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A wax bird flying in the sunshine.

Hana ho yindana yo muka Children of wax

Written by Southern African Folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Ruthgela Shawanga

Language Thimbukushu

Level Level 2

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A man, a woman and three boys standing.

Pakarekare, pakarire didhiko dyo kuhafa.

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family.


Three boys doing chores and working in a field.

Mbadi ha kurwithangire. Ha ghamwenine hakuru wawo mudighumbo no mumapya.

They never fought with each other. They helped their parents at home and in the fields.


A man standing in front of a campfire holding his hand up and three boys standing next to him.

Ene, mbadi ha wa tawedhere kuhenyena pepi no mudiro.

But they were not allowed to go near a fire.


Half a house in daytime with the sun above it and the other half at nighttime with the moon and stars.

Nga harughananga yirughana yawo ghuthiku. Yoyishi, awo kwa wa tendithire ku yindana!

They had to do all their work during the night. Because they were made of wax!


A boy thinking about daytime.

Ene, mungaghu yofotji gha karire no dirura dyo kushwagha pa nunda ku thishe.

But one of the boys longed to go out in the sunlight.


A boy walking through a bright doorway and two boys covering their eyes.

Diyuwa dimweya dirura di dya kuwedherire. Hakurwendi ha mu konekithire…

One day the longing was too strong. His brothers warned him…


A boy melting.

Ene, ha karire maranga! Gha yenyumukire ku ghughenyu gho diyuwa.

But it was too late! He melted in the hot sun.


Two sad-looking boys with their arms around each other.

Hana ho yindana ha tokotire thikuma mukumona minagho gha kuyenyumuka.

The wax children were so sad to see their brother melting away.


Two boys shaping a lump of melted wax into a bird.

Ene, ha karire no dighano. Hombire thindana thi tho kuyenyumuka mu thishwi tho thinyunyi.

But they made a plan. They shaped the lump of melted wax into a bird.


A wax bird on a high mountain at sunrise.

Ha twarire minagho gho thinyunyi kudirundu dyo dire.

They took their bird brother up to a high mountain.


A wax bird flying in the sunshine.

Apa dya vire diyuwa, gha tukire kokayenda wimba mu thishe tho diyuwa.

And as the sun rose, he flew away singing into the morning light.


Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Ruthgela Shawanga
Language: Thimbukushu
Level: Level 2
Source: Children of wax from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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