Nǃoma nǃa’an nǀui Vusi ǁ’a ha txun ǃau ha, “Vusi, mi ǀxom a nǀang a gu khukhu nǃua ke nǀang tani ua nǃauasi. Si kare xaia nǃa’an kuru ǀ’an a ǃui ǃkom ǀama.”
Early one morning Vusi’s granny
called him, “Vusi, please take this
egg to your parents. They want to
make a large cake for your sister’s
wedding.”
Ka ha gea nǃama he ua ha nǃauasi, Vusi ǁxae ǀxoa nǁaqe tsan sa ku ǂ’han nǃoma-da’a. ǃHoan nǀe’e tsxatsxabi gǃxa Vusi ko khukhu nǃu te txan ka ko ǃahin. Te khukhu nǃuu ǃhara.
On his way to his parents, Vusi met
two boys picking fruit. One boy
grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot
it at a tree. The egg broke.
“Hatce re a du?” Vusi koe ǃ’au. “Khukhu nǃua to’a o xai ga. Te ǀ’a xaia to’a o mi ǃui ǃxom ma. Mi ǃui re gǀae ko hatce ko ka ǃxom xaiaa koara?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That egg was for a cake. The cake
was for my sister’s wedding. What
will my sister say if there is no
wedding cake?”
Nǁaqe hoa Vusi ko ǀxoma ko ǁohre tcia to’a. “Etsa ǀoa hui ko xai tci ooa, te tia ǃahian o nǂaoh ga ke he o a ǃui ga,” ha nǀe’e koe nǁae. Vusi sin tsin ǃa’an ǀxoa ha nǃama.
The boys were sorry for teasing
Vusi.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is a walking stick for your
sister,” said one.
Vusi continued on his journey.
Te nǃama ǃan ha ǁxae ǀxoa nǁaqe tsan sa ku kuru tju. “Etsa re koma ku nǂai ǁkoa ǃahin ǀaoha to’a?” Ha nǀe’e gǂara. Te tia ǁ’a ǃahian ǀoa gǀoah ǀ’an tju kuru, te ǃ’oa.
Along the way he met two men
building a house. “Can we use that
strong stick?” asked one.
But the stick was not strong enough
for building, and it broke.
“Hatce re a du?” Vusi koe ǃau. “ǃahian to’a ǀ’an ka ǀ’ae ko mi ǃui. Nǃoma da’a ǂ’an kxaosi ǀ’an mi ko ǃahiam to’a kama sa du ǃ’hara khukhu nǃu he o xai ga. Xaia o mi ǃui ǁ’a ha ǃxom ma. Te khukhu nǃu ka koara, xai koara te xaro tcia koara. Mi ǃui re ka ko hatce?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That stick was a gift for my sister.
The fruit pickers gave me the stick
because they broke the egg for the
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
“Tju kuru kxaosi ho ǀxoma ko tca nǁae he ǃahin ǃ’oa. Etsa ǀoa hui ko xai, te tia ǁ’ai gesin ke sa o a ǃui gasi.” Ha nǀe’e koe nǁae. Te khuian Vusi sin tsin ǃa’an ǀxoa ha nǃama.
The builders were sorry for breaking
the stick.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is some thatch for your sister,”
said one.
And so Vusi continued on his
journey.
Te nǃama nǃan, Vusi ǁxae ǀxoa farama kxao kota gumidi. “Hatce ko ǁ’a ǁ’ai nǀangsa ke, mi re koma ho ka khoe nǀui?” Gumi koe gǂara kxui. Te tia ǁ’a ǁ’aisa nǃobe nǀang te gumi di ‘m ka waqnsi!
Along the way, Vusi met a farmer
and a cow. “What delicious thatch,
can I have a nibble?” asked the cow.
But the thatch was so tasty that the
cow ate it all!
“Hatce re a du?” Vusi koe ǃau. “ǁ’Aisa to’a o mi ǃui xaro ǁ’aiasa. Tju kuru kxaosi koh na ǁ’a ǁ’aisa kama sa du ǃ’oa ǃahian ǁama nǃoma da’a ǂ’an kxaosi. Nǃoma da’a ǂ’an kxaosi na ǁ’a ǃahian kama sa du ǃ’ara khukhu nǃu he du ǀxoa ka ǀ’ae ko xaia o mi ǃui ma. ǁ’A xaia o mi ǃui ǃxom ma. Te ka khukhu nǃu koara, te xaro tcia koara. Mi re ko hatce?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That thatch was a gift for my
sister. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for my sister’s
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Gumidi ho ǀxoma ko tca nǁae ha ‘m toan ǁ’aisi. Farama kxao zahin te ko gumidi te ǁxam Vusi ka o ha ǃui xaro tcia. Te ǁ’a tca Vusi sin oo ua.
The cow was sorry she was greedy.
The farmer agreed that the cow
could go with Vusi as a gift for his
sister. And so Vusi carried on.
Te gumi di tia ǃaah ce ua farama kxao ko gǃoa ‘m ǁ’aea. Te Vusi gǀae nǃaan ha nǃama. Ha nǃobe lata ua ha ǃui ǃxom khoea. ǀ’Hoo kxao koh coa te ‘m.
But the cow ran back to the farmer
at supper time.
And Vusi got lost on his journey.
He arrived very late for his sister’s
wedding. The guests were already
eating.
“Mi re du hatce?” Vusi koe ǃ’au kxui. “Gumi dia ǃaah u koh o mi ǃui ǁ’a ha xaro tcia, ko ǁama ǁ’aisa tju kuru kxao koh ǀ’an mi. Tju kuru kxaosi koh na ǁ’aisi khama sa du ǃoa ǃahian nǃoma-da’a ǂ’han kxaosi koh na. Nǃoma da’a ǂ’han kxaosi koh na ǃahin khama sa du ǃ’ara khukhu nǃua o xai ga. ǁ’A xaia koh o ǃxom ma. Te ka khukhu nǃuu koara, xai koara te xaro tcia koara.”
“What shall I do?” cried Vusi.
“The cow that ran away was a gift,
in return for the thatch the builders
gave me. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for the cake.
The cake was for the wedding. Now
there is no egg, no cake, and no
gift.”
Vusi ǁ’a ha ǃui kxaice ǂ’ang tcima, te kahin ha ko, “Vusi mi tshin, mi sin ǀ’ae ǀoa ǁ’ae xaro tciasi. Mi xabe cete ǀoa ǁ’ae xai! Kahin ke a ǂ’aun gǀae ǁaqma ǃxaisa ǀhom nǀang mh ka zoqin ǁxae ǀam a he!” Te khuian Vusi oo dua.
Vusi’s sister thought for a while,
then she said,
“Vusi my brother, I don’t really care
about gifts. I don’t even care about
the cake! We are all here together, I
am happy. Now put on your smart
clothes and let’s celebrate this
day!”
And so that’s what Vusi did.
