Kale-kale, ngomu-ngomu ḓakani, Thovhele Nngwe vho thoma u elekanya nga zwi re phanḓa. Vha elekenya vha ri, "Ndi khou kalaha, hu si kale ndi ḓo dzama. Musi murangaphanḓa o ṱalifhaho a tshee na nungo, u tea u khetha wa u ḓo sala tshidzuloni tshawe."Zwino Thovhele vha ḓo mu nangisa hani uyu muthu ngauri vho vha vha tshi funa vhalanda vhavho vhoṱhe nga nḓila i no lingana!

Thovhele Nngwe vho mbo ḓelwa nga muhumbulo. Vha ruma vhaḓinḓa uri vha tshimbile na ḓaka vha tshi ramba phukha dzoṱhe uri dzi ḓe musanda. Musanda hu ḓo vha na tshimima tshihulu nahone vha na zwine vha khou tea u vhudza phukha zwi re na ndeme. Ndi fhaḽa-ha vhaḓinḓa vha tshi takuwa vha gidima hoṱhe kha khuḓa nṋa dza ḓaka iḽi.

Vhusiku ha tshimima itshi, phukha dzoṱhe dza kuvhangana musanda. Vhathada vha tshi khou ḓiphiṋa nga nyimbo na mitshino.Musi ṅwedzi wo tshena wo tou wee, Thovhele Nngwe vha mbo takuwa. Phukha dzoṱhe dza litsha u imba na u tshina. He ṅwau, he ḓuree! Phukha dza thetshelesa thovhele vha tshi zwa.

Thovhele vha mbo zwa vha ri, "Ndo elekanya nda vhona tshifhinga tsho swika uri ndi nange wa u ḓo sala kha khuluṋoni yanga. Zwino ngauri noṱhe ndi a ni funa, zwi khou nkonḓela vhukuma uri ndi nange o teaho. Zwino ndo tshea ḽa uri muṱaṱisano u vhe wone u no tshea tsheo."

Thovhele Nngwe vha mbo imisa pfumo. Vha ri, "Ane a ḓo vha ene wa u thoma u kona u posa pfumo iḽi makoleni, a kona u vhala u swika kha fumi musi pfumo ḽi sa athu wela fhasi, u ḓo vha ene a no ḓo dzula kha khuluṋoni yanga."

Musi Thovhele vho no fhedza u zwa, phukha dzoṱhe dza pfa phosho khulu i tshi bva murahu hadzo. Dzi tshi rembuluwa dza wana hu Muzhou a tshi khou sunya na u zhaka a tshi fhirela ngei phanḓa ha gogo. "Ibvani nḓilani ndi fhire. Ndi nṋe muhulwanesa hafha, vhuhosi ndi hanga," ndi Muzhou a no ralo.

Muzhou a dzhia pfumo a ḽi fara nga musingo. A isa ṱhoho yawe murahu a posa pfumo makoleni. "Thihi! Mbili! Raru! Mafhefho!" Ndi Muzhou a tshi vhidzelela.Pfumo ḽa vhuya fhasi musi o vhala u swika kha iṋa. Muzhou a sinyuwa vhukuma a thoma u ginḓa fhasi. Thovhele Nngwe vha ri khae, "Zwo u balela." Muzhou a tea uri a ṱuwe.

Musi Muzhou o no ṱuwa, phukha dza sala dzi tshi amba nga tshadzo. Ha mbo dovha ha pfala phosho khulu i tshi bva ngei murahu ha gogo.Ndi Nguluvheḓaka u swika o tou hwalela. "Ibvani nḓilani ndi fhire. Vulani nḓila! Vhuhosi vhu ri nṋe. Ndi muthu wa misipha nṋe, ndi tshinaḓa. Vhuhosi ndi hanga."

Nguluvheḓaka a binalala o fara pfumo, a ḽi posa makoleni. "Thihi! Mbili! Raru! Iṋa! Ṱhanu! Nga vhanna!" u a vhidzelela.Pfumo ḽe fhasi bii, o no vhala u swika kha rathi. Nguluvheḓaka a sinyuwa nga maanḓa. A thoma u imisa mafimilo a tshi phusukanya buse. Thovhele vhe, "Iwe Nguluvheḓaka, ri posa luthihi fhedzi. Zwo u kunda." Nguluvheḓaka a ṱuwa o imisa mutshila.

