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Mayoghano murware rwaZambezi Swimming in the Zambezi
Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa
Kleopas Jambeinge
Ruthgela Shawanga, Servasius M. Ndjunga
Ruthgela Shawanga
Thimbukushu
Level 4
Dyakarire diyuwa dyoShundaha dyoghuyenyu pathitengeyuwa. Hashengeteya homuLusese hapongire mwimi thothitondo thothikuru thoMusikili muCaprivi.
It was a bright sunny Sunday afternoon. The young girls in Lusese were gathering under the branches of the biggest Musikili tree in Caprivi.
Kayoghototo kawo koyishamberera kayuvekire mumukunda ghoghuheya. Hethire hashere wawo. “Nakamwu, yowe nakutaterera.” “Tambukeko, Chaze.” “Silume! Wiye te!”
The excited buzz of their voices was heard all over the village. They called their friends. “Nakamwu, I’m waiting for you.” “Hurry up, Chaze.” “Silume! Come on!”
Maria ghashanashanine Ntwala. Ntwala ngawawatwaranga kurware kehe Shundaha hakayoghane. “Ntwala! Ntwalee! Ntwala! Ntwala wee!” dyoghethire.
Maria looked around for Ntwala. Ntwala took them swimming every Sunday. “Ntwala! Ntwalee! Ntwalaaa! Ntwaloo!” she called.
Ntwala ghakugherire kumutara ghumweya eshi, “Yame yuno! Yamwe nakutaterera.” Hashengeteya waheya hatjirire hakamuwane.
Ntwala shouted from the other side of the village, “I’m here! I’m waiting for you.” All the girls ran to find her.
“Munakuroghithera kayoghana dyarero ndi?” Dyoghawepurire Ntwala. “Ghii,” dyohahuthire ghuregharegha muyishamberera.
“Are you ready to go swimming today?” Ntwala asked them. “Yes,” they shouted happily as they hopped and jumped with excitement.
Mundhira dhawo dhokurware Ntwala ghawatongwerire yithimwa. “Tuthimwetwedhere yokuhatera kumukunda wetu apa wahandjere,” dyohaghambire. “Tuthimwetwedhere yokuhatera kwaMbwawa naNguya.”
As they walked to the river Ntwala told them stories. “Tell us about when our village was flooded,” they called. “Tell us about the Jackal and the Baboon.”
Kumbombwa dhorware kwakarire thitondo thishokuru thoghumurwa. Hashengeteya hashanine murwa dhodhikuru thikuma hatape kwaNtwala.
Beside the river there was an enormous marula tree. The girls looked for the biggest marula fruit for Ntwala.
“Nawana dyodikuru,” dyoghakughghererire Joy. Ghatapire dimurwa dyendi kwaNtwala.
“I’ve got the biggest,” shouted Joy. She gave her marula fruit to Ntwala.
“Muyende mukayoghane,” ghaghambire Ntwala kwawashengeteya. Waheya hatjirere mumeyu, hakugherire ghututuma kughutenda ghomeyu ghoRware rwaZambezi.
“Off you go and swim,” said Ntwala to the girls. They all ran into the water, shrieking and giggling as they felt the cold water of the Zambezi River.
Ntwala ghemanine kumbombwa. Ghakevererire ghurera eshi pamwe ngandu. Gharorere hashengeteya hohakurughana edi hanakukutangawera kuyogha nokuvera. Gharorere hakamadighana hohambiru edi hanakukutjakaghera meyu.
Ntwala stood on the bank. She watched for crocodiles. She watched the older girls racing and diving. She watched the younger girls splashing and learning to swim.
“Ruvedhe romutangu,” dyoghakughererire paghuhura. “Mwimane mumuyira.” Aye ghadhamunine dimurwa dyodikuru nokudivukuma pakahandha.
“Competition time,” she shouted at last. “Stand in a line.” She picked up the biggest marula fruit. She threw it as far as she could into the water.
“Fotji, wadi, hatu. MUYENDE!” Dyoghaghambire. Hanuke hatjirere mumeyu ghuyogha kudimurwa. Ntwala ghawarorere.
“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.
“Yame mukamiti!” Dyoghakughererire Maria naChaze paruvedhe rofotji. “Mwaheya yamwe mwakamiti,” ame waNtwala.
“I’m first!” shouted Maria and Chaze at the same time. “You are both first,” called Ntwala.
“Nashana kukutangawera karo,” ame waMaria. “Uhunga!” Ghahuthirehuthe Chaze. “Ntwala, kukona ndi?” Dyohepurire hashengeteya hamweya.
“I want to race again,” said Maria. “OK!” said Chaze. “Can we, Ntwala?” asked the other girls.
“Mwimane karo mumutete,” Dyoghaghambire Ntwala. Ghashimbire dimurwa nokudivukumena thikuma kokayenda popa dhahurera ngcamu dhendi.
“Stand in line again,” Ntwala told them. She picked up a marula fruit and threw it as far as she could.
“Fotji, wadi, hatu. MUYENDE!” Dyodyoghakugherire. Hanuke hatjirere murware ghuyogha kudimurwa. Ntwala ghawarorere.
“One, two, three. GO!” she called. The children ran into the water and swam to the marula fruit. Ntwala watched them.
