Jino kejishimikila jakwa Ngende, Maimba, ne nsongwalume witemwa utelwa amba Gingile. Juuba jimo Gingile waile na kwipaya ba nyama po aumvwine Ngede ubeena kwita. Mukanwa mwakwa Gingile mwatendekele kuuba mate pa kulanguluka pa buuki. Waimene ne kuteleka, nakutala posotu wamwene kang’onyi mu kichi peulu ya mutwe wanji. “Kitik-Kitik-Kitik,” kang’onyi kaichile saka katumbuka kuya ku kichi kikwabo ne ki kwabo. “Kitik-Kitik-Kitik,” kaichile, kaile saka ketatu na kukeba kumona amba Gingile ubeena kwika loondela.
This is the story of Ngede, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gingile.
One day while Gingile was out hunting he heard the call of Ngede. Gingile’s mouth began to water at the thought of honey. He stopped and listened carefully, searching until he saw the bird in the branches above his head.
“Chitik-chitik-chitik,” the little bird rattled, as he flew to the next tree, and the next.
“Chitik, chitik, chitik,” he called, stopping from time to time to be sure that Gingile followed.
Panyuma yakichika kya awala umo, bafikile pa kichi kya mukuyu ki katampe. Kamaimba kakilaukile ku misampi ya pusanapusana. Kyapeleleko kaikele pa musampi umo ne kukobola mutwe nakutala Gingile nobe kumubula amba, “Abye pape!Iya pano!Kika kibeena kuku banzha?” Gingile kechi wamwene nyuki iji yonse kunshi ya kichi bino waketekejile Kamaimba.
After half an hour, they reached a huge wild fig tree.
Ngede hopped about madly among the branches. He then settled on one branch and cocked his head at Gingile as if to say, “Here it is! Come now! What is taking you so long?”
Gingile couldn’t see any bees from under the tree, but he trusted Ngede.
Ponkapo Gingile watujile panshi ngonga yanji munshi ya kichi, wabungizhe nsala ne kubanza mujilo. Mujilo powateemene, wabikilepo lusala waleepa pakachi ka mujilo. Uno lusala wa yukanyikilwe naku lenga buushi bwavula aku saka ateema. Watendekele ku kanjila ku kichi, sa akwachila lusala kwapela nameeno anji akusa kifitumuna bwiishi
So Gingile put down his hunting spear under the tree, gathered some dry twigs and made a small fire.
When the fire was burning well, he put a long dry stick into the heart of the fire. This wood was especially known to make lots of smoke while it burned.
He began climbing, holding the cool end of the smoking stick in his teeth.
Katanda kano watendekele kumvwa kilulumo kya nyuki. Nyuki yatwelelenga ne kulupuka mukachi ka lupako amo mwajinga mooma. Gingile po afikile pa mooma, watwezhezhemo lusalaubena wafutukilenga bwiishi mukachi kalupako. Nyuki ya nyukukijile pangye na bukaji. Yaayile mambo nyuki kechi ikeba bwiishi ne- nangwa byonkabyo yashile yamu suma Gingile!
Soon he could hear the loud buzzing of the busy bees. They were coming in and out of a hollow in the tree trunk – their hive.
When Gingile reached the hive he pushed the smoking end of the stick into the hollow.
The bees came rushing out, angry and mean. They flew away because they didn’t like the smoke – but not before they had given Gingile some painful stings!
Nyuki poyafuminemo, Gingile watwezhezhe kuboko kwanji mu lupako. Watolele mapuma aneema abeena kuzuma buuki bwawama kabiji bwanengela. Watujile ano mapuma pa kyuula kyo abikile pa kipuzhi kyanji ne kutendeka kwikila panshi ya kichi.
When the bees were out, Gingile pushed his hands into the nest. He took out handfuls of the heavy comb, dripping with rich honey and full of fat, white grubs.
He put the comb carefully in the pouch he carried on his shoulder, and started to climb down the tree.
Ngede aye watajilenga byonse bya ubilenga Gingile. Aye wapembejilenga ku mushilako jipuma ja buuki pa ku musanchila pa kumwesha kwajinga buuki. Ngede watumbukilenga ku musampi ne musampi kwipi ne kwipi na panshi. Pa kupezhako, Gingile wafikile panshi ya kichi. Ngede waikele pa jibwe jajinga pa bwipi ne nsongwalume saka apembelela kilambu kyanji.
