Ehokololo otali popi kombinga yokadhila edhina lyako Ngede, omutonateli gwelonga lyoonyushi nomulumentu omugundjuka omunalwiho edhina lye Gingile. Esiku limwe Gingile manga a li a ya kuukongo okwa uvu Ngede ta lili, elilo ndyoka hali ulike kutya ope na elonga lyoonyushi lya paka. Gingile okwa tameke ta yeya mokudhiladhila uutoye womagadhi goonyushi. Okwa thikama e ta tameke ta pupu nawa, ta lengalenga ta kongo okadhila, sigo e ka mono pombanda miitayi yomuti moka ka li. “Tyiri, tyiri, tyiri,” okadhila okashona taka lili, ko taka tameke okutuka okuza komuti gumwe okuuka komukwawo. “Tyiri, tyiri, tyiri,” osho ka ithana, ko taka nambele po kashona taka shilipaleke kutya Gingile okwe ka landula ngaa.
This is the story of Ngede, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gingile.
One day while Gingile was out hunting he heard the call of Ngede. Gingile’s mouth began to water at the thought of honey. He stopped and listened carefully, searching until he saw the bird in the branches above his head.
“Chitik-chitik-chitik,” the little bird rattled, as he flew to the next tree, and the next.
“Chitik, chitik, chitik,” he called, stopping from time to time to be sure that Gingile followed.
Konima yetatatundi, oya adha po omukwiyu omunene. Ngede okwa tameke ta ndjomboka niitayi yomukwiyu. Okwa ka nambela a mwena koshitayi shimwe e ta komona komutse ongo ta lombwele Gingile ta ti: “Omagadhi ogo ngaka! Ila ngashingeyi! Oshike wa tegelela?” Gingile ka li e wete nando onyushi yimwe andola tayi tuka lwoposhitayi shoka, ashike okwa li a inekela Ngede.
After half an hour, they reached a huge wild fig tree.
Ngede hopped about madly among the branches. He then settled on one branch and cocked his head at Gingile as if to say, “Here it is! Come now! What is taking you so long?”
Gingile couldn’t see any bees from under the tree, but he trusted Ngede.
Gingile okwa tula egonga lye pevi, okwa gongele iikuni kohi yomuti e ta tema omulilo. Omulilo sho gwa hwama nawa, okwa tula oshiti oshile mokati keziko. Oshiti shika osha li hashi longithwa owina oshoka ohashi ningi olwithi olwindji uuna sha temwa. Okwa londo noshiti shoka komuti, e shi kwata nomayego kombinga ndjoka inaashi tema.
So Gingile put down his hunting spear under the tree, gathered some dry twigs and made a small fire.
When the fire was burning well, he put a long dry stick into the heart of the fire. This wood was especially known to make lots of smoke while it burned.
He began climbing, holding the cool end of the smoking stick in his teeth.
Mbala mbala okwa li u uvite omuumo gwoonyushi. Odha li dhi ipyakidhila tadhi yi momututu dho hadhi zi mo. Sho tuu Gingile a thiki pomututu, okwa hwele ko oshikuni shoka a li e na tashi tsina olwithi. Oonyushi odha tameke okutuka tadhi zi ko kekololo dha geya dho odha pindjala. Odha tukile kokule oshoka kadhi hole olwithi. Ashike odha thigi ngaa Gingile dhe mu dhenga po oongona dha gwana nawa dho tadhi luluma.
Soon he could hear the loud buzzing of the busy bees. They were coming in and out of a hollow in the tree trunk – their hive.
When Gingile reached the hive he pushed the smoking end of the stick into the hollow.
The bees came rushing out, angry and mean. They flew away because they didn’t like the smoke – but not before they had given Gingile some painful stings!
Oonyushi sho dha zi mo adhihe Gingile okwa hili mo iimbombo nomahila ngoka ga li taga ziyolola omagadhi momututu. Mbika yihe okwe yi tula mompunda ndjoka a li a humbata kepepe lye, e ta londoloka ko komuti.
When the bees were out, Gingile pushed his hands into the nest. He took out handfuls of the heavy comb, dripping with rich honey and full of fat, white grubs.
He put the comb carefully in the pouch he carried on his shoulder, and started to climb down the tree.
Ngede okwa kala a tala nawa ashihe shoka Gingile a li ta ningi. Okwa li e na etegameno kutya Gingile ote mu thigile po wo tuu okapambu kehila lyomagadhi goonyushi olupandu. Ngede okwa li ta nuka niitayi okuza kushimwe nokoshikwawo e li poontayintayi dhomuti. Gingile osho a thiki pevi. Ngede okwa ka nambela kemanya li li popepi naye e ta tegelele a pewe ondjambi ye.
