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Mutende naṄwanyi Hen and Eagle Inkoko na Pungwa

Written by Ann Nduku

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Ruthgela Shawanga

Language Mbukushu

Level Level 3

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Ruvedhe rumweya, Mutende naṄwanyi hakarire ha ka ghushere. Hatungire muthiraro no yinyunyi yimweya. Nothofotji temba tha karire tho kutuka.

Once upon a time, Hen and Eagle were friends. They lived in peace with all the other birds. None of them could fly.

Patiile akantu, Inkoko na Pungwa baali fibusa. Baleikala mu mutende ne fyuni fimbi. Ifyuni fyonse tafyalepupuka.


Diyuwa dimweya, kwa karire ndhara muditunga. Ṅwanyi nga yendanga kokayenda gha ka shane yidya. Gha kahukire ghana ghaya. “Dha kona kukara po ndhira dho dhiredhu dho kuyenda!” gha ghambire Ṅwanyi.

One day, there was famine in the land. Eagle had to walk very far to find food. She came back very tired. “There must be an easier way to travel!” said Eagle.

Ubushiku bumo, kwaliponene insala. Pungwa aile aleefwaya ifyakulya ukutali saana. Abwelele ninshi nanaka saana. “Kufwile kwabako inshila yakwendelamo ukwabuka ukucuula!” efyasosele Pungwa.


Munyima dho kurara thiwana ghuthiku, Mutende gha karire no dighano mwene. Gha tangire kutoratora mando agha gha wire kuyinyunyi yiyendhendi yoyiheya. “Tu ghafumene pofotji pawiru dho mando ghetu,” gha ghambire. “Pamweya ṅanyi ya kuredhupithe kuyenda ruyendo.”

After a good night’s sleep, Hen had a brilliant idea. She began collecting the fallen feathers from all their bird friends. “Let’s sew them together on top of our own feathers,” she said. “Perhaps that will make it easier to travel.”

Panuma yakubuuka ulucelo, Inkoko yakwata amaano. Yatampile ukutoola amasako ukufuma ku fyuni fyonse. Ati, “Tiyeni tubililile pamo aya masako pa muulu wa aya twakwata. Limbi kuti catwangukilako mumyendele. ”


Ṅwanyi pithendi gha karire nothonga mumukunda gho ghuhe, podiyo gha tangire kufuma. Ghatendire mando gho mawa no gha tukire kokayenda kuwiru dhaMutende. Mutende gha rombire thonga ene gha ghayire wangu kufuma. Gha thiyire thonga pa thimbangupungwero no gha yendire kukumbitha gha katerekere hanendi yidya.

Eagle was the only one in the village with a needle, so she started sewing first. She made herself a pair of beautiful wings and flew high above Hen. Hen borrowed the needle but she soon got tired of sewing. She left the needle on the cupboard and went into the kitchen to prepare food for her children.

Pungwa ewalifye na keela mu mushi, kanshi ewabalilepo no kubila. Aipangila amapindo ayasuma saana no kupupukila mu muulu umutali. Inkoko epakwashima akeela, nomba yalifilwa ukubila kumulandu wa kunaka. Epakusha akeela pa kabati, yaaya mukupekanya ifyakulya fya baana.


Ene yinyunyi yimweya ya monine ṅwanyi gha katuka. Yarombire thonga kwa Mutende yi kafume mando ghayo nayo. Kapupi kamanana yinyunyi ya tukire muwiru momuheya.

But the other birds had seen Eagle flying away. They asked Hen to lend them the needle to make wings for themselves too. Soon there were birds flying all over the sky.

Nomba ifyuni fimbi fyalimwene uko pungwa apupwike. Fyalomba Inkoko ukufyashimako akeela pakuti nafyo fibilileko amasako. Mu kashitafye akanoono, ifyuni ifingi fyayamba ukulapupuka mu muulu.


Apa tha kahuthire thinyunyi tho kuhurera thonga, Mutende mbadi gha karirepo. Hanendi ha shimbire thonga no kudhipepitha. Apa ha ghayire kupepaghura, hathiyire thonga mumuve.

