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A rabbit jumping by the riverside.

Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie Why hippos have no hair

Written by Basilio Gimo, David Ker

Illustrated by Carol Liddiment

Translated by Elizma Hiscock, Helena Vilonel

Language Afrikaans

Level Level 2

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A rabbit walking by a riverside.

Haas het eendag langs die rivier verby gestap.

One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.


A hippo eating grass by a riverside.

Seekoei was ook daar, hy was besig om die sappige groen gras te eet.

Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.


A hippo stepping on a rabbit's foot.

Seekoei het nie vir Haas gesien nie en sy trap per ongeluk op Haas se voet. Haas het begin om op Seekoei te skree: “Jou Seekoei! Kan jy nie sien dat jy op my voet trap nie?”

Hippo didn’t see that Rabbit was there and she accidentally stepped on Rabbit’s foot. Rabbit started screaming at Hippo, “You Hippo! Can’t you see that you’re stepping on my foot?”


A rabbit holding its injured foot looking up at a hippo.

Seekoei het vir haas omverskoning gevra: “Ek is so jammer. Ek het jou nie gesien nie. Asseblief, vergewe my!” Haas wil egter nie luister nie en het op Seekoei geskree: “Jy het dit aspris gedoen! Jy sal nog sien, eendag sal jy kry wat jy verdien!”

Hippo apologised to Rabbit, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. Please forgive me!” But Rabbit wouldn’t listen and he shouted at Hippo, “You did that on purpose! Someday, you’ll see! You’re going to pay!”


A rabbit jumping next to fire.

Haas het toe vir Vuur gaan haal en sê toe: ” Gaan brand vir Seekoei wanneer sy uit die rivier uitkom om gras te eet. Sy het op my getrap!” Vuur antwoord vir Haas: “Geen probleem nie, Haas, my vriend. Ek sal doen net soos jy vra.”

Rabbit went to find Fire and said, “Go, burn Hippo when she comes out of the water to eat grass. She stepped on me!” Fire answered, “No problem, Rabbit, my friend. I’ll do just what you ask.”


A hippo running away from fire.

Later het Seekoei ver van die rivier af gras gaan eet. Ewe skielik “Whoosh!” Vuur begin brand. Die vlamme het Seekoei se hare begin brand.

Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.


A hippo crying in the river.

Seekoei begin huil en hardloop na die water toe. Al haar hare was afgebrand deur die vlamme. Seekoei het aanhou huil: “My hare het afgebrand in die vuur! My hare is alles weg! My pragtige hare!”

Hippo started to cry and ran for the water. All her hair was burned off by the fire. Hippo kept crying, “My hair has burned in the fire! My hair is all gone! My beautiful hair!”


A rabbit jumping by the riverside.

Haas was baie bly dat Seekoei se hare gebrand het. Oor hulle vrees vir vuur gaan seekoeie tot vandag toe nooit meer ver van die water af nie.

Rabbit was happy that Hippo’s hair was burned. And to this day, for fear of fire, the hippo never goes far from the water.


Written by: Basilio Gimo, David Ker
Illustrated by: Carol Liddiment
Translated by: Elizma Hiscock, Helena Vilonel
Language: Afrikaans
Level: Level 2
Source: Why hippos have no hair from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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