Ngede eagerly watched everything that Gingile was doing. He was waiting for him to leave a fat piece of honeycomb as a thank-you offering to the Honeyguide.
Ngede flittered from branch to branch, closer and closer to the ground. Finally Gingile reached the bottom of the tree.
Ngede perched on a rock near the boy and waited for his reward.
Gingile okwa dhimi owala omulilo, ta toola po egonga lye e ta ende u uka kegumbo, no inaa pupa ko nando okokadhila. “Tyi tyroo, tyi tyroo!” Ngede osho a lili neyeme. Gingile okwa thikama kashona e ta tala okadhila okashona e ka tongolola. Okwa yolo mokule e ta ti: “Owa hala omagadhi goonyushi kuume, hasho? Haha! Ndele ongame nda longo po iilonga ayihe, ngame ongame wo awike nda lika koonyushi. Omolwashike ndi na okutopola omagadhi nangoye?” Nokwa yi. Ngede okwa li a thita po! Hasho a li e na okuningwa ngaaka. Ashike okwa li e mu kwatela onyambi.
But, Gingile put out the fire, picked up his spear and started walking home, ignoring the bird.
Ngede called out angrily, “VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!”
Gingile stopped, stared at the little bird and laughed aloud. “You want some honey, do you, my friend? Ha! But I did all the work, and got all the stings. Why should I share any of this lovely honey with you?” Then he walked off.
Ngede was furious! This was no way to treat him! But he would get his revenge.
Esiku limwe konima yiiwike yontumba, Gingile okwa uvu ishewe Ngede ta ithana ngaashi ha ningi uuna a mona omagadhi goonyushi. Gingile okwa dhimbulukwa omagadhi nuutoye wago, nokwa landula okadhila ngaashi tuu a ningile nale. Sho Ngede a falafala Gingile kooha dhomuthitu, okwa nambele keno enene a vululukwe po. “Iyaa! Elonga ngiika oli na okukala momuti muka.” Gingile osho a dhiladhila. Okwa tema mbala omulilo e ta tameke okulonda, omanga a kwata oshiti she tashi tsina nomayego. Ngede okwa kuutumba e mu tala nawa.
One day several weeks later Gingile again heard the honey call of Ngede. He remembered the delicious honey, and eagerly followed the bird once again.
After leading Gingile along the edge of the forest, Ngede stopped to rest in a great umbrella thorn. “Ahh,” thought Gingile. “The hive must be in this tree.” He quickly made his small fire and began to climb, the smoking branch in his teeth. Ngede sat and watched.
Gingile okwa londo, oti ipula kutya omolwshike mbela kee uvite nando okuuma kwoonyushi ngaashi shito. “Ngiika omututu ogu li pombanda puule,” osho a dhiladhila. Okwa londo natango u uka muundjendja womuti. Peha lyokumona oonyushi, okwa haluka sho i itsu ya talathana nongwe onkiitu oshipala noshipala! Ongwe oya li ya geya noonkondo sho ya yonenwa oomposi ngaaka. Ongwe oya thithikile kashona omeho gayo e tayi ekama okana kwayo kwa pwa ko, ya kenya komayego.
Gingile climbed, wondering why he didn’t hear the usual buzzing. “Perhaps the hive is deep in the tree,” he thought to himself. He pulled himself up another branch. But instead of the hive, he was staring into the face of a leopard!
Leopard was very angry at having her sleep so rudely interrupted. She narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to reveal her very large and very sharp teeth.
Manga tuu ongwe inaayi mu nukila, Gingile okwa endelele mbala e ta londoloka ko komuti. Meulumo lye okwa palutha oshitayi mpoka a li e na okulyata. Okwa gu ko komuti e ti indwangula pevi, onyugu ye oya thongoka. Okwa tinongola te endelele ngaashi ta vulu. Lago enene ongwe oya li ya sa unene oomposi no inayi mu landula. Ngede, i ikuthile ko onyambi, naGingile okwi ilongo oshilongwa.
Before Leopard could take a swipe at Gingile, he rushed down the tree.
In his hurry he missed a branch, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground twisting his ankle. He hobbled off as fast as he could. Luckily for him, Leopard was still too sleepy to chase him. Ngede, the Honeyguide, had his revenge.
And Gingile learned his lesson.
Oyana yaGingile sho yu uvu ehokololo lyaNgede oya li ya simaneke okadhila haka. Uuna aluhe ya tapa elonga lyoonyushi ohaa si aluhe oshimpwiyu ya thige po oshipambu shomutonateli gwomagadhi goonyushi!
And so, when the children of Gingile hear the story of Ngede they have respect for the little bird. Whenever they harvest honey, they make sure to leave the biggest part of the comb for Honeyguide!
Zulu folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Rachel Nandjembo
Rachel Nandjembo
Oshindonga
Level 4