“Yame ghokutangerera!” Ghakugherire Chaze. Maria ghashaghekire kuyogha. “Mumyaghedhi ne Chaze, dyoGhaghambe Ntwala. “Ghunarughana thiwana, Chaze. Tuyende keho kudighumbo.”
“I’m first!” shouted Chaze. Maria stopped swimming. “Chaze is the winner,” said Ntwala. “Well done, Chaze. Let’s go home now.”
Hanuke hayendire kudighughumbo naNtwala. “Tuthimwetwedhere thithimwa, Ntwala,” dyoDyoharombire. Awo hahakire kutegherera yithimwa yendi.
The children walked home with Ntwala. “Tell us a story, Ntwala,” they asked. They loved to listen to her stories.
Maria ghahondaghedhirehondaghedhire mumughongo waChaze nokumuthindeka pamuve. Chaze ghatangire kudira. “Ñanyi ghakakupumure nyina Chaze,” dyoghaghambire Joy kwaMaria.
Maria crept up behind Chaze and pushed her to the ground. Chaze started to cry. “Chaze’s mother will beat you,” said Joy to Maria.
“Maria! Nye ghunapumwera Chaze?” Ghepure Ntwala. “Ghanawini mutangu ghokuyoghana. Mbadi thiwana,” ghaghambire Maria.
“Maria! Why did you hit Chaze?” asked Ntwala. “She won at swimming. It’s not fair,” Maria said.
Ntwala gharawerire hashengeteya waheya hahungumane mudikandero. “Ngepi ghatutongwerire muyendithishure?” Dyoghepuririre. “Kurwa ne kumango. Hanu hokurwa hakona kuwana mahumbithero.” Ghahuthe Nakamwu.
Ntwala asked all the girls to sit in a circle. “What did the principal tell us?” she asked. “It’s bad to fight. People who fight must be punished,” said Nakamwu.
“Maria ghakona kuromba mathigherero,” ame waNamasiku.” “Chaze naye ghamuhuthe nyara,” dyo ghaghambe Joy. “Caaa, mbadi uhunga kukupumaghura,” ame waNtwala.
“Maria must say sorry,” said Namasiku. “Chaze must hit her back,” said Joy. “No, it is wrong to hit each other,” said Ntwala.
Ntwala ghaghambire eshi, “Namono eshi Maria ghakona kuvumwa kumayoghano Shundaha ghokurandako.” Maria ghadirire thikuma shemwa. “Ni… Ni… Nithiyererepo, Chaze. Dishesha eshi nakupumura. Mbadi mbonipumura karo kehe munu,” dyoghakuthighonokithire.
Ntwala said, “I think Maria should miss swimming next Sunday.” Maria cried a flood of tears. “I… I… I’m sorry Chaze. I’m sorry I hit you. I’ll never hit anyone again,” she apologised.
“Nakuthigherera,” dyoghaghambire Chaze noghakambekire dyoko dyendi padipeghe dyaMaria. “Maria name ñanyi tuyende noye,” ghaghambire Ntwala kwaChaze. “Maria ñanyi ghakarombe mathigherero nokwanyoko.”
“I forgive you,” said Chaze and put her arm around Maria. “Maria and I will come home with you,” said Ntwala to Chaze. “Maria will apologise to your mother too.”
Maria ghatongweririre nyina Chaze eshi, “Napumura Chaze yoyishi ghanawini mutangu. Munithighererepo. Chaze ne muyendhange, yimango eyi namupumura.”
Maria told Chaze’s mother, “I hit Chaze because she won the race. I’m sorry. Chaze is my friend, it was bad to hit her.”
Mukadikuto munaMukadikutoSibungo ghateghererire kwaMaria. “Maria, eyi ghunatendi ne yimango, yiyi yokupumura hanu. Natumera eshi ghunanirombo mathigherero. Nakuthigherera.” Mukadikuto munaMukadikuto Sibungo ghatongweririre Ntwala eshi, “Owene ghomupiterithi mwene.”
Mrs. Sibungo listened to Maria. “That was wrong Maria, it is bad to hit people. Thank you for apologising to me. I forgive you.” Mrs. Sibungo told Ntwala, “You are a good leader.”
Mukadikuto muna Muna MukadikutoSibungo ghaghambithire hanuke waheya. “Ntwala ghanaghayara thiwana mahumbithero ghokumuroghera Maria. Ghanapumura Chaze yoyishi ghanayongaritha mutangu. Kenge keho ne mbadi ghakukutangawera kuyogha karo.”
Mrs. Sibungo spoke to all the children. “Ntwala thought of a good punishment for Maria. She hit Chaze because she lost the swimming race. Now she will not be able to race.”
“Ene Nawe,” dyoghamenyamenyine Chaze, “Mbadi “nakushana eshi Maria ghakukare kudighumbo Shundaha ghokurandako. Nashana shime kakutangawera nendi karothivike thokurandako!”
“But Mum,” Chaze smiled, “I don’t want Maria to stay at home next Sunday. I want to race her at the swimming next week too!”
Written by: Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa
Illustrated by: Kleopas Jambeinge
Translated by: Ruthgela Shawanga, Servasius M. Ndjunga
Read by: Ruthgela Shawanga
Language: Thimbukushu
Level: Level 4
Source: Swimming in the Zambezi from African Storybook
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.