The audio for this story is currently not available.
Eli ehokololo tali popi kombinga yokadila Ohole omuuliki womaadi eenyiki nomulumenhu womunyasha nomunalwisho wedina Gingile. Efiku limwe Gingile manga a li a ya koukongo, okwa uda ewi lokadila Ohole oko ke shi apa hapa kala eenyiki. Gingile mokuuda ewi eli okwa li ta yeya mokudiladila ounyenye womaadi eenyiki. Okwa kala ofika ndele ta pupu nokupwilikina noukeka, ye ta lengalenga nokukonga okadila fiyo ote ka mono ke li moitai yomuti pombada yomutwe waye. “Tyiki-tyiki, tyiki-tyiki” okadila kanini okwa li taka sheketa mokule, eshi taka tuka okudja komuti umwe ka yuka komuti mukwao. “Tyiki-tyiki, Tyiki-tyiki” osho taka ifana, ko taka nambele po kanini taka shilipaleke kutya Gingile okwa shikula mo ngaho.
This is the story of Ngede, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gingile.
One day while Gingile was out hunting he heard the call of Ngede. Gingile’s mouth began to water at the thought of honey. He stopped and listened carefully, searching until he saw the bird in the branches above his head.
“Chitik-chitik-chitik,” the little bird rattled, as he flew to the next tree, and the next.
“Chitik, chitik, chitik,” he called, stopping from time to time to be sure that Gingile followed.
Konima yetata lovili, ova fika pomukwiyu wa kula. Ohole okwa li ta ndjobauka moitai yomukwiyu. Okwa nambela koshitai shimwe, ndele ta komona komutwe ongo ta lombwele Gingile ta ti: “Omaadi oo aa! Ila paife! Omolwashike tashi ku pula efimbo lile? Gingile ka li e wete nande onyiki imwe koshi yomuti okwa li ashike e na elineekelo muOhole.
After half an hour, they reached a huge wild fig tree.
Ngede hopped about madly among the branches. He then settled on one branch and cocked his head at Gingile as if to say, “Here it is! Come now! What is taking you so long?”
Gingile couldn’t see any bees from under the tree, but he trusted Ngede.
Gingile okwa tula eonga laye poshi koshi yomuti, ta ongele outi vouxwapata ndele ta tema omundilo. Eshi omundilo wa xwama okwa tula oshiti shikukutu shile mokati kediko lomundilo wa yaka. Oshiti eshi oshi shiivike nawa, shaashi ohashi lundumuka omwifi uhapu ngeenge tashi pi. Okwa londa osho komuti, e shi humbata nomayoo, kombingo yoshiti oko ku na omundilo.
So Gingile put down his hunting spear under the tree, gathered some dry twigs and made a small fire.
When the fire was burning well, he put a long dry stick into the heart of the fire. This wood was especially known to make lots of smoke while it burned.
He began climbing, holding the cool end of the smoking stick in his teeth.
Divadiva, oku udite omuumo weenyiki tadi ingaana eshi ta di tuka. Eenyiki okwa li de lipyakidila dimwe otadi di ko komututu do dimwe otadi shuna komututu oko ku na eshila lomaadi eenyiki. Eshi Gingile a fika opo pe na eshila lomaadi eenyiki, okwa xwela ko oxulo yoshikuni osho tashi twimaana omwifi komututu. Enyiki oda dja ko komututu meendelelo tadi ingaana da handuka nokupindjala. Oda tuka ko komututu tadi faduka po shaashi ka di hole omwifi. Ashike manga inadi ya onhapo oda lya nokufiila Gingile eehengo da wana notadi luluma.
Soon he could hear the loud buzzing of the busy bees. They were coming in and out of a hollow in the tree trunk – their hive.
When Gingile reached the hive he pushed the smoking end of the stick into the hollow.
The bees came rushing out, angry and mean. They flew away because they didn’t like the smoke – but not before they had given Gingile some painful stings!
Eshi eenyiki da dja mo, Gingile okwa ya komututu neenyala daye ndee ta kufa mo oifima nomashila omaadi eenyiki oo okwa li taa shisha keenyala. Okwa tula omashila omaadi eenyiki momhunda oyo kwa li a humbata komapepe aye ndee ta londoloka ko komuti.
When the bees were out, Gingile pushed his hands into the nest. He took out handfuls of the heavy comb, dripping with rich honey and full of fat, white grubs.
He put the comb carefully in the pouch he carried on his shoulder, and started to climb down the tree.
Ohole okwa li ta tale nokukonenena ashishe osho sha li tashi ningwa kuGingile. Ye okwa li a teelela Gingile e mu fiile po omaadi ongolupandu komuuliki weenyiki. Ohole okwa li ta nhuka noitai okudja kushimwe a yuka kushikwao e li moihaindje yomuti. Gingile eshi ta londoloka nokwa fika pedu lomuti. Ngede okwa li ta shomona kemanya li li popepi nokamati aka Gingile, a teelela olupandu laye.
Ngede eagerly watched everything that Gingile was doing. He was waiting for him to leave a fat piece of honeycomb as a thank-you offering to the Honeyguide.
