ǀGuitsēs ge ǃÔasa ǃāb xōǀkhā ge ǃgû gau i.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
ǃKhaos tsîn ge ge hâ i , ǁîs ge ǂause gere ǃgûmâ tsî ǁkhoaxa ǃam ǀgâna gere ǂû.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
ǃKhaos ge ǃôas tsîn ǁnapa ra hâma ǃkhais ge ǀ¡ i , tsî ǃÔasa ǂais ai ge dāhō. ǃÔas ge ǃKhaos ai ge ǃau tsoatsoa,”Sa ǃKhaotsa! ǂAis aits go dā-aite ǃkhaisats 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 ra ǂgan,”Mûsi 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,”Sats ge ǂâibasens ǀkha ǁnāsa go dī! ǀGuitsēts nî mû! Tsamats 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 ǀAes tawa sī 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 ra ǃeream si. Sās ra ǂgan khami ta 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 ǃn¡se ǀgâna gere ǂû. “ǂAnini!” Tis ge ǀAesa ra ǂhuwi.ǀAeǁhawub ge ǃKhaos ǀûga ra 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 hâs 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 go ǂhuwiǁnâ ǃkhais xa gere ǃgâiaǂgao. Nētsēs koses ge ǃKhaosa ǀaesas ra ǃao xui-ao,ǁgamma xu ǃn¡se 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
Petrus Josob
Khoekhoegowab
Level 2
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