Back to stories list

Ãlíríkí ꞌi ã zíla drĩꞌ̣ bị́ na kî Nozibele and the three hairs

Tessa Welch

Wiehan de Jager

Barnabas Delu

Aringati

Level 3

The audio for this story is currently not available.

Ándrá i ́du ri ̃ si ̃, izonzi na mụ ki ́ ijijá ụ̃ wụ̃ lé .

A long time ago, three girls went out to collect wood.

̃ ̣ ka dó ã ci ́ ru, ijó Itú ̣́ ̣ ꞌdi ̃ si ̃, mụ ki ́ iyi ̣̃ ̣́ agâ lé ru wẽ lé . Avá ki ̂ ã zi ́la asa ki ́ iyi ̣̃ ̣́ ã zi ́la wẽ ki ́ iyi ̣̃ .̣́

It was a hot day so they went down to the river to swim. They played and splashed and swam in the water.

Aru ki ́ itû ̣̃ ̣ ukó rá . Afụ ki ́ ru gõ lé vú lé tọ̃ rọ́ mẹ́ gâ lé .

Suddenly, they realised that it was late. They hurried back to the village.

Ki ́ mụ calé ã ni rú licó ̣́ ̣ ti ̣ gá , Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ ꞌbã ru dri ̣́ i ̃ꞌdi imbe gá . I ̣sụ́ ã vi ̃ i ̃ꞌdi ꞌbã ŋá li ̂ ꞌbã ijó ̣́ ̣ rá . “Jọ ꞌbá ri ̃ i ̃mi agụ ma vú lê lé fô !” ꞌBã mã má lá wọ̃ rika ̣́ ꞌba rụ́ . Wó wọ̃ rika ̣́ jọ ki ́ sá wã ukó rá .

When they were nearly home, Nozibele put her hand to her neck. She had forgotten her necklace! “Please come back with me!” she begged her friends. But her friends said it was too late.

̣́ ̣ ꞌdi ̃ si ̃, Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ gõ dó iyi Ijó ̣̃ ̣́ agâ lé á ꞌdụ̂ si ̂. I ̣sụ́ i ̃ꞌdi ꞌbã ŋá li ̂ rá ã zi ́la afụ ru licó ̣́ ̣ gá . Wó ã vi ̃ ã ngũ ini ̣́ ̣́ si ̃ rá .

So Nozibele went back to the river alone. She found her necklace and hurried home. But she got lost in the dark.

̃ ꞌbã adru agá rá rá ru ndre ã ci ́ Iꞌdi iꞌdá jó ã zi ́ agá . Afụ ru ala gâ lé ã zi ́la pã kẽ ji ̣ti ̣.

In the distance she saw light coming from a hut. She hurried towards it and knocked at the door.

́ Dri ̣̃ la iza ru, ũ có gó nzi ̣̃ kẽ ji ́ ti ̣, jọ “Ilẽ ã ꞌdu?” Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ jọ , “Má ã vi ̃ rá , á lẽ ã ngũ si ̃ ú ꞌdú kojó .” Ũcó gó jọ , “Mi ́ afi ́ já gá jõ ku ma i ́mi ci rá !” ̣́ ̣ ꞌdi ̃ si ̃, Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ fi jó agâ lé . Ijó

To her surprise, a dog opened the door and said, “What do you want?” “I’m lost and I need a place to sleep,” said Nozibele. “Come in, or I’ll bite you!” said the dog. So Nozibele went in.

Ũcó gó jọ , “Mi ́ aꞌdi ́ má ni ́ i ́ná !” Umvi, “Wó i ́du má á ꞌdi ́ jõ dri ̃ ũ có gó ni ́ i ́ná ku ꞌdi ̃.” Ũcó gó jọ , “Mi ́ á ꞌdi ́ i ́ná jõ ku ma i ́mi ci rá .” ̣́ ̣ ꞌdi ̃ si ̃, Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ aꞌdi ́ i ́ná ũ có gó ni ̂. Ijó

Then the dog said, “Cook for me!” “But I’ve never cooked for a dog before,” she answered. “Cook, or I’ll bite you!” said the dog. So Nozibele cooked some food for the dog.

