Neli musihali walasunda one ucisa hande. Likalibe mwa Lusese nebakopana mwatasa mitayi yakota ya Musikili omutuna mwa Caprivi.
It was a bright sunny Sunday afternoon. The young girls in Lusese were gathering under the branches of the biggest Musikili tree in Caprivi.
Tabo mwamanzwi abona nei utwahala hae kaufela. Nebabiza balikali babona. “Nakamwi, nikulitezi.” “ankufa, Chaze.” “Silume! Taha!”
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 atalima talima Ntwala. Ntwala nabaisanga kwa kutapa laSunda nilaSunda. “Ntwala! Ntwalee! Ntwalaa! Ntwaloo!” a biza.
Maria looked around for Ntwala. Ntwala took them swimming every Sunday. “Ntwala! Ntwalee! Ntwalaaa! Ntwaloo!” she called.
Ntwala a huweleza kwalineku leliñwi lahae, “Nikwanu, nimilitezi.” Likalibe kaufela zamata kumubata.
Ntwala shouted from the other side of the village, “I’m here! I’m waiting for you.” All the girls ran to find her.
“Mane muitukiselize kuyo tapa kacenu?” Ntwala a babuza. “Eni,” ba huweleza inge batulaka ka tabo.
“Are you ready to go swimming today?” Ntwala asked them. “Yes,” they shouted happily as they hopped and jumped with excitement.
Hane bazamaya kuya kwa nuka Ntwala naba kandekela makande. “Lukandekele za muta wale hae yaluna hane itibile,” ba kupa. “Lukandekele za Luwawa ni Pombwe.”
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.”
Kwatuko ni nuka nekunani kota yetuna luli ya Mulula. Likalibe zabatela Ntwala muselo omutuna wamulula.
Beside the river there was an enormous Marula tree. The girls looked for the biggest marula fruit for Ntwala.
“Kele nifumana omutuna nikufiteleza,” Joyi ahuwa. Afa muselo wahae wa mulula ku Ntwala.
“I’ve got the biggest,” shouted Joy. She gave her marula fruit to Ntwala.
“Hamuye kifo muyotapa,” kwabulela Ntwala kwa likalibe. Bamatela mwamezi, ba kekeleka ni kuseha habanze bautwa kubata kwa mezi a Nuka ya Zambezi.
“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 nayemi fa likamba. Na mamela likwena. Na talimezi balanjo habanze ba tula ni kuwinana. Na talimezi likalibenyana inge lilafaula ni kuituta kutapa.
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.
“Seli nako ya kwinano,” ahuweleza kwa mafelelezo.” Amuyeme mwa mubamba.” Anopa muselo wa mulula omutuna ni kufiteleza. Auyumbela mwamezi kafo maata ahae nafelela.
“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.
“Ñwi, peli, talu. Amuye!” a biza. Banana ba matela mwamezi ni kukala kutapa kuliba kwa muselo wa mulula. Ntwala a babuha.
“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.
“Kina wapili!” kwahuwa Maria ni Chaze kanako yeswana. “Mubapili kaufela mina,” kwa biza Ntwala.
“I’m first!” shouted Maria and Chaze at the same time. “You are both first,” called Ntwala.
“Nibata kuli lulakane hape,” kwabulela Maria. “Oho” kubulela Chaze. “Kana lwakona, Ntwala?” kwabulela likalibe zeñwi.
“I want to race again,” said Maria. “OK!” said Chaze. “Can we, Ntwala?” asked the other girls.
“Amuyeme mwa mubamba hape,” Ntwala aba bulelela. Anopa muselo wa mulula ni kuuyumbela kwahule kamo maata ahae nakona.
“Stand in line again,” Ntwala told them. She picked up a marula fruit and threw it as far as she could.
“Ñwi, peli, talu. Hamuye!” a biza. Banana bamatela mwamezi ni kutapela muselo wa mulula. Ntwala ababuha.
“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.
“Kina wapili!” kwahuweleza Chaze. Maria asiya kutapa. “Chaze kiya zwile mubano,” kwabulela Ntwala. “Uezize hande, Chaze. Lwakona kuya kwandu fa.”
“I’m first!” shouted Chaze. Maria stopped swimming. “Chaze is the winner,” said Ntwala. “Well done, Chaze. Let’s go home now.”
Banana baya kwandu ni Ntwala. “Lukandekele likande, Ntwala,” bakupa. Neba lata hahulu kuteeleza kwamakande ahae.
The children walked home with Ntwala. “Tell us a story, Ntwala,” they asked. They loved to listen to her stories.
Maria a shosholoka kwamulaho wa Chaze ni kumukasheza fafasi. Chaze akala kulila. “Bomahe Chaze bakaku nata,” kwabulela Joyi ku 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! Kiñi haunatile Chaze?” kwabuza Ntwala. “kiyena yazwile mubano kwakutapa. Haiyo hande” Maria abulela.
“Maria! Why did you hit Chaze?” asked Ntwala. “She won at swimming. It’s not fair,” Maria said.
Ntwala abulelela likalibe kaufela kuli baine mwa sikwenda. “Ba eteleli basikolo neba lubuleleziñi?” a buza. “Kumaswe kulwana. Batu babalwana baswanela kufiwa koto,” kwabulela Nakamwi.
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 aikupele maiswalelo,” kwabulela Namasiku. “Chaze niyena uswanela kumunata,” kwabulela Joyi. “Batili, hakiswanelo kulwana,” kwabulela Ntwala.
“Maria must say sorry,” said Namasiku. “Chaze must hit her back,” said Joy. “No, it is wrong to hit each other,” said Ntwala.
Ntwala ali, “Nihupula kuli Maria asike aya kwakutapa sunda yetaha laSunda”. Maria alila kamioko ye miñata. Nainyaza Chaze kakuli ni kunatile. Hanina kunata mutu hape, aikupela maiswalelo.
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.
“Nikuswalezi’” kwabulela Chaze ni kubeya Maria mwambando. “Maria nina lukaya niwena kwandu” kwabulela Ntwala ku Chaze. “Maria ukayo ikupela maiswalelo ni kubomaho.”
“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 a bulelela bomahe Chaze ali, “ninatile Chaze kakuli uzwile mubano mwa kwinano yaluna, muniswalele. Chaze ki mulikanaka, neli bumaswe kumunata.”
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.”
Boma Sibungo ba teeleza ku Maria. “Neli mafosisa Maria, kumaswe kunata batu. Niitumezi kuto ikupela maiswalelo kuna. Ni kuswalezi.” Boma Sibungo ba bulelela Ntwala, “umueteleli yomunde”.
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.”
Boma Sibungo babulela kwabanana kaufela. “Ntwala ufumani koto yende ya Maria. Unatile Chaze kakuli uzwile mubano kwakwinano ya kutapa. Kacwalo fa hasana kuya kwakutapa.”
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.”
“Ima,” Chaze a menya, “Hanilati kuli Maria asiyale kwandu sunda yetaha laSunda. Nibata kuyo kangisana niyena kwakutapa sunda yetaha hape!”
“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: Margaret Wamuwi Sililo
Read by: Chrispin Musweu, Margaret Wamuwi Sililo
Language: siLozi
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.