O’dú àlʉ ndrá drìó, à kʉ́
à zɨ ́nɨá ‘bá dɨ ̀yɨ ri oá yɨ
mà è sé lé á àyɨ ̀kó sɨ.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
Fú nɨ ́ ndrá àfʉ́ èyɨ mà
èsé léá kʉ Èyɨ ndrá éyɨ
mà tibâ mà àzà ko à kúá
àzɨ ́nɨ ámvʉ́á
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Te ‘bá lè ndrà èyɨ mà cá
à cɨ ́ mà àgéɨ ́á ènyɨ ́á kʉ.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
Ànɨ ́ yɨ ndrâ à zɨ ́ yɨ vɨ ́lé
‘dɨ ̀yɨ ngá ‘íní sɨ ̀.
À’dɨsìkʉ ‘bá édé èyɨ ò di ̀ri ̀ akápɨ akáaká rɨ ̀ sɨ!
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Te ágúpíámvá àlʉ rɨ ̀lè
ndrá àvá sɨ ̀ mú ací rɨá
è tú alɨ ́á.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
O’dú àlʉ, mvá àlʉrɨ mà
ásí mʉzʉ́ è tú alɨ ́árɨ ̀ ndè
èrɨrá . Èrɨ mà ádrí pi ́ ìrì
‘dɨ ̀yɨ ogǎ èrɨ sɨ ̀.
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Ogatá ‘dà awɨ ́nɨ ́ è rɨ mà
àzà kó kʉ. E’dó aká è tú
drizàsɨ ̀.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
Anzɨ ndě té ò diri ̀ rʉ
akǎ pɨ akáaká ‘dà yɨ ovú
cà ndi ́ sɨ yɨ mà adrɨ ̂ nɨ
nè ri ́á akâ ri ́á .
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Anzɨ ‘dɨ ̀yɨ ngá otʉ́tá ‘yé .
Edé ò diri ̀ akápi ̀ ‘bó ‘di ̀ rɨ
mà jó ló kò à rɨ ́á rʉ.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
Anzɨ ‘dɨ ̀yɨ jí yɨ mà adrí
à rɨ ́á rʉ́ rɨ ̀ ‘bé ʉrʉ ó nɨ ́ mà
drìá.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Ètú nɨ ́ e’dórɨa agarɨ ́á, yɨ
mà ádrɨ ̂ à rɨ ́á rʉ́ rɨ ̀ nga òlɨ ́
álɨ ́á, ongó bé è tú ò’bɨ ́ti
nɨ ́ rɨ ̀ mà alɨ ́á.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
Southern African Folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Saidi Omar Dramani
Lugbarati (official orthography)
Level 2
The audio for this story is currently not available.
