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A lion watching people dancing around a fire.

Tutondo twaNyime twamundiro Lion's fire sticks

Written by Traditional San story

Illustrated by Manyeka Arts Trust

Translated by Peter Linyando Likoro

Language Rumanyo

Level Level 4

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


A lion, a fire, and fire sticks.

Shitimwitira kuna kuvarekera kushikuru opo vya tungire vikorama kumwe navantu. Mumayuva ghanya vantu kapi valire naunakondo wakumundiro. Kavalyanga ndya dadivishu. Nyime ndje tupu a kaliro na nkondo damundiro.

This story starts in the old times when animals and people lived together. In those days people did not have the right to fire. They ate their food raw. Only Lion had the power of fire.


People and animals standing together.

Vantu navikorama ava kupakerere ngoli va tunge po lighano.” Vinke ovyo tu vhura kurughanako mukurenka ashi natwe tuwanane mundiro kwaNyime mposhi ngatu terekange ndya detu?” Ava kupura. Ava tokora kutaterera dogoro ngurorova makura ava vareke ngoli kuyimba, kukanda nakukanda, nakuyita kehe uno vaye pamwe. ” Yiyenu muwa Dane natwe. Yiyenu muwa dane natwe. Yiyenu muya dane natwe.”

The people and the animals came together to make a plan. “What can we do to get the fire from Lion so that we can cook our food?” they asked. They decided to wait until evening and started singing and singing, clapping and clapping, calling everyone together. “Come dance with us. Come dance with us. Come dance with us.”


People and animals dancing around a fire.

Vikorama vyaviyingi kwatundire muwiya viya kupakerere kudana nakuyimba. Nyime a yita tuntondo twendi twamundiro. Gha roro tutondo, a tutoro a tutoro. Kadidi tupu kamuti aka tutumuka kuntji yatutondo. Nyime afudiliri kukamuti kanya kumwe nakukonkerako mushoni wakukuta. Kamundiro aka twera makura kehe uno a yita shikuni shendi. Muruku tupu kadidi kehe navantje ava vareke kudana vadingurukide mundiro.

Many animals came from the bush to join in the dancing and singing. Lion brought his fire sticks. He rubbed the sticks, rubbed and rubbed. Soon a little smoke appeared beneath the sticks. Lion blew on the smoke and added some dry grass. A little flame appeared and everyone brought a piece of wood. Soon everyone was dancing around a fire.


A rabbit walking with fire sticks on its back.

Ndimba kwakalire shikashama shamayere na maghuru. Ava mu tantere vantu, “Pashirugho shino tuna kuyimba ntani momo ana kudana natwe Nyime pano, kanyangure tutondo twendi twamundiro makura uka duke.” Ndimba aka nyangura tutondo twamundiro twaNyime aka duka. Kapi vya mu tompokire mukondashi Nyime a mukwaminikidire a kaghupako tutondo twendi twamundiro.

Rabbit was a cunning and fast animal. The people said to him, “While we are singing here and while Lion is dancing with us, you must take his fire sticks and run.” So Rabbit grabbed Lion’s fire sticks and ran. He did not make it because Lion caught up with him and brought the fire sticks back.


A lion with fire sticks.

Nyime a yimbi rushumo rwendi rwakukupandayika: ” kwande ame na burwashi. Kapi nakara naudito. Kuvhura kulya ove wahuki, kuvhura kukulya ove wakupira huki. Kapi naki nakara nashinka ame. Namuvantje ndya dande

The lion sang a boastful song: “To me it does not matter. I don’t have a problem. I can eat you with hair, I can eat you without hair. I don’t have a problem. All of you are food to me.”


People dancing around a fire and a springbok looking at them.

Mbambi kuduka nakukwangura kuvatuka. Ava mu renke vantu, Pashirugho ana kudana nakuyimba natwe Nyime, una hepa katjombora tutondo twendi twamundiro makura uka dukite.

Springbok could run and jump very fast. The people said to him, “While Lion is dancing and singing here with us, you must grab his fire sticks and run.”


A springbok walking with fire sticks on its back.

Opo vayimbire nakudana, Mbambi anyangura tutondo twamundiro a vatukiri muvishwa. Nyime a ghamba, “morwanke nakupilira kuyuva makondo kuruku Rwanda?”

