Aabawo khaalekho, ingokho ni
ikhosi baamenyatsaka atweela
mu lukoosi, ni binywiinywi
bibiindi. Buli shiindu
baashikholatsakila atweela.
Once upon a time, Hen and
Eagle were friends. They lived
in peace with all the other birds.
None of them could fly.
Shifukhu shitweela, akwawo
intsala khu shibala. Ikhosi
yaakyeenda yaatsya i aleeyi
naabi khuusakhayo biilyo.
Yaakobolayo ingo nga yaaluwile
naabi. Yeelomela inyene iri,
“Yaakhiile khuubawo isaambo
inyaangu iye khuukyeenda!”
One day, there was famine in
the land. Eagle had to walk very
far to find food. She came back
very tired.
“There must be an easier way
to travel!” said Eagle.
Nga baamalile khuukona
buulayi mu shilo, Ingokho
yareera shishambaaso she
kamakyesi. Kila irakikha
khuubusaka kamooya ke
binywiinywi byashaabwe
bibyafwa khaale. Yaaloma iri,
“Khakhubinabile khu ngaaki
khwe kamooya keefwe kano.
Manya isho kane
shikhwaanguyisile khuukyeenda
khweefwe.
After a good night’s sleep, Hen
had a brilliant idea. She began
collecting the fallen feathers
from all their bird friends.
“Let’s sew them together on top
of our own feathers,” she said.
“Perhaps that will make it easier
to travel.”
Khu shaalo isho, Ikhosi yonyene
niyo uyabakho ni mpiso, kila
niyo inyoowa
khukhwiinabilakho. Lubaluba
yaapamburukha yaatsya, nga
iraambisa tsindaha tsine,
yaalekha ingokho nga ishiili aasi
iyo. Lwanyumakho ingokho
yaaluwa khuunaba. Iryo
yaabiikha impiso khu kabada,
yaatsya mwifuumbilo
khuuteekhelakho babaana
baayo biilyo.
Eagle was the only one in the
village with a needle, so she
started sewing first.
She made herself a pair of
beautiful wings and flew high
above Hen.
Hen borrowed the needle but
she soon got tired of sewing.
She left the needle on the
cupboard and went into the
kitchen to prepare food for her
children.
Ne binywiinywi bibiramile
byaaba byaboone Ikhosi nga
ipamburukha itsya. Kila
biloomba ingokho khuubiwakho
impiso nabyo binabe tsindaha.
Mu mbuka ifwiiti iri binywiinywi
byaaba biikali naabi
bibipamburukhila mu ngaaki.
But the other birds had seen
Eagle flying away. They asked
Hen to lend them the needle to
make wings for themselves too.
Soon there were birds flying all
over the sky.
Ne khanywiinywi
khakhaakamayo ni khaakobosa
impiso, Ingokho siyabawo ta.
Kila bubwaana bwe ngokho
busuta impiso tsana iyo
bwaatsya bwenyayisa. Ne ni
bwaba bwaluyile
khukhwiinyaha, bwalekha
impiso tsana mu muyekhe.
When the last bird returned the
borrowed needle, Hen was not
there. So her children took the
needle and started playing with
it.
When they got tired of the
game, they left the needle in
the sand.
Ne lwanyumakho khu nyaanga
tse angoloobe, ikhosi
yaakobola. Yaaloomba iri
bamukobosele impiso anabe
kamooya kakatendemeele nga
ni yaba ipamburukha. Ingokho
yaatsya yaalola khu kabada.
Yaatsya mwifumbilo. Yaatsya
yaalola khu lwaanyi. Ne
yaalekha khunyoola impiso ta.
Later that afternoon, Eagle
returned. She asked for the
needle to fix some feathers that
had loosened on her journey.
Hen looked on the cupboard.
She looked in the kitchen. She
looked in the yard. But the
needle was nowhere to be
found.
Kila ingokho iloomba Ikhosi iri,
“N’umbekho busa shifukhu
shiindi shitweela. Nio lwanyuma
kane unyalise khuunaba
tsindaha tsoowo utsye usakhe
bya khulya.”
Ikhosi nayo yeelamo ari,
“Shifukhu shiindi shitweela
shonyene! Ne nga
waakhunyoola impiso ta, kane
umbekho mutweela khu baana
boowo, khuuwaanda impiso
iyo.”
“Just give me a day,” Hen
begged Eagle. “Then you can
fix your wing and fly away to
get food again.”
“Just one more day,” said Eagle.
“If you can’t find the needle,
you’ll have to give me one of
your chicks as payment.”
Ikhosi ni yakobola khu shifukhu
shisheelakho, yaanyoola nga
ingokho ili khuutakhulaka mu
muyekhe, ne nga mbaawo
impiso ta.
Kila ikhosi yiwuta aasi
kumuluundi mutweela,
yaawutula khanywiinywi
khatweela yaapamburukha
yaatsya.
When Eagle came the next day,
she found Hen scratching in the
sand, but no needle.
So Eagle flew down very fast
and caught one of the chicks.
She carried it away.
Forever after that, whenever
Eagle appears, she finds Hen
scratching in the sand for the
needle.
Khukhwaamila abweenewo, buli
isi ikhosi ibonekhela inyoola nga
ingokho ishitakhulaka mu
muyekhe, khuuweentsa impiso
yabeene.
Buli isi shishiniini she ikhosi
shibonekhelakho busa shiri aasi
khu shibala, ingokho ireewula
bubwaana bwayo iri, “Rura khu
lwaanyi, mutime mutsye
mwiibise.”
Nabwo bweelamo buri, “Nafwe
sikhuli basilu ta, kane khutime
khutsye khwiibise.”
As the shadow of Eagle’s wing
falls on the ground, Hen warns
her chicks. “Get out of the bare
and dry land.”
And they respond:
“We are not fools. We will run.”
