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A silhouette of three girls carrying wood on their heads at sunset.

Nozibele en die drie hare Nozibele and the three hairs

Written by Tessa Welch

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Fanie Viljoen, Helena Vilonel

Language Afrikaans

Level Level 3

Narrate full story The audio for this story is currently not available.


Three girls carrying wood on their heads.

Lank gelede het drie meisies in die bos hout gaan soek.

A long time ago, three girls went out to collect wood.


Three girls swimming in a river.

Dit was ‘n warm dag, daarom het hulle na die rivier toe gegaan om af te koel. Hulle het in die water gespeel, geplas en geswem.

It was a hot day so they went down to the river to swim. They played and splashed and swam in the water.


A silhouette of three girls carrying wood on their heads at sunset.

Skielik het hulle besef dat dit al laat was. Hulle het hulle terug na die dorpie toe gehaas.

Suddenly, they realised that it was late. They hurried back to the village.


Three girls carrying wood on their heads and one girl putting her hand to her neck.

Toe hulle al amper by die huis was, het Nozibele haar hand op haar nek gesit. Sy het haar halssnoer vergeet! “Gaan asseblief saam met my terug!” het sy haar vriende gesmeek. Maar haar vriende het gesê dit was al te laat.

When they were nearly home, Nozibele put her hand to her neck. She had forgotten her necklace! “Please come back with me!” she begged her friends. But her friends said it was too late.


Someone picking up a necklace sitting on a rock near a river.

Nozibele het alleen teruggegaan na die rivier toe. Sy het haar halssnoer gekry en haastig huis toe gestap. Maar sy het in die donker verdwaal.

So Nozibele went back to the river alone. She found her necklace and hurried home. But she got lost in the dark.


A girl carrying wood on her head at night time and looking at a lit-up hut.

In die verte het sy ‘n hut gesien waar ‘n lig brand. Sy het vinnig darheen geloop en aan die deur geklop.

In the distance she saw light coming from a hut. She hurried towards it and knocked at the door.


A dog answering the door to a girl carrying wood on her head.

Sy was verras toe ‘n hond die deur oopmaak en sê: “Wat wil jy hê?” “Ek het verdwaal en benodig ‘n slaapplek ” sê Nozibele. “Kom in, anders byt ek jou!” sê die hond. Toe het Nozibele ingegaan.

To her surprise, a dog opened the door and said, “What do you want?” “I’m lost and I need a place to sleep,” said Nozibele. “Come in, or I’ll bite you!” said the dog. So Nozibele went in.


A girl cooking and a dog standing next to her with their arms folded.

“Kook vir my!” het die hond toe gesê. “Maar ek nog nooit vir ‘n hond gekook nie ” antwoord sy. “Kook, anders byt ek jou!” antwoord die hond. Toe het Nozibele vir die hond kos gemaak.

Then the dog said, “Cook for me!” “But I’ve never cooked for a dog before,” she answered. “Cook, or I’ll bite you!” said the dog. So Nozibele cooked some food for the dog.


A girl making a bed with a dog standing next to her with their arms folded.

Toe sê die hond: “Maak my bed op!” Nozibele antwoord: “Ek het nog nooit ‘n bed vir ‘n hond opgemaak nie. ” “Maak op die bed of anders byt ek jou!” sê die hond. Toe maak Nozibele maar die bed op.

Then the dog said, “Make the bed for me!” Nozibele answered, “I’ve never made a bed for a dog.” “Make the bed, or I’ll bite you!” the dog said. So Nozibele made the bed.


A dog standing next to an open door talking to a girl and pointing.

Sy moes elke dag vir die hond kook, uitvee en was. Op ‘n dag sê die hond: “Nozibele, vandag gaan ek by vriende kuier. Vee die huis uit, kook die kos en was my goed voordat ek terugkom.”

Every day she had to cook and sweep and wash for the dog. Then one day the dog said, “Nozibele, today I have to visit some friends. Sweep the house, cook the food and wash my things before I come back.”


Someone putting a hair under a bed, behind a door and by a fence.

Toe die hond weg is, het Nozibele drie hare uit haar kop uitgetrek. Sy het een haar onder die bed gesit, een agter die deur en een in die kraal. Daarna het sy so vinnig as wat sy kon, huis toe gehardloop.

As soon as the dog had gone, Nozibele took three hairs from her head. She put one hair under the bed, one behind the door, and one in the kraal. Then she ran home as fast as she could.


An angry-looking dog.

Met sy terugkoms, het die hond na Nozibele gesoek. “Nozibele, waar is jy?” het hy geroep. “Ek is hier onder die bed ” het die eerste haar gesê. “Ek is hier, agter die deur,” het die tweede haar gesê. “Ek is hier, in die kraal,” het die derde haar gesê.

When the dog came back, he looked for Nozibele. “Nozibele, where are you?” he shouted. “I’m here, under the bed,” said the first hair. “I’m here, behind the door,” said the second hair. “I’m here, in the kraal,” said the third hair.


Three boys waving sticks and a girl standing behind them.

Die hond het geweet Nozibele het hom gekul. Hy het al die pad na die dorpie toe gehardloop. Maar Nozibele se broers het hom met groot stokke ingewag. Die hond het toe omgedraai en weggehardloop en is nooit weer gesien nie.

Then the dog knew that Nozibele had tricked him. So he ran and ran all the way to the village. But Nozibele’s brothers were waiting there with big sticks. The dog turned and ran away and has never been seen since.


Written by: Tessa Welch
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Fanie Viljoen, Helena Vilonel
Language: Afrikaans
Level: Level 3
Source: Nozibele and the three hairs from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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