ǀAm nǀui, ǃhai koh nǂaoha ǃxom ǃan.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
ǃXao cete koh gea ǁ’akoa, ha nǂaoh ka ‘m nǁhoo ǁ’ai nǀa’ngsa ǀauhn.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
ǃXao koh ǀoa ho tca ǃhai te gea ǁ’akoa te sin ǁu ǃhai ǀkai. ǃHai ǃ’au ǃhara ǃxao, “ǃXao ao! Are ǀoa ho tca a te ǁu mi ǀkai?”
Hippo didn’t see that Rabbit was there and she accidentally stepped on Rabbit’s foot.
Rabbit started screaming at Hippo, “You Hippo! Can’t you see that you’re stepping on my foot?”
ǃXao gǂahra ǃhai ko ǁae ǀ’an. “A ǁae na. Mi ǀoa ho a. Mi ǀxom a nǀang a ǁae na!” Te ǃhai tia ǀoa ǂaeǂae te ǃaua ǃxao, “A m dua tchin ke ko tci nǀui khoea! ǀAm nǀui, a ku sin ho! A ku gǀae ǀxao!”
Hippo apologised to Rabbit, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. Please forgive me!”
But Rabbit wouldn’t listen and he shouted at Hippo, “You did that on purpose! Someday, you’ll see! You’re going to pay!”
ǃHai u te u ho da’a te ko, “u, ku’u ǃxao ko ka ha gǀaia gǃu ǃka he ge ku ‘m nǁo ǁ’aisi. Ha ǁu mi.” Da’a ǁoaq, tih koara, “ǃhai, mi ǂara. Mi ku sin du tca a nǁa.”
Rabbit went to find Fire and said, “Go, burn Hippo when she comes out of the water to eat grass. She stepped on me!”
Fire answered, “No problem, Rabbit, my friend. I’ll do just what you ask.”
Kohka ǃXao u te ku ‘m nǁo ǁ’aisi ko koa ǂxan ǃxom ǃan, Da’a dharisi ko “Babu” te ku’u ǃXao ǃkuisi.
Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.
ǃXao coacoa te tjin te ǃaah ǀ’an gǃu. Ha ǃkui waqnsi da’a koh ku’u taqm. ǃXao sin ku tjin, “Mi ǃkuisi da’a ku’u ǃ’oan! Mi ǃkuisi u toan! Mi ǃkui ǀ’homasi!”
Hippo started to cry and ran for the water. All her hair was burned off by the fire.
Hippo kept crying, “My hair has burned in the fire! My hair is all gone! My beautiful hair!”
ǃHai ǃka koh nǀa’ng ko ka ke ǃXao ǃkuisi ku’u. Ko ǁama ǁ’a ǀama, ko da’a koqa, ǃXao ǀoa ceka u ǂxan gǃu.
Rabbit was happy that Hippo’s hair was burned.
And to this day, for fear of fire, the hippo never goes far from the water.
