Tom ǁae tan o ǁxukxam nǃumasi ga.
Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.
Tom ua khoe nǃa’an o nǂaiǁ’amasi ǁ’a ha u nǂaiǁ’ama ǁxukxam.
Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.
Ju sa gea nǂaiǁ’amasi ku ǁ’ama nǃumada’a.
People at the market are buying fruit.
Xabe ju nǀuia ǁ’ama Tom ǁxukxamsi koara. Si kare dshausi khoea ǁ’ama.
But no one is buying
Tom’s bananas.
They prefer to buy fruit from women.
“Eǃa juasi khoea, dshausi nǀanga khoe nǂai ǁama nǃuma da’a,” ju ko. “ǃ’Hoan tcia nere he?” Ju tsitsa’a.
“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.
Tom ǀoa ǂani. Ha ǃ’au, “ǁ’ama mi ǁxukxamasi! ǁAma mi ǁxukxam taq’i sa o mi masi!”
But Tom does not give up.
He calls, “Buy my bananas!
Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
Dashau nǀui gu gǃxa ǁxukxam ǁxuma gea tan nǃang. Ha ǂ’auce ce ǁxukxams.
One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray.
She looks at the bananas carefully.
Dshau ǁ’ama ǁxukxam.
The woman buys the bananas.
Jusa hai tsia ǁ’ama khoea. Siǃa ǁ’ama Tom ǁxukxamsi te ‘m ha.
More people come to the stall.
They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.
Nǃoosi, tan ǃae ǃxaua. Tom gǃoa mari sa ha ho.
Soon, the tray is empty.
Tom counts the money he earned.
ǁAma Tom ǁ’ama gǂoah, zo kota xai. Ha ǀ’ua ǁ’a tcisa ko tan nǃang.
Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread.
He puts the things in his tray.
Tom ǃura tan ko ha nǀai ka nǂau tjuǀho.
Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.
Humphreys Odunga
Zablon Alex Nguku
Kileni A. Fernando
Cwi Debe, Gǂkao J. B. Kxao, Kaqece Khallie N!ani, Kileni A. Fernando, Sylvia Fernandu, Tsemkxao Cwi
Ju|’hoansi
Level 2
