ǀGui ǃnauǁgoagas ge Vusib di ǁnaosa ge ǂgai bi. “Vusi, toxopa nē ǃupusa sa îra sī mā re. ǁÎra ge tsamperesa sa ausisa di ǃgameb ǃaroma ra a ǂgao.”
Early one morning Vusi’s granny
called him, “Vusi, please take this
egg to your parents. They want to
make a large cake for your sister’s
wedding.”
ǁÎb îra ǁgab garu daob ǃnâb ge Vusib ǀgam axakha hîa haiǂûna ra ǃora kha ge ǀhao-ū. ǀGui axab ge ǃupusa Vusib xu tsubu tsî hais ǃnâ go ǂnoa. ǃUpus ge go khôa.
On his way to his parents, Vusi met
two boys picking fruit. One boy
grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot
it at a tree. The egg broke.
“Tare-ets go dī?” tib ge Vusib ra ǃau. “ǁNās ge tsamperes di go i ǃupusa. Ti ausisa di ǃgameb tsamperes ge. Tare-es ti ausisa nēsisa nî mî ǃgameb di tsamperes ka ǀkhai o?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That egg was for a cake. The cake
was for my sister’s wedding. What
will my sister say if there is no
wedding cake?”
Axakha ge kaise ge ǃhausen Vusiba kha ge ǁore ǃkhais ǃaroma. “Sikhom ge tsamperes ǀkha a hui ǁoa, xawe ū re nē ǁgâibasen haiba sa ausisa ǃaroma,” tib ge ǀgui a ra mî. Vusib ge ǁîb ǃgûdaob ǀkha ra aiǃgû.
The boys were sorry for teasing
Vusi.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is a walking stick for your
sister,” said one.
Vusi continued on his journey.
Daob ǃnâb ge ǀgam aokha hîa omsa ra omkha ǀkha ra ǀhao. “ǁNā ǀgãisa haiba kho a sîsenū ǁkhā?” tib ge ǀgui a ra dî. Xawe ge haiba om-ūs ǃaroma ǀgaisa tama hâ tsî ge khôa.
Along the way he met two men
building a house. “Can we use that
strong stick?” asked one.
But the stick was not strong enough
for building, and it broke.
“Tare-ets go dī?” tib ge Vusib ra ǃau. “ǁNāb ge ti ausis di ǃgameb ǀKhae a. Haiǂû xoa-aokha ge ǁnā haiba go māhe ǁîkha go tsamperes di ǃupusa a khôa xui-ao. ǁNās ge ti ausis di ǃgameb tsamperesa. Nēsi i ge ǃupusa ǀkhai, tsamperesa ǀkhai, ǀkhaexū-e ǀkhai. Tare-es ti ausisa nēsisa nî mî?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That stick was a gift for my sister.
The fruit pickers gave me the stick
because they broke the egg for the
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Omkurukha ge kaise ge ǃhausen haiba kha ge khôa o. “Sikhom ge tsamperes ǀkha a hui ǁoa, xawe ū re nē ǀgâna sa ausis ǃaroma,” tib ge lguiba ra mî. Tsîb ge Vusiba ǁîb daob ǀkha ra aiǃgû.
The builders were sorry for breaking
the stick.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is some thatch for your sister,”
said one.
And so Vusi continued on his
journey.
Daob ǃnâb ge Vusiba gomasa ūhâ ǂgari-aob ǀkha ra ǀhao. “Tare ǁkhoaxa ǀgâna, tsâ ǁkhā î ta a?” ti’s ge gomasa ra dî. Xawen ge ǁnā ǀgâna kaise ge ǁkhoaxa I tsîs ge gomasa hoa a ge hapu!
Along the way, Vusi met a farmer
and a cow. “What delicious thatch,
can I have a nibble?” asked the cow.
But the thatch was so tasty that the
cow ate it all!
“Tare-es go dī?” tib ge Vusib ra ǃau. “ǁNā ǀgân ge ti ausis di ǃgameb ǀkhaeba omkurukha xa ta go
māhena ǁîkha go haiǂû xoa-aokha go mā te haiba a khôa xui-ao. Haiǂû xoa-aokha ge haiba go mā te ǁîkha
go tsamperes di ǃupusa a khôa xui-ao. ǁNās ge ti ausis di ǃgameb
tsamperesa. Nēsi i ge ǃupusa ǀkhai, tsamperesa ǀkhai, ǀkhaexū-e ǀkhai.
Tare-es ti ausisa nēsisa nî mî?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That thatch was a gift for my
sister. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for my sister’s
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Gomas ge kaise ge ǃhausen ǂûnas go î ǃkhais ǃaroma. ǂGari-aob ge as gomasa Vusib lkha ī ǁîb ausis di ǀkhaeb ase ti ge mî. Tsîb ge Vusiba ǁîb daob ǀkha ra aiǃgû.
The cow was sorry she was greedy.
The farmer agreed that the cow
could go with Vusi as a gift for his
sister. And so Vusi carried on.
Xawes ge gomasa ǃuiǂûs ǁaexa i ge o ǂgari-aoba ǃoa ge ǃkhoe-oa. Tsîb ge Vusiba daoba kā tsî kaise ǃonkhao hâse ǃgameb tawa ge sī. ǃHaokhoen ge ǀnai gere ǂû.
But the cow ran back to the farmer
at supper time.
And Vusi got lost on his journey.
He arrived very late for his sister’s
wedding. The guests were already
eating.
“Tare-e ta nēsisa nî dī?” tib ge Vusib ra ā. “ǃKhoebē go gomas ge ǀkhaeb
māhe ta goba ǀgân omkurukha xa ta go māhen soas ǃnâ. Omkurukha ge ǀgâna go mā te ǁîkha go haiǂû
xoa-aokha go mā te haiba a khôa
xui-ao. Haiǂû xoa-aokha ge haiba go mā te ǁîkha
go tsamperes di ǃupusa a khôa xui-ao. ǁNās ge ti ausis di ǃgameb
tsamperesa. Nēsi i ge ǃupusa ǀkhai, tsamperesa ǀkhai, ǀkhaexū-e ǀkhai.
Tare-es ti ausisa nēsisa nî mî?”
“What shall I do?” cried Vusi.
“The cow that ran away was a gift,
in return for the thatch the builders
gave me. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for the cake.
The cake was for the wedding. Now
there is no egg, no cake, and no
gift.”
Vusib ausis ge ǁaeroba ǂâi tsî ra mî, “Vusi ti ǃgâro, tita ge ǀkhaexū-i ǀkha ǁae tama hâ. Tita ge tsamperes ǀkhas tsîna ǁae tama hâ! Sada hoada ge nēpa ǀhao hâ, tsî ta ge a ǂkhî. Nēsisa sa îsa sarana sī ǂgaeǂgā î da nē tsēsa tsēdī!” Tsîb ge Vusiba mîhe go khami ge dī.
Vusi’s sister thought for a while,
then she said,
“Vusi my brother, I don’t really care
about gifts. I don’t even care about
the cake! We are all here together, I
am happy. Now put on your smart
clothes and let’s celebrate this
day!”
And so that’s what Vusi did.
Nina Orange
Wiehan de Jager
Ngeve Shangombe
Khoekhoegowab
Level 4
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