“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?”
“Ngefi wacita?” efyailishenye Vusi. “Ilini lilya lyaciba lyakupangila keeke. Keeke yaciba no kuba yapa bwinga bwakwa nkashi yandi. Nkashi yandi alalanda shani nga takwabe keeke yapa bwinga?”
Bansongwalume baumvwine bibi pamukeyu yebaambijile Vusi. Kafwako byotwakonsha kuuba pa mambo akeeke ne, nanchi twibapatu ba nyenga yobe awe mukombo wakwendelako. Ponkapo Vusi watwajijile na lwendo lwanji.
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.
Mujishinda, wataine bashetu babiji babena kushimika nzubo. Shetu umo waipwizhe amba, “Obewa mwanyike nanchi twakonsha kwingijishako kyokyo kichi kyobe kyakosa nyi?” Bino kichi kyachimukile mambo kechi kyajinga kyakosa ne.
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.
“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?”
Bashimikilenga nzubo baumvwine kutama pakuchimuna mukombo. Umo wamulume waambile amba, “Kafwako byotwakonsha kuuba pa mambo keeke, bino tusa kukupa nsono yakuvimbila ukape nyenga yobe.” Vusi watwajijile na lwendo lwanji.
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.
Mulwendo lwanji, Vusi wasambakene Njimi ne Ñombe. Kumvwa Ñombe waambile amba, “Ayo nsono kuwama, mwakonsha kumpapo tucheeche nje nyi?” Ñombe wajile nsono yonsetu mambo yakijilemo kunenkuma.
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!
Mu nshila, Vusi aakumenye umulimi ali ne ŋombe. “Yangu icaani ici ubusuma, bushe kuti nalyapo cinoono?” efyaipwishe iŋombe. Lelo icaani caliweme saana icakuti iŋombe yaliliile conse!
“Mwauba ka?” Vusi wajijiile. “Ayo nsono yajinga bupe bwa nyenga yami. Bashimika manzubo bobampele ino nsono mambo bamokwele kichi kyafumine kubatolawilenga bipangwa. Batolawilenga bipangwa bampele kino kichi mambo balajile jiike ja keeke wa nyenga yami. Keeke wajinga wapa masongola a nyenga yami. Pano kafwako jiike, kafwako ne bupe. Pano nyenga yami ukamba ambaka?”
“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?”
Bino Ñombe wanyemene ne kubwela kwanjiminga Njimi pakimye kya kuja kajo ka mabanga. Akino kyalengejile Vusi kulubilamo kabiji wakelelwe kufika ku masongola a nyenga yanji. Watainwa benyi bobaichile kumasongola babena kuja ne kajo.
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.
Lelo iŋombe yalibutwike no kubwelela ku mulimi ilyo inshita ya kulya icakulya ca mulalilo yafikile. Vusi nao alilubile pa bulendo bwakwe. Aafikile ku bwinga bwakwa nkashi yakwe ubushiku saana. Abaitilwe ku bwinga ninshi nabatampa no kulya.
“Nsakuba byepi?” Vusi wajijile. “Awa ñombe wakunyema yewajinga kyabupe mukubwezha pansono yampele bashimikilenga mazubo. Bamashimikilenga manzubo bampele ino nsono mambo bamokwele kichi kyafumine kubatolawilenga bipangwa. Batolawilenga bipangwa bampele kino kichi mambo balajile jiike jakulengela keeke wa nyenga yami. Keeke wajinga wapa masongola a nyenga yami. Pano kafwako jiike, kafwako keeke ne bupe kafwako.”
“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.”
“Nalacita shani?” efyailishenye Vusi. “lIya ŋombe ibutwike yaciba buupe, pa caani bakakuula bampeele. Bakakuula bacimpeela icaani pantu bacikontola icimuti icacifuma ku bacilatoola ifitwalo. Abacilatoola ifitwalo bacimpeela icimuti pantu bacitoba ilini lyakupangila keeke. Keeke yaciba no kuba yapa bwinga. Nomba tapali ilini, tapali keeke, kabili tapali no bupe.”
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.
Nkashi yakwa Vusi alikutumene panshita iitali, elyo asosa ati, “Nshisakamene pa fyabupe, nangu pali keeke! Nintemwe pantu bonse tuli kuno kabili tuli abansansa. Nomba fwaleni ifyakufwala fyenu ifisuma tusefye ubu bushiku!” Nacine efyo Vusi aacitile.
