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Nkhuku ndi Bongololo Chicken and Millipede

Written by Winny Asara

Illustrated by Magriet Brink

Translated by Sitwe Benson Mkandawire, David Mwanza

Read by Christine Mwanza

Language Nyanja

Level Level 3

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Nkhuku ndi Bongololo anali abwenzi. Koma anali kukonda kupikisana paiwo okha. Tsiku lina, anaganiza kusewera m’pira wa myendo kuti aone ngati katswiri ndani.

Chicken and Millipede were friends. But they were always competing with each other. One day they decided to play football to see who the best player was.


Anayenda kubwalo la m’pira ndipo anayamba masewera awo. Nkhuku inafulumira, koma Bongololo anafulumira kopambana. Nkhuku inapandira kutali koma bongololo anapandira kutali mopambana. Nkhuku inayamba kukalipa.

They went to the football field and started their game. Chicken was fast, but Millipede was faster. Chicken kicked far, but Millipede kicked further. Chicken started to feel grumpy.


Anagaza kuti asewere mapenoti. Bongololo anayambira kukhala wogwira m’pira. Nkhuku inamwesa cigoli cimodzi. Tsopano inali nthawi yankhuku kuti igwire m’pira.

They decided to play a penalty shoot-out. First Millipede was goal keeper. Chicken scored only one goal. Then it was the chicken’s turn to defend the goal.


Bongololo anasewera ndipo anamwetsa. Bongololo ananyunya ndi kumwetsa. Bongololo anamwesanso ndi mutu. Bongololo anamwetsa zigoli zisanu.

Millipede kicked the ball and scored. Millipede dribbled the ball and scored. Millipede headed the ball and scored. Millipede scored five goals.


Nkhuka inakalipa kuti inagonja. Inagonja kothelathu. Bongololo anayamba kuseka cifukwa ca madandaulo amnzake pambuyo pakugonja.

Chicken was furious that she lost. She was a very bad loser. Millipede started laughing because his friend was making such a fuss.


Nkhuku inakalipa kwambiri ndikutsegula kamwa nameza bongololo.

Chicken was so angry that she opened her beak wide and swallowed the millipede.


Pamene nkhuku inali kuyenda kunyumba, inakumana ndi amake abongololo. Amake Bongololo anafunsa nati, “Kodi wamuonako mwana wanga?” Nkhuku siyinalankhule ciriconse. Amake Bongololo anada nkhawa.

As Chicken was walking home, she met Mother Millipede. Mother Millipede asked, “Have you seen my child?” Chicken didn’t say anything. Mother Millipede was worried.


Amake Bongololo anamva timau tating’ono. “Ndithandizeni amai!” liu linalira. Amake Bongololo anayangana uku ndi uku, ndi kumvetsetsa ndi cidwi. Mau anacokera mumimba mwa nkhuku.

Then Mother Millipede heard a tiny voice. “Help me mom!” cried the voice. Mother Millipede looked around and listened carefully. The voice came from inside the chicken.


Amake Bongololo anafuula nati, “Sewenzetsa mphamvu zako zapadela mwana wanga!” Bongololo atha kununkha ndi kusamveka bwino. Nkhuku inayamba kumvela bwino mthupi.

Mother Millipede shouted, “Use your special power my child!” Millipedes can make a bad smell and a terrible taste. Chicken began to feel ill.


Nkhuku inageya. Ndipo inamela ndi kutaya mata. Ndipo inakosomola. Bongololo anali kunyansisa.

Chicken burped. Then she swallowed and spat. Then she sneezed and coughed. And coughed. The millipede was disgusting!


Nkhuku inakosomola kufikira itakosomolela panja Bongololo amene anali mumimba mwake. Bongololo ndi amai ake anakalawa ndi kukwera m’mtengo kubisala.

Chicken coughed until she coughed out the millipede that was in her stomach. Mother Millipede and her child crawled up a tree to hide.


Kucokera pamenepo, Bongololo ndi Nkhuku anakhala adani.

From that time, chickens and millipedes were enemies.


Written by: Winny Asara
Illustrated by: Magriet Brink
Translated by: Sitwe Benson Mkandawire, David Mwanza
Read by: Christine Mwanza
Language: Nyanja
Level: Level 3
Source: Chicken and Millipede from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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