimbele.
“Nonzimbele wĩva?” nĩyakũmũkie.
“Nĩvaa uungu wa kĩtanda,” ũswĩĩ wa
mbee nĩwaisye.
“Nĩvaa mwĩlingĩlo wa mwango,”
ũswĩĩ wa kelĩ nĩwaisye.
“Nĩvaa kyũũnĩ,” ũswĩĩ wa katatũ
nĩwaisye.
When the dog came back, he looked
for Nozibele.
“Nozibele, where are you?” he
shouted.
“I’m here, under the bed,” said the
first hair.
“I’m here, behind the door,” said the
second hair.
“I’m here, in the kraal,” said the
third hair.
Ngitĩ nĩyamanyie kana Nonzimbele
nũmĩkengie.
Nĩyasembie na yasemba ndũanĩ ya
andũ.
Ĩndĩ nĩyakitisye aamwanainya ma
Nonzimbele mamyetele na mĩtĩ.
Ngitĩ nĩyalyũkile yasemba na kuma
mũthenya ũsu ndĩaoneka ĩngĩ.
Then the dog knew that Nozibele
had tricked him.
So he ran and ran all the way to the
village.
But Nozibele’s brothers were
waiting there with big sticks.
The dog turned and ran away and
has never been seen since.
