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A man walking with a tray of bananas on his head.

Tom mughurithi mapanana Tom the banana seller

Written by Humphreys Odunga

Illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku

Translated by Maria M. Dikuua, Servasius M. Ndjunga

Read by Servasius Ndjunga

Language Thimbukushu

Level Level 2

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Reading speed

Autoplay story


A man carrying a tray of bananas on his head.

Tom kushimba thikote thomapanana ghokupya.

Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas.


A man walking with a tray of bananas on his head.

Tom kuyenda kumaraka ghakaghurithe mapanana.

Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.


People buying fruit at a market.

Hanu kumaraka kunakughura mbuyo.

People at the market are buying fruit.


A man standing at a banana stall.

Ene noghofotji temba oyu ghanakughura mapanana ghaTom. Awo hahaka kughura mbuyo kwawakamadi ngenyu.

But no one is buying Tom’s bananas. They prefer to buy fruit from women.


A man sitting at a banana stall.

“Mumukunda wetu, hakamadi ngenyu haghurithanga mbuyo,” dyohanakughamba hanu. “Katughuru munye ‘yu?” dyohanakwipura hepuri.

“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.


A man standing at a banana stall and people walking towards him.

Ene Tom mbadi ghanakukuhupwera. Aye kwitha ghukugherera, “Mughure mapanana ghange! Mughure mapanana ghange ghomatowi ghokupya!”

But Tom does not give up. He calls, “Buy my bananas! Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”


A woman holding a bunch of bananas and a man standing at a banana stall passing her bananas.

Mbuyama ghofotji ghanatumbura dindjomboro dyomapanana pathikote. Kokughakengurura mapanana ‘gha thiwanathiwana.

One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray. She looks at the bananas carefully.


A woman holding up a bunch or bananas in a market.

Mbuyama kokughura mapanana.

The woman buys the bananas.


A man standing at a banana stall and people walking towards him.

Hanu hongengi kunakwiya kuthitaratara. Awo kunakughura mapanana ghaTom nokughadya.

More people come to the stall. They buy Tom’s bananas and eat them.


A man standing with an empty tray at a market stall and people eating bananas.

Kapupi kamanana, thikote kare ngathikara mukunguru. Tom kunakutara masherenyi agha ghanawanapo.

Soon, the tray is empty. Tom counts the money he earned.


A man buying items from a market stall and putting them in a tray.

Tom kokughura murora, shuka noghuroto. Ghanayitura yoyihe pathikote.

Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread. He puts the things in his tray.


A man carrying a tray on his head.

Tom ghanatengena thikote nengeretete nokutamba kudighumbo.

Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.


Written by: Humphreys Odunga
Illustrated by: Zablon Alex Nguku
Translated by: Maria M. Dikuua, Servasius M. Ndjunga
Read by: Servasius Ndjunga
Language: Thimbukushu
Level: Level 2
Source: Tom the banana seller from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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