“Diri oduko aria anyu ma angu ecepi bani omvele traatraa pini
mva nyufi be tu bani omve Oguzu beri.
O`du alu, Oguzu ni ovu ria doria asea `dale, eri aria traatraa ru ri
ma o`duko. Oguzu ma tusu e`do ra egata anyu kalikali ri ma dria
risi. Sopa ra, eri o`duko niri kilili, e`do eri nda kpere esu aria
gakanyaa ru ri pati sia ima drilekoa oru. “Ciriciriciri-ciriciriciriciriciriciri” aria gakanyaru ri ri wu eri ni ngaria pati ndu ‘diyi ma
dria.
Ciriciriciri ciriciriciri ciriciriciri mu drile aria ma o’duko o’bitaa be,
sopa paale karakarau nezu kilili kini oguzu obi ima vuti ra.
This is the story of Ngede, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gingile.
One day while Gingile was out hunting he heard the call of Ngede. Gingile’s mouth began to water at the thought of honey. He stopped and listened carefully, searching until he saw the bird in the branches above his head.
“Chitik-chitik-chitik,” the little bird rattled, as he flew to the next tree, and the next.
“Chitik, chitik, chitik,” he called, stopping from time to time to be sure that Gingile followed.
Saa azini miniti kali na ru `dile ni
ma vutia, ca ki elio pati azi ni
amboru ni vu. Traa traa e`do di
ombu badaka ru pati ma sia si. Mu
di ari ku arakala azi aluni ma sia ra
ela di ima dri Oguzu ni nezu kile te
`ye `yozu eri ni”eri `do `I! mi emu
di! A`di ni mi saa eza ni yaa?” Afa
azi Oguzu ni eco ne pari erini ovuzu
ria ra ni yo, te ni aria anyu ma angu
e`dapi ri ma okpo anyu jorovu oso
be tretre ri esuzuri ra.
After half an hour, they reached a huge wild fig tree.
Ngede hopped about madly among the branches. He then settled on one branch and cocked his head at Gingile as if to say, “Here it is! Come now! What is taking you so long?”
Gingile couldn’t see any bees from under the tree, but he trusted Ngede.
Oguzu ku i vile nyafe dori ni `diyi ku
pati etia `daa. Tra di eja nyiri aci
were ni eduzu. Aci ka mu di kilili
`bo, oguzu su kali azini azini ezu ni
aci `da ma agadria `daa. Eja `di ma
azi ndra tutuni acika ofuzu eri ni
veria. Ka mu ne kilili kini eri di ve
`dini `bo, e`do di tu pati sia `dale,
pati nde ma etile aci kokoru ri be
ima tilea.
So Gingile put down his hunting spear under the tree, gathered some dry twigs and made a small fire.
When the fire was burning well, he put a long dry stick into the heart of the fire. This wood was especially known to make lots of smoke while it burned.
He began climbing, holding the cool end of the smoking stick in his teeth.
Sawa ezakoko ru e`do anyu angapi
`diyini ma o’duko iri. Azi ‘diyi fi gule
pati atrakaa ‘di ma alia, azi ‘diyi efu
ania ri si amve.
ka mu ca gule vu `bo, su kali ma si
aci be ri gule alia `dale coti coti.
Anyu efu dria enzu ruu amve`dole
omba pie. Denga apa woro ku, azi
‘diyi odu eri raka.
Soon he could hear the loud buzzing of the busy bees. They were coming in and out of a hollow in the tree trunk – their hive.
When Gingile reached the hive he pushed the smoking end of the stick into the hollow.
The bees came rushing out, angry and mean. They flew away because they didn’t like the smoke – but not before they had given Gingile some painful stings!
Yi ma pari ka mu efu amve `bo,
Oguzu su ima dri gule ma alia `dale,
enze anyu ma zunguruku dria tre
tre, anyu oso be ciriciri. Ga anyu i
odupi were were `dayi ma azo
ekaka ko si. Osu anyu ma
zunguruku `dayi e`yere jurua ini su
i ma ombelea azini agatia `diyi ma
alia. Gule ka di mu ace pirini `bo,
Oguzu esi di e`yere pati ma etia ele
`dole.
When the bees were out, Gingile pushed his hands into the nest. He took out handfuls of the heavy comb, dripping with rich honey and full of fat, white grubs.
He put the comb carefully in the pouch he carried on his shoulder, and started to climb down the tree.
Traa traa ne e`yo yi `yepi `diyi dria
asi `baza be. Rua ni ri ya kpakpa,
sawa Oguzu ni cazu pati etia ele
`dale anyu ma zunguruku kuzu pati
etia `daa alu awa`difo ru ri tee.
Traatraa le oku anyu ma o`bu osoru
`diyi zunguruku niri be tu. E`do
ombu arakala aluri ma sia risi azini
ria `dini `dini kpere nyaku vu ele
`doa. Asizu, Oguzu ca di nyaku dria
vaa `dale ra. Traatraa saa ri oni
azini ngala`baa ni ma dria nyakua
`dale esele ivilealeru ri tezu.
Ngede eagerly watched everything that Gingile was doing. He was waiting for him to leave a fat piece of honeycomb as a thank-you offering to the Honeyguide.
Ngede flittered from branch to branch, closer and closer to the ground. Finally Gingile reached the bottom of the tree.
Ngede perched on a rock near the boy and waited for his reward.
