The audio for this story is currently not available.
Pa ri nokakazona ku ka tenga po okumuna imbwi omuhapo omukumise kokure.
It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.
Omuhapo tji we ya popezu, oko ka muna kutja omukazendu omuṱumba womayuva nga susupara.
As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Nohoṋi nouvanḓe, okakazona ka ryama popezu na ingwi omukazendu. “Ngatu muese ma kare puna eṱe.” ovandu vokakazona ngo va zuvasana nao. “Eṱe matu ve tjevere nawa nokanatje ke.”
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.”
Okanatje nambano ke ri mondjira. “Undura!” “Etee ovirare!” “Omeva!” “Unduuuuuura!!!”
The child was soon on its way.
“Push!”
“Bring blankets!”
“Water!”
“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”
Nu tji va munu inga okanatje, ovandu ave purukuta nave uruma tjinene. “Okasinona?!”
But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock.
“A donkey?!”
Ovandu ave utu okupatasanisa. “Ete twa tjere matu ṱiza nokutjevera omukazendu ngwi nokanatje ke, nu otji matu tjiti,” tjiva va tja. “Ovo mave tu yetere oseve!” varwe va tja.
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.
Tjimanga ingwi omukazendu we kerimuna tja sewa erike rukwao. Eye wa temenwe kutja okanatje ke okahimise nga nge ke tjite vi. Eye wina wa kuminwe kutja nge ritjite vi.
And so the woman found herself alone again.
She wondered what to do with this awkward child.
She wondered what to do with herself.
Korusenina eye wa ṱokuyakura kutja oko okanatje ke nu eye oina.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.
Nambano, nandaku okanatje make kara okaṱikona nao, atja rira omuano warwe. Nungwari okasinona nga ke kura nake kuru nga tji ke hi na okusora okuverekwa rukwao. Nandarire kutja oko ka rora omiano avihe, kaake yenene okuritjinda otjomundu. Ina potuingi aa kara a urwa nu e nombameno. Porumwe eye ee ke ungurisa oviungura mbya sokuungurwa i ovipuka.
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.
Omangongwaneno nomazenge vye ritunga moukoto wa Kasino. Eye kaa yenene okutjita hi poo hina. Eye kaa yenene okukara nai poo okukara nao. Eye wa pindika ngandu ndi eyuva rimwe tja veta ina omuse ne mu wisire pehi.
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.
Kasino wa ṱohoṋi tjinene. Eye wa tupuka hakahana okuzapo na i kehi rokokure.
Donkey was filled with shame. He started to run away as far and fast as he could.
Tja kakurama tjandje kwa zorere nu Kasino wa pandjara. Hii Hii?” Eye wa hokorisa indji onḓorera. “Hiii Hiii?” oyo ai mu hokorere wina. Eye wa ri erike. Eye we rihuhuta otjokambere, a rara ozomboṱu ozonde nu ozonḓeu.
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.
Kasino wa yanḓimuka na munu omurumendu wambangu omukururume ngu me mu tara. Eye wa tara momeho womukururume ngwi ne mu pe omaundjiro omape.
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.
Kasino wa kakara pamwe nomukururume ngwi neye e mu hongo omiano pekepeke vyokurihupisa. Ovo aave vaterasana nokuyora pamwe.
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.
Omuhuka umwe, omukururume wa ningirire Kasino kutja me mu tware kondomba yondundu.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Kombandambanda mokati kovikamba owo arire tji va rara. Kasino a roto kutja ina wa vera nu me mu isana. Nu tja yanḓimuka …
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
… ovikamba vya zenga pamwe na indi epanga re, omukururume.
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Kasino nambano ma tjiwa kutja nga tjite vi.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Kasino wa kavaza ina ama ririre omuatje we ngwa pandjara. Rutenga ve tji tarasana orure. Kuzamba ave rivarangasana oupame.
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.
Okasinona na mamaa wako kara pamwe nokupaha omiano omingi vyokuhupa pamwe. Kouṱiṱiṱiṱi, ovazamumwe varwe va kotoka okuye okutura.
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.
Lindiwe Matshikiza
Meghan Judge
Angelika Tjoutuku & Asnath Mundjindjiri
Otjiherero
Level 3
The audio for this story is currently not available.
