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Da’abi sa o thobo hiasi Children of wax

Written by Southern African Folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Cwi Debe

Language Juǀʼhoan

Level Level 2

Narrate full story

Reading speed

Autoplay story


ǀAmnǀui, ǃaohnǃang koh gea jan.

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family.


Siǃa koh ǀoa ǁ’an khoe. Te hui siǃa nǃauasi ko ǃaoh kota tzi.

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


Te siǃa koh ǃoa siǃa ǀ’aesi ǁ’a siǃa nǁau to’oma da’a.

But they were not allowed to go near a fire.


Siǃa koh ǂ’aun du siǃa ǁkoa waqnsi ko gǀu. Khama siǃa koh du ǀxoa siǃa ǀ’aesi ko thobo!

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


Te ǁ’a ǃarikxaomh sa ǁ’a ha nǀui koh kaice taqra ǀamtzi ku nǀanga.

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


ǁ’ae nǀui okaa ǁ’a oosia sin ku u te ha ǃosin nǂai ǀxuri ha.

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


Te tia ǁ’ae ǂaun! Te ǀam kohre ha.

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


Thobo da’abiamh ǃka sih ǀoa nǀang ka siǃa se tca siǃa tshima o kohrea ǀam.

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


Xabe siǃa du ǂ’ang. Siǃa dua thoboa kohre ka ǀ’ae ko tzama.

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


Siǃa tani ua siǃa tshia toa o tzama ko nǃohmǃo.

They took their bird brother up to a high mountain.


Tca ǀam ku o gǀaia, ha koh nǃohm u te ge’ea nǃom ǁ’hasi.

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: Cwi Debe
Language: Juǀʼhoan
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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