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Iyi ndi nkhani ya Ngede, Olozera kuli njuci, ndi munyamata ozikonda ochedwa Jingire. Tsiku lina pamene Jingire anacokapo kukasaka nyama mthengo, anamva Ngede kuitana. Jingire anamva njala ya uci kwambiri. Anaimirira ndikumvetsetsa, kusakira mpaka anaona kambalame m’mwamba mwamtengo. “Chiti-chiti-chiti,” mbalame inalira pamene inali kuulukira ku kumtengo wina ndi winanso. “Chiti-chiti-chiti,” kambalame kanaitana, ndikuimirira kawirikawiri kutsimikizira kuti Jingire akubwela.
This is the story of Ngede, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gingile.
One day while Gingile was out hunting he heard the call of Ngede. Gingile’s mouth began to water at the thought of honey. He stopped and listened carefully, searching until he saw the bird in the branches above his head.
“Chitik-chitik-chitik,” the little bird rattled, as he flew to the next tree, and the next.
“Chitik, chitik, chitik,” he called, stopping from time to time to be sure that Gingile followed.
Patapita theka la ola limodzi, anafika pa m’tengo ukulu ochedwa mkuyu. Ngede analumphalumpha mu m’tengo. Anaima pa nthambi ina nagunduzira mutu wake kwa Jingiremonga kumuuza kuti, “Tafika ziri pano! Bwera tsopano. Cifukwa ciani ukucedwa?” Jingire sanaone njuci pansi pa mtengo koma anadalira Ngede.
After half an hour, they reached a huge wild fig tree.
Ngede hopped about madly among the branches. He then settled on one branch and cocked his head at Gingile as if to say, “Here it is! Come now! What is taking you so long?”
Gingile couldn’t see any bees from under the tree, but he trusted Ngede.
Jingire anaika pansi mkondo wake munsi mwa mtengo, anatenga nkhuni nakuyatsa moto. Pamene moto unayaka bwino, anaika kamtengo katali pakati pamoto. Kamtengo kameneka kanali kuziwika pankhani yopanga utsi wambiri pakuphya. Anayamba kukwera cimtengo ndi kamtengo ka utsi atagwira ndi kamwa.
So Gingile put down his hunting spear under the tree, gathered some dry twigs and made a small fire.
When the fire was burning well, he put a long dry stick into the heart of the fire. This wood was especially known to make lots of smoke while it burned.
He began climbing, holding the cool end of the smoking stick in his teeth.
Soon he could hear the loud buzzing of the busy bees. They were coming in and out of a hollow in the tree trunk – their hive.
When Gingile reached the hive he pushed the smoking end of the stick into the hollow.
The bees came rushing out, angry and mean. They flew away because they didn’t like the smoke – but not before they had given Gingile some painful stings!
Pamene njuci zinacoka, Jingire analowetsa manja ake mu m’mphako nacotsa uci wamadzimadziodzala ndi mafuta oyela. Anaika uci wake mosamala mukacola kamene ananyamula pephewa, ndipo iye anayamba kutsika m’mtengo.
When the bees were out, Gingile pushed his hands into the nest. He took out handfuls of the heavy comb, dripping with rich honey and full of fat, white grubs.
He put the comb carefully in the pouch he carried on his shoulder, and started to climb down the tree.
Ngede eagerly watched everything that Gingile was doing. He was waiting for him to leave a fat piece of honeycomb as a thank-you offering to the Honeyguide.
Ngede flittered from branch to branch, closer and closer to the ground. Finally Gingile reached the bottom of the tree.
Ngede perched on a rock near the boy and waited for his reward.
Koma Jingire anazima moto, ndi kunyamula mkondo wake ndikupita kunyumba osakumbuka Ngede. Ngede anamuitana mokalipa, “VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!” Jingire anaimirira, anayangana kambalame ndi kuseka kwambiri. “Ufuna uci, ha mzanga? Ndasewenza ndi kulumidwa ndekha! Ndicifukwa ciani ufuna ndikupatseko uci wabwino tere?” Iye anapita. Ngede anakalipa kwambiri! Sanayenere kumucita motere! Koma azabwezela tsiku lina.
But, Gingile put out the fire, picked up his spear and started walking home, ignoring the bird.
Ngede called out angrily, “VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!”
Gingile stopped, stared at the little bird and laughed aloud. “You want some honey, do you, my friend? Ha! But I did all the work, and got all the stings. Why should I share any of this lovely honey with you?” Then he walked off.
Ngede was furious! This was no way to treat him! But he would get his revenge.
Tsiku li masabata atapitapo, Jingire anamveranso kuitana kwa uci kwa Ngede. Anakumbukira uci wabwino uja ndiponso iye anakalondolanso kambalaneko. Pamene Jingire analondira kambalane, kanamupeleka kumathero kwa thengo,, Ngede anaimirira kuti apumuleko mcimtengo ca minga. “Ahh,” anaganiza Jingire. “Mphako ya njuci ifunikira kupezeka m’mtengowu.” Anayatsa moto mwamsanga nakuyamba kukwera, ndikamtengo ka utsi kukamwa. Ngede anakhala cete ndi kupenyerera.
One day several weeks later Gingile again heard the honey call of Ngede. He remembered the delicious honey, and eagerly followed the bird once again.
After leading Gingile along the edge of the forest, Ngede stopped to rest in a great umbrella thorn. “Ahh,” thought Gingile. “The hive must be in this tree.” He quickly made his small fire and began to climb, the smoking branch in his teeth. Ngede sat and watched.
Jingire anakwera, ndikudabwacifukwa ciani sakumvera njuci monga mwanthawi zonse. “Kapena mphako ya njuci iri mkati kwambiri mwa mtengo,” anaziganizira. Anasenderelako pamwamba pa nthambi ina. Koma mwakuona mphako, anaonana ndi nyalugwe! Nyalungwe anakalipa kwambiri pomusokoneza tulo twake. Nyalugwe anacepetsa maso ake, ndikutsegula kamwa kake kuonetsa mano ake akulu akuthwa.
Gingile climbed, wondering why he didn’t hear the usual buzzing. “Perhaps the hive is deep in the tree,” he thought to himself. He pulled himself up another branch. But instead of the hive, he was staring into the face of a leopard!
Leopard was very angry at having her sleep so rudely interrupted. She narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to reveal her very large and very sharp teeth.
Before Leopard could take a swipe at Gingile, he rushed down the tree.
In his hurry he missed a branch, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground twisting his ankle. He hobbled off as fast as he could. Luckily for him, Leopard was still too sleepy to chase him. Ngede, the Honeyguide, had his revenge.
And Gingile learned his lesson.
Ngati ana aJingire amvela nkhani ya Ngede, amakapatsa ulemu kanyoni. Akacosa uci, amasiyako uci wambiri kuti olozera njuci adye!
And so, when the children of Gingile hear the story of Ngede they have respect for the little bird. Whenever they harvest honey, they make sure to leave the biggest part of the comb for Honeyguide!
