Kgalekgale banana ba bararo ba ile ba ya bokella patsi.
A long time ago, three girls went
out to collect wood.
Ho ne ho tjhesa yaba ba ya nokeng ho ya sesa. Ba ile ba bapala, ba qhapatsa metsi, mme ba sesa ka metsing.
It was a hot day so they went down
to the river to swim.
They played and splashed and
swam in the water.
Yaba ba hlokomela hore nako e se e ile. Ba phakisa, ba kgutlela motseng.
Suddenly, they realised that it was
late.
They hurried back to the village.
Ha ba se ba le haufi le hae, Nozibele a beha letsoho la hae molaleng. O ne a lebetse sefaha sa hae. “Ke kopa le kgutleleng le nna morao!” Empa, metswalle ya hae ya re nako e se e ile haholo.
When they were nearly home,
Nozibele put her hand to her neck.
She had forgotten her necklace!
“Please come back with me!” she
begged her friends.
But her friends said it was too late.
Yaba Nozibele o kgutlela nokeng a le mong. A fumana sefaha sa hae, a kgutlela hae, empa a lahleha lefifing.
So Nozibele went back to the river
alone.
She found her necklace and hurried
home.
But she got lost in the dark.
Hojana mane a bona kganya e tswa ka mokgorong. A phakisetsa teng ha a fihla monyako a kokota.
In the distance she saw light
coming from a hut.
She hurried towards it and knocked
at the door.
A makala ha a bona ntja e bula monyako mme ere, “o batlang?”
“Ke lahlehile mme ke batla marobalo,” Nozibele a rialo.
“Kena, e seng jwalo ke tla o loma!” ho bolela ntja. Yaba Nozibele o a kena.
To her surprise, a dog opened the
door and said, “What do you want?”
“I’m lost and I need a place to
sleep,” said Nozibele.
“Come in, or I’ll bite you!” said the
dog.
So Nozibele went in.
Yaba ntja ere, “mphehele!”
“Empa ha ke so ka ke phehela ntja,” a araba.
“Pheha, kapa ke tla o loma” ho bolela ntja. Yaba Nozibele o phehela ntja dijo.
Then the dog said, “Cook for me!”
“But I’ve never cooked for a dog
before,” she answered.
“Cook, or I’ll bite you!” said the dog.
So Nozibele cooked some food for
the dog.
Yaba ntja ere “nkalle!” “Ha ke so ka ke alla ntja,” Nozibele a araba.
“Nkalle e seng jwalo ke tla o loma” ntja a rialo. Yaba Nozibele o a ala.
Then the dog said, “Make the bed
for me!”
Nozibele answered, “I’ve never
made a bed for a dog.”
“Make the bed, or I’ll bite you!” the
dog said.
So Nozibele made the bed.
Kamehla o ne a tlameha ho pheha, ho fiela le ho hlatswetsa ntja. Yaba ka tsatsi le leng ntja ere, “Nozibele kajeno ke ilo etela metswalle ya ka. Fiela ka tlung, o phehe dijo mme o hlatswe pele ke kgutla.”
Every day she had to cook and
sweep and wash for the dog.
Then one day the dog said,
“Nozibele, today I have to visit
some friends. Sweep the house,
cook the food and wash my things
before I come back.”
Hang ha ntja e tsamaya, Nozibele a nka meriri e meraro hloohong ya hae. A beha o le mong ka tlasa bethe, o le mong ka mora monyako mme wa boraro a o beha ka lesakeng. Yaba o baleha ka potlako.
As soon as the dog had gone,
Nozibele took three hairs from her
head.
She put one hair under the bed, one
behind the door, and one in the
kraal.
Then she ran home as fast as she
could.
Ha ntja e kgutla ya batla Nozibele. “Nozibele o ho kae?” A hweletsa. “Ke ka tlasa bethe” ho rialo moriri wa pele.
“Ke mona ka mora monyako” e le moriri wa bobedi.
“Ke ka lesakeng” ho rialo moriri boraro.
When the dog came back, he looked
for Nozibele.
“Nozibele, where are you?” he
shouted.
“I’m here, under the bed,” said the
first hair.
“I’m here, behind the door,” said the
second hair.
“I’m here, in the kraal,” said the
third hair.
Yaba ntja e a tseba hore Nozibele o e qhekanyeditse. Yaba e matha hohle motseng. Empa baena ba Nozibele ba ne ba e emetse ka dithupahadi. Ntja ya kgutlela morao, ya baleha mme ha ba ka ba hlola ba e bona.
Then the dog knew that Nozibele
had tricked him.
So he ran and ran all the way to the
village.
But Nozibele’s brothers were
waiting there with big sticks.
The dog turned and ran away and
has never been seen since.