Te Oguzu anyu aci ra, e`du i vile nyafe yi dri kozu mvizu akua, gbu
aria gakanyaru ri ku kala si. Traatraa wu o`duko eri vile oku `bani
ni lera ri si. Saa Oguzu ma drilia azini ri oni azi eri ma drilia ni ma
dria. `Daa ne di agupi `da milia miliadika tre di vini o`duko oru si
kini, `BA AGAPI niriii! BA AGAPI niriii!. Oguzu so pa, ne aria gaa ru
ri ni ra gu o`duko si. “I le drini ayipi vaa ri `i `dini ice, ma agyi? Ha
ha! A`di nga te azi niri dria ni azini anyu odu te a`di `i? Ama anyu
oso aluza `di awa mi be a`di e`yo si, afa efile koko `di? Ida mi ra
imu afa azi ni nda nya ondre ta ru `i.” Ka mu dri ji oli alia si eri dro
zu `bo, Oguzu ko di dri mu i vile akua.
Awoko nya traatraa ni tu! Agu `di eco e`yo oku `i `ye pi a`bia drio
`dile ri idera azini ga awa`difo feko si ngoni ngoni! Te traatraa ma
okpo ndra yo `dini ku. Eri nga mu e`yo ini le ri `ye ra!
But, Gingile put out the fire, picked up his spear and started walking home, ignoring the bird.
Ngede called out angrily, “VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!”
Gingile stopped, stared at the little bird and laughed aloud. “You want some honey, do you, my friend? Ha! But I did all the work, and got all the stings. Why should I share any of this lovely honey with you?” Then he walked off.
Ngede was furious! This was no way to treat him! But he would get his revenge.
O`du alu sabiti tre ma vutia, Oguzu eri vini omveta traatraa ni `ba
omvezu anyu vu ri. Ka mu anyu ndra ini nzu asi zu ri ma aji alu za
ri ma dria e`yo ega `bo, Oguzu e`do aria gakanyaa ru ri ma vuti bi
dika. Erini angu jere ma kona ru ri aga zu `bo ri ma vutia, traa traa
ku di geri oku ini `ba omve zu “ciriciriciri-ciriciriciri-ciriciriciri” ri ra
emu di ri ava li pati azini daru oci be ni ma etia. “Ahaa” Oguzu ega.
‘Le turu ma ovu di pati `di ma sia.’ Mbeleru edu aci ra e`do di tu
pati `da ma sia, kali aci be ri pie ima tia. Traatraa ri lu eri ne ne.
One day several weeks later Gingile again heard the honey call of Ngede. He remembered the delicious honey, and eagerly followed the bird once again.
After leading Gingile along the edge of the forest, Ngede stopped to rest in a great umbrella thorn. “Ahh,” thought Gingile. “The hive must be in this tree.” He quickly made his small fire and began to climb, the smoking branch in his teeth. Ngede sat and watched.
Oguzu ni turia, ri di osu `i eri andruni anyu ma nota oku rile ri ku
a`disi ya ri. “Gule niri kani di pati ma talaa alia `dale ya ani,” ega
ima asia. Erini di tuni ava `bazu turia azini orobi anyu aluza ri vile
ri drozu eri obisi ria, fu dri milia milia o`du azini be. O`du
e`yokokoru `da ri de ini ima ava etu si ri li pati erini lele tu ri ma
sia, ande erini enga zu za ndazu ini ra `bo ri ma vutia, esu lulu
gaza azini okporu ni enga `i o`dua risi `bo. Okorisi o`du aya
gbadridri ra `dama vutia awoko nya eri `bani eri engazu o`dua risi
tu. Esi ima mile lurua, zi ima ti wala ima si `wara azini cipi aci aci
`diyi e`dazu ra coti zo agu pi `da ma dria andreti ni `yazu onyofi
si.
Gingile climbed, wondering why he didn’t hear the usual buzzing. “Perhaps the hive is deep in the tree,” he thought to himself. He pulled himself up another branch. But instead of the hive, he was staring into the face of a leopard!
Leopard was very angry at having her sleep so rudely interrupted. She narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to reveal her very large and very sharp teeth.
Oguzu ari ru esizu pati `da ma sia risi vaa `dole kile eri `ye e`de
e`de le ngoni le. E`de di ku kucu vaa `da ra onyo ima falako
karakara. Eri ma drileba ri di lu o`du ni andezu kayi ra eri ni ecozu
nzuzu vuti ni si ku ri `i. Te `da ma talasi, Oguzu nzu ongu eri ma
foloko onyopi ra `dayini eco nzu ri. E`dozu `dasi kpere andru
nyi`biliko o`du ni ndra eri ma andreti ovi zu ri awi nga kiri eri ma
andretia ci. Traatraa nga di oku arioti i vile ri ofe ra. Dika Oguzu asi
di oku aria anyu ma angu e`dapi ri ma vuti obiza si o`du `dasi.
Before Leopard could take a swipe at Gingile, he rushed down the tree.
In his hurry he missed a branch, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground twisting his ankle. He hobbled off as fast as he could. Luckily for him, Leopard was still too sleepy to chase him. Ngede, the Honeyguide, had his revenge.
And Gingile learned his lesson.
Te anzi oguzu vile `diyi eri ma anzi
ma anzipi yi be eri o`duko traa traa
ma dria ri ra ani fe ndra eri ni inzita
tu. Sawa dria yini muzu anyu nzuzu
ri ma alia, yi ne kilili kini yi ku anyu
ma horongoto ambo ndeni azini oso
be coro ri ku traatraa dri.
And so, when the children of Gingile hear the story of Ngede they have respect for the little bird. Whenever they harvest honey, they make sure to leave the biggest part of the comb for Honeyguide!
