kera, habayeho umuryango wishimye.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
Ntibigeraga barwana hagati yabo. Bafashaga ababyeyi babo murugo no mu imirima.
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Ariko ntibari bemerewe kwegera hafi umuriro.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
Bagombaga gukora imirimo yabo yose mu ijoro. Kuberako bari bakozwe mu ibishashara!
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Ariko umwe mu bahungu yifuzaga cyane kujya hanze kuzuba.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
Umunsi umwe kwifuza byari bikomeye cyane. Basaza be baramuburiye…
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Ariko byari bitinze! Yarayonze mu izuba rishyushye.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
Abana b’ibishashara barababaye kubona umuvandimwe wabo ayonga.
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Ariko bakoze umupangu. Bakozemo ibishashara bya yonze mo inyoni.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
Batwaye muzaza wabo w’inyoni hejuru k’umusozi.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Ubwo izuba ryacyaga, yagurutse aririmba mu urumuri rw’igitondo.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
Southern African Folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Patrick Munyurangabo
Kinyarwanda
Level 2
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