Tsiku limodzi, Kalulu analikuyenda mumbali mwamtsinje.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
Mvuu naye anali komwekonso, kuyenda-yenda ndi kudya udzu.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
Mvuu sanaone kuti kalulu naye alipo ndipo mosadziwa, anaponda pamwendo wa kalulu. Kalulu anayamba kufuula ndikukalipira Mvuu, “Iwe Mvuu! Suona kuti wandiponda pamwendo?”
Hippo didn’t see that Rabbit was there and she accidentally stepped on Rabbit’s foot.
Rabbit started screaming at Hippo, “You Hippo! Can’t you see that you’re stepping on my foot?”
Mvuu anapepesa kwa kalulu “Pepani. Sindinakuoneni. Mundikhululukire!” Koma kalulu sanamvera pepeso nakalipira Mvuu “Iwe wacitira dala! Tsiku limodzi uzaona ndizabwezera!”
Hippo apologised to Rabbit, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. Please forgive me!”
But Rabbit wouldn’t listen and he shouted at Hippo, “You did that on purpose! Someday, you’ll see! You’re going to pay!”
Kalulu anapita kusakira moto ndiponso anati, “Pita, umutenthe Mvuu akacoka mumadzi pakudya udzu. Anandiponda!” Moto unayankha, “Palibe bvuto kalulu munzanga. Ndizacita motero.”
Rabbit went to find Fire and said, “Go, burn Hippo when she comes out of the water to eat grass. She stepped on me!”
Fire answered, “No problem, Rabbit, my friend. I’ll do just what you ask.”
Pambuyo pace, Mvuu analikudya mauzu patali ndi madzi pamene “whoosh!” moto unayamba. Moto unayamba kutentha tsitsi la Mvuu.
Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.
Mvuu anayamba kulira nakuthamangira mumadzi. Tsitsi lake lonse linapya ndi moto. Mvuu anapitiriza kulira, “Tsitsi langa laphya ku moto! Tsitsi langa lonse lapita! Tsitsi langa labwino!”
Hippo started to cry and ran for the water. All her hair was burned off by the fire.
Hippo kept crying, “My hair has burned in the fire! My hair is all gone! My beautiful hair!”
Kalulu anakondwera kuwona tsitsi la Mvuu lapya. Mpaka lero, pakuwopa moto, Mvuu samayenda kutali ndi madzi.
Rabbit was happy that Hippo’s hair was burned.
And to this day, for fear of fire, the hippo never goes far from the water.
