Le ki likande la Ngede, yena Njolo ni mutangana yatimana yabizwa Gingile. Zazi leliñwi Gingile hanaile kwa kuzuma autwa pizo ya Ngede. Mwahanu ya Gingile sekukala kukoloba kabaka la kunahana linosi. Kihayema ni kuteeleza ka tokomelo, kubatisisa konji habona nyunywani mwa mitai fahalimu a toho yahae. “Kiyo-kiyo-kiyo,” Nyunywani ya lila, inze ifufela kwa kota yetatama, ni yetatama. “Kiyo, kiyo, kiyo,” yabiza, inge iyema nako ni nako kuikolwisisa kuli Gingile walatelela.
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.
Hase kufitile nakonyana, sebafita fa kota yetuna ya mubuyu. Ngede atulaka ka makatakata kwa mitai. Saina fa mutai ulimuñwi ni kuotolola toho yahae ku Gingile inge yabata ku bulela, “Kiye! Taha cwale! Kiñi sesi ku liyehisa?” Gingile hakuna limuka zanaboni mwa tasi a kota, kono na sepile Ngede.
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.
Kikafo, Gingile abeya muwayo wa kuzumisa mwa tasi a kota, akubukanya buandilala ni kutumbula mulilo. Mulilo hase utuka hande, abeya kota yetelele yeomile mwahali a mulilo. Kota ye neizibahala kwa kuzusa musi womuñata hainze ituka. Apahama kwa kota inge asweli kota yeo kwa mafelelezo ayona ka meeno.
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.
Kasamulahonyana, autwa mulumo wa limuka zepatehile. Nelikena ni kuzwa mwa pakani ya kota mwa ngoma ya zona. Gingile hasafitile akasheza kota mwa pakani. Limuka selizwa kumatela fande, inge linyemile. Se libaleha kakuli alilati musi kono nelisikaya inge lisika lumaka Gingile habutuku!
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!
Limuka alizwile, Gingile sa kenya lizoho lahae mwa siyaleto. Azusa linjango ze bukiti za linosi, zenelotisa linosi zekambile mi litezi mafula. Abeya hande linjango mwa kakotani kana shimbile famaheta ahae ni kukala kutuluka kwa kota.
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.
Ngede nabuha lika kaufela zeo Gingile naeza. Namu libelela kuli amusiyele kwateni linosi kakuitumela ku Njolo. Ngede atula tula kwa mutai ni mutai kusutelela fafasi. Mafelelezo Gingile afita fafasi a kota. Ngede angongaula fa licwe kwatuko ni mushimani ni kulibelela mupuzo wahae.
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.
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.
Zazi leliñwi kasamulaho alisunda Gingile hape autwa pizo ya linosi ya Ngede. Ahupula linosi zetabusa nikuakufela kulatelela nyunywani hape. Hase aetelezi Gingile kwa tuko a mushitu, Ngede ayema kuipumulisa mwa muluti wa sikuku sa muutwa sesinde. “Ahh,” Gingile anahana. “Ngoma ya limuka iswanela kuba mwa kota onamo.” Atumbula kalilo kahae kabubebe nikukala kupahama ni kota yezwa musi mwa hanu yahae. Ngede aina inge abuha.
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.
Gingile apahama kono na komoka anasa utwi mulumo wa limuka sina kamita. “Mwendi limuka liinzi mwahali luli a kota,” ainahanela. Apahama mutai womuñwi. Kono kufita kuli afumane limuka, atalimela mwa pata ya liñau! Liñau neli nyemile hahulu fakupasumuniwa fa buloko kasipundumukela. La kutisa meeto alona kabusisani, laatama kubonisa meeno alona amatuna ashengile hahulu.
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.
Liñau li sikamuluma kale, Gingile atuluka kwa kota kakuakufa. Ka kuakufa kwahae, ashuta mutai mi awela fafasi kamusindo omutuna ni kukweta lisito. Acuñuta kabubebe mwanakonela. Kalitohonolo lahae, Liñau nelisali mwa buloko kuli limumatise. Ngede, njolo ya linosi, namukutiselize bumaswe bwahae. Mi ni Gingile naitutile tuto.
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.
Cwale, bana ba Gingile abautwa likande la Ngede baba ni likute la kanyunywani. Moba lafelanga linosi, babonanga kuli basiyela kwateni Njolo siemba sesituna sa sinjango sa linosi.
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!
Zulu folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Christabel Songiso, Akombelwa Muyangana
SiLozi (Namibia)
Level 4
