Maate Kɛ Maalai Sla Nana
Violet Otieno
Catherine Groenewald

Maate kɛ Maalai hi manguam kɛ atsɛ. A ngɛ blɔhami blɔ hiɛ. Pi sukuu blɔhami ɔ kɛkɛ, se nɛ a ya sla a na. E hi kope ko ngɛ pakpɔ gbajaa ko he.

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Maate kɛ Maalai a bua jɔ ejakaa esu a na slami be ekohu. Gbɔkuɛ ɔ nɛ e nɔ jena neɛ a kɛ maa je ɔ, a to a bagihi nɛ a pee klado kɛha blɔ hiami gaga kɛya e kɔpe ɔ mi. A nyɛ we mayo hwɔmi nɛ a tu hejɔɔ mi ligbi ɔ he munyu nyɔ mi ɔ tsuo.

2

Jena mɔtu mla, a pue kɔpe ɔ mi blɔ ngɛ a tsɛ, lɛ ɔ mi. Ahlui kɛ be yohi, lohwehi kɛ ngmɔhi a he. A kane lɛhi nɛ a la lahi. Be bɔɔ se ɔ pɔtɔ jokwɛwi ɔmɛ nɛ a hwɔ mayo.

3

Tsɛ ɔ tsiɛ Maate kɛ Maalai nɛ a maa ho kɔpe ɔ mi sumi yae. A na Asi, a na lɛ nɛ ngɛ e he jɔe ngɛ sa ko nɔ ngɛ tso ko sisi.

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Asi nya a he kɛ sɛ we ɔ mi nɛ e do kɛ bole si ngɛ tsu ɔ mi kɛ lami kɛ buajɔ mi. E bibi ɔmɛ a bua jɔ kaa a ngɔ nikehi ba ha lɛ kɛje mangua a mi. Maate ke, "Blii ye nike ɔ nya kekle." Maalai ke, "Daabi ye nɔ ɔ kekle!"

5

Peese nɛ ebli nike ɔmɛ a nga Asi jɔɔ e bibi ɔmɛ. Jeha Maate kɛ Maalai je kpo kɛ ho agbonya ya nɛ a ya fiɛ. Asi kɛ e bi nyumu ɔ siɛ e webi ɔmɛ a he ni nɛ e na bɔnɛ nihi ngɛ yae ha.

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Be nɛ pu nɔ si ɔ Maate kɛ Maalai kpale keba we ɔ mi nɛ a ba ye a gbɔkuɛ ni. A bɔni kɔnuɛ demi loko a ye ni ɔ ta! Nɛ je na jokwɛ ɔmɛ a tsɛ ɔ kpale kɛ ba mangua a mi nɛ e si mɛ ha Asi.

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Maate kɛ Maalai wa a na a kɛ we mi nipeemi. A ya pa nɛ a lɛ lɛ. A kukwɔɔ hluihi kɛjee kungɔ ɔmɛ a sisi nɛ a tsɔɔ pui kɛjee abɔɔ mi.

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Mɔtu ko ɔ Maate ngɔ e na naamɛ kɛho nga kpemi ya. A ma fo ya sɛ nɔ ko ngmɔ mi. Ngmɔtsɛ ɔ mimi fu. E ka ke emaa tsi naamɛ a nya kaa a puɛ e ngmɔ ni. Kɛje ligbi ɔ se ɔ Maate fia pɛɛ si kaa na a mɛ ngɔɛ lɛ wui sane mi ekohu.

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Ligbi kpa nɔ jokwɛwi ɔmɛ ya jua nɔ kɛ Asi. E ngɛ gba nɛ e juaa kwadaa, ameo, sabola, ga, sikli kɛ jale. Maalai suɔ kaa e ma tsɔɔ niheli ɔmɛ a jua. Maate nɛ bua ni ɔmɛ nɛ niheli ɔmɛ he ɔ a nya.

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Se ekɛ we nɛ blɔhami ɔ nya be. Esa nɛ jokwewi ɔmɛ nɛ a kpale a se kɛ ho sukuu ya ngɛ mangua a mi. Asi ha Maate pɛɛ nɛ e ha Maalai suɛta.

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Be nɛ a tsɛ ba nɛ e ba ngɔ mɛ ɔ a su ngme nɛ a je. Jokwɛwi ɔmɛ kpa Asi pɛ nɛ e kɛ mɛ nɛ ya mangua a mi. E muɔ nɛ e de ke, "I wa tsɔ pe mangua a mi. Se I ma hi hiɛ ɔ nɛ ma mlɛ kɛha slami ekohu kɛha blɔhami nɛ maa baa."

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You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Maate Kɛ Maalai Sla Nana
Author - Violet Otieno
Translation - Divine Apedo (OLE Ghana)
Illustration - Catherine Groenewald
Language - Dangme
Level - First paragraphs