ǀGui tsē i ge ǂkhîxa ǀaokhoen xa ge ǁanhe hâ i.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
ǁÎn ge tātsē ge ǃkham ūgu tama hâ i. ǁÎn ge ǁîn îra oms tsî ǃhanab ǃnâ gere hui.
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Xawen ge ge ǂkhāsa i, ǀaes ǀgūse sīsa.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
ǁÎn ge ǃoes ǃnâ ǀgui hoa sîsengu ǁîn diga ge dī ǁkha i, ǁîn ǂnuruǁnuib ǀkha ge kurusa i xui-ao!
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Xaweb ge axagu ǀguiba kaise ge ǁkhore hâ i sores ǃnâ ǂoasa.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
ǀGui tsēb ge nē ǁkhoreba kaise ge kai i, xaweb ge ǃgâsakha xa ge ǃkhâikhomhe.
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Xawe i ge kaise ge ǃonkhao i! ǁÎb ge nē ǀgamsa sores ǃnâ ge tsuni.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
ǂNuruǁui ǃgâsan ge kaise ge ǃoa, ǁîn ǃgâsab ge tsunibē ǃkhais ǃaroma.
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Xawen ge ǀawe-e ge kuru. ǁÎn ge ǃgâsaba xu ge tsuni ǂnuruǁnuib ǀkha anisa ge kuru.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
ǁÎkha ge ani ǃgâsaroba ǀgapi ǃhommi ǂoaragas kose ge ǃapa-u.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Sores ra ǁhai khamib ge ǁnaerase ǁgoas ǃnâ ge ǁkhanabē.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
Southern African Folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Ivan Petrus Josob
Khoekhoegowab
Level 2
