Okakadhona okashona oko ka mono tango eholoko ekumumithi ndyoka lya li okakako okuza mpoka ko ka li.
It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.
Efano ndika olya tameke okuhedha popepi, nokakakadhona oka vulu okudhimbulula kutya nani osha li omukulukadhi ngoka a li metegelelo evalelwapeni lyaa na siku inaa li valwa.
As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Nomukumo ashike onuuhwenge, okakadhona okashona oka hedha komukulukadhi. “Natu mu kaleke putse,” aakwawo yokakakadhona osho ya tokola. “Otatu mu sile oshimpwiyu pamwe nokanona ke.”
Shy but brave, the little girl moved nearer to the woman.
“We must keep her with us,” the little girl’s people decided. “We’ll keep her and her child safe.”
The child was soon on its way.
“Push!”
“Bring blankets!”
“Water!”
“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”
Ihe sho ya mono okanona hoka ka valwa, kehe gumwe okwa hedha kokule nonkumwe! “Okandoongi?!”
But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock.
“A donkey?!”
Oya tameke okupatathana. “Otwa uvanene okusila yina nokanona ke oshimpwuyu, na osho tu na okuninga,” yamwe osho ya ti. “Mbaka otaye tu etele oshipwe!” yalwe taa yi mo ishewe.
Everyone began to argue.
“We said we would keep mother and child safe, and that’s what we’ll do,” said some.
“But they will bring us bad luck!” said others.
Omukiintu okwi iyadha e li oye awike natango. Okwa li a limbililwa nkene ta ningi nokanona ke haka okakumithi. Okwa li wo a limbililwa nkene ta hupu ye mwene.
And so the woman found herself alone again.
She wondered what to do with this awkward child.
She wondered what to do with herself.
Konima okwa taamba ko kutya haka okanona ke, na oye yina yako.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.
Okanona ngele andola oka kale okashona nokethike owala mpoka ke thike, nena andola osha kala shi li nawa. Ashike okanona oka koko e taka koko sigo itaka wapa we okukwiininwa kombunda yayina. Okanona nando ka kambadhale, kaka li taka vulu okwiihumbata ngaashi omuntu. Yina okwa li aluhe a timpililwa nokwa lulilwa. Ethimbo limwe ohe ka pe ka longe iilonga mbyoka hayi longwa kiinamwenyo.
Now, if the child had stayed that same, small size, everything might have been different. But the donkey child grew and grew until he could no longer fit on his mother’s back.
And no matter how hard he tried, he could not behave like a human being. His mother was often tired and frustrated. Sometimes she made him do work meant for animals.
Ongeyo nondjahi oya mbwimbwitile momwenyo gwokandoongi haka. Kaka li taka vulu okuninga shika nenge shiyaka. Itaka vulu okukala ngeyi nenge ngeyaka. Esiku limwe oka pwidhuka noka thanga yina e take mu pundulile pevi.
Confusion and anger built up inside Donkey. He couldn’t do this and he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t be like this and he couldn’t be like that.
He became so angry that, one day, he kicked his mother to the ground.
Ndoongi okwa li a sa ohoni. Okwa fadhuka po e ta yi kokule ngaashi ta vulu.
Donkey was filled with shame. He started to run away as far and fast as he could.
Sho a ka ziguka metondoko lye, ka li e shi mpoka e li nokwa li uusiku nokwa luudha. “Oooih! Oooih!” Ewi lye olye mu galukile “Oooih. Oooih!” Okwa li awike. Okwi igonyo e ta kotha oomposi dhaashi oombwanawa.
By the time he stopped running, it was night, and Donkey was lost.
“Hee haw?” he whispered to the darkness.
“Hee Haw?” it echoed back. He was alone.
Curling himself into a tight ball, he fell into a deep and troubled sleep.
Ndoongi okwa penduka e ta mono omulumentu omukokele omukumithi e mu tongolola. Okwa tala momeho gomulumentu nokwa tameke okumona omukumo omupe.
Donkey woke up to find a strange old man staring down at him. He looked into the old man’s eyes and started to feel a twinkle of hope.
Ndoongi okwa yi e ta kala pomukokele, ngoka e mu longo omikalo odhindji nkene e na okuhupa. Ndoongi okwa pulakene nawa nokwiilonga. Nomulumentu wo okwi ilongo sha muye. Oya kwathathana noya nyanyukwa wo aluhe pamwe.
Donkey went to stay with the old man, who taught him many different ways to survive.
Donkey listened and learned, and so did the old man. They helped each other, and they laughed together.
Esiku limwe omulumentu okwa pula Ndoongi e mu fale kondungu yondundu.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
Muulelela mokati kiikogo ayehe oya kotha. Ndoongi okwa yaguma aniwa yina ta alukwa nokwa li te mu ithana. Naasho a papudhuka moomposi…
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.
Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
And when he woke up…
… iikogo nakuume ke omukokele, oya nena po.
… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Ndoongi okwa tseya shoka e na okuninga.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Okwa adha yina e li muuwike nokwa li ta lili okanona ke hoka ka kana. Oya papatelathana olule noya kala pamwe ethimbo ele.
Donkey found his mother, alone and mourning her lost child. They stared at each other for a long time.
And then hugged each other very hard.
Okandoongi nayina oya koko pamwe noya koneke omikalo odhindji nkene taa vulu okukala pamwe. Kashona nakashona ayehe mboka ya li popepi nayo oya tameke okutaamba ko ekwatathano lyawo.
The donkey child and his mother have grown together and found many ways of living side by side.
Slowly, all around them, other families have started to settle.
Lindiwe Matshikiza
Meghan Judge
Rachel Nandjembo
Rachel Nandjembo
Oshindonga
Level 3
