Nǂoahn he coa ǁ’ae sa koh ǂxan ko ǁ’aea ǃha-mh kosin ju ko ku ǃxoana ǁkae. Te ǁ’a ǁ’ae sa ju koh koara tosi ko da’a. Si koh ‘m tci tza’anasi. Nǃhai nǀe’esi koh kxae gǀaoh ko da’a khoea.
This story starts in the old times when animals and people lived together. In those days people did not have the right to fire. They ate their food raw. Only Lion had the power of fire.
Ju kota ǃhamh ǁkae ǁkae nǀang se du ǂ’ang nǀui. “Mǃa re du hatce ka nǃhai ǀ’an mǃa ko da’a ka mǃa nǀoan msi?” Si tsitsa’a. Siǃa ǁ’ae te ko siǃa te ǃhai gǀu ka cocoa ge’e ka ge’e, ka ǁ’am, ka ǃ’au ǁkae ǁkae ju wece. “Hoe djxani ǀxoa eǃa. Hoe djxani ǀxoa eǃa. Hoe djxani ǀxoa eǃa.”
The people and the animals came together to make a plan. “What can we do to get the fire from Lion so that we can cook our food?” they asked.
They decided to wait until evening and started singing and singing, clapping and clapping, calling everyone together.
“Come dance with us.
Come dance with us.
Come dance with us.”
ǃHamh sa ǂhai ǁama tzi te tsi ǁkae ǀxoa siǃa. ǁ’A siǃa djxani he ge’e. Nǃhai nǀhui da’a ǃaihan si te tani. Ha nǁahri te nǁhari. Te ǁ’ae ma tzema gǃoh gǀai. Nǃhai dchun te cete nǀhui ǁ’ai sa ǃkau te ǀ’u. Da’a coa te ku nǃom te ju nǀui woaqn to’a gu da’a ǃaihan. Ju woaqnsi coa te djxani, te djxani nǁhomi da’a.
Many animals came from the bush to join in the dancing and singing. Lion brought his fire sticks. He rubbed the sticks, rubbed and rubbed. Soon a little smoke appeared beneath the sticks. Lion blew on the smoke and added some dry grass.
A little flame appeared and everyone brought a piece of wood. Soon everyone was dancing around a fire.
ǃHai koh ǀxuri te o ǃha ma di’i. Te ju ǃoa ha, “ǁ’aea ke nǃhai ku djxani ǀxoa eǃa, a nǀhui ha da’a ǃaihansi nǀang ǃaah u.” Ha ka ǀoa xoana ka du khama nǃhai nǃom tsau.
Rabbit was a cunning and fast animal. The people said to him, “While we are singing here and while Lion is dancing with us, you must take his fire sticks and run.”
So Rabbit grabbed Lion’s fire sticks and ran. He did not make it because Lion caught up with him and brought the fire sticks back.
Nǃhai ge’e tzi nǃa’an. “Mi khoea ka ǀoa o tih. Mi koara tih. Mi sin ‘m ǀxoa a ko ǃkui, mi sin ‘m a xabe ǃkui koara. Mi koara tih. Iǃa wece o ‘msi ko mi khoea.”
The lion sang a boastful song:
“To me it does not matter.
I don’t have a problem.
I can eat you with hair,
I can eat you without hair.
I don’t have a problem.
All of you are food to me.”
ǂAqai ku ǃaah te ho ha ǀ’ae te khu tca di’i. Ju ǃoa ha, “ǁ’aea nǃhai djxani he ge’e ǀxoa eǃa, a ǂ’aun tsxatsxabi ha da’a ǃaihansi nǀang ǃaah u.”
Springbok could run and jump very fast. The people said to him, “While Lion is dancing and singing here with us, you must grab his fire sticks and run.”
ǁ’Ae siǃa djxanihe ge’e, ǂaqai tsxatsxabi ǃaiansi te khu te gǃa’ama ǁxao. Xabe ǁoeh nǃhai koe nǁae, “Hatce khoea re mi ǀoa tsa’a ha gǃoqbugǃoqbu kxui ko ha ǀkaisi taqm kxui ko mi ǃ’o nǃang?”
When they were dancing and singing, Springbok grabbed the fire sticks and jumped away into the veld. But Lion said, “Why do I not hear the clippety-clop clippety-clop of Springbok’s hooves behind me?”
Nǃhai mani te se tca ǂaqai ǁae ha da’a ǃaihansi he ku o ǃaah gǃa’ama ǁxao, ǁama ha nǁomgǃxa ǂaqai, te gu te nǀhui coea ha da’a ǃaihansi. ǀAma, nǃhai cete ge’e tzi nǃa’an.
