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Yini okutjhiwo ngudadwabo likaVusi? What Vusi's sister said

Nina Orange

Wiehan de Jager

Tshabalala Amanda, Sekgosana Thulisile

isiNdebele

Level 4

The audio for this story is currently not available.

Ngelinye ilanga ekuseni ugogo kaVusi wabiza uVusi, “Vusi, ngibawa uthathe iqanda nanti ulise kubabelethi bakho. Bafuna ukwenzela udadwenu ikhekhe elikhulu lomtjhado wakhe.”

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.”

Endleleni eya kubabelethi bakhe, uVusi wahlangana nabesana ababili bakha iinthelo. Umsana munye waphamula iqanda kuVusi walibethanisa nomuthi. Laphuka iqanda.

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.

“Wenzeni?” kulila uVusi. “Iqanda lela bekungele khekhe. Ikhekhe lelo bekungelo mtjhado kadadwethu. Uzokuthini udadwethu nakungana khekhe lomtjhado?”

“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?”

Abesana bacolisa ngokurhuga uVusi. “Angeze sakwazi ukusiza nge khekhe, kodwana nasi intonga yokukhamba ongayinikela udadwenu,” kwatjho munye. UVusi waragela phambili nekhambo lakhe.

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.

Endleleni wahlangana namadoda amabili akha indlu. “Singayi sebenzisa intonga eqinileko leyo?” kwabuza munye. Kodwana intonga le beyingaka qini khulu bona ingakha indlu, yaphuka.

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.

“Wenzeni?” kulila uVusi. “Intonga leya bekusisipho sikadadwethu. Abakhi beenthelo bangiphe intonga ngombana baphule iqanda lekhekhe. Ikhekhe bekungelo mtjhado kadadwethu. Gadesi akuna qanda, akuna khekhe, akuna sipho. Uzokuthini udadwethu?”

“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?”

Abakhi bacolisa ngokuphula intonga. “Angeza sakwazi ukurhelebha nge khekhe, kodwana nabu utjani bokufulela buka dadwenu,” kwatjho munye. UVusi waragela phambili ekhambeni lakhe.

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.

Athi asakhamba ngendlela wahlangana nekomo nomlimi. “Utjani lobo bokufulela buqaleka bumnandi! Ngingahlephula kancani ngidle?” kubuza ikomo. Kodwana utjani lobo bebumnandi khulu ikomo yabudla boke.

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!

“Wenzeni?” kwatjho uVusi. “Utjani lobo bobu sisipho saka dadwethu. Abakhi bangiphe bona ngombana baphule intonga engiyithole ebantwini abakha iinthelo emithini. Abakhi beenthelo bangiphe intonga ngombana baphule iqanda lokwenza ikhekhe lakadadwethu. Ikhekhe leli beku ngelomtjhado wakadadwethu. Kwanje akunaqanda,akuna khekhe begodu akunasipho. Uzakuthini udadwethu?”

“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?”

Ikomo yaqolisa ngombana beyinomrhobholo. Umlimi wavuma bona ikomo ingakhamba noVusi njengesipho sakadadwabo. Awa-ke kwabanjalo uVusi wakhamba.

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.

Kodwana ikomo yabuyela kumlimi ngesikhathi samadina/isidlo sebusuku. uVusi walahleka ekhambeni lakhe, wafika lada emtjhadweni ka dadwabo. Abayeni bebasele badla.

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.

“Ngizokwenza njani,” kwatjho u Vusi. “Ikomo ebalekileko bekusisipho sakadadwethu, endaweni yotjani bokufulela abakhi abangiphe bona. Abakhi bangiphe utjani ngombana baphule intonga engiyithole ebantwini abakha iinthelo. Abakhi beenthelo bangiphe intonga ngombana baphule iqanda lokwenza ikhekhe lakadadwethu. Ikhekhe leli beku ngelomtjhado waka dadwethu. Kwanje akunaqanda, akuna khekhe begodu akunasipho.”

“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.”

Wathula kancani udadwabo lika Vusi aqabanga, bese wathi, “Vusi mnakwethu anginandaba nezipho. Begodu anginandaba nekhekhe! Silapha soke ndawonye, ngijabulile kwamambala. Njenganje mbatha izambatho zakho ezihle sigidinge ilanga leli.” uVusi wenza njalo kwabamnandi emnyanyeni.

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.

Written by: Nina Orange

Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager

Translated by: Tshabalala Amanda, Sekgosana Thulisile

Language: isiNdebele

Level: Level 4

Source: What Vusi's sister said from African Storybook

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.

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