ǀGuia i ge ǂkhî ǀaokhoen xa ge ǁanhe hâ i.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
ǁÎn ge tātsē ge ǃkham ūgu tama hâ i. ǁÎn ge ǁîn îra oms tsî ǃhanab ǃnâ gere hui.
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Xawen ge a ǂkhāsa, ǀaes ǀgūse ǀhurusa.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
ǁÎn ge ǃoes ǃnâ ǀgui sîsenna dī ǁkha, ǁîn ǂnuruǁuib ǃkha kurusa xui-ao!
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Xaweb ge ǀgui axaba sores ǃnâ ǂoasa gere kaise ǁkhore.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
ǀGui tsēb ge nē ǁkhoreba kaise ge kai,xaweb ge ǃgâsakha xa ge ǃkhâihe.
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Xawe ge kaise ǃonkhao! ǁÎb ge nē ǀgamsa sores xa ge tsuni.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
ǃGâsab ta tsunibe ǀgaus xakha ge ǂnuruǁuib ǀkha kurusa ǃgâsakha ge ǃoa.
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Xawe kha ge ǀawehe ūhâ. ǁÎkha ge narus tsuni hâ ǂnuruǁnuib dis ǀkha anisa ge kuru.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
ǁÎkha ge ani ǃgâsaroba ǀgapi ǃhommi ai ge ǃapa-u.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Sores ra ǁhai khamib ge ǁnae rase ǁgoas ǃnâb ǃnâ ra ǁkhanabē.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
Southern African Folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Ivan Petrus Josob
Khoekhoegowab
Level 2
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