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A bride surrounded by wedding guests cheering.

Shoka omumwayinakadhona gwaVusi a ti What Vusi's sister said

Written by Nina Orange

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Rachel Nandjembo

Read by Rachel Nandjembo

Language Oshindonga

Level Level 4

Narrate full story

Reading speed

Autoplay story


An old woman thinking of a wedding, giving a boy an egg.

Ongula yesiku limwe yinakulu yaVusi okwe mu ithana kuye. Okwe mu pe eyi e te mu lombwele ta ti: “Vusi, taamba eyi ndika e to li fala kaakuluntu yoye. Oya hala aniwa okuteleka oshikuki oshinene shohango yamumwanyoko.”

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.”


A boy standing between two boys picking fruit and one of them holding a slingshot.

Mondjila okuya kaakuluntu ye Vusi okwa tsakaneke uumati wa li tawu likola iiyimati. Okamati kamwe oka kutha ko eyi kuVusi e take li umbile mekota lyomiti. Eyi nolya tatuka.

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.


A boy telling the fruit pickers about the egg and the wedding.

“Owa ningi ngiini ngawo? “Vusi ta pula. “Eyi ndyoka olya li lyoshikuki shohango yomumwameme. Ngashingeyi ota ka tya ngiini ngele opwa kala pwaa na oshikuki shohango.”

“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?”


Two fruit pickers giving a boy a walking stick.

Uumati owa li wu uvitile Vusi ohenda sho we mu hindi. “Itatu vulu we okuninga sha kombinga yoshikuki, ashike taamba oshiti shika opo mumwanyoko e ki itsile ko.” Okamati kamwe osho ka ti. Vusi okwa tsikile nondjila ye.

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.


A worried-looking boy standing next to two men building a house. One of the builders is holding a broken stick.

Mondjila okwa adha mo ishewe aasamane yaali taa tungu ondunda. “Natu longithe po oshiti shoye shoka oshile nawa?” Gumwe osho a pula. Ashike oshiti kasha li sha kola lela nosha teka.

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.


A boy telling the builders about the egg, the wedding and the walking stick.

“Owa ningi ngiini ngawo?” Vusi osho a ti neyeme. “Oshiti shoka osho omagano gomumwamemekadhona. Nde shi pewa kaakongi yiiyimati sho ya tatula po eyi lyokuninga oshikuki. Oshikuki shohango yamumwameme. Ngashingeyi kapu na we eyi, kapu na oshikuki no kapu na we omagano. Mumwameme ota ka tya ihe nduno ngiini?”

“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?”


Two builders giving a boy some thatch.

Aatungi oya li ye eta ohenda sho ya teya oshiti. “Katu na shoka tatu vulu we okuninga kombinga yoshikuki, ashike taamba omwiidhi nguka gwokukumba wu faalele mumwanyoko.” Omulumentu gumwe osho a ti kuye. Vusi okwa tsikile nondjila ye.

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.


A worried-looking boy standing next to a farmer feeding a cow some thatch.

Mondjila okwa adha mo omunafaalama e na ongombe. “Omwiidhi omwaanawa ngiini ngono, iho pe ndje ko wo ohuto? “Ongombe tayi pula. Omwiidhi ogwa li omutoye unene nongombe oye gu li po sigo ye gu mana po aguhe!

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!


A boy telling the farmer about the egg, the wedding, the walking stick and the thatch.

“Owa ningi ihe ngiini ngawo?” Vusi oshi a ti neyeme. “Omwiidhi ngoka ogwa li omagano gamumwameme. E ga pewa kaatungi sho ya teya oshiti she, nde shi pewa kaakongi yiiyimati. Aakongi yiiyimati oya tatula po eyi lyoshikuki. Oshikuki shohango yamumwameme. Nena kapu na we eyi, kapu na oshikuki, kapu na omagano. Nena mumwameme ota ka tya ihe ngiini?”

“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?”


A farmer giving a boy a cow.

Ongombe oya li yu uvite ohenda sho ya li po omwiidhi nuufukedhi. Omunafaalama okwa zimine opo Vusi a ye nongombe, omagano gomumwayina. Vusi okwa tsikile nondjila ye.

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.


A boy standing next to wedding guests eating.

Pethimbo lyuulalelo ongombe oya fadhuka po e tayi shuna komunafaalama. Vusi okwa puka ondjila naasho a ka thika kohango okwa li kwa toka noonkondo. Okwa adha aayenda ya tameka nale okulya.

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.


A boy telling the wedding guests about the cow, the thatch, the walking stick, the egg and the wedding.

“Nena otandi ningi ihe ngiini?” Vusi osho a ti neyeme. “Ongombe ndjoka ya fadhuka po oyo ya li omagano nde yi pewa peha lyomwiidhi. Aatungi ya pe ndje omwiidhi sho ya teya po oshiti shoka nda pewa kaakongi yiiyimati. Aakongi yiiyimati ye shi pe ndje sho ya tatula po eyi lyoshikuki. Oshikuki shoka sha li shohango. Nena kapu na we eyi, kapu na oshikuki nokapu na we omagano.”

“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.”


A bride surrounded by wedding guests cheering.

Omumwayina gwaVusi okwa dhiladhila e ta ti: “Vusi mumwameme, ngame kandi na unene sha nomagano! Itandi ipula wo noshikuki! Atuheni opo tu lyeni mpaka, onda nyanyukwa. Inda wu ka zale oonguwo dhoshituthi e to ya tu tyapuleni esiku ndika!” Na Vusi osho a ningi.

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.


Written by: Nina Orange
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Rachel Nandjembo
Read by: Rachel Nandjembo
Language: Oshindonga
Level: Level 4
Source: What Vusi's sister said from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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