Back to stories list
Baana ba nsela
Children of wax
Abaana bepula
Southern African Folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Ruth Kapamba, Mwitila Ntabo
The audio for this story is currently not available.
Regular PDFs (full-page)
Bilingual PDFs
Booklet PDFs (for printing)
Kumyaka yakala, kwajinga kisemi kimo kyajinga bingi na lusekelo.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
Patiile akantu, kwali ulupwa ulwaikeele mu mutende ne nsansa.
Abe bantu kechi balwanga ne. Bakwashishenga bansemi babo pa nzubo ne ku majimi.
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Tabatalile abalwa beka-beka. Baaleeyafwa abafyashi baabo pa ŋanda na mwibala.
Pano kechi bebaswishishe kuya pabwipi ne mujilo ne.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
Nomba tabaaleebasuminisha ukupalama ku mulilo.
Baingijilenga nkito yabo bufuku mambo babumbilwe na nsela.
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Baaleebomba imilimo yabo yonse ubushiku. Pantu bapangilwe ne pula.
Pano umo mulumendo wakebeshe bingi kuya mu mute.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
Nomba umo pa balumendo aaleefwaisha ukuya panse mu kasuba.
Juba jimo, kukebesha kwanji kwa kijilemo. Bakolojanji babalume baesekele ku mukanya.
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Ubushiku bumo icakufwaya ukuya pa kusuba cacilamo. Bandume yakwe baalimusokele…
Pano kimye kyapwile! Wayengulukile namute.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
Nomba balicelelwe. Asunguluka mu kasuba kaakaba.
Bana bansela baunvwine biingi kutama.
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Abaana bepula baali no bulanda pa kumona uko ndume nabo aleesunguluka.
Batolele nsela ne kubumba ka ngo’nyi.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
Nomba baalyumfwene. Baapangile icuuni ukufuma kwipula ilyasungulwike.
Basendele nkasabo kango’nyi ne kumutwala ku mutumba.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Baasendele ndume nabo bapangile mu cuuni pa muulu wa lupili ulutali.
Mute pakusama, aye watumbikile saaya na kwimba.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
Lilya akasuba katula, aalipupwike aya aleimba mu cengelo ca lucelo.
Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Ruth Kapamba, Mwitila Ntabo
