The audio for this story is currently not available.
Okakadona kanini oko ka mona tete eholoko loshinima shi li molupe likumwifa shi li okanano oku dja opo ka li.
It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.
Olupe loshinima eshi ola enda tali ehena popepi, okakadona oka dimbulukwa kutya mboli omukulukadi e li meteelelo ledalelwapeni, li he na efiku inali dalwa.
As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Noupenda ashike oke na ouxwenge, okakadona aka kanini oka ehena komukulukadi. “Otu na oku mu kaleka pufye,” ovakwao vokakadona osho va tokola. “Ohatu mu file oshisho opamwe nokaana kaye.”
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.”
Efimbo lokaana lokudalwa osho la fiki. “Likena” “Eteni omakumbafa!” “Omeva!” “Udula wa diinina!!”
The child was soon on its way.
“Push!”
“Bring blankets!”
“Water!”
“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”
Eshi va mona okaana oko ka dalwa, keshe umwe okwa nhuka nokweehena ko molwonghumwe! “Okandongwina?!”
But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock.
“A donkey?!”
Omadiladilo avo ova hovela oku a pataneka. “Otwa udaneka oku fila ina pamwe nokaana kaye oshisho, na otu na ashike oku shi ninga,” vamwe osho va ti. “Ava otave tu etele oshipwe!” vamwe tava i mo vali.
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.
Omukulukadi okwe lihanga e li mouwike natango. Okwa li a limbililwa kutya oku na oku ninga ngahelipi nokaana kaye aka ka kumwifi. Okwa li yo e na omalimbililo kutya ye mwene ote liningi ngahelipi.
And so the woman found herself alone again.
She wondered what to do with this awkward child.
She wondered what to do with herself.
Lwaxuuninwa okwa tambula, kutya aka okanona kaye, na oye ina yako.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.
Paife okaana ngeno oka kalele ashike kanini nokefike ashike opo kefike eshi ka dalwa, nena ngeno osha kala shi li nawa. Ashike okanona oka kula notaka kulu fiyo itaka dulu vali okukumininwa modikwa yaina. Okanona koovene nande ona ka kendabale, kakwa li taka dulu okulihumbata ngaashi omunhu. Ina okwa li alushe a loloka nokwa lulilwa. Efimbo limwe ohe ka longifa oilonga oyo hai longwa koinamwenyo.
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.
Engwangwano nehandu oya li tai fuluka momwenyo wokandongwina aka. Kakwa li taka dulu okuninga eshi ile shinya. Itaka dulu okukala ngaha ile ngahenya. Efiku limwe oka pwiduka noka lyata ina ndele take mu pundulile pedu.
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.
Ndongi okwa li a fya ohoni. Okwa faduka po naanaa ngaashi ta dulu ndele tai kokule.
Donkey was filled with shame. He started to run away as far and fast as he could.
Eshi a ka kanghama mokutondoka kwaye, Ndongi kakwa li a puka naapa e li ke shii po okwa li oufiku nokwa laula. “Oooih, oooih?” Ewi laye ole mu alukila “Oooih, oooih?” Okwa li oye aeke. Okwe litonya ndele ta kofa eemhofi doshitula ashike ka da li diwa.
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.
Ndongi okwa penduka ndele ta mono omulumenhu womweendanandjila omukulupe mu kumwifa te mu tongolola. Okwa tala omulumenhu ou odikilila ta hovele okumona omukumo mupe.
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.
Ndongi okwa ya ndee ta kala pomulumenhu ou womukulupe, oye e mu longa omikalo dihapu nghene e na okuxupa. Ndongi okwa pwilikina nawa nokulihonga, nomukulupe naye okwe lihonga sha muye. Ova kwafafana nova hafela 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.
Ongula yefiku limwe omulumenhu okwa pula Ndongi e mu humbate noku mu twale koxulo yondudu.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Mombadambada mokati koilemo aveshe va kwatwa keemhofi ndele tava kofa. Ndongi okwa twa ondjodi ina ta vele nokwa li te mu ifana. Eshi a papuduka meemhofi…
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
… oilemo nakaume kaye womukulupe ova kana po.
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Lwaxuuninwa Ndongi okwa shiiva osho e na okuninga.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Okwa hanga ina e li mouwike ta lili omona oo a kana. Ova talafana momesho efimbo lile ndee tava papatelafana va diininafana.
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.
Okandongwina naina ova kulila pamwe nove lihonga omikalo dihapu nghene tava dulu okukala pamwe. Kanini nakanini aveshe ovo va li momudingonoko wopopepi navo ova hovela oku va tambula ko.
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
Bertha Haimbodi
Oshikwanyama
Level 3
The audio for this story is currently not available.
