On his way to his parents, Vusi met
two boys picking fruit. One boy
grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot
it at a tree. The egg broke.
“Wunelidi?” Vusi wadilili. Dena iteta dadin’ga da dinkendi. Dinkendi da muhelami da hawenga. Muhelami wukuhosha nindidi neyi dinkendi da wenga kosi?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That egg was for a cake. The cake
was for my sister’s wedding. What
will my sister say if there is no
wedding cake?”
The boys were sorry for teasing
Vusi.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is a walking stick for your
sister,” said one.
Vusi continued on his journey.
Along the way he met two men
building a house. “Can we use that
strong stick?” asked one.
But the stick was not strong enough
for building, and it broke.
“Munelidi?” Vusi wadilili. “Wuna mutondu wadin’ga wana wa muhelami. Akakwan’gula nyikabu anyinka wuna mutondu mulon’ga abusa iteta da kuwumbila dinkendi. Dinkendi dadin’ga da hawenga wa muhelami. Ilan’ga ichi kosi iteta, mukombu na wana. Muhelami wukuhosha nindidi?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That stick was a gift for my sister.
The fruit pickers gave me the stick
because they broke the egg for the
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
The builders were sorry for breaking
the stick.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is some thatch for your sister,”
said one.
And so Vusi continued on his
journey.
Along the way, Vusi met a farmer
and a cow. “What delicious thatch,
can I have a nibble?” asked the cow.
But the thatch was so tasty that the
cow ate it all!
“Wunelidi?” Vusi wadilili. Wuna mukuta wamatahu wadin’ga wana wa muhelami. Akakutun’ga anyinka mukuta wamatahu mulon’ga akotola mukombu wafuma kudi akakwan’gula nyikabu. Akakwan’gula nyikabu anyinka mukombu mulon’ga abusa iteta da dinkendi ya wenga wa muhelami. Dinkendi dadin’ga da wenga wa muhelami. Ichi dinu kosi itete, kosi dinkendi kaha nawa kosi wana. Muhelami wukuhosha nindidi?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That thatch was a gift for my
sister. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for my sister’s
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Ona in’gombi wadanakeneni wadin’ga wachifwa. Mudimi wachitezheli nindi In’gombi ayi na Vusi akekala wana wa muhelindi. Dichi Vusi watwalekelihu.
The cow was sorry she was greedy.
The farmer agreed that the cow
could go with Vusi as a gift for his
sister. And so Vusi carried on.
Ilan’ga in’gombi wafuntili kudi ona mudimi hampinji ya kuda kwa melela. Vusi washikili mukulaba ku wenga wa muhelindi. Akakupompa wayiweni atachika dehi kuda.
But the cow ran back to the farmer
at supper time.
And Vusi got lost on his journey.
He arrived very late for his sister’s
wedding. The guests were already
eating.
“What shall I do?” cried Vusi.
“The cow that ran away was a gift,
in return for the thatch the builders
gave me. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for the cake.
The cake was for the wedding. Now
there is no egg, no cake, and no
gift.”
Vusi’s sister thought for a while,
then she said,
“Vusi my brother, I don’t really care
about gifts. I don’t even care about
the cake! We are all here together, I
am happy. Now put on your smart
clothes and let’s celebrate this
day!”
And so that’s what Vusi did.
