Lutwela yaba Matuyu ali
khukyenda
khwikelemetsi lye
khunyatsa.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
Wafubu naye
aabaho,nga ikololaaka
kho nalundi nga ali
khulya bunyasi.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
Wafubu samanya ari
Matuyu naye aliiwo
ta,ari abira
wamusamba khu sikele.
Matuyu ayulukha
wananikha
khuwotseleela Wafubu
ari,”Wafubu iwe!
Iwe sunyala khubona
uri watsimile khusikele
ta?”
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?”
Wafubu wisonesa naabi
wikotseleela Matuyu ari,
”musaale wase
sikhubone ta,.’
Nu’tsiyakhile.”
Ne Matuyu sarekeresa
ta,wawotseleela
Wafubu ari,
“ungaliilemo!.
Ne ‘nyanga ulibona!
ulihanda!”
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!”
Nihabwenewo,Matuyu watsya khuhetsa Muliro wamuloma
ari, “ Tsya,nga Wafubu arirurire mu metsi khulya
bunyasi,umwosye.
Aasambile ise!”
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.”
Lwanyuma ,Wafubu
aaba ali khukhwaya
bunyasi atayiikho
khukhwama ilutsi
amanyiliila “ wusyi!”
Kumuliro kutindima
kwananikha
khukhwosya bubwoya
bwewe bwosi.
Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.
Wafubu wananikha
khukhwatsulukha nga
atima i meetsi.
Bubwoya bwewe
bwoosi bwaya kumuliro.
Wafubu wabeeleelela
khukhwatsulukha ari,
“Bubwoya bwase
bwayiila mumuliro!
Woosya bubwoya
bwase bwoosi!
Bubwoya bwase bwoosi
bwawaho!
Bubwoya bwase
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!”
Nisyo sikila ni sya leelo Wafubu ayiila ambi ni kameetsi nga
arya Muliro khu mwosya.
Matuyu ikhoya naabi nga nabona Mulilo wosyele Wafubu,nga
aloma ari, “Namunyaliile.”
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.
