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An eagle standing on a rock looking down at a hen.

Oxuxwa nonhwa Hen and Eagle

Written by Ann Nduku

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Fritz David

Language Oshikwanyama

Level Level 3

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A hen and an eagle jumping.

Nale nale, Oxuxwa nonhwa ova li ookaume. Ova li ve na ombili needila. Kapa li nande odila ya li i shii okutuka.

Once upon a time, Hen and Eagle were friends. They lived in peace with all the other birds. None of them could fly.


A tired-looking eagle sitting next to a bare tree.

Efimbo limwe, moshilongo omwe ya ondjala. Onhwa oya li ina okweenda oshinano shile i ka konge oikulya. Ohai aluka ya loloka neenghono. “Ope na ngaho okukala pe na omukalo umwe mupu wokweenda!” Onhwa osho ye lipopile.

One day, there was famine in the land. Eagle had to walk very far to find food. She came back very tired. “There must be an easier way to travel!” said Eagle.


A hen surrounded by a variety of bird feathers.

Ongula eshi va penduka va kofolokwa nawa, Xuxwa okwa li e na ondungediladilo imwe ya dengambada. Okwa ongela omalwenya aeshe oo a li a duduka keedila dookaume kavo “Natu hondjeleni omalwenya aa kombada yomalwenya etu,” osho ya lombwele ookaume kayo ya ti: “Pamwe otashi ka pupaleka ngaho okweenda kwetu.”

After a good night’s sleep, Hen had a brilliant idea. She began collecting the fallen feathers from all their bird friends. “Let’s sew them together on top of our own feathers,” she said. “Perhaps that will make it easier to travel.”


An eagle with beautiful wings flying above a hen.

Onhwa oyo aike ya li i na mo ongwiya momukunda, onghee oyo ya tameka okuhondja tete. Okwe li hondjela epando lomavava liwa kuhe na vali ndele tali tuka mombada mokule lidule oxuxwa. Oxuxwa oya indila ongwiya nayo i hondjife omavava ayo, ashike oya loloka diva. Oya pungula ongwiya moshikopa ndele tai i kepata i ka longekidile ouxuxwena vayo oikulya.

Eagle was the only one in the village with a needle, so she started sewing first. She made herself a pair of beautiful wings and flew high above Hen. Hen borrowed the needle but she soon got tired of sewing. She left the needle on the cupboard and went into the kitchen to prepare food for her children.


Lots of birds with beautiful wings flying.

Eedila dikwao oda mona eshi onhwa tai tuka. Oda pula oxuxwa i di pe ongwiya, opo di lihondjele yo omavava. Diva diva ewangadjo oli yadi eedila tadi tuka nokutelaana.

But the other birds had seen Eagle flying away. They asked Hen to lend them the needle to make wings for themselves too. Soon there were birds flying all over the sky.


Three birds looking at a needle.

Odila yaxuuninwa eshi ya ka alula ongwiya, oxuxwa inai hangwa mo meumbo. Ouxuxwena ova pewa ongwiya ndee tava tameke oku i danena. Eshi va loloka okudanauka, ove i kanifila medu ndee tava i.

When the last bird returned the borrowed needle, Hen was not there. So her children took the needle and started playing with it. When they got tired of the game, they left the needle in the sand.


An eagle sitting on a tree branch and a hen looking for something in her kitchen.

Lwanima komatango fiku olo, onhwa oya aluka. Oya pula i kwafelwe ongwiya i pameke nawa omalwenya ayo amwe oo a yululukila molweendo laye. Oxuxwa oya konga ongwiya moshikopa. Oya tala yo kepata. Oya talaatala yo vali mehalandjadja loluumbo alishe, ashike ongwiya ine i mona.

Later that afternoon, Eagle returned. She asked for the needle to fix some feathers that had loosened on her journey. Hen looked on the cupboard. She looked in the kitchen. She looked in the yard. But the needle was nowhere to be found.


An eagle standing on a rock looking down at a hen.

“Pe nge ashike efiku limwe alike ndi konge natango,” Oxuxwa osho ya ilikana onhwa. “Ove u dule okuninga nawa omavava ove u shiive u tuke uye kokule u ka konge vali oikulya.” “Efiku limwe alike ohandi li ku pe”. Onhwa osho a ti: “Ngeenge ongwiya oyo owa kala ino i mona, ou na ashike okukala wa pa nge po kamwe komouxuxwena voye ongofuto.”

“Just give me a day,” Hen begged Eagle. “Then you can fix your wing and fly away to get food again.” “Just one more day,” said Eagle. “If you can’t find the needle, you’ll have to give me one of your chicks as payment.”


A hen scratching in the sand and an eagle flying above.

Onhwa eshi ya aluka mefiku la shikula ko, oya hanga oxuxwa tai hade medu ndele ongwiya inai i mona. Onhwa oya tuka neendelelo, ndee tai vakula po okaxuxwena kamwe. Oye ka humbata po ndele tali i nako. Okudja tuu kefiku olo, shimha oxuxwa ya mono onhwa ohai hovele tai hade ongwiya yovanhu medu.

When Eagle came the next day, she found Hen scratching in the sand, but no needle. So Eagle flew down very fast and caught one of the chicks. She carried it away. Forever after that, whenever Eagle appears, she finds Hen scratching in the sand for the needle.


The shadow of an eagle in the sand and three chicks running.

Shimha tuu oxuxwa ya mono omudidimbe wonhwa pedu, ohai okulondwele ouxuxwena vayo. “Fikameni mu dje moluhaela nomedu olo likukutu lihe na sha.” Vo ohava nyamukula tava ti: “Fyee katu fi omalai. Ohatu faduka po.”

As the shadow of Eagle’s wing falls on the ground, Hen warns her chicks. “Get out of the bare and dry land.” And they respond: “We are not fools. We will run.”


Written by: Ann Nduku
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Fritz David
Language: Oshikwanyama
Level: Level 3
Source: Hen and Eagle from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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