Gaxu ǁae-e ǃkharu hâse di ge ǃnona ǀgôade gere ǀaere.
A long time ago, three girls went
out to collect wood.
ǀGamsa ge i tsēs ge tsî di ge ǁîde ǃāb ǁga ge tsâǃgû. ǁÎdi ge ǀhuru tsî ǁgammi ǀkha ǀgapigu tsî ǁgammi ǃnâ gere tsâ.
It was a hot day so they went down
to the river to swim.
They played and splashed and
swam in the water.
ǁÎdi ge sī ǃnoaǂkhai, os ge soresa ǂgâ hâ. ǃNoesase di ge ǃgaroǃās ǁga ge ǃoa.
Suddenly, they realised that it was
late.
They hurried back to the village.
ǀGū di ra hîas ge Nozibelesa ǃaob âs ai ǃomma ra ǁgui. ǁÎs ge ǁîs karaba go ǀuru! “ǃHaese sao te re!” tis ge ǀhōsara ra ǀkhomma. Xawe ra ge ǁîra ra mî ǃonkhao i go a ǃkhaisa.
When they were nearly home,
Nozibele put her hand to her neck.
She had forgotten her necklace!
“Please come back with me!” she
begged her friends.
But her friends said it was too late.
ǁÎs ge ǀguri ǃāba ǃoa ge oadawasen. Karaba hō tsîs ge ǃnoesase oms ǁga ge ǁaru. Xawes ge ǃkhaeb ǃnâ ge kā.
So Nozibele went back to the river
alone.
She found her necklace and hurried
home.
But she got lost in the dark.
Omro-e xū ra hā ǃnâro es ge ge mû. ǃNoesase sī tsîs ge ge ǃgubu-am.
In the distance she saw light
coming from a hut.
She hurried towards it and knocked
at the door.
Burugâ kai si raseb ge ariba dao-amsa ǁkhowa-am tsî ge mî, “Tare-es ǂhâba hâ?” “Kā ta ge hâ tsî ta ge ǁgoeǃkhai-e ra ôa,” tis ge Nozibelesa ge ǃeream. “ǂGâxa re, tamas ka io ta ge nî nâ si” tib ge ariba ge mî. ǁNātimîs ais ge ge ǂgâ.
To her surprise, a dog opened the
door and said, “What do you want?”
“I’m lost and I need a place to
sleep,” said Nozibele.
“Come in, or I’ll bite you!” said the
dog.
So Nozibele went in.
ǁNāpaxub ge ariba, “Sâiba te!” ti ge mî. “Xawe tita ge noxoba ari-e sâiba tsâ tama hâ,” tis ge ge ǃeream bi. “Sâi, tamas ka io ta nî nâsi” tib ge ariba ge mî. Nozibeles ge ǀû tsî ǂû-e ariba ge sâiba.
Then the dog said, “Cook for me!”
“But I’ve never cooked for a dog
before,” she answered.
“Cook, or I’ll bite you!” said the dog.
So Nozibele cooked some food for
the dog.
ǁNāpaxub ge ariba ge mî, “Kharoba ǀgâiba te!” Nozibeles ge ǃeream tsî, “Tita ge ari-e kharo-e ǀgâiba tsâ tama.” “ǀGâiba te kharoba, tamas ka io ta ge tita nî nâsi!” ǁNāpaxus ge Nozibelesa kharoba ge ǀgâibabi.
Then the dog said, “Make the bed
for me!”
Nozibele answered, “I’ve never
made a bed for a dog.”
“Make the bed, or I’ll bite you!” the
dog said.
So Nozibele made the bed.
Tsēs hoasas ge ǁîsa ariba sâi, ǀnapu tsî gere ǁāba. ǀGuitsēb ge ariba ge mîbasi, “Nozibelese, nētsē ta ge ti ǀhōsana ra sari. Omsa ǀnapu, ǂû-e sâi, tsî ti xūna ǁābate oaǀkhī ta nîs aiǃâ.”
Every day she had to cook and
sweep and wash for the dog.
Then one day the dog said,
“Nozibele, today I have to visit
some friends. Sweep the house,
cook the food and wash my things
before I come back.”
ǁÎb ra ī khamis ge Nozibelesa ǃnona ǀûga ǁîs danasa xū ge ūǁnâ. ǀGuibas ge kharob ǃnāka ge ǂgā, nauba dao-ams ǃgâb-ai, tsî nauba ǃharas ǃnâ. ǁNāpaxus ge oms ǁga ǃhaese ge ǃkhoe-oa.
As soon as the dog had gone,
Nozibele took three hairs from her
head.
She put one hair under the bed, one
behind the door, and one in the
kraal.
Then she ran home as fast as she
could.
Arib ge oaǀkhīb ge o Nozibelesa ge re ôa. “Nozibelese, mâpas hâ?” tib ge ge ǃau. “Nē ta ge a, kharob ǃnāka,” tib ge ǂguro ǀûba ge mî. “Nē ta ge a, dao-ams ǃgâb ai,” tib ge ǀgamǁîba ge mî. “Nē ta ge a, ǃharas ǃnâ,” tib ge ǃnonaǁî ǀûba ge mî.
When the dog came back, he looked
for Nozibele.
“Nozibele, where are you?” he
shouted.
“I’m here, under the bed,” said the
first hair.
“I’m here, behind the door,” said the
second hair.
“I’m here, in the kraal,” said the
third hair.
ǀHôagaoǃnâheb ge Nozibeles xa ǃkhaisab ge ariba ge ǂan. ǁÎb ge ǃgaroǃāsa ǃoa ǃkhoe tsî ge ǃkhoe. Xawe gu ge Nozibeles ǃgâsaga kaiǃgâ haigu ǀkha ge ǃâumâbi hâ i. Arib ge ge ǃkhoedawasen tsî ǁkhawa mûhesa tama ge i.
Then the dog knew that Nozibele
had tricked him.
So he ran and ran all the way to the
village.
But Nozibele’s brothers were
waiting there with big sticks.
The dog turned and ran away and
has never been seen since.
Tessa Welch
Wiehan de Jager
Maureen Merley So-Oabes
Khoekhoegowab
Level 3