When they were dancing and singing, Springbok grabbed the fire sticks and jumped away into the veld. But Lion said, “Why do I not hear the clippety-clop clippety-clop of Springbok’s hooves behind me?”


A springbok walking away from a lion with fire sticks.

Nyime a piruka nko kumona Mbambi kuna kuduka ayende kuvishwa na tutondo twendi twamundiro. A tjida Mbambi, a mukwata akavyuka naye natutondo twendi twamundiro. Shimpe nka, Nyime a twikiri nka kuyimba rushumo rwakukupandayika.

Lion turned and saw Springbok running into the veld with his fire sticks. So he ran after Springbok, caught him and came back with his fire sticks. Again, Lion sang his boastful song.


People dancing around a fire and a duiker looking at them.

Makura vantu ava kuvovotere. Ava ghamba, “Tokwenu tu rughanite Mpundja. Uwa ne mudidi ntani nka kuyomona unene.” “Mpundja” ava ghamba, “pashirugho shino ana kudana nakuyimba natwe Nyime, una hepa ka nyangura tutondo twendi twamundiro makura uka duke.”

Then the people whispered to each other. They said, “Let us ask Duiker. He is small and very fast.” “Duiker,” they said, “while Lion is dancing and singing here with us, you must grab his fire sticks and run away.”


A duiker walking with fire sticks on its back.

Opo vadanine kulidiko, Mpundja anyangura tutondo twamundiro twaNyime makura uka dukire muvishwa, “Vinke nakupulira kuyuva kaywi kaMpundja kumughongo wande yira moomo tuna vareke?” Apiruka a tjide kaMpundjaghona kanya kavataukiro kayende muvishwa. Nyime aka kwata kumwe nakukashakana tutondo twendi twamundiro.

When they were dancing around the fire, Duiker grabbed Lion’s fire sticks and ran into the veld. But Lion said, “Why do I not hear Duiker snort-snorting behind me as before?” He turned around and chased after little Duiker who was leaping into the veld. Lion caught up with him and returned to the fire with his sticks.


A lion with fire sticks.

Shimpe nka, Nyime a yimbi rushomo rwendi rwaruwa. “Kwande ko ame na burwashi. Kapi nakara naudito. Kuvhura kmulya anwe vahuki, kuvhura kumulya anwe vakupita huki. Namuvantje ndya dande.

Again, Lion sang his boastful song. “To me it does not matter. I don’t have a problem. I can eat you with hair, I can eat you without hair. I don’t have a problem. All of you are food to me.”


An ostrich.

“Oh,” ava renke vantu, “shikorama munke shi vhuro kutuvatera? Mpo akara namaghuru ghamare kupitakana Natuvantje, tokwenu tu mu pure,” ava mufwatwiliri lighano linya makura Mpo a nyangura tutondo twaNyime twamundiro shirugho shino.

“Oh,” sighed the people, “Which animal can help us now? Ostrich has the longest legs of all, let us ask him.” They explained the plan to Ostrich and he grabbed Lion’s fire sticks this time.


A lion and an ostrich with fire sticks on its back.

Nyime a ghamba, “morwanke nakupulira kuyuva liywi lyampo lina kuyimbo kuruku rwande?” A vemaura, a mono mpo nko kumutjida.

Lion said, “Why do I not hear Ostrich’s high singing voice behind me anymore?” He looked around, saw Ostrich and chased after him.


A person holding fire sticks surrounded by animals, and a lion looking at them.

Muruku rwashirugho shashire, nyime a ka vyuka naliroroko lyalinene, mpo nko kudukira wangu-wangu kwendi. “Kutunda liyuva lyanamuntji,” a ghamba, “kapi nka ngani mushuva. Ngani mushana nakumu tjida nakumulya!” Ntani weno mo ngoli vyakara ashi dogoro nyime aya kare nkore wakehe uno ntani weno vantu mo va wanine mundiro.

After a long time, Lion returned with a tired face, for Ostrich ran too fast for him. “From this day on,” he said, “I will not leave any of you alone. I will hunt you and chase you and eat you!” And this is how Lion came to be everyone’s enemy and how people got the power of fire.


Written by: Traditional San story
Illustrated by: Manyeka Arts Trust
Translated by: Peter Linyando Likoro
Language: Rumanyo
Level: Level 4
Source: Lion's fire sticks from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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