Lion turned and saw Springbok running into the veld with his fire sticks. So he ran after Springbok, caught him and came back with his fire sticks.
Again, Lion sang his boastful song.
Te ju gomagoma khoe. Siǃa ko, “Ya kxoe m tsitsa’a ǀ’au. Ha tzema te cete di’di.” “ǀ’Au,” siǃa koh koe nǁae, “ǁ’Aea ke nǃhai djxani he ge’e ǀxoa mǃa ko khuinke, a nǀhui ha da’a ǃaihansi nǀang ǃaah u.”
Then the people whispered to each other. They said, “Let us ask Duiker. He is small and very fast.” “Duiker,” they said, “while Lion is dancing and singing here with us, you must grab his fire sticks and run away.”
ǁAea siǃa gea da’a tzi he djxani nǁhomi da’a, ǀ’Au tsxatsxabi da’a ǃaiahnsi te ǃaah gǃa’ama ǁxao. Xabe nǃhai ko, “Hatce re mi ǀoa tsa’a ha ǂaun kxui nǃana kaq?” Ha mani te nǁomgǃxa ha ǁ’a ǀ’au ma te nǀhuia ha ko da’a ǃaihansi te tani tsia ha ko da’a tzi.
When they were dancing around the fire, Duiker grabbed Lion’s fire sticks and ran into the veld. But Lion said, “Why do I not hear Duiker snort-snorting behind me as before?”
He turned around and chased after little Duiker who was leaping into the veld. Lion caught up with him and returned to the fire with his sticks.
Te nǃhai cete ge’e tzi nǃa’an. “Mi koara tih. Mi koara tih nǀui. Mi sin ‘m ǀxoa a ko ǃkui. Mi ‘m a xabe ka a kxae ǃkui. Khama iǃa o mi ‘msi.”
Again, Lion sang his boastful song.
“To me it does not matter.
I don’t have a problem.
I can eat you with hair,
I can eat you without hair.
I don’t have a problem.
All of you are food to me.”
“Eeh,” ju koe sea khoe, “ǃHama tcia ne hui mǃa? Dsuu ha ǃomsi gǂai’an, mǃa tsitsa’a ha.” Siǃa nǂoahn dsuu ko ǁ’a ǂ’anga, Te ha tsxatsxabu nǃhai da’a ǃaihansi te ǃaah.
“Oh,” sighed the people, “Which animal can help us now? Ostrich has the longest legs of all, let us ask him.” They explained the plan to Ostrich and he grabbed Lion’s fire sticks this time.
Nǃhai ko, “Hatce mi ǀoa tsa’a dohma nǃa’a he ge’ea mi ǃ’o nǃang ko koa ǃ’aice ke?” Ha se nǁhokhoe te ho dsuu te nǁom gǃxa.
Lion said, “Why do I not hear Ostrich’s high singing voice behind me anymore?” He looked around, saw Ostrich and chased after him.
Ko ǁ’aema gǂa’in ku ǂaun, nǃhai tsi gǀae ǀxoa ǀhoa ǁhuin. “ǁAma ǀama he khoea,” ha ko, “Mi ǁa’ike sin nǁah iǃa nǀui. Mi ǃaqe iǃa ka ǃxoe iǃa ka ‘m iǃa!” Te ka o tcin nǃhai ǁa’ike oo ge ǀxoa ju woaqnsi he o si horekxao he kahin ju ǁa’ike kxae gǀaoh ko da’a khoea.
After a long time, Lion returned with a tired face, for Ostrich ran too fast for him. “From this day on,” he said, “I will not leave any of you alone. I will hunt you and chase you and eat you!”
And this is how Lion came to be everyone’s enemy and how people got the power of fire.
Written by: Traditional San story
Illustrated by: Manyeka Arts Trust
Translated by: Tsemkxao Cwi, Gǂkao J. B. Kxao
Read by: Cwi Debe, Gǂkao J. B. Kxao, Kaqece Khallie N!ani, Kileni A. Fernando, Sylvia Fernandu, Tsemkxao Cwi
Traditional San story
Manyeka Arts Trust
Tsemkxao Cwi, Gǂkao J. B. Kxao
Cwi Debe, Gǂkao J. B. Kxao, Kaqece Khallie N!ani, Kileni A. Fernando, Sylvia Fernandu, Tsemkxao Cwi
Ju|’hoansi
Level 4
