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An eagle standing on a rock looking down at a hen.

Mutende naṄwanyi Hen and Eagle

Written by Ann Nduku

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Ruthgela Shawanga

Language Thimbukushu

Level Level 3

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A hen and an eagle jumping.

Ruvedhe rumweya, Mutende naṄwanyi hakarire ha ka ghushere. Hatungire muthiraro no yinyunyi yimweya. Nothofotji temba tha karire tho kutuka.

Once upon a time, Hen and Eagle were friends. They lived in peace with all the other birds. None of them could fly.


A tired-looking eagle sitting next to a bare tree.

Diyuwa dimweya, kwa karire ndhara muditunga. Ṅwanyi nga yendanga kokayenda gha ka shane yidya. Gha kahukire ghana ghaya. “Dha kona kukara po ndhira dho dhiredhu dho kuyenda!” gha ghambire Ṅwanyi.

One day, there was famine in the land. Eagle had to walk very far to find food. She came back very tired. “There must be an easier way to travel!” said Eagle.


A hen surrounded by a variety of bird feathers.

Munyima dho kurara thiwana ghuthiku, Mutende gha karire no dighano mwene. Gha tangire kutoratora mando agha gha wire kuyinyunyi yiyendhendi yoyiheya. “Tu ghafumene pofotji pawiru dho mando ghetu,” gha ghambire. “Pamweya ṅanyi ya kuredhupithe kuyenda ruyendo.”

After a good night’s sleep, Hen had a brilliant idea. She began collecting the fallen feathers from all their bird friends. “Let’s sew them together on top of our own feathers,” she said. “Perhaps that will make it easier to travel.”


An eagle with beautiful wings flying above a hen.

Ṅwanyi pithendi gha karire nothonga mumukunda gho ghuhe, podiyo gha tangire kufuma. Ghatendire mando gho mawa no gha tukire kokayenda kuwiru dhaMutende. Mutende gha rombire thonga ene gha ghayire wangu kufuma. Gha thiyire thonga pa thimbangupungwero no gha yendire kukumbitha gha katerekere hanendi yidya.

Eagle was the only one in the village with a needle, so she started sewing first. She made herself a pair of beautiful wings and flew high above Hen. Hen borrowed the needle but she soon got tired of sewing. She left the needle on the cupboard and went into the kitchen to prepare food for her children.


Lots of birds with beautiful wings flying.

Ene yinyunyi yimweya ya monine ṅwanyi gha katuka. Yarombire thonga kwa Mutende yi kafume mando ghayo nayo. Kapupi kamanana yinyunyi ya tukire muwiru momuheya.

But the other birds had seen Eagle flying away. They asked Hen to lend them the needle to make wings for themselves too. Soon there were birds flying all over the sky.


Three birds looking at a needle.

Apa tha kahuthire thinyunyi tho kuhurera thonga, Mutende mbadi gha karirepo. Hanendi ha shimbire thonga no kudhipepitha. Apa ha ghayire kupepaghura, hathiyire thonga mumuve.

When the last bird returned the borrowed needle, Hen was not there. So her children took the needle and started playing with it. When they got tired of the game, they left the needle in the sand.


An eagle sitting on a tree branch and a hen looking for something in her kitchen.

Munyima pa metaha, Ṅwanyi gha kahukire. Gharombire thonga gha fume mando ghendi agha gha tungunukire. Mutende gha kengire pa thimbangupungwero. Gha kengire mukumbitha. Gha kengire mudirapa. Ene thonga mbadi ha dhiwanine.

Later that afternoon, Eagle returned. She asked for the needle to fix some feathers that had loosened on her journey. Hen looked on the cupboard. She looked in the kitchen. She looked in the yard. But the needle was nowhere to be found.


An eagle standing on a rock looking down at a hen.

“Nipeko vene diyuwa dyofotji,” Mutende gha kandere Ṅwanyi. “No ṅanyi wa kuroyithe mando ghoye nowakutuke no kashana karo yidya.” “Diyuwa ngenyu dyofotji,” gha ghambire Ṅwanyi. Ngeshi mbadi wa kudhiwana thonga, wakona kunifuta katjiyotjiyo koye kofotji.”

“Just give me a day,” Hen begged Eagle. “Then you can fix your wing and fly away to get food again.” “Just one more day,” said Eagle. “If you can’t find the needle, you’ll have to give me one of your chicks as payment.”


A hen scratching in the sand and an eagle flying above.

Apa gheyire ṅwanyi diyuwa dyo kurandako, ghana wanine Mutende kuna kuthukura mumuve, ene mbadiko thonga. No Ṅwanyi gha tukere pamuve no kuna tjombora katjiyotjiyo kofotji. Gha kashimbire. Kuroruheya kutunda po, kehe pano Ṅwanyi gho kwiya kuna wana Mutende ne kuna kuthukura mumuve gha shane thonga.

When Eagle came the next day, she found Hen scratching in the sand, but no needle. So Eagle flew down very fast and caught one of the chicks. She carried it away. Forever after that, whenever Eagle appears, she finds Hen scratching in the sand for the needle.


The shadow of an eagle in the sand and three chicks running.

Kehepa wa monekanga mudhidhimbi gho mando gho Ṅwanyi pamuve, Mutende kukonekitha tutjiyotjiyo twendi “Mushwaye padyango dyo kupira yinu.” Ato kuhutha: “Mbadi twa yero. Ṅanyi tu tjire.”

As the shadow of Eagle’s wing falls on the ground, Hen warns her chicks. “Get out of the bare and dry land.” And they respond: “We are not fools. We will run.”


Written by: Ann Nduku
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Ruthgela Shawanga
Language: Thimbukushu
Level: Level 3
Source: Hen and Eagle from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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