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Thimba to the rescue!
Penelope Smith
Catherine Groenewald
English
Gobani was a very tall man. The villagers called Gobani the Gentle Giant, because he was quiet and friendly. He was not like the bad giants you read about in some stories.

During the day Gobani worked in his garden. His hoe was very short and he had to bend right down to work with it. His back must have hurt from all the bending down.
Thimba lived next door to Gobani. It made him sad to see Gobani struggling with his short hoe, or bending down to get through his door.

Thimba decided to help Gobani. He spoke to the village elders and asked them for help. But before they could help, they needed to know exactly how tall Gobani was.
Thimba asked Gobani, "How tall are you?" Gobani estimated, "I am about 2,5m tall." He lay down on the bed and explained, "I know my mattress is 1,5m long. You can see that my legs hang over the end for at least another metre. So that means I must be at least 2,5m tall."

Thimba could now tell the elders that Gobani was 2,5m tall. That is very tall!
Thimba could now start working on his secret plan.

Thimba, Gobani and his pet chicken, Choke, set off for market on Gobani's tiny bike. Gobani had to lift his feet above the handle bars in between peddling. Thimba hid inside the basket, too frightened to watch the road as the bike swerved from side to side.
At the village square, Gobani got off his bicycle, and a swarm of friendly villagers surrounded him. The village chief welcomed him. "Hello Gentle Giant," he said. "Young Thimba told us that you face problems in your life, being so tall."

"We want to help you. We will make sure that everything you need is the right size for you. Soon your problems will disappear. Just wait and see."
The villagers worked around the clock to make sure everything Gobani needed was made the correct size.

Look at his new hoe. Compare the length of the new hoe with his old one. The new one looks twice as long. How long do you think it is? More than one metre? Less than two metres?
Next the villagers helped Gobani build a taller door frame with a new door for his house. It was a bit taller than Gobani, so he no longer had to stoop down to get inside. Just right!

Look closely at the picture. Gobani is about 2,5 metres tall. How tall do you think his new door frame is?
Next came a brand new bed and mattress with extra-long sheets and blankets to cover Gobani's long body from head to toe.

At last he could look forward to hours of peaceful rest and sleep. His feet would no longer hang over the end of the mattress. Look how his whole body is now completely covered. There is even some space left over at the end.
The chief asked one of the village steel workers to make a giant-sized bicycle for Gobani. It had a basket that was big enough for both Thimba and Choke to sit in.

The saddle, the handle bars and the peddles were just the right height. Gobani did not have to drag his legs on the road or swing them over the handle bars to keep them out of the way.
The carpenters made Gobani a new table to sit at with legs that are at least 1,5m tall. Now when he sits down to eat, his feet touch the ground.

Thimba sits next to him on a very tall stool. He needs a ladder to reach the top. Count how many rungs he has to climb to be level with Gobani. How tall do you think the ladder is?
Gobani's new hoe made it easy for him to plant and harvest. His garden became a forest! Gobani leaves baskets of fruit outside his front door for the villagers, to show how thankful he is for their help.

