A long time ago, three girls went
out to collect wood.
Wari umunsi ushyushye; bagiye ku umugezi koga. Barakinnye, banaterana abazi baronoga mu amazi.
It was a hot day so they went down
to the river to swim.
They played and splashed and
swam in the water.
bidatize, babonye ko bwije. Bihutiye kugaruka mu igiturage
Suddenly, they realised that it was
late.
They hurried back to the village.
Ubwo bendaga kugera imuhira, Nozibele yashyize akaboko ku ishosi rye. Yavuze ko yibagiwe agakufi ke. “Mumbabarire dusubirane yo!” Yasabye inshuti ze. Ariko inshuti ze zavuze ko bwari bwije cyane.
When they were nearly home,
Nozibele put her hand to her neck.
She had forgotten her necklace!
“Please come back with me!” she
begged her friends.
But her friends said it was too late.
Nozibele yasubiye ku mugezi wenyine. Yabonye umukufi we, ahita yihutira iwabo. Ariko yarayobye mu umwijima.
So Nozibele went back to the river
alone.
She found her necklace and hurried
home.
But she got lost in the dark.
Mu intabwe yabonye urumuri ruva munzu. Yihuse ayisanga, arakomanga ku urugi.
In the distance she saw light
coming from a hut.
She hurried towards it and knocked
at the door.
To her surprise, a dog opened the
door and said, “What do you want?”
“I’m lost and I need a place to
sleep,” said Nozibele.
“Come in, or I’ll bite you!” said the
dog.
So Nozibele went in.
Then the dog said, “Cook for me!”
“But I’ve never cooked for a dog
before,” she answered.
“Cook, or I’ll bite you!” said the dog.
So Nozibele cooked some food for
the dog.
Then the dog said, “Make the bed
for me!”
Nozibele answered, “I’ve never
made a bed for a dog.”
“Make the bed, or I’ll bite you!” the
dog said.
So Nozibele made the bed.
Every day she had to cook and
sweep and wash for the dog.
Then one day the dog said,
“Nozibele, today I have to visit
some friends. Sweep the house,
cook the food and wash my things
before I come back.”
As soon as the dog had gone,
Nozibele took three hairs from her
head.
She put one hair under the bed, one
behind the door, and one in the
kraal.
Then she ran home as fast as she
could.
Ubwo imbwa yagarukaga, yashatse Nozibele. “Nozibele, uri hehe?” Yarasakuje. “Ndi hano, munsi y’uburiri,” umusatsi wambere waravuze. “Ndi hano, inyuma y’urugi,” Umusatsi wakabiri. “Ndi hano, mu kiraro,” umusatsi wa gatatu uravuga.
When the dog came back, he looked
for Nozibele.
“Nozibele, where are you?” he
shouted.
“I’m here, under the bed,” said the
first hair.
“I’m here, behind the door,” said the
second hair.
“I’m here, in the kraal,” said the
third hair.
Imbwa yahise imenya ko Nozibele yayikinnye ubwenge. Yarirukatse mpaka igeze mu igiturage. Ariko basaza ba Nozibele bari bategereje n’ inkoni nini. Imbwa yahise ikata irahunga, ntiragaruka kuva ubwo.
Then the dog knew that Nozibele
had tricked him.
So he ran and ran all the way to the
village.
But Nozibele’s brothers were
waiting there with big sticks.
The dog turned and ran away and
has never been seen since.
Tessa Welch
Wiehan de Jager
Patrick Munyurangabo
Kinyarwanda
Level 3
The audio for this story is currently not available.
