Neli mwanana wa musizani yana kalile kubona sika sene silundumani fa kabaka nyana.
It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.
Sibupeho seo anesiya sisutelela fakaufi, abona kuli neli musali yana itwezi ni mba yetuna.
As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Kuswaba kono kakutiya, musizani sa sutelela kwa tuko ya musali yo. “Luswanehela kuina niyena,” batu bakasizani babulela. “Luka bababalela ni mwanaa bona.”
Shy but brave, the little girl moved nearer to the woman.
“We must keep her with us,” the little girl’s people decided. “We’ll keep her and her child safe.”
Mwana na sainzi fakaufi. “Kasha!” “Amutise likubo!” “Mezi!” “Kaaaaaaaaaaashaaaaaa!!!”
The child was soon on its way.
“Push!”
“Bring blankets!”
“Water!”
“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”
Kono abatobona mbututu, kaufela batula mwa mulaho ka kukomoka. “Mbongolo?!”
But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock.
“A donkey?!”
Kaufela bona bakala kukananisana. “Nelubulezi kuli lukababalela bo mahe ni mwana, mi zeo kona zelukaeza,” babamu babulela. “Kono bakalutiseza bumai!” babamu babulela.
Everyone began to argue.
“We said we would keep mother and child safe, and that’s what we’ll do,” said some.
“But they will bring us bad luck!” said others.
Kikaho, musali muhulu aipumana anosi hape. Sabilaezwa ka zakueza ni mwana yacwalo yo. Abilaezwa ki zakaeza kuyena mung’i.
And so the woman found herself alone again.
She wondered what to do with this awkward child.
She wondered what to do with herself.
Kono kwanalule alumela kuli kimwana ahae mi kiyena mahe.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.
Cwale, kambe mwanana yo nainelelezi onacwalo kabunyinyani, lika kaufela nelika shutana. Kono mbongolo ya mwana ya hula mane kufita fa kupalelwa kukwana mwa mukokoto wa mayona. Mi nihaneilika katata, neisakoni ku ba nimikwa ya mutu. Bo mayona hang’ata ne bakatala ni kufilikana. Fokumu neba ibelekisanga misebezi ya lifolofolo.
Now, if the child had stayed that same, small size, everything might have been different. But the donkey child grew and grew until he could no longer fit on his mother’s back.
And no matter how hard he tried, he could not behave like a human being. His mother was often tired and frustrated. Sometimes she made him do work meant for animals.
Mifilifili ni bunyemi zahula mwahali a mbongolo. Neisakoni kueza ze ni zale. Neisakoni kuba mo ni mwale. Seitonyema hahulu kueza kuli, zazi lelimu, yato laha bo mayona kubawiseza fafasi.
Confusion and anger built up inside Donkey. He couldn’t do this and he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t be like this and he couldn’t be like that.
He became so angry that, one day, he kicked his mother to the ground.
By the time he stopped running, it was night, and Donkey was lost.
“Hee haw?” he whispered to the darkness.
“Hee Haw?” it echoed back. He was alone.
Curling himself into a tight ball, he fell into a deep and troubled sleep.
Mbongolo yazuha yatofumana muuna muhulu yanaitalimezi. Yatalimela muuna muhulu yo mwameto ni kukala kuba ni sepo.
Donkey woke up to find a strange old man staring down at him. He looked into the old man’s eyes and started to feel a twinkle of hope.
Mbongolo yayoina ni baana bahulu, bene bailutile miinelo yeshutana shutana mwa kuipiliseza. Mbongolo yateeleza ni kuituta hamoho ni muuna yo. Nebatusana ni kuseha hamoho.
Donkey went to stay with the old man, who taught him many different ways to survive.
Donkey listened and learned, and so did the old man. They helped each other, and they laughed together.
Kakusani omumu, muuna muhulu abulelela Mbongolo kuli imushimbe imupahamise fa halimu a lilundu.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Fa halimu a lilundu mwa malu balobala. Mbongolo yalola kuli bo mayona bakula mi nebaibiza. Mi aito zuha…
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
…malu afela hamoho ni mulikanahae, muuna muhulu.
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Mbongolo mafelelezo yaziba zakueza.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Mbongolo yafumana bo mayona, banosi mi inge balila mwanabona yanalateile. Sebatalimana nako yetelele. Nikuifumbatela hahulu.
Donkey found his mother, alone and mourning her lost child. They stared at each other for a long time.
And then hugged each other very hard.
Mbongolo ya mwana ni bo mayona bahula hamoho mi bafumana linzila zeshutana shutana zakupila hamoho. Hanyinyani hanyinyani, kaufela mabasi amamu abapotolohile akala kuina hande.
The donkey child and his mother have grown together and found many ways of living side by side.
Slowly, all around them, other families have started to settle.
Lindiwe Matshikiza
Meghan Judge
Christabel Songiso, Akombelwa Muyangana
SiLozi (Zambia)
Level 3
The audio for this story is currently not available.
