It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.
Apa runa kushenya rutu pepi, makura a kenge ashi nani mukamali wamarutu maviri walipumba lyalinene.
As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Ntjoni ngoli utjimantu, mukadona a shenya pepi-peni namukamali uno. “Tuna hepa kukara naye,” Ava tokora vantu vakaliro namukadona. “Kutu va kunga naye namonendi.”
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.”
Mukeke kara mundjira ana kara ya kumushampuruka. “Kukeme!” “Yitenu ngugho dendi!” “Mema!” “Kukemeeeee!!!”
The child was soon on its way.
“Push!”
“Bring blankets!”
“Water!”
“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”
Ngoli opo va kengire mukeke, kehe uno a vatuka avyuke munyima kushitetu. “Shidongi?”
But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock.
“A donkey?!”
Kehe uno atameke ngoli nakukanyeka. “Tuna ghamba ashi kutu va kengera vawina namona muntu nawa, mbyo tu ruwana mbyovyo,” ava ghamba vamwe. “Mara kuva tuyitira ngoli lihudi sha!” ava ghamba vamwe.
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.
Makura mukamali akara nka mpentjendi. A tameke kukupura mwene ashi vinke arughana naunya mwanuke wakutetukita. Ntani akupura nka ashi vinke avhura kurughana ko kwanaumwendi pauntu wendi.
And so the woman found herself alone again.
She wondered what to do with this awkward child.
She wondered what to do with herself.
Makura muruhulilira nko kuvitambura tupu ashi unya ndje monendi wamumati ntani uye ndje nyokwa.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.
Oghunya mwanuke ndi kwa kalire tupu namutika umwe waudidi hasha ndi navintje vyawapire tupu. Ano ngoli shidongi ghona shino ashi kuru nakukura unene dogoro kapi nka ana kugwana mo mumughongo wavawina. Ntani kakondjanga ashi ndi akare yira muntu naye, ngoli kapi avhulire kunegheda nkalito yashiuntu. Vawina kehepano kava rorokanga kumwe nakukupakera shinka. Maruvede ghamwe kumupa viruwana ovyo vyawapero kurughana vikorama.
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.
Lipiyagano naugara aghu kungangere munda yamutjima waShidongi ghona. Kapi avhuranga kuruwana vino ntani kapi arughananga vinya. Kapi avhuranga kukara yira weno ntani kapi avhuranga kukara yira unya. Makura aya garapa shiri liyuva limwe a tanga vawina ava were palivhu.
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.
Shidongi makura ashi kufu ntjoni. Makura ashi tameke kuduka shikayende kwaure kuno shasho kuna kuduka unene.
Donkey was filled with shame. He started to run away as far and fast as he could.
Opo shakashaghekire kuduka, liyuva lyayo lina toko matiku, makura Shidongi ashi puka. “Ooghiii oghiiii?” ashi ghoghotere mundema. “Ooghiii oghiiii?” a shi vyukirimo nka. Shasho pentjasho tii. Ashi kupetayiki rutu rwasho rukare yira bala yakudjindja, makura ashi porokere muturo twakufa nakurambuka ngoli kapishi turo twatuwa.
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.
Opo sharambukire kukenga ko tupu mukondi wamukafumu wakutjilita ogho ana kushinungurukiro opo sha ralire. Makura nasho ashi kenge mumantjo mukondi unya kumwe nakukara nalikuyuvho lyalihuguvaro.
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.
Liyuva limwe, mukondi unya arenke Shidongi shi mutware kuwiru yandundu.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Kuwiru wiru mukatji kamaremo ava ka porokera muturo. Shidongi ashi roto ashi vawina kuna kuvera makura kuna kumuyita. Opo sha rambukire …
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Shidongi makura ashi yiva ashi vinke shiruwana.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Shidongi ashi ka wana vawina, pantjavo okuno vavo vana guvu kuna kulira monavo. Makura ava kunwiki muruvede rwarure. Makura ava kushamberere nakukumamatera mavoko muntingo unene-nene.
Donkey found his mother, alone and mourning her lost child. They stared at each other for a long time.
And then hugged each other very hard.
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.
