This is the story of Ngede, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gingile.
One day while Gingile was out hunting he heard the call of Ngede. Gingile’s mouth began to water at the thought of honey. He stopped and listened carefully, searching until he saw the bird in the branches above his head.
“Chitik-chitik-chitik,” the little bird rattled, as he flew to the next tree, and the next.
“Chitik, chitik, chitik,” he called, stopping from time to time to be sure that Gingile followed.
Ili lyashi lili pa ŋuni iitungulula ku buuci iyaleitwa ukuti Ngede, elyo no mulumendo wakaso Gingile. Ubushiku bumo ilyo Gingile aali mu mpanga alelunga, aumfwile aka kooni ka Ngede kalelila. Gingile aatontokenye pa buuci, awe na mate mu kanwa yasabuka. Gingile aaliminine aumfwikisha, uku ninshi aleefwailisha mpaka akamona mu misambo ya muti pa muulu wa mutwe wakwe. “Citiki-citiki-citiki,” efyalelila akooni, elyo kaima kapupuka ukufuma ku muti ukuya kuli umbi. “Citiki-citiki-citiki,” kalemwita, uku ninshi kaletanauka ku miti no kuloleela pa kushininkisha ukuti Gingile aleekakonka.
After half an hour, they reached a huge wild fig tree.
Ngede hopped about madly among the branches. He then settled on one branch and cocked his head at Gingile as if to say, “Here it is! Come now! What is taking you so long?”
Gingile couldn’t see any bees from under the tree, but he trusted Ngede.
Panuma ya kashita kanoono, bafika pa mukunyu uukalamba. Ngede alatanauka nga uupenene mu misambo. Elyo aikala pa musambo umo no kuŋunusha umutwe kwati aleecesha Gingile ukuti, “Ubu apa! Isa nomba. Cinshi uleekokwela?” Gingile taamwene inshimu ku muti ukufuma apo aiminine lelo alicetekele ukuti Ngede teeti abeepe.
So Gingile put down his hunting spear under the tree, gathered some dry twigs and made a small fire.
When the fire was burning well, he put a long dry stick into the heart of the fire. This wood was especially known to make lots of smoke while it burned.
He began climbing, holding the cool end of the smoking stick in his teeth.
Efyo aabikile ifumo lyakwe mwisamba lya cimuti, alonganika utusansu akosha umulilo. Elyo umulilo wayakile, aabulile akamuti akatali akauma akabiika pa mulilo. Gingile aalishibe na kale ukuti aka kamuti kaalefuusha saana icuushi nga kalepya. Aatampile ukuniina ku muti, aasumine ku lubali lwa kamuti ukwatalele ukushalefuuka cuushi.
Soon he could hear the loud buzzing of the busy bees. They were coming in and out of a hollow in the tree trunk – their hive.
When Gingile reached the hive he pushed the smoking end of the stick into the hollow.
The bees came rushing out, angry and mean. They flew away because they didn’t like the smoke – but not before they had given Gingile some painful stings!
Mu kashita kanoono aumfwa uko inshimu shilelila. Shalefuma no kwingila mu lupako lwa cimuti – umo shaleikala. Cilya Gingile afika pa lupako, aingisha ulubali lwa kamuti ukwalefuuka icuushi mu lupako. Inshimu shalapupuka ukufumamo, nashikalipa. Shapupuka shaya pantu tashatemenwe icuushi – lelo lintu tashilaya shimo shasha shamusuma shamushiila ne imbola ishakalipa.
When the bees were out, Gingile pushed his hands into the nest. He took out handfuls of the heavy comb, dripping with rich honey and full of fat, white grubs.
He put the comb carefully in the pouch he carried on his shoulder, and started to climb down the tree.
Cilya inshimu shaya, aingisha ukuboko mu lupako. Asendamo ifipeepe, ifyaisula ubuuci ne fyana fya nshimu ifyaina. Abiika ifipeepe bwino-bwino mu kacoola aakobeeke pa kubeya atampa no kwikila.
Ngede eagerly watched everything that Gingile was doing. He was waiting for him to leave a fat piece of honeycomb as a thank-you offering to the Honeyguide.
Ngede flittered from branch to branch, closer and closer to the ground. Finally Gingile reached the bottom of the tree.
Ngede perched on a rock near the boy and waited for his reward.
