Download PDF
Back to stories list

A man walking with a tray of bananas on his head.

Tom omurandise wovipanana Tom the banana seller

Written by Humphreys Odunga

Illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku

Translated by Angelika Tjoutuku, Asnath Mundjindjiri

Language Otjiherero

Level Level 2

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


A man carrying a tray of bananas on his head.

Tom wa tjindi otjimbamba tjovipanana mbya hora.

Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.


A man walking with a tray of bananas on his head.

Tom ma i koruveze romarandisiro okukarandisa ovipanana.

Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.


People buying fruit at a market.

Ovandu pomatara ve randa ovihape.

People at the market are buying fruit.


A man standing at a banana stall.

Posiya kape na umwe ngu randa ovipanana vya Tom. Ovo ve vanga okuranda imbi vyovakazendu.

But no one is buying Tom’s bananas. They prefer to buy fruit from women.


A man sitting at a banana stall.

Motjiwaṋa tjetu ovakazendu uriri ombe randisa ovihape. “Omurumendu vi ngwi hapo?” ovandu va pura.

“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.


A man standing at a banana stall and people walking towards him.

Nungwari Tom ka umbu ohama. Eye aa ravaere, “Randee ovipanana vyandje. Randee ovipanana vyandje vyoutji mbya hora!” eye wa ravaere.

But Tom does not give up. He calls, “Buy my bananas! Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”


A woman holding a bunch of bananas and a man standing at a banana stall passing her bananas.

Omukazendu umwe wa toora epunda rovipanana okuza motjimbamba nevi tara nawa.

One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray. She looks at the bananas carefully.


A woman holding up a bunch or bananas in a market.

Omukazendu wa randa imbi ovipanana.

The woman buys the bananas.


A man standing at a banana stall and people walking towards him.

Ovandu ovengi ve ya ave randa ovipanana vya Tom nave vi ri.

More people come to the stall. They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.


A man standing with an empty tray at a market stall and people eating bananas.

Tjimanga otjimbamba mwa kara uriri. Tom wa vara imbi ovimariva mbya munu.

Soon, the tray is empty. Tom counts the money he earned.


A man buying items from a market stall and putting them in a tray.

Kuzamba Tom wa randa oheva, ouitji nomboroto na twa motjimbamba tje.

Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread. He puts the things in his tray.


A man carrying a tray on his head.

Tom wa twike otjimbamba kotjiuru tje na yaruka konganda.

Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.


Written by: Humphreys Odunga
Illustrated by: Zablon Alex Nguku
Translated by: Angelika Tjoutuku, Asnath Mundjindjiri
Language: Otjiherero
Level: Level 2
Source: Tom the banana seller from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Options
Back to stories list Download PDF