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Nkuku a Musyika Hen and Eagle Inkoko na Pungwa

Written by Ann Nduku

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Chester Mwanza

Language Tonga

Level Level 3

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Kaindi, Nkuku a Musyika bakali kumvwana kapati. Bakali kukkala muluumuno. Kunyina wakali kuuluka.

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.


Bumwi buzuba, kwakali nzala mucisi. Musyika wakeenda musinzo mulamfwu kuyandaula cakulya. Wakapiluka kakatende cakwiindilila. Wakati, “Kweelede kuba nzila ngubauba yakweenda musinzo mulamfwu.”

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.


Niyakabuka muŋonzi zyibotu, Nkuku yakabaa muzeezo mubotu. Yakatalika kubwezelela mapepe kuzwa kuzyiyuninyina. “Katwaasuma antoomwe atala amapepe eesu,” yakaamba nkuku. “Ndiza inga caubauba kweenda misinzo.”

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. ”


Musyika nguwakajisi nyeleti yakusumya mumunzi oonse. Aboobo, nguwakasaanguna kusuma. Wakalibambila mababa mabotu kapayi kubelesya nyeleti. Nkuku yakalomba nyeleti kutegwa isume ayalo. Yakakatala kufwambaana. Yakasiya nyeleti mukkabati akuunka kukujika zyakulya zyabana bakwe.

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.


Bayuni bambi bakamubona kauluka musyika. Mpoona bakalomba nyeleti kunkuku kutegwa abalo basume mababa. Mpoona, kwakaba bayuni banji bauluka.

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.


Wamamanino muyuni naakajosya nyeleti, Nkuku tiiyakaliko. Mpoona bana banjiyo bakaibweza akutalika kusobanya. Nibakamana kusobana, bakaisiya nyeleti mumuseenga.

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.


Masyikati, Musyika wakapiluka. Wakabuzya akali nyeleti kutegwa abambe mababa aakwe akasoka alekehya naakali mulweendo. Nkuku yakatalika kuyandaula, mu kabbati, mu chikuta, mulubuwa, pesi nyeleti tiiyakajanika.

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.


“Kondipa biyo buzuba bomwe.” Nkuku yakakombelehya. “Mpemunya uyakwaabamba mababa aako akaule ukaye kuyoo yandaula cakulya. Musyika wakati, “Kuti utaijani nyeleti, uyakundipa mwana wako omwe kubbadela mulandu ooyu.”

“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.”


Buzuba bwakatobela, Musyika wakaboola alimwi kukubweza nyeleti. Wakajana nkuku ilayanga mumuseenga pesi nyeleti tiiyakajanika. Musyika wakajata kana kankuku komwe akukatola. Kuzwida waawo, kufwumbwa asika musyika, ulajana nkuku ilapalaula ansi kuyandaula nyeleti.

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.


Kuti cinzimweemwe ca Musyika calibonya ansi, Nkuku ilacenjezya bana banjiyo akuti, “Kamuzwa antangalala atayubiki.” Kwamana bana balavwiila balati “Tatuli bafwuba-fwuba tulalunduka.”

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: Chester Mwanza
Language: Tonga
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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