ǀGui ǃnauǁgoagas ge Vusib di ǁnaosa ge ǂgai bi. “Vusi, toxopa nē ǃupusa sa îra sī mā re. ǁÎra ge tsamperesa sa ausis di ǃgameb ǃaroma ra am ǂgao.”
Early one morning Vusi’s granny
called him, “Vusi, please take this
egg to your parents. They want to
make a large cake for your sister’s
wedding.”
ǁÎb îra ǁgab garu daob ǃnâb ge Vusiba ǀgam axakha hîa haiǂûna ra ǃorakha, ge ǀhao-ū. ǀGui axab ge ǃupusa Vusiba xu tsuwu, tsî hai-i ǃoa ge ǂnoa. ǃUpus ge ge khôa.
On his way to his parents, Vusi met
two boys picking fruit. One boy
grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot
it at a tree. The egg broke.
“Tare-ets go dī?” tib ge Vusiba ge ǃau. “ǁNās ge tsamperes di go i ǃupusa. Ti ausis di ǃgameb tsamperes ge. Tare-es ti ausisa nēsisa nî mî ǃgameb di tsamperes ga ǀkhai o?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That egg was for a cake. The cake
was for my sister’s wedding. What
will my sister say if there is no
wedding cake?”
Axakha ge kaise ge ǃhausen Vusiba kha ge ǁore ǃkhais ǃaroma. “Sikhom ge tsamperes ǀkha a hui ǁoa, xawe ū re nē ǁgâibasen haiba sa ausis ǃaroma,” tib ge ǀguiba ge mî. Vusib ge ǁîb ǃgûdaob ǀkha ge aiǃgû.
The boys were sorry for teasing
Vusi.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is a walking stick for your
sister,” said one.
Vusi continued on his journey.
Daob ǃnâb ge ǀgam aokha hîa omsa ra omkha ǀkha ge ǀhao. “ǁNā ǀgaisa haiba khom a sîsenū ǁkhā?” tib ge ǀguiba ge dî. Xaweb ge haiba om-ūs ǃaroma ge ǀgaisa tama hâ i, tsî ge khôa.
Along the way he met two men
building a house. “Can we use that
strong stick?” asked one.
But the stick was not strong enough
for building, and it broke.
“Tare-ets go dī?” tib ge Vusiba ge ǃau. “ǁNāb ge ti ausis ǃgameb di ǀkhae go ība. Haiǂû ǃora-aokha xa ta ge ǁnā haiba go māhe, ǁîkha go tsamperes di ǃupusa a khôa xui-ao. ǁNās ge ti ausis di ǃgameb tsamperesa. Nēsi i ge ǃupusa ǀkhai, tsamperesa ǀkhai, ǀkhaexū-e ǀkhai ti ī. Tare-es ti ausisa nēsisa nî mî?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That stick was a gift for my sister.
The fruit pickers gave me the stick
because they broke the egg for the
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Omkuru-aokha ge kaise ge ǃhausen haiba kha ge khôa ǃkhais xa. “Sikhom ge tsamperes ǀkha a hui ǁoa, xawe ū re nē ǀgânna sa ausis ǃaroma,” tib ge lguiba ge mî. Tsîb ge Vusiba ǁîb daob ǀkha ge aiǃgû.
The builders were sorry for breaking
the stick.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is some thatch for your sister,”
said one.
And so Vusi continued on his
journey.
Daob ǃnâb ge Vusiba gomasa ūhâ ǂgari-aob ǀkha ge ǀhao. “Tare ǁkhoaxa ǀgâna, tsâ ǁkhā i ta a?” tis ge gomasa ge dî. Xawen ge ǁnā ǀgânna kaise ge ǁkhoaxa i, tsîs ge gomasa hoa ǀgânna ge hapu!
Along the way, Vusi met a farmer
and a cow. “What delicious thatch,
can I have a nibble?” asked the cow.
But the thatch was so tasty that the
cow ate it all!
“Tare-es go dī?” tib ge Vusib ge ǃau. “ǁNā ǀgân ge ti ausis di ǃgameb ǀkhaeba omkuru-aokha xa ta go māhena ǁîkha go haiǂû ǃora-aokha go mā te haiba a khôa xui-ao. Haiǂû ǃora-aokha ge haiba go mā te ǁîkha go tsamperes di ǃupusa a khôa xui-ao. ǁNās ge ti ausis di ǃgameb tsamperesa. Nēsi i ge ǃupusa ǀkhai, tsamperesa ǀkhai, ǀkhaexū-e ǀkhai. Tare-es ti ausisa nēsisa nî mî?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That thatch was a gift for my
sister. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for my sister’s
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Gomas ge kaise ge ǃhausen ǂûnas go i ǃkhais ǃaroma. ǂGari-aob ge as gomasa Vusib lkha ī ǁîb ausis di ǀkhaeb ase, ti ge mî. Tsîb ge Vusiba ǁîb daob ǀkha ge aiǃgû.
The cow was sorry she was greedy.
The farmer agreed that the cow
could go with Vusi as a gift for his
sister. And so Vusi carried on.
Xawes ge gomasa ǃuiǂûs ǁaexa i ge o, ǂgari-aoba ǃoa ge ǃkhoe-oa. Tsîb ge Vusiba daoba kā tsî kaise ǃonkhao hâse ǃgameb tawa ge sī. ǃHaokhoen ge ǀnai gere ǂû.
But the cow ran back to the farmer
at supper time.
And Vusi got lost on his journey.
He arrived very late for his sister’s
wedding. The guests were already
eating.
“Tare-e ta nēsisa nî dī?” tib ge Vusib ra ā. “ǃKhoebē go gomas ge go ǀkhae i, ǀgân, omkuru-aokha xa ta go māhen soas ǃnâ. Omkurukha ge ǀgânna go mā te ǁîkha go haiǂû ǃora-aokha go mā te haiba a khôa xui-ao. Haiǂû ǃora-aokha ge haiba go mā te ǁîkha go tsamperes di ǃupusa a khôa xui-ao. ǁNās ge ti ausis di ǃgameb tsamperesa. Nēsi i ge ǃupusa ǀkhai, tsamperesa ǀkhai, ǀkhaexū-e ǀkhai. Tare-es ti ausisa nēsisa nî mî?”
“What shall I do?” cried Vusi.
“The cow that ran away was a gift,
in return for the thatch the builders
gave me. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for the cake.
The cake was for the wedding. Now
there is no egg, no cake, and no
gift.”
Vusib ausis ge ǁaeroba ǂâi tsî ge mî, “Vusi ti ǃgâro, tita ge ǀkhaexū-i ǀkha ǁae tama hâ. Tita ge tsamperes ǀkhas tsîna ǁae tama hâ! Sada hoada ge nēpa ǀhao hâ, tsî ta ge a ǂkhî. Nēsisa sa îxa sarana sī ǂgaeǂgā, î da nē tsēsa tsēdī!” Tsîb ge Vusiba mîhe ge khami ge dī.
Vusi’s sister thought for a while,
then she said,
“Vusi my brother, I don’t really care
about gifts. I don’t even care about
the cake! We are all here together, I
am happy. Now put on your smart
clothes and let’s celebrate this
day!”
And so that’s what Vusi did.
Nina Orange
Wiehan de Jager
Ngeve Shangombe
Khoekhoegowab
Level 4