Zwo no ralo, phukha dza vho thoma u gungula dzi tshi ri, "Hoyu muṱaṱisano u a konḓa! Muzhou o balelwa ngeno e muhuluhulu. Nguluvheḓaka na tshone zwo tshi kunda, naho tshi tshinaḓa. A huna a no ḓo kunda hafha fhethu!"Vha kha ḓi ralo vha mbo pfa ngei murahu ho vuwa bonyongo. Vha tshi maṱo hasha, vha vhona tshimangadzo!

Maṱo avho a ṱangana na Tshimpanzi a tshi khou ḓa ngeno phanḓa. Ndi buka ḽihulu. U enda a tshi ri, "Ndi nga si balelwe. Ndi a zwi ḓivha uri zwi nga si mmbalele. Ndi nga si balelwe." A swika e pfumo khaṱhaa! A tsetsa nga tshamurahu. A kokodzela tshanḓa murahu, a thamutshela phanḓa, e muyani lavhuu! Pfumo ḽa livha makoleni."Thihi! "Mbili! Raru! Iṋa! Ṱhanu! Rathi! Sumbe! Hee vhanna!" ndi Tshimpanzi a tshi vhidzelela.

Pfumo ḽa rwa fhasi Tshimpanzi a tshi khou vhala malo. Tshimphazi a sinyuwa zwihulu. O vha o sinyuwa lwe a thoma u ita tshanzunguluwe a tshi gungulela zwi siho. Thovhele Nngwe vha ri, "Iwe Tshimpanzi, wo posa zwa bala. Zwo u kunda." Tshimpanzi a tea u ṱuwa.

Dziṅwe phukha dza thoma u ḓiṱutshela dzi tshi ya mahayani. Dzi tshi khou ralo u ṱuwa dza vhona ntsana i tshi khou vhanyuludza i tshi ya ngei phanḓa. I enda i tshi ri, "Ni songo ṱuwa vhoiwe. Imani ndi lingedze. Ndi nga si balelwe. Ndi nga si balelwe. Imani ndi edzise."Phukha dzi tshi pfa zwenezwo dza tou fa nga zwiseo.

Thovhele Nngwe vha mbo takuwa vha vhidzelela vho halifha. "Litshani hezwo vhoiwe! Ni songo sea Muntsana! Ndi nnyi we a ri phukha ṱhukhu a dzi koni u ita zwithu zwi no itiwa nga phukha khulwane? Arali Muntsana a tshi khou ṱoḓou edzisa, kha tendelwe a edzise u fana na vhoiwe vhaṅwe noṱhe. Sendelani murahu ni litshe Muntsana a pose pfumo."

Muntsana a mbo khotha a resha Thovhele, a rembuluwa a doba pfumo. A huma nga tshamurahu, a koka muya, a hobaladza kuḽa kuvhili kuṱukuṱuku, a thoma u gidima nga nungo dzawe dzoṱhe. A tshi swika fhaḽa hu no fhufhea, a lavhuwa.A femela ngomu, a dzwigimedza pfumo a vhidzelela a ri, "Ṱhanu ṱanganya na ṱhanu ndi fumi!" Pfumo ḽe fhasi bii!

Phukha dzoṱhe dze tshetee! Dzoṱhe dzi vhonala dzo ḓaḓa. Thovhele Nngwe vha ṱalutshedza, "Ee, ndi zwone iwe Mutsana! Ṱhanu ṱanganya na ṱhanu ndi iṅwe ya nḓila dza u swika kha fumi. Hu na nḓila dzi no fhira nthihi dza u vhala u swika kha fumi." Muṱaṱisano wo vha u si wa u wana phukha khulwanesa kana i re na na maanḓa mahulu. Wo vha u muṱaṱisano wa u wana phukha yo ṱalifhesaho! Ndi ngazwo Muntsana o vha ene we a itwa thovhele wa mufumakadzi musi Thovhele Nngwe vha tshi dzama.

You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:Athieno Gertrude and Owino Ogot Author - Athieno Gertrude and Owino Ogot Translation -Ndivhuho Mutsila Illustration - Salim Kasamba Language - Tshivenḓa Level - Longer paragraphs© African Storybook Initiative 2017Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0Sourcewww.africanstorybook.org