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.
“Kodi ndi ciani cimene wacita?” Vusi analila. Dzila lija linali la keke. Kekeyo inali yapacikwati ca mlongo wanga. Kodi mlonga wanga azanena ciani ngati palibe keke pacikwati?”
“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?”
Anyamata anapepesa ponena Vusi. “Sitingathandizile pa nkhani ya keke, koma tenga kumtengo aka koyendela ukapatse mlongo wako,” umodzi mwa iwo anatelo. Vusi anapitiliza ndi ulendo wake.
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.
Mnjila anakumananso ndi amuna awili amene anali kumanga nyumba. Kodi tingasewenzetse ako kamtengo kolimba? Mwamuna umodzi anafunsa. Koma kamtengo sikanali kolimba ndiponso kanathyoka.
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.
“Kodi ndi ciani cimene mwacita?” Vusi analila. Ako kamtengo kanali mphaso ya mlonga wanga. Anthu otenga zipatso anandipatsa cifukwa anaphwanya dzila la keke. Keke inali ya cikwati ca mlongo wanga. Tsopano kulibe dzila, kulibe keke, ndiponso kulibe mphaso. Kodi mlonga wanga adzanena ciani?
“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?”
Omanga nyumba anapepesa pothyola kamtengo. “Sitingathandizile pa nkhani ya keke, koma tenga mtolo wa udzu ukapatse mlongo wako,” umodzi pa omanga anatelo. Vusi anapitiliza ndi ulendo wake.
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.
Poyenda mnjila, Vusi anakumana ndi mlimi ndi ng’ombe. “Mtolo wa udzu waoneka bwino, ungandipatseko kang’ono? Ng’ombe inafunsa. Mtolo wa udzu unakoma kwimbili ndiponso, ngombe inadya onse.
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!
“Kodi ndi ciani cimene wacita?” Vusi analila. Uyo mtolo unali wa udzu unali mphaso ya mlonga wanga. Anthu omanga manyumba anandipatsa cifukwa anathyola kamtengo kamene anandipatsa othyola zipatso. Othyola zipatso anandipatsa kamtengo cifukwa anaphwanya dzila la keke la mlongo wanga. Keke inali ya cikwati ca mlongo wanga. Tsopano kulibe dzila, kulibe keke, ndiponso kulibe mphatso. Mlonga wanga adzanena cani?
“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?”
Ng’ombe inapepesa pokudya mtolo. Mlimi anamupatsa ng’ombe kukhala mphatso ya mlongo wa Vusi. Vusi anapiliza ulendo wake.
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.
Koma ng’ombe inathawila kumwine wake pa cakudya ca m’madzulo. Vusi anasowa paulendo wake. Anafika mocedwa kwambili pacikwati ca mlongo wake. Alendo anayamba kale kudya pacikwati.
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.
“Kodi ndidzacita ciani?” Vusi analila. Ngo’mbe imene yathawa inali mphatso, m’malo mwa mtolo wa udzu umene anandipatsa omanga manyumba. Anthu omanga manyumba anandipatsa cifukwa anathyola kamtengo kamene anandipatsa othyola zipatso. Othyola zipatso anandipatsa kamtengo cifukwa anaphanya dzila la keke la mlongo wanga. Keke inali ya cikwati ca mlongo wanga. Tsopano kulibe dzila, kulibe keke, ndiponso kulibe mphatso.
“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.”
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.
