Kaixū ǁae-e ǃkharu hâse di ge ǃnona ǀgôade gere ǀaere.
A long time ago, three girls went
out to collect wood.
ǀGamsa ge i tsēs ge tsî di ge ǁîde ǃāb ǁgā ra tsâǃgû. ǁÎdi ge ǀhuru tsî ǁgammi ǀkhā ǀgapigu tsî ǁgammi ǃnâ gere tsâ.
It was a hot day so they went down
to the river to swim.
They played and splashed and
swam in the water.
ǁÎdi ge sī ǃnoakhai, os ge soresa gama hâ. ǃNoesase di ge ǃgaroǃās ǁga ra ǃoa.
Suddenly, they realised that it was
late.
They hurried back to the village.
ǀGū di ra hîas ge Nozibelesa ǃaob âs ai ǃomma ra ǁgui. ǁÎs ge ǁîs karaba go ǀuru! “ǃKhaese sao te re!” tis ge ǀhōsa ra ra ǀhomma. Xawe ra ge ǁîra ra mî ǃonkhao i go a ǃkhaisa.
When they were nearly home,
Nozibele put her hand to her neck.
She had forgotten her necklace!
“Please come back with me!” she
begged her friends.
But her friends said it was too late.
ǁÎs ge ǀguri ǃāba ǃoa ra oadawasen. Karaba hō tsîs ge ǃnoesase oms ǁga ra ǁaru. Xawes ge ǃkhaeb ǃnâ ra kā.
So Nozibele went back to the river
alone.
She found her necklace and hurried
home.
But she got lost in the dark.
Omro-e xū ra hā ǃnâro-es ge mû. ǃNoesase sī tsîs ge ra ǃgubu-am.
In the distance she saw light
coming from a hut.
She hurried towards it and knocked
at the door.
Burugâ kai si raseb ge ariba dao-amsa ra ǁkhowa-am tsî ra mî, “Tare-es hâba hâ?” “Gā ta ge hâ tsî ta ge ǁgoeǃkhai-e ra ôa,” tis ge Nozibelesa ra ǃeream. “Gâxa re, tamas ka io ta ge nâ si” tib ge ariba ra mî. ǁNātimîs ais ge ra gâ.
To her surprise, a dog opened the
door and said, “What do you want?”
“I’m lost and I need a place to
sleep,” said Nozibele.
“Come in, or I’ll bite you!” said the
dog.
So Nozibele went in.
ǁNāpaxūb ge ariba, “Sâiba te re!” “Xawe tita ge noxoba ari-e sâba tsâ tama,” tis ge ra ǃereambi. “Sâi, tamas ka io ta nî nâsi” tib ge ariba ra mî. Nozobiles ge ǀû tsî û-e ariba ra sâiba.
Then the dog said, “Cook for me!”
“But I’ve never cooked for a dog
before,” she answered.
“Cook, or I’ll bite you!” said the dog.
So Nozibele cooked some food for
the dog.
ǁNāpaxūb ge ariba ra mî, “Kharoba ǀgâibate!” Nozibeles ge ǃeream tsî, “Tita ge ari-e kharo-e ǀgâiba tsâ tama.” “ǀGâibate kharoba, tamas ka io ta ge Tita nî nâsi!” ǁNāpaxūs ge Nozibelesa kharoba ge ǀgâibabi.
Then the dog said, “Make the bed
for me!”
Nozibele answered, “I’ve never
made a bed for a dog.”
“Make the bed, or I’ll bite you!” the
dog said.
So Nozibele made the bed.
Tsēs hoasas ge ǁîsa ariba sâi, ǀnapu tsî gere ǁāba. ǀGuitsēb ge ariba ge mîbasi, “Nozibelese, nētsē ta ge ti ǀhōna ra sari. Omsa ǀnapu, û-e sâi tsî ti xūna ǁābate oaǀkhī ta nîs aiǃâ.”
Every day she had to cook and
sweep and wash for the dog.
Then one day the dog said,
“Nozibele, today I have to visit
some friends. Sweep the house,
cook the food and wash my things
before I come back.”
ǁÎb ra ī khamis ge Nozibelesa ǃnona ǀûga ǁîs danasa xū ge ūǁnâ. ǀGuibas ge kharob ǃnāka ge gā, nauba dao-aoms ǃgâb-ai, tsî nauba ǃkharas ǃnâ. ǁNāpaxūs ge oms ǁga ǃkhaese ge ǃkhoe-oa.
As soon as the dog had gone,
Nozibele took three hairs from her
head.
She put one hair under the bed, one
behind the door, and one in the
kraal.
Then she ran home as fast as she
could.
Arib ge oaǀkhīb ge o Nozibelesa gere ôa. “Nozibelese, mâpas hâ?” tib ge ge ǃau. “Nē ta ge a, kharob ǃnāka,” tib ge guroba ge mî. “Nē ta ge a, dao-ams ǃgâb ai,” tib ge ǀgamǁîba ge mî. “Nē ta ge a, ǃkharas ǃnâ,” tib ge ǃnonaǁî ǀûba ge mî.
When the dog came back, he looked
for Nozibele.
“Nozibele, where are you?” he
shouted.
“I’m here, under the bed,” said the
first hair.
“I’m here, behind the door,” said the
second hair.
“I’m here, in the kraal,” said the
third hair.
ǀHôagaoheb ge Nozibeles xa ǃkhaisab ge ariba ge an. ǁÎb ge ǃgaroǃāsa ǃoa ǃkhoe tsî ge ǃkhoe. Xawe gu ge Nozibeles ǃgâsa ga kaiǃgâ haigu ǀkhā ge ǃâumâbi hâ i. Arib ge ge ǃkhoedawasen tsî ǁkhawa mûhesa tama ge i.
Then the dog knew that Nozibele
had tricked him.
So he ran and ran all the way to the
village.
But Nozibele’s brothers were
waiting there with big sticks.
The dog turned and ran away and
has never been seen since.
Tessa Welch
Wiehan de Jager
Maureen Merley So-Oabes
Khoekhoegowab
Level 3
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