Ngede aaleetamba fyonse ifyaleecita Gingile. Aaleeloleela ukumushilako icipeepe icatikama pa kumutotela pafyo amutungulwile ku buuci. Ngede aile aleetanuka ku misambo aleepalamina panshi. Gingile asuka afika panshi ya cimuti. Ngede aikala pelibwe mupeepi no mulumendo alaaloleela icilambu.
But, Gingile put out the fire, picked up his spear and started walking home, ignoring the bird.
Ngede called out angrily, “VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!”
Gingile stopped, stared at the little bird and laughed aloud. “You want some honey, do you, my friend? Ha! But I did all the work, and got all the stings. Why should I share any of this lovely honey with you?” Then he walked off.
Ngede was furious! This was no way to treat him! But he would get his revenge.
Lelo Gingile aashimishefye umulilo, abuula ifumo lyakwe ayamba no kubwekela ku mushi ukwabula no kupoosa amaano ku kooni. Ngede alila ati, “Fikici-to! Fiki-to!” Gingile aiminina alolesha akooni, ayamba no kukaseka. “Mune uleefwaya ubuuci? Nine nacibomba incito yonse, nine inshimu shacisuma. Cinshi nalakupeelelako ubuuci bwandi?” Efyo aile no kuya. Ngede tepakufulwa! Lelo aalishibe ukuti akalandula.
One day several weeks later Gingile again heard the honey call of Ngede. He remembered the delicious honey, and eagerly followed the bird once again.
After leading Gingile along the edge of the forest, Ngede stopped to rest in a great umbrella thorn. “Ahh,” thought Gingile. “The hive must be in this tree.” He quickly made his small fire and began to climb, the smoking branch in his teeth. Ngede sat and watched.
Ubushiku bumbi panuma ya milungu iingi, Gingile na kabili aumfwile Ngede aleita. Aibukisha ifyo ubuuci bwalowele, na kabili akonka akooni. Panuma yakupishanya Gingile mumbali ya miti, Ngede aikala mwisamba lya cimuti ca myunga pakuti atusheeko. “Ahh, ubuci bufwile ukuba kuli uyu muti,” efyatontonkenye Gingile. Bwangu-bwangu akosha akamulilo ayamba no kuniina ku cimuti, nasuma na kamuti akaleefuusha icuushi. Ngede ninshi naikala aleetamba.
Gingile climbed, wondering why he didn’t hear the usual buzzing. “Perhaps the hive is deep in the tree,” he thought to himself. He pulled himself up another branch. But instead of the hive, he was staring into the face of a leopard!
Leopard was very angry at having her sleep so rudely interrupted. She narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to reveal her very large and very sharp teeth.
Gingile aniina ku muti nomba camupapusha pantu taaleumfwa inshimu nga lyonse. Mu maano alaatontonkanya ati, “Limbi inshimu shaaba mukati kalupako ulutali.” Aya ku musambo umbi. Nomba ese aloleshe, baloleshanya ne mbwili. Imbwili tepakufulwa pa kuifulunganishisha utulo. Yatina amenso, no kwasama pa kulangisha ameeno ayatali ayatwa.
Before Leopard could take a swipe at Gingile, he rushed down the tree.
In his hurry he missed a branch, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground twisting his ankle. He hobbled off as fast as he could. Luckily for him, Leopard was still too sleepy to chase him. Ngede, the Honeyguide, had his revenge.
And Gingile learned his lesson.
Bwangu-bwangu Imbwili tailamufoola, Gingile apululuka ku muti. Mu kufwaya ukwikila lubilo-lubilo apusa umusambo, no kuya ponena panshi na luntu aifyutula ne nkolokoso. Aya ulubilo alesunta. Iceshuko, Imbwili yali no tulo tayamupepeeke. Ngede, iŋuni, efyo aalandwile. Gingile nao efyo aasambiliile.
And so, when the children of Gingile hear the story of Ngede they have respect for the little bird. Whenever they harvest honey, they make sure to leave the biggest part of the comb for Honeyguide!
Kanshi ilyo abaana bakwa Gingile bomfwa ili lyashi lyakwa Ngede, balacindika aka kooni. Lyonse nga bapanda ubuuci, balashilako iŋuni icipeepe ca buuci icikulu.
