Kudaladala, phakathi le emahlathini, ingwe, uLele, ujulile ngomqondo ecabanga ngekusasa."Ngiyaguga, ngelinye ilanga ngizofa. Umphathi ohlakaniphile kumele akhethe lowo ozoba ngumphathi emva kwakhe esemncane esaphila kahle," kucabanga uLele.Kodwa-ke ingwe le izokhetha kanjani? Izithanda zonke izilwane ngokufana!

Yabe seyivela necebo. Ngokushesha yathumela izithunywa ukuba ziye ehlathini. Yazitshela ukuthi mazibize zonke izilwane ukuba zifike komkhulu emzini wayo ingwe.Ingwe yayizokwenza isiphihli sedili njengaloko yayizokwenza isimemezelo esibalulekile.Naziya izithunywa zigijimela ehlathini njengokuthunywa kwazo. Zaya kuwo womane amagumbi ehlathi.

Ngalobo busuku bedili, zonke izilwane zafika ngononina komkhulu. Zazicula zidansa zizijabulisa. Kwakumnandi.Emva kokuba inyanga ithe ukuphakama yavela ngale kwezihlahla, yafika ingwe, uLele, yafika yema la yayibonwa unoma ubani khona. Izilwane zathula cwaka, zayeka ukucula nokudansa. Zalalela ngokuzimisela ngesikhathi ingwe ikhuluma.

Yaqala yashaya isikhwehlela yathi, "Bengicabanga ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuthi ngikhethe ozongilandela esihlalweni sobukhosi. Kodwa ngoba nginithanda nonke ngokulinganayo, ngiyehluleka ukunquma ukuthi ngubani ofanelwe yilesi sihlalo phakathi kwenu. Ngakho-ke senginqume ukuthi umncintiswano yiwona ozosiza ukuthatha isinqumo esiyiso."

Ingwe yaphakamisa umkhonto, yabe seyithi, "Lowo oyophonsa lo mkhonto uye phezulu esibhakabhakeni bese ebala aze afike eshumini ngaphambi kokuba umkhonto uhlabe phansi, nguye ozothatha isihlalo sobukhosi emva kwami."

Kwathi ingaqeda ukukhuluma ingwe, izilwane zezwa ngomkhulu umsindo emva kwazo."Sukani endleleni yami. Yimi omkhulu kunani nonke. Yimi ozoba yinkosi," kusho indlovu.

Indlovu yadumela umkhonto yawuphakamisela phezulu ngomboko wayo. Yahlehlisa ikhanda layo, yase iwuphonsa umkhonto ubheke esibhakabhakeni. "Kunye! Kubili! Kuthathu! Maye!" sekukhala indlovu.Umkhonto wahlaba phansi isathi indlovu ibala okwesine. Yathukuthela, yaqala ukugidagida. Ingwe yathi, "Ulitholile ithuba lakho ndlovu, dedela abanye." Yehluleka kanjalo indlovu. Ngakho-ke kwakumele isuke ihambe.

Emva kwendlovu, izilwane zaqala ukukhuluma ngomdlandla. Kuthe kusenjalo, kwezwakala umsindo omkhulu futhi emuva le esixukwini.Ingulube yasendle yavela seyidlubulundela ithi, "Sukani endleleni. Sukani endleleni. Yimi ozoba yinkosi. Nginemisipha emikhulukazi. Nginamandla ukunedlula nonke. Yimina okumele ngibe yinkosi."

Ingulube yasendle yahlehlela nyova, yagxavula umkhonto, yawuphonsela esibhakabhakeni. "Kunye! Kubili! Kuthathu! Kune! Kuhlanu! Maye!" isho imemeza.Umkhonto wahlaba phansi ingulube isabala okwesithupha. Yayithukuthele ibila, ikhafulela udoti emoyeni.Ingwe yatshela ingulube yathi, "Kufanele uphonse kanye kuphela, ulitholile ithuba lakho." Ingulube yasendle kwakumele isuke inike ezinye izilwane ithuba.

Emva kwaloko, izilwane zezwakala seziqala ukudlulisa izinkulumo ezifana nalezi, "Lo mncintiswano unzima! Indlovu yehlulekile, kanti inkulu ngempela. Ingulube yasendle nayo yehlulekile, kanti inamandla. Akekho ozophumelela kulo mncintiswano!"Kuthe kusenjalo, izilwane zezwa ngomunye umsindo uvela emuva le nesixuku. Uma ziqalaza, azikholwanga yiloko ezazikubona.

Izilwane zabona ngenkawu enkulukazi iza ngaphambili. Ngesikhathi iza, iyacula, "Mina ngizokwazi. Ngiyazi ngizokwazi. Ngizokwazi."Inkawu yathatha umkhonto, yahlehlela emuva. Yagoqa imikhono, yazilungiselela ukusuka. Yagxuma kanye, kabili, yawuphonsela esibhakabhakeni umkhonto."Kunye! Kubili! Kuthathu! Kune! Kuhlanu! Yisithupha! Yisikhombisa! Maye babo!" kukhala inkawu.

Kwathi lapho inkawu ibala okwesishiyagalombili, wahlaba phansi umkhonto.Yaphatheka kabuhlungu inkawu. Yayithukuthele ilokhu izulazula, ishaya indiyazana, ikhononda isola loku naloku.Kodwa ingwe yathi, "Kahle, kahle nkawu, uthola ithuba elilodwa." Ngakho-ke, inkawu kwakumele isuke, ihambe.

Ezinye izilwane zaqala ukudikibala manje, zaqala ukuphindela emakhaya azo. Ngesikhathi sezihamba, qhamukiyani impala encane iza igxumagxuma ithi, "Yimani, yimani. Awuthi ngizame. Ngingakwazi. Ngingayenza lento. Wothi ngizame."Uma izilwane zizwa la mazwi empala, zaphela yinsini.

Yasuka yaqxuma esihlalweni sayo ingwe, yasho ngentukuthelo,"Yimani! Yimani! Ningahlekisi ngempala! Ngubani owathi izilwane ezincane azikwazi ukwenza lokho okwenziwa yizilwane ezinkulu? Uma impala ifuna ukuba nethuba, izonikwa nayo njengalokho nezinye izilwane zilitholile. Ngakho-ke, yinikeni ithuba impala iphonse nayo umkhonto."

Impala yakhothamela inkosi yayo, thasi umkhonto iwufaka emlonyeni. Yahlehla kancane, yaqokelela amandla kuloya mzimba omncanyana, yasuka ngejubane. Yathi uma isondela maphakathi nendawo, yagxumela phezulu.Yadonsa umoya ngamandla, yawuphonsela phezulu umkhonto, yamemeza kakhulu," Okuhlanu nokuhlanu yishumi!" Umkhonto washo wahlaba phansi.

Zathula zathi du zonke izilwane. Zazididekile.Inkosi yabe seyinikeza ngale ncazelo, "Uqinisile mpala! Okuhlanu ukuhlanganisa nokunye okuhlanu ngenye indlela yokufinyelela kokuyishumi."Umncintiswano bekungeyona indlela yokuthola isilwane esikhulu nesinamandla. Bekungumncintiswano wokuthola isilwane esihlakaniphile!Impala ke yasithola kanjalo isihlalo sobundlovukazi uma kushona ingwe.

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 -Pumla Mdontswa Illustration - Salim Kasamba Language - isiZulu Level - Read aloud© African Storybook Initiative 2017Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0Sourcewww.africanstorybook.org