Old Man Lefty
Sinesipho Khwaza
mskne

There was a place called Zithulele. This place was lovely, beautiful and peaceful. It was big and close to the sea. In Zithulele there was a hospital with small rooms with white people. It has two shops and a shop that we buy amagwinya and it has beautiful flowers there. In Zithulele there is a place where white people teach us.

1

Old Man Lefty has small eyes. He does not see small things and he is ugly. He has long nails and he doesn't have hairs. He smells like a dead dog. He doesn't have teeth, he only has 4 teeth. He likes to eat bananas. He is easy to be confused. If you see him you would want to run. He lives alone and he is so dirty.

2

Lefty forgot to wash for 4 days. He just ate his bananas and drank his tea in the morning. When he finished all those things that he did, he went to the tavern and drank alcohol. When he came back to his house at 12: 00 he smelled badly and when he sleeps he smells badly too.

3

He smells bad. He doesn't wash himself. He forgot to wash for 4 days. He only washed when the sun came out and the sun didn't come out for 4 days, so he smells badly. There was no person who would force him to wash. He smells like a dead dog.

4

All the people ran away from him. He cries because he didn't know what they were running for. People didn't tell him why people ran when they saw him, they only would laugh at him. He would cry badly when the people ran away from him. He stand there alone with no people to ask what the problem was.

5

One man made him a watch that will ring when it's time to wash. The time that he must wash was at 9: 00 in the morning and 3: 00 in the afternoon. He takes the watch to his bedroom so that he will hear it. That man gave him the spray and the roll on so that when the roll on ends he must use the spray. When he went to the tavern the watch would ring at 3 o'clock and then he must go home and wash himself.

6

He never forgot to wash because that watch helped him. If the people saw him they say "Hi" because they like him and he never smells like a dead dog. Now he is so beautiful. He never drinks alcohol and never goes to tavern anymore.

7
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Old Man Lefty
Author - Sinesipho Khwaza, Chulumanco Phumputha, Mihle Ntoyabo
Illustration - mskne
Language - English
Level - Read aloud