As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Sonyi Wunonyi kuzangama, kanyike wapwevo aswenyene kwakamwihi na pwevo. “Twatela kumulama,” vatu va kanyike wapwevo vasakwile. “ natumulama namwanenyi kanawa.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Mbulu ahindukile nakuwana mukulwane wa lunga wakuhona kwijiva nakumunonoka. Mbulu atalile mumeso awuze mukulwane wa lunga shikaho aputukile kwivwa chifwelelo.
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.
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.
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
......mavwi ajimukile na sempa lyenyi, lunga wamukulwane.
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Mbulu Wunonyi ejivile vyakulinga.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Mbulu awanyine mama yenyi, wukawenyi nakulishishimwina mwanenyi ajimbalile. Valinonekele Hali wumwe namukwavo hakashimbu kakanene. Shikaho valikumbachilile wumwe namukwavo nangolo.
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.
Mbulu wa mwana na mama yenyi vakulile hamwe nakuwana jila jajivulu mwakutwamina. Chindende, vose vavajingulukile, chisaka chikwavo vaputukile kutwama.
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.
