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A’ú pi yúkú be Hen and Eagle

Ann Nduku

Wiehan de Jager

Alice Ojobiru

Lugbarati (official orthography)

Level 3

The audio for this story is currently not available.

Ándrá a drɨ ̀ò rɨ ̀ sɨ ̌, a’ú pi á ndrâ aâ yú kú be à ri ́a azɨ ‘dɨ ̀yɨ pie á si ́ á nzú sɨ ̀. Yɨ ndráa à fa dri ́á ‘ye tʉ́àlʉ.

Once upon a time, Hen and Eagle were friends. They lived in peace with all the other birds. None of them could fly.

O’dú à lʉ li ́ki ́ ‘de yɨ vi ́lé à ngʉ̀á nɨ ̀. Yú kú mú re nyaká ndǎ . Emvi ́ à ndè zà rʉ́. Yú kú ngá otá , “Gè ri ̀ aci ́zú nyaká ndà zú rɨ mà è wá ‘dó nià!’’

One day, there was famine in the land. Eagle had to walk very far to find food. She came back very tired. “There must be an easier way to travel!” said Eagle.

A’ú kà mú o’dú kó ò nyi ̀rú ‘bǒ , é gá tá azɨ ́ ò nyi ̀rú nɨ emú èri mà ó mi ̀á. E’dó yɨ mà ágyíi à rɨ ́á rʉ́ ò drà ’bá ‘bo ‘dɨ ̀yi mà ‘bi ́ko o’duú. ‘’Lè à ma mà sǒ ‘bi ́ko ‘dɨ ̀yɨ à ma dri ́ ri mà dri ̀á. ‘ Di ̀ nga à zɨ ́nɨ sɨ ̀ fèe à ma dri ́ à ci ̀ nɨ ̀ nga ecáa è wá kó ko.’’

After a good night’s sleep, Hen had a brilliant idea. She began collecting the fallen feathers from all their bird friends. “Let’s sew them together on top of our own feathers,” she said. “Perhaps that will make it easier to travel.”

Àrɨ ́á mà è sé lé á dr ́á yú kú yɨ ndráa lʉ́ si ̀ndá ni ̀ pɨe à ngʉ̀ yɨ vi ́lé ri ̀á nɨ ̀, e’yó nɨsɨ ̀ e’dó ‘bi ́ko sǒ ̀ ò kò . Indi ̀ki ̀ndi ̀ ayʉ́ ‘ɨ ́ mà ò pi ̀lé i ̀ri ̀ ‘dɨ ̀yɨ ngazú rè, kʉ à’ú nɨ è lè dó lé . A’ú andri ̂ à ndè ‘bi ́ko sò zà sɨ ̀ mbè lè rʉ́. Ngá di ́ si ̀ndá nɨ ̀ ‘dà kʉ́ ká bà di ̀ mà dri ̀á rá nga dɨ ̀ mú nyaká a’di ́ ‘ɨ ́ mà anzɨ ń ɨ kú kù á.

Eagle was the only one in the village with a needle, so she started sewing first. She made herself a pair of beautiful wings and flew high above Hen. Hen borrowed the needle but she soon got tired of sewing. She left the needle on the cupboard and went into the kitchen to prepare food for her children.

Esú de à ri ́a azɨ ‘dɨyɨ ndrě yú kú ni ngari ́a ‘dá lé . Àri ́a à zɨnɨ ‘diyɨ ngá a’ú andri ̂ nɨ zi è yɨnɨ si ̀ndá ni ̀ fè zʉ yɨ mà ò pi ̀lé sò zʉ́ be ni ̀. Sâ a were vú tiá , à ri ́a ká rá karaú ri ongǎ ‘bù á.

But the other birds had seen Eagle flying away. They asked Hen to lend them the needle to make wings for themselves too. Soon there were birds flying all over the sky.

