Ekadeni, iinyoni zaba nomhlangano. Bezifuna ukuba nekosi, njengabantu neenlwana. Ngiyiphi ekufanele ibe yikosi?

"Ikhozi, linamandla belifana nekosi!" kwatjho inyoni enye. "Awa, alinawo umqhele, begodu lokha nalibizako, lizwakala litlhuwisa khulu," kwatjho enye.

"Akube yi-ostritjhi, ngombana ingekulukazi begodu ibhodla njengebhubezi,"kurhuwelela enye. "Awa, ayikwazi ukuphapha. Ikosi yeenyoni kufanele ikwazi ukuphapha."

"Ngicabanga bona ngifanele ngibe yikosi," kwatjho iphigogo, iphephezelisa umsila wayo. "Ngimuhle khulu."

"Uzikhukhumeza khulu," kwatjho isikhova. "Nginamehlo amakhulu khulu kunazo zoke iinyoni. Ngifanele ngibe yikosi." "Awa, ingasi wena, sikhova," kwarhuwelela ezinye iinyoni. "Uyalala lokha nakuphuma ilanga!"

Abazange baragele phambili nokukhetha ikosi. Enye inyoni yaba nombono. Yathi, "Okwazi ukuphaphela phezulu khulu uzokuba yikosi."

"Iye, Iye," ziinyoni zokezarhuwelela, bese zoke zaphaphela phezulu, phezulu esibhakabhakeni.

Irhansi laphapha ilanga elilodwa, ukusuka ngehla kwentaba ephakame khulu emhlabeni. Ikhozi laphapha amalanga amabili, laya phezulu esibhakabhakeni ngehla kwentaba.

Kodwana idlanga laphikelela amalanga amathathu woke ngaphandle kokujama, latjhinga ngqo elangeni. Laya kude ngaphezulu kwabo, iinyoni zezwa isililo sedlanga, "Ngimi ophezulu khulu, ngimi ikosi!"

Kodwana ngaphezudlwana kunedlanga, idlanga lezwa ilizwi elincazana, "Tsiyo, tsiyo, tsiyo! Ngimi ophezulu khulu, khulu, ngimi ikosi." bekunguNcede, inyoni encani kunazo zoke iinyoni.

Bekabambelele emasibeni amakhulu wephiko ledlanga lokha naliphakamela emafini.

"Angekhe uphinde ungihlule," kutjho idlanga, belaphapha latjhinga phezulu emmoyeni.

Laphaphela phezulu khulu kwaze kwafika lapho lingasaphaphi khona." Ngingaphezulu kwazo zoke iinyoni. Ngimi ikosi yenu!" larhuwelela.

Kodwana ngaphasi kwephiko ledlanga kubhaqe inyonyana encani. "Tsiyo, tsiyo! tsiyo, tsiyo! Ngimi, inyonyana! Ngiyikosi yenu."

Idlanga besele lidinwe khulu, belingasakwazi ukuphaphela phezulu ukudlula lokhu.

Idlanga labuyela phasi nenyonyana isese ngaphasi kwephiko lalo. Ezinye iinyoni bezisilingekile ngoNcede.
Bezimlindile zifuna ukumhluba zoke iinsiba zakhe.

Kodwana uNcede wabona masinyana bona ezinye iinyoni zisilingekile, weqela ngemgodini wenyoka onganalitho msinya.

Iinyoni ebezilindile zatjela isikhova, "Wena ngamehlo wakho amakhulu lawa, uhlale ugade emgodini umbambe nakaphumako." Ngokunjalo isikhova sahlala ngaphambi komgodi.

Ilanga belitjhisa masinyana isikhova saphathwa buthongo. UNcede wahlola ngaphandle komgodi wenyoka. Wathi nakabona isikhova silele, waphapha wabaleka.

Isikhova saba neenhloni zokuthi silise inyonyana encani yaphunyurha.

Kwanjesi isikhova sizingela ebusuku. Emini, isikhova silala lapho singabonwa khona ngezinye iinyoni.

You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way: South African Folktale Author - South African Folktale
Translation - Phephelaphi Mnguni and Sponono Mahlangu
Illustration - Wiehan de Jager
Language - isiNdebele
Level - Longer paragraphs © African Storybook Initiative 2014
Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org