When the last bird returned the borrowed needle, Hen was not there. So her children took the needle and started playing with it. When they got tired of the game, they left the needle in the sand.

Elyo icuuni cakulekelesha caleetele akeela, Inkoko tayalipo. Abaana bankoko baasendele akeela batampa kwangasha. Ilyo banakile ukwangala, baashiile akeela mumucanga.


Munyima pa metaha, Ṅwanyi gha kahukire. Gharombire thonga gha fume mando ghendi agha gha tungunukire. Mutende gha kengire pa thimbangupungwero. Gha kengire mukumbitha. Gha kengire mudirapa. Ene thonga mbadi ha dhiwanine.

Later that afternoon, Eagle returned. She asked for the needle to fix some feathers that had loosened on her journey. Hen looked on the cupboard. She looked in the kitchen. She looked in the yard. But the needle was nowhere to be found.

Mu nshita ya cungulo, Pungwa abwela. Aaleefwaya akeela pakuti alundeko amasako nayambi no kubililila ayanenwike elyo aile pa bulendo bwakwe. Inkoko ekwamba ukufwaya akeela. Yafwaya mu cikini. Yafwaya mu lubansa, akeela tekakumoneka.


“Nipeko vene diyuwa dyofotji,” Mutende gha kandere Ṅwanyi. “No ṅanyi wa kuroyithe mando ghoye nowakutuke no kashana karo yidya.” “Diyuwa ngenyu dyofotji,” gha ghambire Ṅwanyi. Ngeshi mbadi wa kudhiwana thonga, wakona kunifuta katjiyotjiyo koye kofotji.”

“Just give me a day,” Hen begged Eagle. “Then you can fix your wing and fly away to get food again.” “Just one more day,” said Eagle. “If you can’t find the needle, you’ll have to give me one of your chicks as payment.”

“Mpelakofye ubushiku bumo,” Inkoko yapaapaata Pungwa. “Elyo ukeesabikako amasako ku mapindo yobe no kupupuka ukuya mukufwaya ifyakulya na kabili.” Pungwa epakuti “Nakupelafye ubushiku bumo, nga wafilwa ukumona akeela kandi, ukampeela umwana obe umo nga malipilo.”


Apa gheyire ṅwanyi diyuwa dyo kurandako, ghana wanine Mutende kuna kuthukura mumuve, ene mbadiko thonga. No Ṅwanyi gha tukere pamuve no kuna tjombora katjiyotjiyo kofotji. Gha kashimbire. Kuroruheya kutunda po, kehe pano Ṅwanyi gho kwiya kuna wana Mutende ne kuna kuthukura mumuve gha shane thonga.

When Eagle came the next day, she found Hen scratching in the sand, but no needle. So Eagle flew down very fast and caught one of the chicks. She carried it away. Forever after that, whenever Eagle appears, she finds Hen scratching in the sand for the needle.

Ubushiku bwakonkelepo, elyo Pungwa aishile, aasangile Inkoko ileefwaya akeela mumucanga. Pungwa epakupupukila panshi bwangu-bwangu no kwikatapo akaana kankoko kamo no kukasenda. Ukufuma apopene lyonse Pungwa nga isa asanga Inkoko ileefwaya akeela mumucanga.


Kehepa wa monekanga mudhidhimbi gho mando gho Ṅwanyi pamuve, Mutende kukonekitha tutjiyotjiyo twendi “Mushwaye padyango dyo kupira yinu.” Ato kuhutha: “Mbadi twa yero. Ṅanyi tu tjire.”

As the shadow of Eagle’s wing falls on the ground, Hen warns her chicks. “Get out of the bare and dry land.” And they respond: “We are not fools. We will run.”

Nga kwamoneka icinshingwa cakwa Pungwa panshi, Inkoko ilacenjesha abaana baiko. “Fumeni palwalala.” Elyo tumwasuka ati, “Tatuli fipuba, tulebutuka.”


Written by: Ann Nduku
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Ruthgela Shawanga
Language: Mbukushu
Level: Level 3
Source: Hen and Eagle from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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