Inkawu noXam
Nokuthula Bernelee Dyonase
Amir Bachir António Necas
Inkawu yayihlala emthini omkhulu elunxwemeni lomlambo.
Esiphakathini somlambo kwakukho isiqithi. Imithi eminizi yeziqhamo yayikhula kweso siqithi.
Inkawu yayifuna ukuyokutya iziqhamo.
Yabona imbokodo enkulu esiphakathini somlambo yaze yacinga ukuba ingatsibela embokodweni, ze iphinde itsibele esiqithini.
Yatsibela emoyeni yaze yanyathela embokodweni. Yatsiba kwakhona yafika esiqithini.
Yakonwabela ukutya iziqhamo yakugqiba yagoduka. Yayenza lento amatyeli amaninzi.
Kodwa ke uxam nomfazi wakhe babehlala emlanjeni apho!
Umfazi wathi, "Myeni wam, kumele uhambe uyocambalala embokodweni. Umbala wolusu lwakho uyafana nombala wembokodo."
Ezintsukwini ezilandelayo, uxam wabona inkawu isiza esiqithini.
Wachwechwa waqabela elityeni elikhulu waze walala kulo ngocoselelo kwaye ebufihlile ubuso bakhe phantsi kwamanzi.
Yagqiba ukutya inkawu yaze yalungiselela ukugoduka.
Kodwa imbokodo yayibonakala iphakamile kunesiqhelo, yaze inkawu yathetha nembokodo, "Mbokodo ebekekileyo, ubonakala ukhulile. Ingaba uphilile na?"
Uxam wayesisidenge kwaye ecinga ukuba imbokodo iyakwazi ukuthetha.
Waye ke wayiphendula inkawu esithi, "Ndibonakala ndimkhulu ngoba uxam omkhulu ulele phezu kwam."
Yathi inkawu, "Xam obekekileyo, ndiyazi ukuba ufuna ukunditya.
Ndimdala kwaye ungawuthatha umzimba wam. Kodwa kunyanzelekile ndiyothi ndimkile ebantwaneni bam kula mthi umkhulu." Waye uxam wayibeleka ke emqolo.
Bathi bakufika apho, inkawu yakhawuleza yakhwela emthini yaze yathi, "Enkosi ngokundigodusa mhlobo wam obekekileyo. Kulungile, ungahamba ngoku ugoduke!"
Uxam wathi, "Kodwa ubundithembisile."
Yahleka inkawu yaze yathi, "Ubusisidenge ukundikholelwa!" yaze yasithela emva kwezihlahla zomthi.
Uxam akazange ayibambe inkawu endwebileyo!
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Inkawu noXam
Author - Mozambican folktale
Translation - Nokuthula Bernelee Dyonase
Illustration - Amir Bachir António Necas
Language - isiXhosa
Level - First paragraphs
© Mozambican Writers 2014
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
