Shy but brave, the little girl moved nearer to the woman.
“We must keep her with us,” the little girl’s people decided. “We’ll keep her and her child safe.”
Nangu umukashana aali ne nsoni alishipile no kupalama mupepi na namaayo. “Tufwile twamusunga uyu namaayo,” efyalandile abantu. “Tulemusunga bwino no mwana wakwe.”
孩子很快就要降生了。“用力啊!”“快拿毯子来!”“水!”“再用点力!”
The child was soon on its way.
“Push!”
“Bring blankets!”
“Water!”
“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”
Everyone began to argue.
“We said we would keep mother and child safe, and that’s what we’ll do,” said some.
“But they will bring us bad luck!” said others.
Now, if the child had stayed that same, small size, everything might have been different. But the donkey child grew and grew until he could no longer fit on his mother’s back.
And no matter how hard he tried, he could not behave like a human being. His mother was often tired and frustrated. Sometimes she made him do work meant for animals.
Nomba nga cakuti umwana taaleekula, alifye umunono, fyonse nga fyalifye bwino. Lelo uyu punda alikulile saana icakuti aleka ukukumana mu numa yaba nyina. Elyo nangu eshe shani, ificitwa fyakwe tafyali fya buntu. Inshita yonse banyina baleebafye ne cifukushi kabili abanaka. Limo-limo baaleemupeela incito sha nama.
Confusion and anger built up inside Donkey. He couldn’t do this and he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t be like this and he couldn’t be like that.
He became so angry that, one day, he kicked his mother to the ground.
By the time he stopped running, it was night, and Donkey was lost.
“Hee haw?” he whispered to the darkness.
“Hee Haw?” it echoed back. He was alone.
Curling himself into a tight ball, he fell into a deep and troubled sleep.
Ilyo Punda alekele ukubutuka, ninshi nakufiita, taishiibe uko aali. “Hee haw?” efyo aitootoosha mumfifi. “Hee Haw?” aumfwa iciunda. Ali eka. Aipeta, apona na mutulo utwinetwine utwamalangulushi.
驴孩子醒了,他发现有个老人低头盯着他。他看着老人的眼睛,感觉到了一丝希望。
Donkey woke up to find a strange old man staring down at him. He looked into the old man’s eyes and started to feel a twinkle of hope.
Donkey went to stay with the old man, who taught him many different ways to survive.
Donkey listened and learned, and so did the old man. They helped each other, and they laughed together.
Punda aile mu kwikala na shikulu-bantu, uwamufundile inshila sha kwikalilamo ishingi. Punda aaleumfwa no kusambilila, shikulu-bantu nao wine aaleesambilila. Baleyafwana no kusekela pamo.
一天早上,老人让驴孩子带他到山顶。
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Ubushiku bumo, shikulu-bantu aipwishe punda ukumusenda pa muulu wa lupili.
他们登上山顶,环绕在云雾中,睡着了。驴孩子梦到他的妈妈生病了,正在呼唤他,然后他就醒了……
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
Pa muulu mu makumbi basendama. Punda aalotele ukuti banyina nabalwala kabili balemwita. Ilyo abukile…
……云雾消失了,他的朋友——那个老人——也消失了。
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
… asangile amakumbi nayaluba pamo no munankwe, shikulu- bantu.
The donkey child and his mother have grown together and found many ways of living side by side.
Slowly, all around them, other families have started to settle.