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A bride surrounded by wedding guests cheering.

Ovyo a ghambire mukurwa Vusi wamukadona What Vusi's sister said

Written by Nina Orange

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Erwina N Kanyenge

Language Rumanyo

Level Level 4

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


An old woman thinking of a wedding, giving a boy an egg.

Ngurangura yayinene yaliyuva limwe vanyakulya Vusi ava muyita,”Vusi, nakanderere twara lino lighuta kuvakurona voye. Vana shana vaka kange limukuki lyalinene lyalikwareko lyamukuroye.”

Early one morning Vusi’s granny called him, “Vusi, please take this egg to your parents. They want to make a large cake for your sister’s wedding.”


A boy standing between two boys picking fruit and one of them holding a slingshot.

Mundjira yendi yakuyenda kuvakurona vendi, Vusi akugwanekere navamati vaviri vana kunyango nyango. Mumati umwe a nyangura Vusi lighuta linya kumwe nakuli toghona mushitondo. Lighuta a li taghuka.

On his way to his parents, Vusi met two boys picking fruit. One boy grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot it at a tree. The egg broke.


A boy telling the fruit pickers about the egg and the wedding.

“Vinke una ruwana ve?” A lili Vusi. “Lighuta linya ne lyakakangita shikuki. Shikuki shalikwareko lyamukurwande wamukadona. Vinke ngoli aka ghamba mukurwande nangeshi kapi kukara shikuki shalikwareko?”

“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That egg was for a cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. What will my sister say if there is no wedding cake?”


Two fruit pickers giving a boy a walking stick.

Vamati ava tapa mbili kovyo vamurenkaulire Vusi. “Kapi tu vhura kuvatera vyakuhamena kushikuki, ngoli tuna kara nampango oyo uka pa mukuroye,” a ghamba umwe wavo. Vusi atwikiri naruyendo rwendi.

The boys were sorry for teasing Vusi. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is a walking stick for your sister,” said one. Vusi continued on his journey.


A worried-looking boy standing next to two men building a house. One of the builders is holding a broken stick.

Kuntere yandjira a wana vakafumu vaviri kuna kudika ndjugho. “Kuvhura turuwanite ko osho shitondo shakudjindja ndi?” umwe wavo apura. Ano ngoli shitondo shino kapi shadjindja unene ashi ndi shi dike ndjugho, makura ashi tjoka.

Along the way he met two men building a house. “Can we use that strong stick?” asked one. But the stick was not strong enough for building, and it broke.


A boy telling the builders about the egg, the wedding and the walking stick.

“Vinke una ruwana ve?” A lili Vusi. “Oyinya mpango ne ngo ushwi wamukurwande wamukadona. Vanyangi nyango mbo vana mpo mpango mukondashi mbo vana taghuro lighuta lyakukangita shikuki. Shikuki shalikwareko lyamukurwande wamukadona. Weno kwato lighuta, kwato shikuki, ntani kwato ushwi. Vinke ngoli aka ghamba mukurwande?”

“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That stick was a gift for my sister. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”


Two builders giving a boy some thatch.

Vadiki ava tapa mbili kovyo vatjolire mpango. “Kapi tu vhura kuvatera kehe vino vyakuhamena kushikuki, ngoli tuna kara namushoni wamukuroye wamukadona,” aghamba umwe wavo. Makura Vusi a twikiri naruyendo rwendi.

The builders were sorry for breaking the stick. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is some thatch for your sister,” said one. And so Vusi continued on his journey.


A worried-looking boy standing next to a farmer feeding a cow some thatch.

Kuntere yandjira, Vusi a kugwanekere namunafarama nangombe yendi. “Mushoni kuutovali ne nke, kuvhura tupu ni ghupe ko kakadidi? a yi pura ngombe. Makura mushoni wapo aghu tovara unene dogoro ngombe ayi ghu li po nauntje!

Along the way, Vusi met a farmer and a cow. “What delicious thatch, can I have a nibble?” asked the cow. But the thatch was so tasty that the cow ate it all!


A boy telling the farmer about the egg, the wedding, the walking stick and the thatch.

“Vinke ghuna ruwana ve?” a lili Visi. “Oghunya mushoni kuna kara ushwi wamukurwande wamukadona. Vadiki ndjugho va mpo mushoni mukondashi kuna tjora mpango oyo vana mpa vanyangi nyango. Vanyangi nyango kuna mpa mpango mukondashi kuna taghura lighuta lyakukangita shikuki sha mukurwande wamukadona. Shikuki shalikwareko lyamukurwande. Weno kwato lighuta, kwato shikuki, ntani kwato nka ushwi. Vinke ngoli aka ghamba kukurwande?”

“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That thatch was a gift for my sister. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for my sister’s cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”


A farmer giving a boy a cow.

Ngombe ne kwato utapi, makurulya. Munafarama atokora ashi ngombe yina kona kuyenda naVusi yikare ndjo ushwi wamukurwendi wamukadona. Makura Vusi atwikiri kuyenda.

The cow was sorry she was greedy. The farmer agreed that the cow could go with Vusi as a gift for his sister. And so Vusi carried on.


A boy standing next to wedding guests eating.

Lihudi makura ngombe ayi duka yivyuke kwamunafarama paruvede rwamurarero. Ntani nka Vusi naye a puka ndjira yaruyendo rwendi. A hulilili unene katika kulikwarereko lyamukurwendi wamukadona. A ka wana vagenda vana vareke kare kulya.

But the cow ran back to the farmer at supper time. And Vusi got lost on his journey. He arrived very late for his sister’s wedding. The guests were already eating.


A boy telling the wedding guests about the cow, the thatch, the walking stick, the egg and the wedding.

“Vinke ni ruwana?” Vusi alili. “Ngombe yinya yina duko ngo ushwi, mulivango lya mushoni unya vana mpa vadiki ndjugho. Vadidi kuna mpa mushoni mukondashi mbo vana tjoro mpango oyo yina tundo kuvanyangi nyango. Vanyangi nyango kuna mpa mpango yinya mukondashi mbo vana taghuro lighuta yashikuki. Shikuki shalikwareko. Weno kwato lighuta, kwato shikuki, ntani kwato ushwi.”

“What shall I do?” cried Vusi. “The cow that ran away was a gift, in return for the thatch the builders gave me. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for the wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift.”


A bride surrounded by wedding guests cheering.

Mukurwa Vusi wamukadona aghayara tanko kadidi, makura nko kughamba weno ashi,”Vusi mughunyande, kapi nakara nashinka unene shakuhamena kuushwi. Kapi nakara nka shimpe nashina shakuhamena kushikuki! Vyamulyo atwe vano pano natuvantje, na hafa. Weno dwata ko ngoli vyuma vyoye vyaviwa makura tushange nakupembura mu liyuva lino! Makura Vusi naye avi ruwana weyo.

Vusi’s sister thought for a while, then she said, “Vusi my brother, I don’t really care about gifts. I don’t even care about the cake! We are all here together, I am happy. Now put on your smart clothes and let’s celebrate this day!” And so that’s what Vusi did.


Written by: Nina Orange
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Erwina N Kanyenge
Language: Rumanyo
Level: Level 4
Source: What Vusi's sister said from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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