Bogologolo tala go kile
ga nna lelapa lengwe le
le itumetseng.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
Ba ne ba sa rate ntwa
mme ba ne ba thusa
batsadi ba bona kwa
gae le kwa masimong.
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Mme ba ne ba sa
letlelelwa go atamela fa
thoko ga molelo.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
Ba ne ba letlelelwa fela
go dira ditiro tsa bona
bosigo.
Ka gonne ba ne ba bopilwe ka kerese
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Mme mongwe wa
basimane o ne a eletsa
go bona letsatsi.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
Ka letsatsi lengwe
keletso ya gagwe e ne
ya oketsega.
Basimane ba bangwe
ba ne ba mo kgalema
…
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Mme go ne so setse go
le thari!
O ne a tlhapologa mo
letsatsing.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
Bana ba kerese ba ne
ba utlwa botlhoko go
bona o mongwe a
tlhapologa.
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Mme ba ne ba dira
leano. Ba ne ba tsaya
kerese eo ba e aga go
nna nonyane.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
Ba ile ba tsaya nonyane
e ba e isa kwa godimo
ga thaba.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Fa letsatsi le tlhaba, o
ile a fofela godima a
opela a itumetse.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
