Djxa Zambezi nǃang Swimming in the Zambezi
Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa
Kleopas Jambeinge
Sylvia Fernandu
Cwi Debe, Gǂkao J. B. Kxao, Kaqece Khallie N!ani, Kileni A. Fernando, Sylvia Fernandu, Tsemkxao Cwi
Ju|’hoansi
Level 4
Ka koh o Sondah gǃoa. Te ǁ’ohm sa o ǀusese koh ǁxaeǁxaea Musikili ǃahina din ko Kaprivi.
It was a bright sunny Sunday afternoon. The young girls in Lusese were gathering under the branches of the biggest Musikili tree in Caprivi.
Zoqin dohma sa o si gasi koh tsa’a ka ǀ’ae ko tjuǀho nǃang waqnsi. Si koh ǃ’au si ǂarasi. “Nakamwu, mi ǃ’hai a.” “Ko coa, Chaze.” “Silume! We!”
The excited buzz of their voices was heard all over the village. They called their friends. “Nakamwu, I’m waiting for you.” “Hurry up, Chaze.” “Silume! Come on!”
Maria koh kxoa nǁo Ntwala. Ntwala nǂai djxa siǃa ko Sondah nǀui waqnne. “Ntwala! Ntwalee! Ntwalaa! Ntwaloo!” ha koe ǃ’au.
Maria looked around for Ntwala. Ntwala took them swimming every Sunday. “Ntwala! Ntwalee! Ntwalaaa! Ntwaloo!” she called.
Ntwala ǃ’au ǁama tjuǀho ǃan nǀui te ko, “Mim he! Te ǃ’hai a.” ǁ’Hom waqn he ǃaah kxoa ha.
Ntwala shouted from the other side of the village, “I’m here! I’m waiting for you.” All the girls ran to find her.
“I re toto ǀ’an iǃa ǀ’aesi ko djxa ko ǀama he wa?” Ntwala tsitsa’a siǃa. “Ehee.” Siǀa ǃau ǀxoa ǃka nǀang te ku khu taqm ka zoqin.
“Are you ready to go swimming today?” Ntwala asked them. “Yes,” they shouted happily as they hopped and jumped with excitement.
Ka si cu he ku nǂaoh gǂaeh a ǃxom Ntwala tsin te ku nǂoahn nǂoahnsi. “Nǂoahn eǃa ko ǁ’aea nere gǃu nǃa’an-nǃa’an koh gǃa’ama tjuǀho nǃang,” Siǃa koe nǁae. “Nǂoahn eǃa ko ǀAri kota gǀoahra tci ooa.”
As they walked to the river Ntwala told them stories. “Tell us about when our village was flooded,” they called. “Tell us about the Jackal and the Baboon.”
ǃXom ǃxa’ama kaqe ǃahina nǃa’an koh nǀanga. Te ǁ’hom koh kxoa ǀ’an Ntwala ko kaqe nǀai nǃa’an.
Beside the river there was an enormous Marula tree. The girls looked for the biggest marula fruit for Ntwala.
“Mi ho ka nǃa’an-nǃa’an,” Joy koe nǁae. Te ǀ’an ka ko Ntwala.
“I’ve got the biggest,” shouted Joy. She gave her marula fruit to Ntwala.
“Iǃa ka gǀae djxa,” Ntwala koe ǃoa ǁ’hom. Siǃa wagnsi ǃaah gǃa’ama gǃu ǃka, siǃa ǃau ka ǁ’aqiǁ’aqin tshi ka siǃa tsa’a Zambezi ǃxom gǃua ǂ’aua ta’msi.
“Off you go and swim,” said Ntwala to the girls. They all ran into the water, shrieking and giggling as they felt the cold water of the Zambezi River.
Ntwala koh nǃuan ǃan. Ha koh se ǂ’oqnisih. Ha se tca ǁ’hom ǃae ǃae oo nǂuianakhoe. Ha se tca ǁ’hommh o kuia gǃu kota nǃaroh djxa.
Ntwala stood on the bank. She watched for crocodiles. She watched the older girls racing and diving. She watched the younger girls splashing and learning to swim.
“Guua khoe ǁ’aea” ha koh koe ǃau ǃoa siǃa. “Gǁa nǀae.” Ha koh ǁ’hai tsau kaqe nǀai nǃa’an-nǃa’an. Ha koh nǃoa ǀ’u ǂxan ka ko gǃu ǃka.
“Competition time,” she shouted at last. “Stand in a line.” She picked up the biggest marula fruit. She threw it as far as she could into the water.
“Nǀe’e, tsan, nǃani to’a!” ha koe nǁae. Da’abi ǃaah gǃa’ama gǃu ǃka te ku djxa ua kaqe nǀai. Ntwala koh se siǃa.
“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.
“Mi ǂ’an!” Maria sa Chaze koh ǃ’au ǁxae. “Itsa waqnsi ǂ’an,” Ntwala koe nǁae.
“I’m first!” shouted Maria and Chaze at the same time. “You are both first,” called Ntwala.
“Mi kare gua khoe,” Maria koe nǁae. “Kaja’an!” Chaze koe nǁae. “Mǃa xoana, ntwala?” Tsitsa’a dshaunmhi gesin.
“I want to race again,” said Maria. “OK!” said Chaze. “Can we, Ntwala?” asked the other girls.
“Ce nǀang gǁa nǀae” Ntwala ǃoa siǃa. Ha gu tsau kaqe nǀai nǃa’an-nǃa’an te nǃoan ǂxan ka.
“Stand in line again,” Ntwala told them. She picked up a marula fruit and threw it as far as she could.
“Nǀe’e, tsan, nǃani to’a!” ha koe nǁae. Da’abi ǃaah gǃa’ama gǃu ǃka te ku djxa ua kaqe nǀai. Ntwala koh se siǃa.
