Rukuru tjinene pa ri neṱunḓu ewa rohange.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
Ovo kaave ru. Ovo aave vatere ovanene vavo ponganda na motjikunino.
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Nungwari kaave yandjerwa okuya meṋe yomuriro.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
Ovo aave sokuungura oviungura vyavo avihe uṱuku mena rokutja va ungurwa ponḓura.
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Nu omuzandu umwe aa zeri okukara momutenya.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
Eyuva rimwe onḓero ye ya rira onyingi tjinene. Omarumbi we ye mu tjaera…
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Nungwari tjandje pa kapitwa. Eyuva etwe ari mu zuzura.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
Ovatje vonḓura va hihamwa omitima tjinene okumuna omuangu wavo tji ma zuzuka.
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Okutja ovo ave paha ounongo. Ovo va toora indji onḓura nave ungura po okazera.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
Ovo va toora okazera okangu kavo nu ave katwa kombanda yondundu onde.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Eyuva tji ra zu, oko ake tuka amake imbura mohanya yomuhuka.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
Southern African Folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Angelika Tjoutuku, Asnath Mundjindjiri
Otjiherero
Level 2
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