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Ounona vedi Children of wax

Written by Southern African Folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Bertha Haimbodi

Language Kwanyama

Level Level 2

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Okwa li ku na ovaneumbo ve holafane.

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family.


Mokukala kwavo iha va lu. Ndele voo oha va yakula ovakulunhu vavo moilonga aishe yomeumbo nomepya.

They never fought with each other. They helped their parents at home and in the fields.


Ashike kakwa li va pitikwa okweehena popepi nomundilo.

But they were not allowed to go near a fire.


Oilonga yavo aishe okwa li have i longo oufiku shaashi voo ovamewa medi!

They had to do all their work during the night. Because they were made of wax!


Ashike okamati kamwe oka li ka djuulukwa okuya pondje pokamutenya.

But one of the boys longed to go out in the sunlight.


Efiku limwe ehalo lokuya pondje ola kula neenghono. Ovamwainamati ove mu kumaida ehe shi ninge…

One day the longing was too strong. His brothers warned him…


Akutu nani ekunghulilo ole ya la laata! Okwa hengumungapo koupyu wetango.

But it was too late! He melted in the hot sun.


Ounona vedi okwa li va nyemata mokumona omumwainamati ta hengumukapo.

The wax children were so sad to see their brother melting away.


Ashike ova konga ondunge. Ova ma oshihengumukile momufolomo wokadila.

But they made a plan. They shaped the lump of melted wax into a bird.


Ova twala oshihongomwa shamumwaina kombada yondudu ile.

They took their bird brother up to a high mountain.


Etango eshi la pita, oshihongomwa osha tuka po tashi imbi mouyelele weenhe detango longula.

And as the sun rose, he flew away singing into the morning light.


Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Bertha Haimbodi
Language: Kwanyama
Level: Level 2
Source: Children of wax from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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