Mwanyike nangwa waumvwine bumvu, bino wajinga nangovu kabiji waile kubwipi nakwajinga inetu bajinga najimi. Balongo bauno mwanyike wamukazhi ba ambile amba, “Tusa kumulamanga uno inetu ne mwananji bulongo.”
Shy but brave, the little girl moved nearer to the woman.
“We must keep her with us,” the little girl’s people decided. “We’ll keep her and her child safe.”
Nangu umukashana aali ne nsoni alishipile no kupalama mupepi na namaayo. “Tufwile twamusunga uyu namaayo,” efyalandile abantu. “Tulemusunga bwino no mwana wakwe.”
Everyone began to argue.
“We said we would keep mother and child safe, and that’s what we’ll do,” said some.
“But they will bring us bad luck!” said others.
Namambo aino milanguluko ya bantu, uno inetu witaine bunke jikwabo. Kechi wayukile bya kuuba nayewa mwana wabujile kulumbuluka ne. Kikwabo kekya kuuba amba kechi wayukile bya kuuba ne.
And so the woman found herself alone again.
She wondered what to do with this awkward child.
She wondered what to do with herself.
Efyo nomba namaayo aisangile eka na kabili. Taishibe ifyakucita no mwana wa musango uyu. Taishibe ifyakucita umwine.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.
Panuma aasuminafye ukuti umwana aali mwana wakwe elyo nao ali ni nyina.
Nanchi inge auno mwana waikeletu pakipimo kimo kwakubula kukoma, inge kyawamineko. Pano uno mbongolo wamwana wakomenengatu pakatu nyuma ya ba inanji yakeepa kabiji keakankalwe kufikamo munyuma. Nanchi nangwa waesekelenga kumwesha byubilo bya bumuntu byepi, bino kechi wakonsheshe kwikala nobe muntu ne. Onkao mambo, ba inanji jaavujishatu baikalangatu bakooka kabiji nakijikila. Kimo kimye ba inanji baubanga mingilo yafwainwa kwingila banyama.
Now, if the child had stayed that same, small size, everything might have been different. But the donkey child grew and grew until he could no longer fit on his mother’s back.
And no matter how hard he tried, he could not behave like a human being. His mother was often tired and frustrated. Sometimes she made him do work meant for animals.
Nomba nga cakuti umwana taaleekula, alifye umunono, fyonse nga fyalifye bwino. Lelo uyu punda alikulile saana icakuti aleka ukukumana mu numa yaba nyina. Elyo nangu eshe shani, ificitwa fyakwe tafyali fya buntu. Inshita yonse banyina baleebafye ne cifukushi kabili abanaka. Limo-limo baaleemupeela incito sha nama.
Kuvulañana ne bukaji byakomenenga mu uno Mbongolo. Kechi wakonsheshe kuuba kintu kiji kyonse ne. Kabiji kechi wakonsheshenga kwikala ne. Kabiji watendekele kwikala bingi nabukaji. Juuba jimo wazhingijile bingi kabiji wapanchile bainanji nakibaaka bapona ne panshi.
Confusion and anger built up inside Donkey. He couldn’t do this and he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t be like this and he couldn’t be like that.
He became so angry that, one day, he kicked his mother to the ground.
By the time he stopped running, it was night, and Donkey was lost.
“Hee haw?” he whispered to the darkness.
“Hee Haw?” it echoed back. He was alone.
Curling himself into a tight ball, he fell into a deep and troubled sleep.
Ilyo Punda alekele ukubutuka, ninshi nakufiita, taishiibe uko aali. “Hee haw?” efyo aitootoosha mumfifi. “Hee Haw?” aumfwa iciunda. Ali eka. Aipeta, apona na mutulo utwinetwine utwamalangulushi.
Mbongolo waikelenga nauno mukote wamulume kabiji wamufunjishileko bintu byavula pa byo afwainwa kwikala mubwikalo. Mbongolo waumvwijilenga kabiji ne kufunda. Uno shetu mukote neaye waubilenga kintu-kimo. Bekwashanga ne kuseka pamo.
Donkey went to stay with the old man, who taught him many different ways to survive.
Donkey listened and learned, and so did the old man. They helped each other, and they laughed together.
Punda aile mu kwikala na shikulu-bantu, uwamufundile inshila sha kwikalilamo ishingi. Punda aaleumfwa no kusambilila, shikulu-bantu nao wine aaleesambilila. Baleyafwana no kusekela pamo.
Juuba jimo lukeelo, uno mukote wamulume wabujile Mbongolo kumupaapa nekumutwala peulu ya mutumba.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Ubushiku bumo, shikulu-bantu aipwishe punda ukumusenda pa muulu wa lupili.
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
Pa muulu mu makumbi basendama. Punda aalotele ukuti banyina nabalwala kabili balemwita. Ilyo abukile…
… makumbi azhimañene pamo namukwabo, aye mukote.
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
… asangile amakumbi nayaluba pamo no munankwe, shikulu- bantu.
Mbongolo ponkapo wasajile bya kuuba.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Panuma Punda alishibe ifyakucita.
Mbongolo wataine ba inanji bunke saka bajila mwanabo waelekele. Basambakene ne kwitala kimye kyabaya. Ponkapo Mbongolo ne ba inanji bepakachijilemo kyakosa bingi.
Donkey found his mother, alone and mourning her lost child. They stared at each other for a long time.
And then hugged each other very hard.
Mbongolo ne ba inanji bakomejile pamo ne kutana mashinda akwikajilamo. Bisemi bikwabo byatendekele pachepache kwiya nakushimika ne kwikala konka kobekalajila.
The donkey child and his mother have grown together and found many ways of living side by side.
Slowly, all around them, other families have started to settle.
