Iha dadeer sedu ida Vusi ninia avó -feto bolu nia, “Vusi, favor foti manu tolun ida ne’e ba o nia inan-aman. Sira hakarak atu halo keek boot ida ba o nia feton ninia kazamentu.”
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.”
Iha dalan ba ninia inan-aman sira nia uma, Vusi hasoru labarik mane rua ku’u hela ai-fuan. Labarik mane ida hadau manu-tolun husi Vusi no tiru ba ai-hun ida. Manu-tolun ne’e nakfera.
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.
“Saida mak o halo tiha ona?” Vusi hakilar. “Manu-tolun ida ne’e atu halo keek ida. Keek ne’e atu halo ba ha’u nia feton ninia kazamentu. Saida mak ha’u nia feton sei hatete se karik la iha keek kazamentu nian?”
“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?”
Labarik mane husu deskulpa tanba goza ona Vusi.” Ami labele ajuda ho keek ne’e, maibé ida ne’e mak ai-tonka hodi la’o nian ba o nia feton,” labarik mane ida dehan. Vusi kontinua ninia viajen.
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.
Tuir dalan nia hasoru mane nain rua harii hela uma. “Ami bele uza ai-sanak forte ne’e?. Maibé ai-sanak ne’e la forte atu uza ba harii uma, no ai-sanak ne’e tohar.
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.
“Saida mak o halo tiha ona?” Vusi hakilar.” Ai-sanak ne’e prezente ida ba ha’u nia feton. Ema sira kuu aifuan mak fó ba ha’u ai-sanak ne’e tanba sira mak harahun tiha manu-tolun ne’ebé atu uza ba kek. Kek ne’e ba ha’u nia feton ninia kazamentu. Agora laiha ona manu-tolun, laiha kek, no laiha prezente. Saida mak ha’u nia feton sei hatete?”
“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?”
Karpinteiru sira sente triste tanba sira halo tohar tiha ai-sana ne’e. “Ami labele ajuda ho keek ne’e, maibé ida ne’e mak duut halo uma nian ba o nia feton,” mane karpinteiru ida dehan. No Vusi kontinua ninia viajen.
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.
Tuir dalan, Vusi hasoru to’os nain ida no karau ida.” Duut gostu ida, ha’u bele nata oituan?” karau ne’e husu. Maibé duut ne’e gostu tebes entaun karau ne’e han hotu kedas.
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!
“Saida mak o halo tiha ona?” Vusi hakilar. “Duut ne’e prezente ida ba ha’u nia fetin. Karpinteiru sira mak fó mai ha’u tanba sira halo tohar tiha ai-sanak ne’ebé ema sira kuu ai-fuan fó. Ema sira kuu ai-fuan ne’e fó ai-sanak mai ha’u tanba sira harahun manu-tolun atu uza halo kek ba ha’u nia feton. Kek ne’e atu halo ba ha’u nia feton ninia kazamentu. Agora laiha ona manu-tolun, laiha kek, no laiha prezente. Saida mak ha’u nia feton sei dehan?
“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?”
Karau ne’e sente triste tanba nia kanten. To’os nain ne’e konkorda atu karau ne’e ba ho Vusi nu’udar prezente ida ba ninia feton. Ho nune’e Vusi kontinua la’o.
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.
Maibé karau ne’e halai fila ba to’os nain iha tempu han kalan. No Vusi la’o lakon iha nia dalan fila. Nia to’o tarde ba ninia feton nia kazamentu. Konvidadu sira hotu han tiha ona.
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.
“Saida mak ha’u sei halo?” Vusi hakilar. Karau ne’ebé halai fila ne’e hanesan prezente troka ba duut ne’ebé karpinteiru sira fó ba ha’u tanba sira halo tohar ai-sanak husi ema sira ne’ebé kuu ai-fuan. Ema sira kuu ai-fuan ne’e fó ai-sanak ba ha’u tanba sira harahun manu-tolun atu uza ba halo kek. Kek ne’e ba ha’u nia feton ninia kazamentu. Agora laiha ona manu-tolun, laiha kek, no laiha prezente.”
“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 ninia feton hanoin oituan, depois nia dehan, “Vusi ha’u nia nan, ha’u la preukupa ho prezente sira ne’e. Hau la preukupa ho kek ne’e mós! Ita hotu iha ne’e, ha’u kontente. Agora hatais ba o nia ropa furak sira no mai hamutuk ita selebra loron ida ne’e!” no ida ne’e mak Vusi halo duni.
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.
Written by: Nina Orange
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Aurelio da Costa
Read by: Aurelio da Costa, Vitalina dos Santos, Criscencia R. Da Costa Viana