Ũcó gó jọ , “Mi ́ idé má ni ́ gbọ́ lọ́ !” Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ umvi, “Má idé jõ dri ̃ gbọ́ lọ́ ũ có gó ni ́ i ́du ku.” Ũcó gó jọ ,“Mi ́ idé gbọ́ lộ ꞌi jõ ku ma i ́mi ci ́ rá !” ̣́ ̣ ꞌdi ̃ si ̃, Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ idé gbọ́ lộ rá . Ijó

Then the dog said, “Make the bed for me!” Nozibele answered, “I’ve never made a bed for a dog.” “Make the bed, or I’ll bite you!” the dog said. So Nozibele made the bed.

Ụ́ꞌdụ́ pi ́ri ́ i ̃ꞌdi i ́ná aꞌdi ́ ã zi ́la ã ngũ we ã zi ́la ã kó jó ki ́ ũ ji ̃ ũ có gó ni ̂. Ụ́ꞌdụ́ ã lu Ũcó gó jọ , “Ãli ́ri ́ki ́, ã ndrũ ma mụ mâ wọ̃ rika ̣́ ki ́ undrê trũ , i ́we jó ꞌbã ꞌa, mi ́ aꞌdi ́ i ́ná ã zi ́la mi ́ ũ ji ̃ mâ ã kó jó ki ́ ꞌdi ̃ si ̃ má ã gõ dri ̃ ku.”

Every day she had to cook and sweep and wash for the dog. Then one day the dog said, “Nozibele, today I have to visit some friends. Sweep the house, cook the food and wash my things before I come back.”

Ũcó gó la mụ mụ lé ꞌbo, Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ anzé driꞌbi ̣̃ ̣́ i ́fi ́ ki ́ na angá jó i ̃ꞌdi drikã ̣̃ gá ̣ , ã lu ri ̃ gbõ rú . ꞌBã ã lu ri ̃ gbọ́ lọ́ indú ̣̃ kẹ̃ jiti ̣́ ̣ ũ ngú kú gá , ã zi ́ ã lu ri ̃ kõ ró ŋá agá . Cẹ̃ dó ụ́ ngụ́ lẹ́ si ̃ ũ kpó si ̃ mbẽ lẽ mbẽ lẽ licó ̣́ ̣ gâ lé i ̃ꞌdini ́ icó lé rá ri ̃ á ni.

As soon as the dog had gone, Nozibele took three hairs from her head. She put one hair under the bed, one behind the door, and one in the kraal. Then she ran home as fast as she could.

Ũcó gó la mụ ã gõ lé ꞌbó , ndrụ̃ Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ ꞌi ú zá ŋâ trũ , “Ãli ́ri ́ki ́, mi i ́ngõ lé yã ? ̣ ꞌdõ .” Driꞌbi ̣̃ ̣́ dridri ̣̃ ̣̃ ri ̃ jọ “Ma gbọ́ lọ́ indú ̣̃ ̣̃ ̣̃ ri ̃ jọ , “Ma kẹ̃ jiti Iri ̣́ ̣ ũ ngú kú gá ꞌdõ .” Na ri ̃ jọ “Ma kõ ró ŋá agá ꞌdõ .”

When the dog came back, he looked for Nozibele. “Nozibele, where are you?” he shouted. “I’m here, under the bed,” said the first hair. “I’m here, behind the door,” said the second hair. “I’m here, in the kraal,” said the third hair.

Ũcó gó ni ̣̃ dó rá Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ ulé dó ꞌi ꞌbo. Cẹ̃ dó ụ́ ngụ́ lẹ́ si ̃ ã zi ́la cẹ̃ dó gẹ̃ ri ̣̃ gá si ̃ kpere tọ̃ rọ́ mẹ́ gâ lé . Wó Ãli ́ri ́ki ́ á dripi ̣́ ̣ká ki ́ dri ̣̃ la tẽ agá kẹ̃ li ̣́ use la ki ́ si ̃. Ũcó gó uja ru apá lé ụ́ ngụ́ si ̃ ã zi ́la cẹ̃ dó rá ú ndre dó si ̃ i ̃ꞌdi idi ̣̃ ̣́ ku.

Then the dog knew that Nozibele had tricked him. So he ran and ran all the way to the village. But Nozibele’s brothers were waiting there with big sticks. The dog turned and ran away and has never been seen since.

Written by: Tessa Welch

Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager

Translated by: Barnabas Delu

Language: Aringati

Level: Level 3

Source: Nozibele and the three hairs from African Storybook

Creative Commons License

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

Read more level 3 stories:

Áũ kí Yúkú be

Options

Back to stories list