Nē ǂhôas ge ǀoro tamas ka io īgeǁaeb xamarin tsî khoen gere ûiǁare ǁaeb ǃnâ ra tsoatsoa. ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnân ge khoena ǀaes di ǃkhūsiba ge ūhâ tama hâ i. Ora ǂûnan ge gere ǂû. Xammi ǀguib ge ǀaes di ǀgaiba ge ūhâ i.
This story starts in the old times when animals and people lived together. In those days people did not have the right to fire. They ate their food raw. Only Lion had the power of fire.
Khoen tsî xamarin tsîn gege ǀhao ǀawesa kurus ǃaroma. “Tare-e da a dīǁkhā Xamma xū ǀaesa hōsa î da ǂûna sâi ǁkhā?” tin ge gere dî. ǃUiǁaeb kōse ǃâusan ge ge mîǁgui, tsîn ge ge ǁnae ga ǁnae, tsî ǁapu ga ǁapu tsoatsoa, hoana ra ǂgaiǁaese. “Sida ǀkha hā ǂnā re. Sida ǀkha hā ǂnā re. Sida ǀkha hā ǂnā re.”
The people and the animals came together to make a plan. “What can we do to get the fire from Lion so that we can cook our food?” they asked.
They decided to wait until evening and started singing and singing, clapping and clapping, calling everyone together.
“Come dance with us.
Come dance with us.
Come dance with us.”
ǂGui xamarin ge haiǀgomsa xu ge ǂoaxa, ǁnaes tsî ǂnās ǃnâ ǁhaos ǃaroma. Xammi ge ǁîb ǀaes di haiga ge hā-ūsao. ǁÎb ge haiga ra ǁnûse gere ǁnûǁae ka ǁnûǁae. ǀAse tamas ais ge ǂkhari ǀânrosa haigu ǃnākaba xu ge ǂoaxa. Xammi ge ǀânrosa ra ǃnâise ǂnâsa ǀgâna gere ǂgāǃnâ. ǂKhari ǀaeros ge mûsen ǁaeb ai în ge hoaraga xamarina, mâ-i-hoa-e, ǀae-e ge ǀkhī-ū. ǁNātimîs ain ge ǀaes ǂnamipe ge ǂnātsoatsoa.
Many animals came from the bush to join in the dancing and singing. Lion brought his fire sticks. He rubbed the sticks, rubbed and rubbed. Soon a little smoke appeared beneath the sticks. Lion blew on the smoke and added some dry grass.
A little flame appeared and everyone brought a piece of wood. Soon everyone was dancing around a fire.
ǃÔas ge ge ǀhôagao tsî ǃhae ǀguru i. Khoen ge ǁîsa ge mîba, “Sida ra nēba ǁnae tsîb Xamma ra ǂnā ǁaeb ais ge sasa ǁîb ǀaega ū tsî nî ǃkhoe.” ǁNā ǀgaus ais ge ǃÔasa Xammi di ǀae haiga ū, tsî ge ǃkhoe. Dīhō tamas gege i, tsîs ge Xammi xa ǃhaese ge ǃkhoeǂgāǃnâhe, tsî ǀaes haiga ge ūǀhanahe.
Rabbit was a cunning and fast animal. The people said to him, “While we are singing here and while Lion is dancing with us, you must take his fire sticks and run.”
So Rabbit grabbed Lion’s fire sticks and ran. He did not make it because Lion caught up with him and brought the fire sticks back.
Xammi ge ǂamma ra am-e ge ǁnae: “Ti ǃoagusa xu-e hâ tama. ǃGomsi-e ta ūhâ tamas ǀkhā. ǀÛn ǀkhā ta ǂûtsi ǁkhā, ǀûn oses tsîna ta ǂûtsi ǁkhā. ǃGomsi-e ta ūhâ tama. Sadu hoaraga du ge a ti ǂû.”
The lion sang a boastful song:
“To me it does not matter.
I don’t have a problem.
I can eat you with hair,
I can eat you without hair.
I don’t have a problem.
All of you are food to me.”
ǁGûb ge ǃhaese ǃkhoe tsî uri ǁkhā. Khoen ge ǁîba ge mîba, “Xammi sida ǀkha nēpa ra ǂnā ka ǁnae hîats ge ǁîb ǀaes haiga tsubu tsî nî ǃkhoe.”
Springbok could run and jump very fast. The people said to him, “While Lion is dancing and singing here with us, you must grab his fire sticks and run.”
ǁÎn ra ǁnāti ǂnā ka ǁnae hîab ge ǁGûba ǀaes haiga tsubu tsî ǃgarob ǃnâ ge uribē. Xaweb ge Xamma ra dî, “Mâtio ta ǁGûb ǁkhoradi di ǃgub-ǃgub ǃgub-ǃgub ǀōba, ti ǃgâb ai ǁnâu tama hâ?” ti.