“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.
“Mi ǂ’an!” Chaze koh ǃau. Maria ǂani djxa. “Chaze o tahn kxao,” Ntwala koe nǁae. “ǁAu du, Chaze. Mǃa ka gǃa tjuǀho.”
“I’m first!” shouted Chaze. Maria stopped swimming. “Chaze is the winner,” said Ntwala. “Well done, Chaze. Let’s go home now.”
Da’abi nǂaoh gǃa ǀxoa Ntwala ko tjuǀho. “Nǂoahn eǃa ko nǂoahnsi, Ntwala” siǃa gǂara. Sǃa koh are ku ǂaeǂae ha nǂoahnsi.
The children walked home with Ntwala. “Tell us a story, Ntwala,” they asked. They loved to listen to her stories.
Maria ǁama ǃ’o-nǃang te ǁahm ǃao Chaze. Te Chaze koh coa te tjin. “Chaze ǁ’a taqe ku nǂam a,” Joy koe ǃoa Maria.
Maria crept up behind Chaze and pushed her to the ground. Chaze started to cry. “Chaze’s mother will beat you,” said Joy to Maria.
“Maria! Hatce khoea re a nǂam Chaze?” Ntwala tsitsa’a. “Ha tahn djxa. Ka koh ǀoa to,” Maria koe nǁae.
“Maria! Why did you hit Chaze?” asked Ntwala. “She won at swimming. It’s not fair,” Maria said.
Ntwala gǂara ǁ’hom waqnsi nǀang siǃa gǃooa nǁari nǃang. “Skore ǁ’aiha re ǃoa mǃa ko hatce?” Ha tsitsa’a. “Ka ǀoa jan ko nǃaih ǁ’aa. Jusa ǁ’aa nǃaih ǂaun ǁxara hi ǀ’aesi,” Nakamwa koe nǁae.
Ntwala asked all the girls to sit in a circle. “What did the principal tell us?” she asked. “It’s bad to fight. People who fight must be punished,” said Nakamwu.
“Maria ǂ’aun gǂara ǁae ǀ’an,” Namasiku koe nǁa. “Chaze ǂaun ǂam ce ha,” Joy koe nǁae. “A-an, ka, ka ǀoa jan ke ǂama khoe,” Ntwala koe nǁae.
“Maria must say sorry,” said Namasiku. “Chaze must hit her back,” said Joy. “No, it is wrong to hit each other,” said Ntwala.
Ntwala ko “mi ǂ’ang te ko Maria te ǀoa djxa ǀxoa mǃa ko Sondah ku tsi.” Maria tjin tcaq ha gǀa’a ǃusi. “Mi… mi… ǁae na Chaze. ǁAe na ka ke mi nǂ’am a. Mi ǀoa ceka nǂ’am ju nǀui,” ha koe gǂara kxui.
Ntwala said, “I think Maria should miss swimming next Sunday.” Maria cried a flood of tears. “I… I… I’m sorry Chaze. I’m sorry I hit you. I’ll never hit anyone again,” she apologised.
“Mi ǁae ǀ’an a,” Chaze koe nǁae te nǃama Maria. “Etsa Maria ku gǃa ǀxoa a ko tjuǀho,” Ntwala koe ǃoa Chaze. “Maria ceka gǃa gǂara a taqe ko ǁae ǀ’an.”
“I forgive you,” said Chaze and put her arm around Maria. “Maria and I will come home with you,” said Ntwala to Chaze. “Maria will apologise to your mother too.”
Maria ǃoa Chaze ǁ’a ha taqe, “mi nǂ’am Chaze khama ha tahn djxa. ǁAe na. Chaze o mi ǂara, ka koh ǀoa jan ko ha nǂ’am.”
Maria told Chaze’s mother, “I hit Chaze because she won the race. I’m sorry. Chaze is my friend, it was bad to hit her.”
Sibungo di nǃa’an ǂaeǂae Maria. “Ka koh ǀoa jan Maria, ka ǀoa jan ko ju nǂ’am. Mi hui a ko ka ke a tsi gǂara mi ko ǁae ǀ’an. Mi ǁae ǀ’an a.” Mrs Sibungo di nǃa’an ǃoa Ntwala te ko, “A o ǁ’aiha jan.”
Mrs. Sibungo listened to Maria. “That was wrong Maria, it is bad to hit people. Thank you for apologising to me. I forgive you.” Mrs. Sibungo told Ntwala, “You are a good leader.”
Sibungo di nǃa’an kokxui ǀxoa da’abi waqnsi. “Ntwala koh ǂ’ang ǀ’an ǁxara ja ko Maria. Ha nǂ’am Chaze khama ha ǀoa tahn gǃu djxa. ǁ’Aike ha ǀoa xoana djxa.”
Mrs. Sibungo spoke to all the children. “Ntwala thought of a good punishment for Maria. She hit Chaze because she lost the swimming race. Now she will not be able to race.”
“Aia,” Chaze zoma. “Mi ǀoa kare ka Maria sin gea tjuǀho ko Sondah ka tsi gǀae. Mi kare ka etsa gǀae gua khoe ko bekea tsi gǀae cete!”
“But Mum,” Chaze smiled, “I don’t want Maria to stay at home next Sunday. I want to race her at the swimming next week too!”
Written by: Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa
Illustrated by: Kleopas Jambeinge
Translated by: Sylvia Fernandu
Read by: Cwi Debe, Gǂkao J. B. Kxao, Kaqece Khallie N!ani, Kileni A. Fernando, Sylvia Fernandu, Tsemkxao Cwi
Language: Ju|’hoansi
Level: Level 4
Source: Swimming in the Zambezi from African Storybook
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.