A long time ago, three girls went
out to collect wood.
Khoe koh khui te siǃa u ǁ’a siǃa gǀae dcxaa siǃa kui ǀxoa gǃu te khu taqm.
It was a hot day so they went down
to the river to swim.
They played and splashed and
swam in the water.
Nǃo’osi siǃa kua, ho te ǀam toan. Te kua coa te ua tjuǀho.
Suddenly, they realised that it was
late.
They hurried back to the village.
Ka siǃa tsi to’oma tjuǀho. Nozibele ǁua ha gǃau ko ha ǃain. Ha ǂ’ari ha ǃainǁaqmatcia! “Iǃa ǀxom ce ǀxoa mi!” Te ha ǂarasih ko ǁ’ae te toan.
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.
Te Nozibele o nǀe’e te ce ua ǃxum. Ha gǀae ho ha ǃainǁaqmatcia te nǃo’o te gu ka te nǃo’o te ua ǃoah, Xabe ha nǃan jojoma nǃangsi.
So Nozibele went back to the river
alone.
She found her necklace and hurried
home.
But she got lost in the dark.
ǂXansi ha ho da’a ku ǁ’an ǃaoh khoea. Ha nǃo’o ǀxoa da’a toa te to’oma te ǃoǃo tjutzi.
In the distance she saw light
coming from a hut.
She hurried towards it and knocked
at the door.
Ha koh area khoe ko ha ǂ’angsi, gǂhuin ǃ’oan tjutzi te ko, “Hatcere a kare?” “Mim nǃan te kxoa koa mi cua,” Nozibele koe nǁae. “Gǃa’ama, kana mi nǃai a!” Gǀhuin koe nǁae. Te Nozibele gǃa’ama.
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.
Gǂhuin ko, “nǀoan ǀ’an mi!” “Xabe ka mi hin he, okaa mi cinniha ǀoa nǀoan ǀ’an gǂhiun,” ha koe mani kxui. “Nǀoan kana mi nǃai a!” Gǂhuin koe nǁae. Te ǁama ǁ’aka Nozibele nǀoan ǀ’an Gǂhuin ko ‘m khoe ma.
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.
ǁAma gǂhuin ko, “Du ǀ’an mi ko khara!” Nozibele mania ha,” Mi m ciniha sin ǀoa khara ǀ’an gǂhuin.” “Khara kana mi nǃai a!” Gǂhuin koe nǁae. Te ǁama Nozibele khara.
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.
ǀAmnǀui waqnhe ha ǂ’aun nǀoan ka ǁxai ka ǁka ǀ’an gǂhuin. ǀAmnǀui gǂhuin ko, “Nozibele, ǀama he mi ka ǀ’hoo ǂara gesin. ǁXai tjunǃang, nǀoan ‘msi nǀang ǁka mi tcisi ko ǁ’aea mi gǀae.”
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.”
Nǃo’osi tjin toan gǂhuin oo ua ha nǃo’o te ǂhoe ǃkui nǃani ko ha nǀai. Ha ǀ’ua ǃkui nǀui ko gǃahm ǂahbatanǃang, ka nǀui ha nǁah tjutzi ǃ’onǃang te ka nǀui ha nǁah ǃhu nǃang. ǁAma ha ǃaah nǃo’o te ua tjuǀho.
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.
Ka gǂhuin ce ha kxoa Nozibele. “Nozibele koere a gea?” Ha ǃ’au. “Mi he te gea gǃahmǂahbanǃang,” ǃkuia o kxaice koe nǁae. “Mi he te gea tjutzi ǃ’onǃang,” ǃkuia nǂaitsan koe nǁae. “Mim he, te gea ǃhunǃang,” ǃkuia nǂainǃani koe nǁae.
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.
ǁAma gǂhuin ǃ’han tca Nozibele te kuia ha. Te ha koh ǃaah ua tjuǀho nǀui wagnke. Xabe Nozibele ǁ’a ha ǃosin ge te ǃhai ǀxoa gǂhuin ko ǃahin ǃaeǃae. Ka gǂhuin gǀae se ǃahin ǁae ǀ’an ka ǀ’ae ko ha, okaa gǂhuin ǃaah ce te ǁxoa gǁa’ama ǀoa ho ha ǀ’ae.
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.