When they were dancing and singing, Springbok grabbed the fire sticks and jumped away into the veld. But Lion said, “Why do I not hear the clippety-clop clippety-clop of Springbok’s hooves behind me?”
Xammi ge dawasen tsî ǁGûb ra ǃgarob ǃnâ ǁîb ǀaes haiga ūhâse ǃkhoesa ge mû. Ob ge Xamma ǁGûba sauru, ǃkhōbi tsî ǁîb ǀaes haigu ǀkhā ge oasī. ǁKhawab ge Xamma ǁîb ǂama amsa gere ǁnae.
Lion turned and saw Springbok running into the veld with his fire sticks. So he ran after Springbok, caught him and came back with his fire sticks.
Again, Lion sang his boastful song.
On ge khoena ge tupubagu, mî rase, “Hā ida ǃArisa dî. ǁÎs ge ǂkhariro tsî a ǃhae. “ǃArise,” tin ge ge mî, “Xammi ra ǂnā tsî ǁnae sida ǀkhā hîas ge sasa ǁîb ǀaes haiga tsubu tsî nî ǃkhoebē.”
Then the people whispered to each other. They said, “Let us ask Duiker. He is small and very fast.” “Duiker,” they said, “while Lion is dancing and singing here with us, you must grab his fire sticks and run away.”
ǀAes ǂnamipen ra ǂnā hîas ge ǃArisa Xammi ǀaes haiga ū, tsî ǃgarob ǀî ge ǃkhoe. ǁKhawab ge Xamma ge mî, “Mâtio ta ǃAris di xûxûba ti ǃgâb ai ǁnâu tama ǂguro go īs khami?” ǁÎb ge dawasen tsî ǂkhari ǃAris uriǃkhoe rase ǃgarob ǃnâ garusa, ge sauru. Xammi ge ǁnā timîs ai ǃkhoeǂgāǃnâsi, tsî ǁîb ǀaexa haigu ǀkhā ǀaesa ǃoa ge oasī.
When they were dancing around the fire, Duiker grabbed Lion’s fire sticks and ran into the veld. But Lion said, “Why do I not hear Duiker snort-snorting behind me as before?”
He turned around and chased after little Duiker who was leaping into the veld. Lion caught up with him and returned to the fire with his sticks.
ǁKhāpab ge Xamma ǁîb ǂama amsa ge ǁnae. “Ti ǃoagusa xu-e hâ tama. ǃGomsi-e ta ūhâ tamas ǀkhā. ǀÛn ǀkhā ta ǂûtsi ǁkhā, ǀûn oses tsîna ta ǂûtsi ǁkhā. ǃGomsi-e ta ūhâ tama. Sadu hoaraga du ge a ti ǂû.”
Again, Lion sang his boastful song.
“To me it does not matter.
I don’t have a problem.
I can eat you with hair,
I can eat you without hair.
I don’t have a problem.
All of you are food to me.”
“Ox” tin ge khoena ge ǀhaimâinǀom, “Mâ xammari-e nēsisa a huida ǁkhā? ǀAmmis ge hoan xa gaxū ǀnūga ūhâ, hā î da ǁîsa dî.” ǁÎn ge ǀapesa ǀAmmis ǀkhā ge ǀgoragu, tsîs ge ǁîsa Xammi ǀaexa haiga tsubu tsî nē ǃnasa ge ǃkhoe.
“Oh,” sighed the people, “Which animal can help us now? Ostrich has the longest legs of all, let us ask him.” They explained the plan to Ostrich and he grabbed Lion’s fire sticks this time.
Xammi ge ge mî, “Tare-i xa ta ǀAmmis ǀgapi ǁnaedomma ti ǃgâb ai go ǁnâuǀû?” ti. ǁÎb ge ge kō-ôa, ǀAmmisa mû, tsîb ge ǁîsa ge ǃkhoeǃgon.
Lion said, “Why do I not hear Ostrich’s high singing voice behind me anymore?” He looked around, saw Ostrich and chased after him.
Gaxū ǁaeb khaoǃgâb ge tsau hâ ais ǀkha ge oaǀkhī, ǀAmmis ge ǁîba ǃkhoedā xui-ao. Ob ge ge mî “Nētsēsa xu ta ge ǀgui-i xare-e ǁnāxūǂui tide. Tita xa du nî ǃauhe, sauruhe, tsî hapuhe!” ǁNātib ge Xamma ge hoaraga khoen di khākhoe kai, tsîn ge khoena ǁnā ǀgaus ai ǀaes ǀgaiba ge hō.
After a long time, Lion returned with a tired face, for Ostrich ran too fast for him. “From this day on,” he said, “I will not leave any of you alone. I will hunt you and chase you and eat you!”
And this is how Lion came to be everyone’s enemy and how people got the power of fire.
Traditional San story
Manyeka Arts Trust
Maureen Merley So-Oabes
Khoekhoegowab
Level 4