And this all began with young Thimba's dream to make life easier for his friend, the Gentle Giant.
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Thimba to the rescue!
Author - Cornelius Gulere
Adaptation - Penelope Smith
Illustration - Catherine Groenewald
Language - English
Level - Read aloud
© African Storybook Initiative, 2017
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
Original source www.ugcla.org
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  • Translations and adaptations
    • LACHO MA BOH
      Acholi (Translation)
    • Namicha Baayyee Dheeraa
      Afaan Oromo (Translation)
    • 'n Baie lang man
      Afrikaans (Translation)
    • በጣም ረጅም ሰውዬ
      Amharic (Translation)
    • Ʊsoro nɖee a lama yɔgʊʊ ma
      Anii (Adaptation)
    • الرجل ذو القامة الطويلة
      Arabic (Translation)
    • Ágóbí Ázó Mbílíkó Rĩ
      Aringati (Translation)
    • Barima tenten no
      Asante Twi (Translation)
    • Etunganan Lo Awojan Noi
      Ateso (Translation)
    • Kənjə̀f kə wìʔ
      Babanki (Translation)
    • Munthu wamtali kwambiri
      ChiChewa (Translation)
    • Murume akarebesa
      ChiShona (Translation)
    • Jal Ma Bor Tektek
      Dhopadhola (Translation)
    • Jal Ma Bor Tektek
      Dhopadhola (Translation)
    • Mony baar apɛi
      Dinka (Translation)
    • Omonto omotambe mono
      Ekegusii (Translation)
    • A very tall man
      English (Original)
    • A very tall man (Colour-in)
      English (Adaptation)
    • Un Homme Très Grand
      French (Translation)
    • Un Très Grand Bonhomme
      French (Translation)
    • Un Homme Très Grand
      French (Adaptation)
    • Gorko Mawnuɗo Sanne
      Fulfulde (Translation)
    • Goɗɗo Juutuɗo Soosey
      Fulfulde Mbororoore (Translation)
    • Nuu Kakadaŋŋ Ko
      Ga (Translation)
    • Budaa N Ba'am Wↄgε
      Gurene (Translation)
    • Wani Mutum Mai Ƙirma
      Hausa (Niger) (Translation)
    • Mutum Mai Tsawo Sosai
      Hausa (Nigeria) (Translation)
    • Wani Dogon Mutum
      Hausa (Nigeria) (Translation)
    • Wani Dogon Mutum
      Hausa (Nigeria) (Adaptation)
    • UThimba uyasindisa!
      isiNdebele (Translation)
    • Indoda ede khulu
      isiNdebele (Translation)
    • Indoda ende kakhulu
      IsiNdebele (Zimbabwe) (Translation)
    • Indoda ende kakhulu
      isiXhosa (Translation)
    • Indoda ende elingana nendlulamithi
      isiZulu (Translation)
    • Walanyulelwa nguThemba
      isiZulu (Translation)
    • Ŋ Utu Laga a Lojo
      Kakwa (Translation)
    • Kam Adǝ Dadua
      Kanuri (Translation)
    • Mũntũ ũmũraaja
      Kῖmῖῖrũ (Translation)
    • Mutu mure sana
      Kiduruma (Translation)
    • Mut'u mure zhomu
      KiGiryama (Translation)
    • Mũndũ ũme mwaasa mũno
      Kikamba (Translation)
    • Umugabo muremure cyane
      Kinyarwanda (Translation)
    • Umugabo Areshe Chaane
      Kinyarwanda (Uganda) (Translation)
    • Umugabo muremure cane
      Kirundi (Translation)
    • Mwanamume mrefu sana
      Kiswahili (Translation)
    • Theuri amwokoa Kobani!
      Kiswahili (Translation)
    • Icuo A Bor Twatwal
      Kumam (Translation)
    • Kidaàdà ke wìr
      Lámnsoʼ (Translation)
    • Mobali ya molayi
      Lingala (Translation)
    • Omusaani omuleeyi po
      Lubukusu (Translation)
    • Omusajja Omuwanvu Ennyo
      Luganda (Translation)
    • Agu Azi Izu Ni
      Lugbarati (Translation)
    • Ágʉ̀pɨ́ Ɨ́zʉ̀ Rɨ́
      Lugbarati (Official) (Translation)
    • Umusaani Umuleeyi Naabi
      Lumasaaba (Translation)
    • Omusinde Omuleŋi Obugali
      Lunyole (Translation)
    • Omusaadha Omuleeyi Einho
      Lusoga (Translation)
    • Dɔwa’Alli Pam
      Mampruli (Translation)
    • Ekile Lokooyan Noi
      Ng’aturkana (Translation)
    • Omusatsa omurambi po
      Oluwanga (Translation)
    • Allê Alasaga Bêbê
      Otuho (Translation)
    • مرد قد دراز
      Persian (Afghanistan) (Translation)
    • Muyume muyeya muno
      Pokomo (Translation)
    • Um Homem muito alto
      Portuguese (Translation)
    • Umugabo Mulemule
      Rufumbira (Translation)
    • Umugabo muremure cyane
      Rufumbira (Translation)
    • Omusheija murigwa
      Rukiga (Translation)
    • Omusaija Omuraira
      Runyoro (Translation)
    • Monna yo motelele
      Sepedi (Translation)
    • Tshepo le monna ya molelelea
      Sesotho (South Africa) (Translation)
    • Monna ya molelele haholo
      Sesotho (South Africa) (Translation)
    • Monna o motelele-telele
      Setswana (Translation)
    • Monna yo motelele thata
      Setswana (Translation)
    • Umfana lonemusa
      Siswati (Translation)
    • Indvodza lendze kakhulu
      Siswati (Translation)
    • Un Hombre muy alto
      Spanish (Translation)
    • Un hombre muy alto
      Spanish (Translation)
    • Mukafumu ghomure thikuma
      Thimbukushu (Translation)
    • Tav Zôr Zôr
      Tiv (Translation)
    • Munna mulapfulapfu
      Tshivenḓa (Translation)
    • Rajel twil barċa
      Tunisian (Translation)
    • Wanuna wo leha swinene
      Xitsonga (Translation)
    • Ọkùnrin Gíga Púpọ̀ Kan
      Yoruba (Translation)
    • Gorzo
      Zarma (Translation)
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