Enn tipti tifi ti premie dimounn pou trouv enn form bizar depi lwin.
It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.
Kouma form la finn vinn pre, tipti tifi la inn trouve ki ti enn madam ansint pou plizier mwa.
As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Timid me brav, tifi-la inn koste avek madam-la. « Nou bizin gard li avek nou » tifi-la so bann lepep finn dir. « Nou pou gard li ek so zanfan an sekirite. »
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.”
Biento, finn ariv ler pou zanfan-la ne. « Pouse ! » « Amenn bann dra ! » « Delo ! » « Pouuuussseeee ! »
The child was soon on its way.
“Push!”
“Bring blankets!”
“Water!”
“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”
Me kan bann-la finn trouv ti-baba-la, zot tou finn sote avec sok. « Enn bourik ?! »
But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock.
“A donkey?!”
Zot tou finn kumans lager. « Nou finn dir ki nou pou gard mama e zanfan an sekirite e samemnou pou fer, » inpe parmi zot finn dir. « Me zot pou port nou malsans. ! » lezot finn dir.
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.
Koumsamem, Madam-la finn retrouv li tousel ankor enn fwa. Li’nn demann limem ki bizin fer avek sa drol zanfan-la. Li’nn demann limem ki li pou fer avek limem.
And so the woman found herself alone again.
She wondered what to do with this awkward child.
She wondered what to do with herself.
Me finalman li’nn bizin aksepte ki bourik-la ti so zanfan et ki li ti bourik-la so mama.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.
Aster-la, si zanfan ti res tipti mem, tou ti pou diferan. Me zanfan-bourik inn grandi grandi ziska ki ti nepli kapav pran li lor ledo so mama. E malgre so bann pli gro zefor, li pa ti pe kapav konport li kouma enn imin. So mama souvan ti fatige e fristre. Parfwa li ti pe obliz li fer bann travay ki bann imin fer.
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.
Konfizion e koler finn akimile dan bourik. Li pa ti pe kapav fer sesi e li pa ti pe kapav fer sela. Li’nn telman ankoler ki enn zour li’nn bat so mama enn koutpie, li’nn zet li anba.
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.
Bourik finn ranpli avek laont. Li’nn koumans sove pli vit et pli lwin ki li kapav.
Donkey was filled with shame. He started to run away as far and fast as he could.
Kan li’nn aret galoupe, finn ariv aswar e Bourik finn perdi. « Hi Han ? » li’nn mirmere dan nwar. « Hi han ? » lobskirite finn retourn enn eko. Li ti tousel. Li’nn ramas limem kouma enn boul, trouble, ek li’nn dormi profondeman.
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.
Bourik finn leve ek enn vie misie bizar ti pe get li. Li’nn get dan vie misie-la so lizie et li’nn koumans resanti reyon lespwar.
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.
Bourik finn al viv avek vie misie-la, ki finn montre li plizier fason sirviv. Bourik finn ekout li e finn aprann boukou kiksoz ; vie misie-la ousi finn aprann avek Bourik. Sakenn finn ed so kamarad e zot finn riye ansam.
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.
Enn gramatin, vie misie-la finn dir Bourik transport li ziska some montagn.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Lao, parmi ban niaz,zot finn dormi. Bourik finn reve ki so mama ti malad e ki li ti pe apel li. E kan li’nn leve…
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
…bann niaz-la ti’nn disparet avek so kamarad vie misie-la.
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Finalman, Bourik finn kone ki pou fer.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Bourik finn trouv so mama, tousel ek an-dey pou so zanfan perdi. Sakenn finn get so kamarad pou lontan, apre zot finn maye bien for.
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.
Zanfan-Bourik ek so mama finn grandi ansam ek zot finn trouv plizier fason pou viv. Dousman-dousman, zot tou otour bann-la, ek lezot fami finn koumans etabli.
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.
Written by: Lindiwe Matshikiza
Illustrated by: Meghan Judge
Translated by: Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students
Lindiwe Matshikiza
Meghan Judge
Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students
Mauritian Creole
Level 3
The audio for this story is currently not available.
