Óre nabô olóng, néim
enkítejó embatá ó
olkejú.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
Nétií siî nínye olmákau,
egirá alooló nénya
inkújít naányorí.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
Néítu édôl olmákau ajó
kétíi siî nínye enkítejó.
Néroro enkejú é
enkitejó.
Néyietu enkítejó néjo,
“ló mákau! Émidolíta
doí ajó kítórórua
enkejú?”
Hippo didn’t see that Rabbit was there and she accidentally stepped on Rabbit’s foot.
Rabbit started screaming at Hippo, “You Hippo! Can’t you see that you’re stepping on my foot?”
Néjokí olmákau enkitejó
peê epalikí, “tápalikíaki
olchoré láí. Eitú áádól.
Tápalikíaki!”
Káke eitú énîng
enkítejó, nébuaakí
olmakáu, “ítóótíkio! ídól
áí olóng! Ílak!”
Hippo apologised to Rabbit, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. Please forgive me!”
But Rabbit wouldn’t listen and he shouted at Hippo, “You did that on purpose! Someday, you’ll see! You’re going to pay!”
Nélo enkítejó aing’orú enkímá néjokí, “shómo, tápejo
olmakáu tenépuku te enkáre alotú anyá inkújít. Áatororúá!”
Néjokí enkíma, “metíi enyámalí, enkitejó olchoré láí. Káás
ínâ.
Rabbit went to find Fire and said, “Go, burn Hippo when she comes out of the water to eat grass. She stepped on me!”
Fire answered, “No problem, Rabbit, my friend. I’ll do just what you ask.”
Óre áí ríshátá ényáítâ
olmákau inkújít
tenélamita olkejú
“whoosh!” Néipíip
enkíma néíteru anyá
ilpápít lé olmakáu.
Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.
Néíteru olmákau aishír
nékuet aló atúa enkáré.
Káke etapéjote ilpapít
póoki.
Néíshir olmákau ajó,
“etapéjote ilpapít
láainéí! Ítápéjo ilpápít
láainéí pookí! Meókire
aáta ilpápít láainéí
sidaîn.
Hippo started to cry and ran for the water. All her hair was burned off by the fire.
Hippo kept crying, “My hair has burned in the fire! My hair is all gone! My beautiful hair!”
Ínâ oshî peê mélám olmákau enkáré. Kéuré ajó kénya
enkíma. Etishípe enkítejó peê édôl ajó etapéje olmákau, néjo,
“áítálákua!”
Rabbit was happy that Hippo’s hair was burned.
And to this day, for fear of fire, the hippo never goes far from the water.
