ǀGuitsēs ge ǃÔasa ǃāb xōǀkhā ge ǃgû garu i.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
ǃKhaos tsîn ge ge hâ i, ǁîs ge ǂause gere ǃgûma tsî ǁkhoaxa ǃam ǀgâna gere ǂû.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
ǃKhaos ge ǃôas tsîn ǁnāpa ra hâma ǃkhaisa ge mû tama hâ i, tsî ǃÔasa ǂais ai ge dāhō. ǃÔas ge ǃKhaos ai ge ǃau tsoatsoa, “Sa ǃKhaosa! ǂAis ais go dā-aite ǃkhaisas mû tama hâ?”
Hippo didn’t see that Rabbit was there and she accidentally stepped on Rabbit’s foot.
Rabbit started screaming at Hippo, “You Hippo! Can’t you see that you’re stepping on my foot?”
ǃKhaos ge ǃÔas ai ǀûbaba ge ǂgan, “Mû si tama ta ge go hâ i, xuige toxoba ǀûba te re!” Xawes ge ǃÔasa ge ǁnâuǃā ǂgao tama hâ i, tsî ǃKhaos ai ge ǃau, “Sas ge ǂâibasens ǀkha ǁnāsa go dī! ǀGuitsēs nî mû! Tsamas nî!”
Hippo apologised to Rabbit, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. Please forgive me!”
But Rabbit wouldn’t listen and he shouted at Hippo, “You did that on purpose! Someday, you’ll see! You’re going to pay!”
ǃÔas ge ǀAesa ôa, tsî ra mîba, “ǃGû i ǃKhaosa ǁgamma xus ǂoaxa tsî ǀgâna ra ǂû hîa ǂhuwi. ǁÎs go dā aite xui-ao!” ǃÔa, ǃgomsi i a ǀkhai ti ǀhōse, tis ge ǀAesa ge ǃeream si. Sas ra ǂgan khami ta ge nî dī.
Rabbit went to find Fire and said, “Go, burn Hippo when she comes out of the water to eat grass. She stepped on me!”
Fire answered, “No problem, Rabbit, my friend. I’ll do just what you ask.”
ǃKhaos ge ega ǃāba xu ǃnūse ǀgâna gere ǂû. “ǂAnini!” Tis ge ǀAesa ge ǂhuwi tsoatsoa. ǀAeǁhawub ge ǃKhaos ǀûga ge ǂhuwiǁnâ.
Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.
ǃKhaos ge ā tsoatsoa tsî ǁgammi ǁga ge ǃkhoe. Hoa ǀûgu âs ge ǀaes xa ge ǂhuwiǁnâhe. ǃKhaos ge kaise gere ā, “Ti ǀûn ge ǀAes xa go ǂhuwiǁnâhe!” Hoa ǀûn ge go ǁgôa! Ae, ti îxa ǀûna!”
Hippo started to cry and ran for the water. All her hair was burned off by the fire.
Hippo kept crying, “My hair has burned in the fire! My hair is all gone! My beautiful hair!”
ǃÔas ge ǃKhaos ǀûn ge ǂhuwiǁnâ ǃkhais xa gere ǃgâiaǂgao. Nētsēs kōses ge ǃKhaosa ǀaesas ra ǃao xui-ao, ǁgamma xu ǃnūse ǃgû tama hâ.
Rabbit was happy that Hippo’s hair was burned.
And to this day, for fear of fire, the hippo never goes far from the water.
Basilio Gimo, David Ker
Carol Liddiment
Ivan Petrus Josob
Khoekhoegowab
Level 2
