The audio for this story is currently not available.
Pensa kwa kere musani gomu nene momburundu mudima za Kalahari. Age nga retere vekoro lyendi yikorama yokuneta moku va rera nawa. Pwa kere nye esi sidira Epampa, esi ga here Pensa ngano a sikwate. Nohunga dokosinduku sosidira esi yido da wapera nawa komahewo gendi. Udigu kwa kere asi kapi tavhuru ku tega siraha ndi a roye Epampa. Mahewo ga Pensa ago ngaga zi tupu meguru ngwendi sidira - ngano ngwendi a kwate Epampa makura a zupe ko nohunga dalyo dokomusira.
Pensa was the best hunter in the whole Kalahari Desert. He brought home fat animals and fed his family well.
There was this bird, the Pam-Pam bird, which Pensa wanted to catch. The bird’s tail feathers were perfect for his arrows. The problem was, he could never manage to trap or shoot Pam-Pam.
Pensa’s arrows would fly through the air just like a bird - if only he could catch Pam-Pam and pull out his tail feathers!
Pensa yipo ga zire komunongo, muhakuli gwawo. Yipo gamu pulireko ekwafo. “Nina kanderere likidange omu nani genda nikwate Epampa. Nina hara nohunga daso niture kouta wange nomahewo gange. Yinke no rugana yipo o si kwate?” Yimo ga limbwilire muhakuli, ” Zende oka hwameke mundiro. Apa yimbumburu nayi ka tunda komundiro, toka kwata po sosinunu po pwayo. Makura oka tege siraha makura simbumburu toka si tura monda zosiraha. ” tasika dovaukisa Epampa.”
Pensa went to the wise man, their healer. He asked for help. “Please guide me to catch the Pam-Pam bird. I need his feathers for my bow and arrows. What must do to catch him?”
The healer replied, “Go and make a fire. When all the insects run away from your fire, you must catch the smallest of them. Make a trap and place this little insect inside your trap. It will tempt the Pam-Pam bird.”
Pensa kapi ga divire asi muhakuli nePampa vatu namuholi zendi. Epampa ngali zi lika tarere po muhakuli poyiruwo yimwe. Ngava lisimwitire masanseko. ” Tani ku rondora” yige muhakuli apa lyaya mutarerere po Epampa. ” Kani tantere musani asi ngapi omu naku kwata. Nsene noka mona mundiro mowiza, ka tuke o ze ure. Nina hara ni tare asi yilye pokatji keni na wina.”
Pensa did not know that the healer and the Pam-Pam bird were friends. Pam-Pam often visited the healer. They exchanged stories. “I warn you,” said the healer when Pam-Pam bird visited him, “I have told the hunter how to catch you. When you see a fire in the veld, you must fly far away. I want to see which one of you will win.”
Nye posiruwo esi, Pensa age nare ana vareke esano lyendi lyePampa. Age kwa hingilire mowiza ta digi noku diga tutji twendi tomundiro. Apa gwa monekere musi, ta rerwire tuwayigona kotutji tomundiro, dogoro takumoneka kamundirogona makura tagu vareke kutwera. Yimbumburu eyi yakere pepi nomundiro tayivareke ku tuka yize, nye Pensa yamutompokere ku kwata po mpasimpasigona. Tazi tura po siraha sendi.
In the meantime, Pensa started his hunt for the Pam-Pam bird. He sat in the veld and rubbed and rubbed his fire sticks. When the smoke appeared, he blew into the fine grass around his fire sticks, until the little flame appeared and became a fire.
The insects around the flaming grass flew away, but Pensa managed to catch a young grasshopper. He put it into his trap.
Epampa kapi lya vhulire kunyoka mpasi mpasigona zokugemuka ezi za kere mosiraha saPensa. Yipo ga tokwere ku kukura makura tazi nyangura usimbu nomurungu gwendi goku twepa. Pensa ta zuvhu Epampa omu lina ku takuma, Paanh- Paanh,” Paanh -Paanh, Paanh- Paanh.” Pensa ta dukire kosiraha sendi. Siraha sina pandeke sidira!
The Pam-Pam bird could not resist the juicy young grasshopper in Pensa’s trap. He decided to fly down and grab it quickly with his sharp beak.
Pensa heard Pam-Pam bird’s cry, “Pam-pam, pam-pam, pam-pam.”
Pensa ran to his trap. The bird was trapped!
Epampa tali lihenge Pensa yipo ali mangurure. ” Hawe nan,” Yige Pensa, “Nare na gusa ku kupingira asi niku kwate. Neina ono kara gwange! Nohunga doge ngadi ninkisa mahewo gange nga ga gende mompempo ngwendi moomu o piti mo ove.”
Pam-Pam bird begged Pensa to set him free. “Oh no,” said Pensa, “I have wanted to catch you for a very long time. Today you are mine! Your feathers will make my arrow fly through the air, just like you.”
Epampa tali litakumine, ” Nsene no dipagange kwato oku ngo gwana nohunga domahwo goge hena apa ngadi kurupa edi, morwa ame tani fu. Mangurura makura niku tumbwidire asi ngani kupa nohunga donompe mwa nkenye kwedi kokuzura.”
Pam-Pam bird screeched, “If you kill me you will have no more feathers for your arrow when these are worn out, because I will be dead. Set me free and I promise to give you new feathers with each full moon.”
Makura Pensa ta sigi Epampa li ze, apa lya tundire po Epampa lika ze, tali gazara asi ” Nare nina manguruka?”
Pensa let Pam-Pam go. As Pam-Pam walked away, he thought, “Am I really free?”
Pensa yipo ga zire kembo aka pangere ko mahewo gomape. Apa vantu va mwene mahewo gendi goma pe, tava zigire: O-o, tareni ogu musani! Ana tura nohunga dePampa komahewo gendi. Ngesi taka sana nawa aka tu retere nondja donongwa. Tatu ya kara ne feste!”
Pensa went home and made new arrows. When the people saw his new arrows, they exclaimed: “O-o, look at this hunter! He carries the Pam-Pam bird’s feathers in his arrows. Now he will hunt well and bring us good food. We shall have a feast!”
Masiku ogo, muhakuli kwa pitisilire vantu vaka danene komundiro va hamberere mutompo gomusani ntani emanguruko lyEpampa. Ntani kutunda ke zuva olyo, vasani navenye wovawa kudiworoka esanseko lyEpampa, mokuli simwitira vana vawo vadiworokere po mazuva ga ka pita.
That night, the healer led the people in a fire dance to celebrate the hunter’s success and Pam-Pam bird’s freedom.
And since that day, all the good hunters remember the story of the Pam-Pam bird, to tell their children as a memory of days gone by.
Traditional San story
Manyeka Arts Trust, Pensa Limungu, Kapilolo Mahongo, Marlene Winberg
Alex Kasona
Rukwangali
Level 4
The audio for this story is currently not available.