Àri ́a à si ̀zʉ ri ̀ ni ́ si ̀ndá ni ̀ omviri ́a, è sú ni ́ a’ú andri ̂ ni kʉ. E’yó ‘di ̀ fè di ́ a’ú andri ̂ vi ́lé anzi ‘dɨyɨ ‘dʉ si ̀ndá ni ̀ ndê e’dó avi ́ à ni ́ avi ́. Ká mu à ndě avi ́tá si ‘bǒ , kú di ́ si ̀ndá ni ̀ ci ́nyá alé a.

When the last bird returned the borrowed needle, Hen was not there. So her children took the needle and started playing with it. When they got tired of the game, they left the needle in the sand.

Etu ala ‘dà si ̀, yú kú nga di ́ dri ̀ atri ̌. A’ɨ ́ ‘ɨ ́ mà si ̀ndá ni ̀ ɨ ́ mà ‘bi ́ko azɨ té alǒ pi ‘dɨ yɨ sò zʉ vi ́lé . A’ú nga ká bà di ̀ mà dri ně . O ne kú kù alé . Ndà à ngù à kú dri ́a drɨa.Te esú ni ́ si ̀ndá ni ̀ kʉ .

Later that afternoon, Eagle returned. She asked for the needle to fix some feathers that had loosened on her journey. Hen looked on the cupboard. She looked in the kitchen. She looked in the yard. But the needle was nowhere to be found.

A’ú nga ‘ɨ ́ mǎ a yú kú vú ki ́ni ̀, ‘’ɨ ́ fè lʉ manɨ ́ o’dú à lʉ.’’ ‘’Mi di nga mi opile su ngazu ‘dule nyaka ndazu dika.’’ Yú kú nga ‘yó , á fè lʉ mini o’dʉ́ à lʉ dika.’’ ‘ɨ ́ kà si ̀ndá ni ̀ ‘dɨ ̀ esú ku, mi nga pà ri ́nia mi ́ mà mvá à lʉ ni fě ‘ɨ ́.

“Just give me a day,” Hen begged Eagle. “Then you can fix your wing and fly away to get food again.” “Just one more day,” said Eagle. “If you can’t find the needle, you’ll have to give me one of your chicks as payment.”

Drù si ̀ ’di ́ni yú kú kà mu emú ‘bǒ , esú a’ú andri ̂ nɨ à ngù ò vi ̀ri ́a ci ́nyá mà alé a té esú nɨ si ̀ndá ni ̀ kʉ. E’yó ɨsi ̀ yú kú nga esi ́ mbè lè vǎ , ‘du a’ú mà mvá à lʉ rɨ ̀ rá .

When Eagle came the next day, she found Hen scratching in the sand, but no needle. So Eagle flew down very fast and caught one of the chicks. She carried it away. Forever after that, whenever Eagle appears, she finds Hen scratching in the sand for the needle.

E’dó zú o’dú ‘dà sɨ, yú kú kà onga oli ́ alé a, è ri ́ a’ú andri ̂ ni esû ci ́nyá mà alé erê ri ́a si ̀ndá ni ̀ ndà zú . Yú kú mà ò pi ̀lé mà é ndri ̀lé ndri ̀ kà ‘ɨ ́ ‘bǎ nyakú a, a’ú andri ̂ nɨ ‘ɨ ́ mà anzi mà bi ́lé è ti ́ li. ‘’Mi ́ dà mi à ngù ò lè à zɨnɨ ‘wɨza ‘dɨ mà alé a, yi omvi: ‘’Àma adrini ́ á zá zà rʉ kʉ. Àma ngǎ apâ ra.

As the shadow of Eagle’s wing falls on the ground, Hen warns her chicks. “Get out of the bare and dry land.” And they respond: “We are not fools. We will run.”

Written by: Ann Nduku

Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager

Translated by: Alice Ojobiru

Language: Lugbarati (official orthography)

Level: Level 3

Source: Hen and Eagle from African Storybook

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.

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