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A jackal with the sun on its back.

Mbwawa noDiyuwa Jackal and the sun

Written by Traditional San story

Illustrated by Manyeka Arts Trust

Translated by Maria M. Dikuua, Servasius M. Ndjunga

Read by Maria Dikuua

Language Thimbukushu

Level Level 3

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Two jackals, one with the sun on its back, standing around a tree.

Pakarekare, kwakarire mbwawa ghomuyero nouva thikuma. Ghatungire nawihe ghokukurupara mumuthitu waKalahari.

Long ago, there was a foolish lazy jackal. He lived with his old father in the Kalahari bush.

A goat in a kraal.

Mathikuthiku ghamweya Mbwawashokuru ghapindukire nokuwana mwanendi ghanagharama pamutenya. Yidya mbadi yinapi shime noñombo ne shime dhakarera muthikora! “Murumyana, ghomuva thikuma! Yende ghukashane mukamadi ghokuyeka. Amene nakurupara keho mbadi shonikone karo kukupakera thinga,” ghaghambire wiha Mbwawa. Mbwawa ghareghire nokuyenda ghakashwaghithe ñombo dhikadye.

One morning Old Jackal woke up to find his son sleeping in the sun. The food was not ready and the goats were still in the kraal! “Young man, you are so lazy! Go and find a wife. I am too old to look after you,” said Jackal’s father. So Jackal jumped up and took the goats out to graze.

The sun above a tree.

Mumuthitu, ghamonine thinu thinakutwedhima padiwe. Ghanyomine kamananakamanana ghutamba kudiwe. Dyodi ghahenyine popepi, uwa ghothinu thapo nagho dyowatwedhimine. Pamweya yomunu wendi yoyu?

In the bush, he saw something shining on a rock. He went closer and closer to the rock. The closer he got, the more beautiful the shine was. Perhaps this was the wife for him?!

The sun.

“Ghomuwa shemwa,” dyoghaghambire Mbwawa kuthinu thokutwedhima. “Ene yowe dye? Pashanye ghunakarera pithoye?” “Amene yame diyuwa” dyothahuthire thishe. “Hakadiko dyange hanithighire popa apa hadhirukire. Mbadi hashanine kunishimba. Amene nomuyenyu thikuma.”

“You are beautiful,” said Jackal to the shine. “But who are you? Why are you alone?” “I am the sun,” the shine answered. “My family left me here when they moved on. They did not want to carry me. I am too hot.”

The sun above some trees and plants.

Mbwawa ghaghambire eshi, “Ene ghomuwa shemwa te! Ñanyi nikushimbe. Ñanyi nikutware kudighumbo dyetu ghukamone tate.” “Uhunga, kukona ngenyu ghunishimbe. Ene mbadi ghunyeghenye apa shonitange kuyenya thikuma,” dyodyaghambire diyuwa.

The jackal said, “But you are so beautiful! I will carry you. I will take you home to meet my father.” “All right, you can carry me. But do not complain when I get too hot for you,” said the sun.

A jackal with the sun on its back.

Mbwawa gherekire diyuwa mumughongo wendi noghatangire noruyendo rwendi rokuyenda kudighumbo. Nokapupi temba, diyuwa dyatangire kutumeka huki dhaMbwawa. “Nakukanderera kukona ghushuruke mumughongo wange ndi? Nashana niturumutheko,” dyoghaghambire Mbwawa. Mughongo wendi waremanine thikuma kate kukanga kuyenda. “Tware kughutho!” dyodyaghambire diyuwa. “Dyonakutongwera eshi mbadi ghunyeghenye!”

So Jackal put the sun on his back and started the journey home. Before long, the sun was burning Jackal’s fur. “Will you please come down from my back? I need to rest,” said Jackal. His back was so sore that he could hardly walk. “Just carry on!” said the sun. “I told you not to complain!”

A jackal walking along a path and the sun above him.

Munyimadhopo Mbwawa ghamonine dighowa kumbadi dhondhira. Ghakokawire mwishi dhodighowa podigho eshi diyuwa diweko.

Then Jackal saw a log across the path. He crawled under the log so that the sun would fall off.

A jackal walking.

Ene dighowa nadyo dyamuhuyurire thikova nohuki dhopamughongo dhathigharire pofotji nodiyuwa.

But the log also scraped the skin and fur from his back and they were left behind with the sun.

A jackal with yellow fur.

Huki dhodhipya edhi dhamenine apa pahuyukire ne dhakarire dhorudhi rwaro naro nodhakutjakire nohuki dhomuyirama yendi yoyiheya. Edhi huki dhorudhi rwaro naro ngadhivurukithanga Mbwawa mukudhira kuyerupa karo.

The new fur was a different colour to the fur on the rest of his body. The different colours always reminded Jackal not to be so foolish again.

Written by: Traditional San story
Illustrated by: Manyeka Arts Trust
Translated by: Maria M. Dikuua, Servasius M. Ndjunga
Read by: Maria Dikuua
Language: Thimbukushu
Level: Level 3
Source: Jackal and the sun from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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