Siku rinwana nampundzu kokwana wa Vusi u nwi vitile kutani aku, “Vusi, ndzi kombela u teka tandza leri u ri yisa ka vatswari va wena. Va lava ku bakela sesi wa wena khekhe lerikulu ra mucato wa yena.”
Early one morning Vusi’s granny
called him, “Vusi, please take this
egg to your parents. They want to
make a large cake for your sister’s
wedding.”
Endleleni ya yena ya kuya ka vatswari va yena, Vusi u hlangane na vafana vambirhi vari ku kheni ka mihandzu. Unwe wa vafana kutani a qavulela Vusi tandza a ri hoxela eka murhi. Tandza ri fayeka.
On his way to his parents, Vusi met
two boys picking fruit. One boy
grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot
it at a tree. The egg broke.
“U endle yini?” ku rila Vusi. “Tandza leriya akuri ra khekhe. Khekhe leriya akuri ra mucato wa sesi wa mina. Sesi wa mina utaku yini loko ku ngari na khekhe ra mucato?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That egg was for a cake. The cake
was for my sister’s wedding. What
will my sister say if there is no
wedding cake?”
Vafana va khomerile rivaleriwa hikuva va hlekisile hi Vusi. “Hi nge swikoti ku pfuna hi khekhe, kambe hi leyi nhonga yo famba hi yona ya sesi wawena,” ku vula unwe wa vafana. Vusi u yile mahlweni na riendzo ra yena.
The boys were sorry for teasing
Vusi.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is a walking stick for your
sister,” said one.
Vusi continued on his journey.
Kwala ndleleni u hlangane na vavanuna vambirhi vari ku akeni ka yindlo. “Hi nga tirhisa nhonga liya yo tiya?” ku vutisa unwe. Kambe nhonga liya a yinga tiyanga swinene ku aka yindlo naswona yi tshovekile.
Along the way he met two men
building a house. “Can we use that
strong stick?” asked one.
But the stick was not strong enough
for building, and it broke.
“U endle yini?” ku rila Vusi. “Nhonga leyi akuri nyiko ya sesi wa mina.” Va khi va minhandzu va ndzi nyikile yona hikuva va tshove tsandza ra khekhe. Sweswi ku hava tsandza, ku hava khekhe, naswona ku hava nyiko. Sesi wa mina u taku yini?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That stick was a gift for my sister.
The fruit pickers gave me the stick
because they broke the egg for the
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Vaaki va komberile ku khomeriwa hikuva va tshovile nhonga. “Hinge swikoti ku pfuna hi khekhe kambe hi lebyi byanyi bya sesi wa wena,” ku vula wunwe. Naswona Vusi a ya mahlweni na riendzo ra yena.
The builders were sorry for breaking
the stick.
“We can’t help with the cake, but
here is some thatch for your sister,”
said one.
And so Vusi continued on his
journey.
Endleleni, Vusi u hlangane na murimi na homu. “I byanyi byo nandzika, ndzi kombela ku phema? Ku vutisa homu. Kambe byanyi lebyi a byi nandzika ngopfu ivi homu yi dya hinkwabyo.
Along the way, Vusi met a farmer
and a cow. “What delicious thatch,
can I have a nibble?” asked the cow.
But the thatch was so tasty that the
cow ate it all!
“U endle yini?” ku rila Vusi. “Byanyi lebyi akuri nyiko ya sesi wa mina. Vaaki hi vona va nga ndzi nyika byanyi lebyi hikuva va tshove nhonga leyi ndzi nga nyika hi vakhi va mihandzu. Vakhi va mihandzu va ndzi nyike nhonga hikuva va tshove tsandza ra khekhe ra sesi wa mina. Khekhe akuri ra mucato wa sesi wa mina. Sweswi akuna tsandza, akuna khekhe naswona akuna nyiko. Sesi wa mina utaku yini?”
“What have you done?” cried Vusi.
“That thatch was a gift for my
sister. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for my sister’s
cake. The cake was for my sister’s
wedding. Now there is no egg, no
cake, and no gift. What will my
sister say?”
Homu yi komberile ku khomeriwa hikuva ayiri na makolo. Murimi u pfumerile leswaku homu yinga famba na Vusi kutani yitava nyiko wa sesi wa yena. Kutani Vusi aya mahlweni.
The cow was sorry she was greedy.
The farmer agreed that the cow
could go with Vusi as a gift for his
sister. And so Vusi carried on.
Kambe homu yi tlhelele eka murimi hi nkarhi wa swakudya swa nimadyambu. Kutani Vusi a lahleka eka riendzo ra yena. U fikile a letile swinene eka mucato wa sesi wa yena. Vaendzi se a va ri ku dyeni.
But the cow ran back to the farmer
at supper time.
And Vusi got lost on his journey.
He arrived very late for his sister’s
wedding. The guests were already
eating.
“Ndzi ta endla yini?” ku rila Vusi. “Homu leyi yi balekeke a yi ri nyiko leyi vaaki va ndzi nyike byona. Vavaki va ndzi nyike byanyi hikuva va tshovile nhonga ya yoho huma eka vakhi va mihandzu. Vakhi va mihandzu va ndzi nyike nhonga hikuva va tshovile tandza ra kheke. Kheke a ri ri ra mucato . Sweswi ku hava tandza, ku hava kheke, naswona ku hava nyiko.”
“What shall I do?” cried Vusi.
“The cow that ran away was a gift,
in return for the thatch the builders
gave me. The builders gave me the
thatch because they broke the stick
from the fruit pickers. The fruit
pickers gave me the stick because
they broke the egg for the cake.
The cake was for the wedding. Now
there is no egg, no cake, and no
gift.”
Sesi wa Vusi u ehleketile nkarhinyana, kutani a ku, “Vusi makwerhu, a ndzi na mhaka na tinyiko. A ndzi na mhaka hambi kuri kheke! Hi laha hinkwerhu hi ri xikan’we, ndzi tsakile. Sweswi ambala swiambalo swa wena swo saseka hi tlangela siku leri!” Kutani hi leswi Vusi anga swi endla.
Vusi’s sister thought for a while,
then she said,
“Vusi my brother, I don’t really care
about gifts. I don’t even care about
the cake! We are all here together, I
am happy. Now put on your smart
clothes and let’s celebrate this
day!”
And so that’s what Vusi did.
