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A bride surrounded by wedding guests cheering.

Eyi gha ghambire mukurwa Vusi ghomukamadi What Vusi's sister said

Written by Nina Orange

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Ruthgela Shawanga

Language Thimbukushu

Level Level 4

Narrate full story The audio for this story is currently not available.


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

Mathikuthiku ghamweya nyakudya Vusi gha mwithire. “Vusi, nakanderera tware dihonyi di kwa hakuru ghoye. Hana shana katenda thikuki tho thikuru tho mayekero gha mukuroye.”

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 dho kuyenda kwa hakuru wendi, Vusi gha wanine hangaghu hawadi ha kuya mbuyo. Mungaghu yofotji gha tjombore dihonyi kwaVusi no kudivukumitha kuthitondo. Dihonyi dya payukire.

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.

“Yinye ghuna tendi?” gha dirire Vusi. “Odiya dihonyi ne dyo thikuki. Thikuki tho mayekero gha mukurwange. Yinye sho gha ka ghambe mukurwange ngeshi mbadiko thikuki tho mayekero?”

“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 ha hekire Vusi. “Mbadi sho tu ghamwene no thikuki, ene shimbe mburo dhi ghu katape kwa mukuroye,” gha ghambire yofotji. Vusi gha twikere no ruyendo 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 gha wanine hatutughura hawadi hana kutenda ndhugho. “Kukona turughanithe odho mburo dho kutanara?” ghepure yofotji. Ene mburo mbadi dha tanare no dha tjokire.

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 ghuna tendi?” gha dirire Vusi. “Odhiya mburo ne ghushwi wa mukurwange. Haka kuya mbuyo hana dhinipa yoyishi hana payura dihonyi dyo thikuki. Thikuki tho mayekero gha mukurwange. Kenge ne mbadiko dihonyi, mbadiko thikuki no mbadiko ghushwi. “Yinye sho gha kaghambe 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.

Hatendi ha mudhekere nyeke mukutjora mburo.”Mbadi sho tughamwene nothikuki, ene shimbe muhonyi ghu ghukapa mukuroye,” gha ghambire yofotji. No Vusi gha twikere 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 gha wanine mukafarama nongombe.”Muhonyi kughutowi, kukona nidyeko ndi?” ghepure ngombe. Ene muhonyi wakarire ghutowi thikuma no ngombe gha dire 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 ghuna tendi?” gha dirire Vusi. Oghuya muhonyi ne ghushwi wa mukurwange. Hatendi hana nipa muhonyi yoyishi hana tjora mburo dho kwaka kuya mbuyo. Haka kuya mbuyo hana nipa mburo dhiya yoyishi hana payura dihonyi dyothikuki tha mukurwange. Thikuki thi ne tho mayekero gha mukurwange. Kenge ne mbadiko dihonyi, mbadiko thikuki no mbadiko ghushwi. Ngepi sho gha kaghambe 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 gha mudhekere nyeke mukukara ghumu. Mukafarama gha tawire eshi ngombe kukona gha yende naVusi eshi ghushwi wa mukurwendi. No Vusi gha twikere.

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 gha tjirere kwa mukafarama pa ruvedhe ro murarero. No Vusi gha yongarire muruyendo rwendi. Gha hurere shemwa kumayekero gha mukurwendi. Apa gha kakumine hagenda ne kuna kudya kare.

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.

“Ngepi sho nitende?” ghadirire Vusi. Oya ngombe ghana tjira ne ghoghushwi, oghu ghuna hangedhera mumuhonyi oghu hana nipa hatendi yoyishi hana tjora mburo edhi dhina shwagha ko haka kuya mbuyo. Haka kuya mbuyo hana nipa mburo yoyishi hana payura dihonyi dyothikuki. Thikuki thomayekero. Kenge ne mbadiko dihonyi, mbadiko thikuki no mbadiko ghushwi.”

“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 gha ghayarire kamanana, no gha ghambire, “Vusi minange amene yanye yo yoyiheya yo yoghushwi. Mbadi nidi no thinga no thikuki! Twaheya potudi pano pofotji, nashamberera shemwa. Kashupate yitere yoye tu djabwane diyuwa di!” Oyi ne yo gha tendire mukurwa 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
Language: Thimbukushu
Level: Level 4
Source: What Vusi's sister said from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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