Siku moja asubuhi bibi yake Vusi alimwita na kumwambia, “Tafadhali peleka yai hili kwa wazazi wako. Wanataka kutengeneza keki kubwa kwa ajili ya harusi ya dada yako.”
Early one morning Vusi’s granny
called him, “Vusi, please take this
egg to your parents. They want to
make a large cake for your sister’s
wedding.”
Alipokuwa njiani kuelekea kwa wazazi wake, Vusi akakutana na vijana wawili wanaokota matunda. Kijana mmoja akanyakua yai kutoka kwa Vusi na akalirusha kwenye mti. Yai likavunjika.
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.
“Umefanya nini?” Vusi akalia. “Yai lile lilikuwa kwa ajili ya keki. Keki ilikuwa kwa ajili ya harusi ya dada yangu. Dada yangu atasemaje kama hakutakuwa na keki ya harusi?”
“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?”
Vijana wale waliomba msamaha kwa kumchokoza Vusi. “Hatuna la kufanya kuhusu keki, lakini hii hapa ni fimbo kwa ajili ya dada yako,” mmoja alisema. Vusi akaendelea na safari yake.
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.
Njiani alikutana na wanaume wawili wakijenga nyumba. “Tunaweza kutumia hiyo fimbo imara?” mmoja akaomba. Lakini fimbo haikuwa imara kwa kujengea, na ikavunjika.
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.
“Mmefanya nini?” Vusi akalia. “Fimbo hii ilikuwa zawadi kwa ajili ya dada yangu. Waangua matunda walinipa fimbo hiyo kwa sababu walivunja yai la keki. Keki ilikuwa ni kwa ajili ya harusi ya dada yangu. Sasa hakuna yai, hakuna keki, na hakuna zawadi. Dada yangu atasemaje?”
“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?”
Wajenzi waliomba msamaha kwa kuvunja fimbo. “Hatuna la kufanya kuhusu keki, lakini tutakupa makuti umpelekee dada yako,” mmoja alisema. Na Vusi akaendelea na safari yake.
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.
Njiani, Vusi akakutana na mkulima akiwa na ng’ombe. “Una makuti mazuri, naweza kupata kidogo?” Ng’ombe akaomba. Lakini makuti yalikuwa matamu ng’ombe akayala yote!
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!
“Umefanya nini?” Vusi akalia. “Makuti haya yalikuwa zawadi ya dada yangu. Wajenzi walinipa makuti kwa kuwa walivunja fimbo yangu niliyopewa na waangua matunda. Waangua matunda walinipa fimbo kwa kuwa walivunja yai kwa ajili ya keki ya dada yangu. Keki ilikuwa kwa ajili ya harusi ya dada yangu. Sasa hakuna yai, hakuna keki, na hakuna zawadi. Dada yangu atasemaje?”
“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 aliomba msamaha kwa kuwa mlafi. Mkulima alikubali kumpa Vusi ng’ombe aende naye kama zawadi kwa ajili ya dada yake. Vusi akaendelea na safari yake.
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.
Lakini wakati wa chakula cha jioni ng’ombe alikimbia kurudi kwa mkulima. Na Vusi akapotea njiani. Akafika kwa kuchelewa sana kwenye harusi ya dada yake. Wageni walikuwa tayari wanakula.
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.
“Nifanye nini?” alilia Vusi. “Ng’ombe aliyekimbia alikuwa ni zawadi, ambayo nilipewa kama mbadala wa makuti niliyopewa na wajenzi. Wajenzi walinipa makuti kwa sababu walivunja fimbo niliyopewa na waangua matunda. Waangua matunda walinipa fimbo kwa sababu walivunja yai la keki. Keki ilikuwa kwa ajili ya harusi. Kwa hiyo hakuna yai, hakuna keki, na hakuna zawadi.”
“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.”
Dada yake Vusi alifikiria kwa muda, halafu akasema, “Kaka yangu Vusi, usijali zawadi, pia usijali keki! Tupo hapa pamoja, nina furaha. Nenda kavae nguo zako nadhifu na uje tusherehekee siku hii!”
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.