Ngede flittered from branch to branch, closer and closer to the ground. Finally Gingile reached the bottom of the tree.
Ngede perched on a rock near the boy and waited for his reward.
Ashike Gingile okwa dima ashike omundilo, ta toola po eonga laye ndele ta ende a shune keumbo, noina pupa ko nande okadila. Ngede okwa tameka nokusheketa mokule ta ti “VIK-too! VIK-too!” Gingile okwa kala ofika ta tale ye ta nongonona okadila, ndele ta yolo mokule. Okwa pula okadila ta ti “Hano owa hala omaadi eenyiki kaume kange? Ha! Gingile ta yolo ashike aame nda longa oilonga aishe navali ame onda lika keenyiki. Omolwashike mbela tu na oku tukulilafana omaadi aa eenyiki mawa mawa ngaha? Gingile mokupula ngaha okwa ya. Ohole okwa li a fita po neenghono. Okwa li e udite kutya Gingile ita dulu oku mu ninga nai ngaho. Okwe mu kwatela onghone onghene naye oku na oku mu ningila sha shii.
But, Gingile put out the fire, picked up his spear and started walking home, ignoring the bird.
Ngede called out angrily, “VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!”
Gingile stopped, stared at the little bird and laughed aloud. “You want some honey, do you, my friend? Ha! But I did all the work, and got all the stings. Why should I share any of this lovely honey with you?” Then he walked off.
Ngede was furious! This was no way to treat him! But he would get his revenge.
Konima yoivike imwe imwe, Gingile okwa uda ewi laOhole te mu ifanene omaadi eenyiki. Ewi ole mu dimbulukifa omaadi eenyiki manyenye nokwa kwata kohokwe yokushikula okadila aka natango. Konima eshi Gingile a kala nokushikula mo, konima eshi Ohole a twalatwala Gingile konghulo nomufitu, okwa tokola okufuda po ndele ta nambele koshi yengade leno la kula. “Ahh” Gingile ta diladila. “Eenyiki opo di na okukala di li apa, odi na okukala di li momuti omu.” Okwa endelela a shakale omundilo waye ndee ta tameke okulonda komuti, noshikuni shomwifi sha humbatwa nomayoo. Okadila Ohole okwa li e li omutumba te mu tale nawa.
One day several weeks later Gingile again heard the honey call of Ngede. He remembered the delicious honey, and eagerly followed the bird once again.
After leading Gingile along the edge of the forest, Ngede stopped to rest in a great umbrella thorn. “Ahh,” thought Gingile. “The hive must be in this tree.” He quickly made his small fire and began to climb, the smoking branch in his teeth. Ngede sat and watched.
Gingile okwa londa ashike okwa li a limbililwa molwaashi kakwa li nande e udite eenyiki tadi duma. “Shiimba eshila leenyiki oli li pombada pokule. Osho a diladila.” Okwa twikila okulonda kouxulonyono woshitayi shimwe shomuti. Ashike ponhele yokumona eenyiki, okwa haluka eshi ve lidenga oipala mumwe netotongwe lekadi. Etotongwe okwa li la handuka neenghono molwaashi ola nyonenwa eemhofi dalo. Etotongwe ola fifikinifa omesho alo kanini ndee tali akameke okanya kalo ka pwa ko tali kenya omayoo makula a honga neenghono.
Gingile climbed, wondering why he didn’t hear the usual buzzing. “Perhaps the hive is deep in the tree,” he thought to himself. He pulled himself up another branch. But instead of the hive, he was staring into the face of a leopard!
Leopard was very angry at having her sleep so rudely interrupted. She narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to reveal her very large and very sharp teeth.
Etotongwe, manga inali mu nhukila, Gingile divadiva okwa londoloka ko komuti. Molwokweendelela kwaye okwa ponya oshitai opo a li e na okulyata. Okwa wa ko komuti ndee te lidenge poshi. Ta fonghoka pokamhando. Okwa ya ta shongoloka ta endelele. Lao linene, etotongwe okwa li la fya eemhofi unene, nokakwa li nokuli tali dulu oku mu taataa. Ohole omuuliki womaadi eenyiki e likufa onghone yaye, naGingile okwe lihonga oshilongwa.
Before Leopard could take a swipe at Gingile, he rushed down the tree.
In his hurry he missed a branch, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground twisting his ankle. He hobbled off as fast as he could. Luckily for him, Leopard was still too sleepy to chase him. Ngede, the Honeyguide, had his revenge.
And Gingile learned his lesson.
Ovana vaGingile eshi va uda ehokololola laOhole ova tameka okufimaneka okadila aka kanini. Ngeenge tava likola omaadi eenyiki okwa li hava fi oshisho kutya ova filla po okadila aka omaadi a wana.
And so, when the children of Gingile hear the story of Ngede they have respect for the little bird. Whenever they harvest honey, they make sure to leave the biggest part of the comb for Honeyguide!
Zulu folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Bertha Haimbodi
Oshikwanyama
Level 4
The audio for this story is currently not available.
