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A woman with a donkey tied to her back.

A criança burro Donkey Child

Written by Lindiwe Matshikiza

Illustrated by Meghan Judge

Translated by Priscilla Freitas de Oliveira

Read by Alfredo Ferreira

Language Portuguese

Level Level 3

Narrate full story

Reading speed

Autoplay story


A girl standing on a rock looking at woman in the distance.

Foi uma menininha que viu pela primeira vez o misterioso formato a distancia.

It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.


A girl standing on a rock and a pregnant woman kneeling down holding her tummy.

Quando a forma se aproximou, ela viu que era uma mulher “supergrávida”.

As the shape moved closer, she saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.


A pregnant woman surrounded by women hugging her.

Tímida mas corajosa, a menininha aproximou-se da mulher. “Precisamos mantê-la conosco,” o povo da menininha decidiu. “Vamos manter ela e o bebê seguros.”

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.”


A woman in labour and other women helping her and bringing her water and blankets.

O bebê breve estava a caminho. “Empurre!” “Traga cobertas!” “Água!” “Empuuuureeeee!!!”

The child was soon on its way. “Push!” “Bring blankets!” “Water!” “Puuuuussssshhh!!!”


A baby donkey.

Mas quando eles viram o bebê. Todos pularam para trás em choque. “Um burro?!”

But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock. “A donkey?!”


A group of women arguing.

Todo mundo começou a discutir. “Dissemos que iríamos mantê-los seguros, e é que faremos,” disse alguns. “Mas eles vão nos dar azar!” disseram outros.

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.


A woman holding a donkey in her arms.

E, então, a mulher se encontrou sozinha novamente. Ela se perguntava o que iria fazer com esse bebê estranho. Ela se perguntava o que iria fazer com ela mesma.

And so the woman found herself alone again. She wondered what to do with this awkward child. She wondered what to do with herself.


A woman hugging a donkey.

Mas, finalmente, teve que aceitar que ele era seu filho e ela era sua mãe.

But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.


A woman with a donkey tied to her back.

Agora, se a criança tivesse ficado daquele mesmo tamanho, tudo poderia ter sido diferente. Mas a criança burro cresceu e cresceu até que ele não coubesse mais nas costas de sua mãe. E não importa o quanto ele tentasse, nunca se comportaria como um ser humano. Sua mãe frequentemente ficava cansada e frustrada. Algumas vezes, ela fazia ele trabalhar como um animal.

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.


A donkey kicking a woman.

Confusão e raiva se acumulavam dentro do burro. Ele não podia fazer isso e não podia fazer aquilo. Ele não poderia ser como isso e não poderia ser como aquilo. Um dia, ele ficou tão brabo que chutou sua mãe no chão.

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.


A donkey running away.

O burro se encheu de vergonha. Ele correu para tão longe quanto pôde.

Donkey was filled with shame. He started to run away as far and fast as he could.


A donkey sleeping.

Quando parou de correr, já era noite, e o burro estava perdido. “Ih, óh?” cochichou para a escuridão. “Ih, óh?” ecoou de volta. Ele estava sozinho. Enrolando-se como se fosse uma bola, ele caiu num sono profundo e turbulento.

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.


A man dressed in a fur coat staring down at a donkey.

O burro acordou e viu um velho homem estranho, encarando-o. Olhou para dentro dos olhos desse velho homem e viu um brilho de esperança.

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.


A man carrying a donkey.

O burro foi morrar com o velho homem, que o ensinou muitas maneiras de sobreviver. O burro escutava e aprendia, e, o mesmo fazia o velho homem. Eles ajudavam um ao outro, e riam juntos.

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.


A man sitting on a donkey walking up a mountain.

Uma manhã, o velho homem pediu que o burro o carregasse para o topo de uma montanha.

One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.


A donkey and a man sleeping on the top of a mountain surrounded by clouds. The donkey dreaming of a woman.

Lá no alto, entre as nuvens, eles adormeceram. O burro sonhou que sua mãe estava doente e o chamando. E quando se acordou…

High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep. Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him. And when he woke up…


A donkey sitting on the top of a mountain with the sun shining on him.

…as nuvens tinham desaparecido com o seu amigo, o velho homem.

… the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.


A donkey running.

Finalmente, o burra sabia o que fazer.

Donkey finally knew what to do.


A sad-looking woman standing amongst some trees and a donkey looking at her.

O burro encontrou sua mãe, sozinha e chorando por seu filho perdido. Eles ficaram olhando um para o outro por muito tempo. E, então, se abraçaram bem forte.

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.


A woman sitting on top of a donkey near adults and children.

O burro criança e sua mãe ficaram mais próximos e encontraram várias maneiras de viver lado a lado. Lentamente, ao seu redor, outras famílias começaram a se entender.

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.


Written by: Lindiwe Matshikiza
Illustrated by: Meghan Judge
Translated by: Priscilla Freitas de Oliveira
Read by: Alfredo Ferreira
Language: Portuguese
Level: Level 3
Source: Donkey Child from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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