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A bride surrounded by wedding guests cheering.

Eyi ghaghambire mukurwa Vusi What Vusi's sister said

Written by Nina Orange

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Ruthgela Shawanga, Servasius M. Ndjunga

Read by Ruthgela Shawanga

Language Thimbukushu

Level Level 4

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Reading speed

Autoplay story

An old woman thinking of a wedding, giving a boy an egg.

Mathikuthiku ghamweya nyakudya Vusi ghamwithire. “Vusi, nakanderera tware dihonyi ‘di kwawakuru ghoye. Hanashana katenda thikuki thothikuru thomayekero ghamukuroye ghomukadi.”

Early one morning Vusi’s granny called him, “Vusi, please take this egg to your parents. They want to make a large cake for your sister’s wedding.”

A boy standing between two boys picking fruit and one of them holding a slingshot.

Mundhira dhendi dhokutamba kwawakuru wendi, Vusi ghahanganine hangaghu hawadi hanakuya mbuyo. Mungaghu ghumweya ghatjomborire dihonyi kwaVusi nokudivukumitha kuthitondo. Dihonyi dyamwatukire.

On his way to his parents, Vusi met two boys picking fruit. One boy grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot it at a tree. The egg broke.

A boy telling the fruit pickers about the egg and the wedding.

“Nye ghunatendi?” dyoghadirire Vusi. “Diya dihonyi ne dyothikuki. Thikuki thomayekero ghamukurwange. Nye shoghakaghambe mukurwange ngeshi mbadiko thikuki thomayekero?”

“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That egg was for a cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. What will my sister say if there is no wedding cake?”

Two fruit pickers giving a boy a walking stick.

Hangaghu hamuhekire Vusi. “Mbadi shotukughamwene nothikuki, ene shimbe edhi mburo ghukatape kwamukuroye,” dyoghaghambire yofotji. Vusi gharundurukire noruyendo rwendi.

The boys were sorry for teasing Vusi. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is a walking stick for your sister,” said one. Vusi continued on his journey.

A worried-looking boy standing next to two men building a house. One of the builders is holding a broken stick.

Mundhira, Vusi ghawanine hatutughura hawadi hanakushokeka ndhugho. “Kukona turughanithe odho mburo dhokutanara ndi?” dyoghepurire yofotji. Ene mburo mbadi dhatanarire nodhatjokire.

Along the way he met two men building a house. “Can we use that strong stick?” asked one. But the stick was not strong enough for building, and it broke.

A boy telling the builders about the egg, the wedding and the walking stick.

“Yinye ghunatendi?” dyoghadirire Vusi. “Dhiya mburo ne thitapera thamukurwange. Hakakuya mbuyo hanadhinipa yoyishi hanandura dihonyi dyothikuki. Thikuki thomayekero ghamukurwange. Kenge ne mbadiko dihonyi, mbadiko thikuki, nombadiko thitapera. Nye shoghakaghambe mukurwange?”

“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That stick was a gift for my sister. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”

Two builders giving a boy some thatch.

Hashokeki hamudhekerire ñeke mukutjora mburo. “Mbadi shotukughamwene nothikuki, ene shimbe oghu muhonyi ghokuyamberitha ghukape mukuroye,” dyoghaghambire yofotji. Vusi gharundurukire noruyendo rwendi.

The builders were sorry for breaking the stick. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is some thatch for your sister,” said one. And so Vusi continued on his journey.

A worried-looking boy standing next to a farmer feeding a cow some thatch.

Mundhira, Vusi ghahanganine mukafarama nongombe. “Mawee, muhonyi kughutowi, kukona nivunyepo ndi?” dyoghepurire ngombe. Ene muhonyi wakarire ghutowi thikuma nongombe ghadire ghoghuheya!

Along the way, Vusi met a farmer and a cow. “What delicious thatch, can I have a nibble?” asked the cow. But the thatch was so tasty that the cow ate it all!

A boy telling the farmer about the egg, the wedding, the walking stick and the thatch.

“Yinye ghunatendi?” dyoghadirire Vusi. Ghuya muhonyi ne thitapera thamukurwange. Hashokekindhugho hananipa muhonyi yoyishi hanatjoro mburo dhawakakuya mbuyo. Hakakuya mbuyo hananipa mburo dhiya yoyishi hanapayura dihonyi dyothikuki thamukurwange. Thikuki ‘thi ne thomayekero ghamukurwange. Kenge ne mbadiko dihonyi, mbadiko thikuki, nombadiko thitapera. Ngepi shoghakaghambe keho mukurwange?”

“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That thatch was a gift for my sister. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for my sister’s cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”

A farmer giving a boy a cow.

Ngombe ghamuferere ñeke mukukara kahoma. Mukafarama ghatawire eshi ngombe kukona ghayende naVusi ghakakare thitapera thamukurwendi. Vusi gharundurukire.

The cow was sorry she was greedy. The farmer agreed that the cow could go with Vusi as a gift for his sister. And so Vusi carried on.

A boy standing next to wedding guests eating.

Ene ngombe ghakathighukire kwamukafarama panako dhomurarero. Vusi ghapyerere muruyendo rwendi. Ghahurere shemwa kumayekero ghamukurwendi. Apa ghakakumine ghakawanine hagenda kunakudya kare diyumbu.

But the cow ran back to the farmer at supper time. And Vusi got lost on his journey. He arrived very late for his sister’s wedding. The guests were already eating.

A boy telling the wedding guests about the cow, the thatch, the walking stick, the egg and the wedding.

“Nye shonitende?” dyoghadirire Vusi. Oya ngombe ghanatjira ne thothitapera, ethi thinahangedhera mumuhonyi oghu hananipa hashokeki yoyishi hanatjoro mburo edhi dhinashwagha kwawakakuya mbuyo. Hakakuya mbuyo hananipa mburo yoyishi hanapayura dihonyi dyothikuki. Thikuki ne thomayekero. Kenge ne mbadiko dihonyi, mbadiko thikuki, nombadiko thitapera.”

“What shall I do?” cried Vusi. “The cow that ran away was a gift, in return for the thatch the builders gave me. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for the wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift.”

A bride surrounded by wedding guests cheering.

Mukurwa Vusi ghadhegheterire kamanana, noghaghambire eshi, “Minange, Vusi, amene yanye yitapera yoyiheya. Mbadi nidi nothinga thothikuki! Twaheya pofotji tudi pano, nonashamberera shemwa. Kakugcoke yitere yoye yoyiwa tudjabwane diyuwa dino!” Kemo dyoghatendire Vusi.

Vusi’s sister thought for a while, then she said, “Vusi my brother, I don’t really care about gifts. I don’t even care about the cake! We are all here together, I am happy. Now put on your smart clothes and let’s celebrate this day!” And so that’s what Vusi did.

Written by: Nina Orange
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Ruthgela Shawanga, Servasius M. Ndjunga
Read by: Ruthgela Shawanga
Language: Thimbukushu
Level: Level 4
Source: What Vusi's sister said from African Storybook
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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