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A bride surrounded by wedding guests cheering.

Osho omumwainakadona waVusi a ti What Vusi's sister said

Written by Nina Orange

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Fritz David

Language Oshikwanyama

Level Level 4

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


An old woman thinking of a wedding, giving a boy an egg.

Ongula inene fikulimwe inakulu ya Vusi okwe mu ifana, “Vusi tambula ei eli u litwale kovadali voye. Ova hala okuninga oshikuki shefundula lamumwanyoko.”

Early one morning Vusi’s granny called him, “Vusi, please take this egg to your parents. They want to make a large cake for your sister’s wedding.”


A boy standing between two boys picking fruit and one of them holding a slingshot.

Mondjila yokuya keumbo lovakulunhui vaye, Vusi okwa shakena noumati vavali tava likola oiimati. Okamati kamwe oka nyeka ko ei kuVusi ndele take li denge momuti. Ei ola tatauka po.

On his way to his parents, Vusi met two boys picking fruit. One boy grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot it at a tree. The egg broke.


A boy telling the fruit pickers about the egg and the wedding.

“Owa ninga ngahelipi ngaho?” Vusi ta kwena. “Ei olo ola li loshikuki. Oshikuki shefundula lomumwamemekadona. Mumwameme otaka tya ngahelipi ngeenge opa kala pehe na oshikuki shefundula?”

“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That egg was for a cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. What will my sister say if there is no wedding cake?”


Two fruit pickers giving a boy a walking stick.

Oumati ovali ve uditile Vusi onghenda eshi va shinda Vusi. “Itatu dulu vali okuninga sha kombinga yoshikuki, ashike apa ope na odibo ei oyamumwanyoko e ke litwile ko,” Okamati kamwe osho ka ti. Vusi okwa twikila nolweendo laye.

The boys were sorry for teasing Vusi. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is a walking stick for your sister,” said one. Vusi continued on his journey.


A worried-looking boy standing next to two men building a house. One of the builders is holding a broken stick.

Mondjila okwa shakena mo novalumenhu vavali tava tungu onduda/eumbo. “Natu longife po koshiti shoye molwaashi osha kola?” Umwe osho a pula. Ashike oshiti kasha li sha kola nokutungifa nomolwaasho osha teka.

Along the way he met two men building a house. “Can we use that strong stick?” asked one. But the stick was not strong enough for building, and it broke.


A boy telling the builders about the egg, the wedding and the walking stick.

“Omwa ninga ngahelipi ngaho?” Vusi ta kwena. “Oshiti osho osha li omaano amumwamemekadona. Ovalikoli voiimati ovo va pange oshiti osho shaashi va tatula po ei loshikuki. Oshikuki osha li shefundula lamumwamemekadona. Paife kape na ei, kape na oshikuki po, kape na omaano. Mumwameme ote ke shi tila ngahelipi?”

“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That stick was a gift for my sister. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”


Two builders giving a boy some thatch.

Ovatungi okwa li va eta onghenda eshi va teya oshiti. “Katu na vali osho hatu dulu okuninga kombinga yoshikuki, ashike tambula omwiidi wokuuvilika u twaalele mumwanyoko,” Omulumenhu umwe osho a ti. Nopo nee Vusi okwa twikila olweendo laye.

The builders were sorry for breaking the stick. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is some thatch for your sister,” said one. And so Vusi continued on his journey.


A worried-looking boy standing next to a farmer feeding a cow some thatch.

Mondjila Vusi okwa shakena mo nomunahambo e na ongobe. “Omwiidi muwa ngahelipi ou, iho pe nge yo okamhumbulu? Ongobe tai pula.?” Ashike omwiidi owa li munyenye unene ndele ongobe tai u li po aushe!

Along the way, Vusi met a farmer and a cow. “What delicious thatch, can I have a nibble?” asked the cow. But the thatch was so tasty that the cow ate it all!


A boy telling the farmer about the egg, the wedding, the walking stick and the thatch.

“Owa ninga nee ngahelipi ngaho?” Vusi osho a pula ta kwena. Omukuto oo owa li omaano amumwamemekadona. Nde u pewa kovatungi shaashi va teya po onhondje nde i pewa kovalikoli voiimati. Ovalikoli voiimati ove i pa nge shaashi va tatula ei la li loshikuki shamumwamemekadona. Oshikuki osha li shefundula yamumamemekadona. Paife kape na ei, kape na oshikuki shefundula lomumwamemekadona po kape na omaano. Mumwamememekadona ote ke shi tila ngahelipi?”

“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That thatch was a gift for my sister. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for my sister’s cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”


A farmer giving a boy a cow.

Ongobe oya li i udite onghenda eshi ya kwatwa koufukedi. Omunahambo okwa dimina opo Vusi a ye nongobe ongomaano omumwainakadona. Vusi okwa ya komesho nolweendo laye.

The cow was sorry she was greedy. The farmer agreed that the cow could go with Vusi as a gift for his sister. And so Vusi carried on.


A boy standing next to wedding guests eating.

Pefimbo ouvalelo tau liwa ongobe oya faduka po ya shuna komunahambo. Vusi okwa puka ondjila molweendo laye. Okwa fika a tokelwa koshivilohombolo shomumwaikadona. Okwa hanga ovaenda voshivilo tava li nale nokuli.

But the cow ran back to the farmer at supper time. And Vusi got lost on his journey. He arrived very late for his sister’s wedding. The guests were already eating.


A boy telling the wedding guests about the cow, the thatch, the walking stick, the egg and the wedding.

“Nandi ninge ngahelipi?” Vusi osho e lipula nenyeme. “Ongobe inya ya faduka po oyo ya li omaano, ya ya ponhele yomukuto ou nda pelwe kovatungi. Ovatungi ova pele nge omukuto shaashi vali va teya onhondje nde i pelwe kovalikoli voiimati. Ovalikoli voiimati ova pele nge onhondje shaashi va tatulile ei loku ka ninga oshikuki. Oshikuki osha li shoshivilohombolo. Paife ngaha ei kali po, kape na oshikuki po kape na omaano.”

“What shall I do?” cried Vusi. “The cow that ran away was a gift, in return for the thatch the builders gave me. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for the wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift.”


A bride surrounded by wedding guests cheering.

Omumwainakadona waVusi okwa diladila moule ndele ta ti,, “Vusi mumwameme, ame nghi na ko na sha unene nomaano. Ame nghi na yo noshikuki! Atushe otwa hangana apa, ame ondi yadi ehafo. Paife inda u ka djale oikutu yoye yoshivilo ndele hatu tyapula efiku eli!”naVusi osho a ninga.

Vusi’s sister thought for a while, then she said, “Vusi my brother, I don’t really care about gifts. I don’t even care about the cake! We are all here together, I am happy. Now put on your smart clothes and let’s celebrate this day!” And so that’s what Vusi did.


Written by: Nina Orange
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Fritz David
Language: Oshikwanyama
Level: Level 4
Source: What Vusi's sister said from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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