Ngede eagerly watched everything that Gingile was doing. He was waiting for him to leave a fat piece of honeycomb as a thank-you offering to the Honeyguide.
Ngede flittered from branch to branch, closer and closer to the ground. Finally Gingile reached the bottom of the tree.
Ngede perched on a rock near the boy and waited for his reward.
Bino Gingile wazhimishe mujilo wanji, watolele ne ngonga yanji watendekapo ne kuya ku muzhi kwakubula kutako maana ku ka ng’onyi. Ngende waichile na bukaji, “Vik-ta!Vik-ta!” Gingile waimene, ne kutala ka ng’onyi kabiji wasekele na jiwi ja peulu. “Ubeena kukeba buuki nyi, mbai wami? Ha! Pano bino ami nakwingila nkito yonse kabiji yami bakuja ku nyuki. Mambo ka ona konsha ku kupelako buuki bwawama bibye?” Watendekele ne kuya. Ngede wazhingijile! Kechi muntu byo afwainwa kuba mukwabo bibye ne! Walangulukile amba kimye kika mweka kya kushinkanya.
But, Gingile put out the fire, picked up his spear and started walking home, ignoring the bird.
Ngede called out angrily, “VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!”
Gingile stopped, stared at the little bird and laughed aloud. “You want some honey, do you, my friend? Ha! But I did all the work, and got all the stings. Why should I share any of this lovely honey with you?” Then he walked off.
Ngede was furious! This was no way to treat him! But he would get his revenge.
Juuba jimo pakupitapo milungu yavula, Gingile waumwine Ngede ke amwite jikwabo. Wavulukile buuki bwa wama kabiji walondejile ka ng’onyi jikwabo. Pakumutangijila Gingile mu mbanji ya jisaka, Ngede waikele mu kipupu kya miiba. “Ahh,” Gingile walangulukile. “Jipuma ja buuki ja fwainwa kwikala mu kikye kichi.” Bukiji bukiji wabanzhile mujilo ne kutendeka ku kanjila ku kichi na kalusala kanji ka bwiishi ku meeno. Ngede waikajile na kutala.
One day several weeks later Gingile again heard the honey call of Ngede. He remembered the delicious honey, and eagerly followed the bird once again.
After leading Gingile along the edge of the forest, Ngede stopped to rest in a great umbrella thorn. “Ahh,” thought Gingile. “The hive must be in this tree.” He quickly made his small fire and began to climb, the smoking branch in his teeth. Ngede sat and watched.
Gingile wakanjijile ku kichi mino saka alanguluka kyo abujile kumvwa kilulumo kya nyuki. “Kampepo mapuma aji mukachi kene ka kichi, ” walangulukile. Wakanjijile ku musampi mukwabo. Mukifulo kyakuba amba amone mapuma a buuki, aye wasambakene meenso na kisumpa! Kisumpa wazhingile paku mu busha patulo twawama biingi. Wakepeshe meenso,washinkwile ne mukanwa kanji na kumwesha bi meno byanji bya baya kabiji bya twa.
Gingile climbed, wondering why he didn’t hear the usual buzzing. “Perhaps the hive is deep in the tree,” he thought to himself. He pulled himself up another branch. But instead of the hive, he was staring into the face of a leopard!
Leopard was very angry at having her sleep so rudely interrupted. She narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to reveal her very large and very sharp teeth.
Kisumpa saka akyengye ku kwata Gingile, wanyemene kwikila mu kichi. Mukupelawizha wapushile musampi kabiji wake nyetekele panshi ne kwifyutula kapokoso. Wabotaukile lubilo. Jishuko janji kisumpa wakiji natulo kabiji kechi wakonsheshe kumu pangisha ne. Ngede,maimba washinkenye. Kabiji ne Gingile watolelemo maan.
Before Leopard could take a swipe at Gingile, he rushed down the tree.
In his hurry he missed a branch, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground twisting his ankle. He hobbled off as fast as he could. Luckily for him, Leopard was still too sleepy to chase him. Ngede, the Honeyguide, had his revenge.
And Gingile learned his lesson.
Nebuji leelo, baana bakwa Gingile inge baumvwa jishimikila ja kwa Ngede bapa biingi mushingi kano ka ng’onyi kacheche. Kimye kyonse kyo ba bankula buuki, bamona kubamba bashapo mapuma akwa maimba.
And so, when the children of Gingile hear the story of Ngede they have respect for the little bird. Whenever they harvest honey, they make sure to leave the biggest part of the comb for Honeyguide!
