Kgalekgale, dinonyana di kile tsa ba le kopano. Di ne di batla morena, jwaloka batho le diphoofolo.

Ke nonyana efe e lokelang ho ba morena?

"Ntsu, o matla ebile o na le borena!" ha rialo nonyana e nngwe.

"Tjhe, ha a na korone, ha a hweletsa, o utlwahala a saretswe haholo," ha rialo e nngwe.

"Mpshe, hobane o moholo haholo ebile o rora jwaloka tau," ha hweletsa e nngwe.

"Tjhe, ha a kgone ho fofa. Morena wa dinonyana o tlameha ho fofa."

"Ke nahana hore ke lokela ho ba morena," ha rialo Pikoko, a sarolla setono sa hae. "Ke motle haholo."

"O itshepa haholo," ha rialo Sephooko.

"Ke na le mahlo a maholohadi ho feta a nonyana efe kapa efe. Ke lokela ho ba morena."

"Tjhe, eseng wena, Sephooko," nonyana e nngwe ya hweletsa. "O a robala ha tsatsi le tjhaba!"

Ka hoo, ha ba a ka ba fihla hole ka ho kgetha morena. Yaba nonyana e nngwe e ba le leqheka.

"Ya tla fofela hodimo ho feta ba bang e tla ba yena morena," ya rialo.

"E, e," dinonyana tsohle tsa hweletsa, mme tsa fofela hodimo, hodimo sepakapakeng.

Kgansi ya fofa letsatsi le le leng, ka ho otloloha ka hodima dithaba tse phahameng tsa lefatshe.

Ntsu ya fofa matsatsi a mabedi, sepakapakeng ka hodima dithaba.

Empa Lenong la fofa matsatsi a mararo kaofela le sa emise, ka ho otloloha ho ya letsatsing. Hole ka hodima bona, dinonyana tsa utlwa Lenong le hweletsa, "Ke nna ya hodimohodimo, ke morena!"

Empa ka hodima hae, Lenong a utlwa lentswe le lesesane, "Tswi, tswi, tswi! Ke nna ya hodimodimo, ke morena." E ne e le Motinyane, nonyana e nyenyane ho feta tsohle.

O ne a itshwarelletse mapheong a matla a Lenong ha a fofela sepakapakeng.

"O ke ke wa ntlhola hape," ha rialo Lenong, mme a fofela hodimo moyeng.

A fofela hodimodimo ho fihlela a sa kgone ho fofa ho feta moo. "Ke hodimo ho feta nonyana efe kapa efe. Ke morena wa lona!" a hweletsa.

Empa ka tlasa lepheo la Lenong ha ipata nonyana e nyenyane haholo. "Tswi, tswi, tswi! Ke nna, e monyenyane ho feta bohle! Ke morena wa lona."

Lenong o ne a kgathetse haholo ho ka fofela hodimo ho feta moo.

A phukallela fatshe ka nonyana e nyenyane e ntse e le ka tlasa lepheo la hae.

Dinonyana tse ding di ne di kgenetse Motinyane.

Tsa mo emela, di loketse ho mo hlotha masiba.

Empa Motinyane e monyenyane ya matjato o ile a bona kamoo dinonyana tse ding di halefileng kateng, mme a fofela mokoting wa noha o se nang letho.

Dinonyana tse mo emetseng, tsa bolella Sephooko, "Ka mahlo a hao a maholo, o tlameha ho lebela mokoti mme o mo tshware ha a tswa." Kahoo, Sephookoa dula ka pela mokoti.

Empa letsatsi le ne le tjhesa mme hang Sephooko a kgaleha.

Motinyane e monyenyane a hlahella hanyane ho tswa ka mokoting. Yare ha a bona hore Sephooko o robetse, a fofela hodimo a baleha.

Sephooko o ne a swabile haholo ka hore ebe o tlohetse nonyana e nyenyane e phonyohe.

Hajwale o lokela feela ho tsoma bosiu. Motsheare, o a robala, moo dinonyana tse ding di sa mmoneng.

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 - Tseliso Masolane
Illustration - Wiehan de Jager
Language - Sesotho (South Africa)
Level - Longer paragraphs © African Storybook Initiative 2014
Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org