Ndemane Na Ndemanzane
South African Folktale
Jemma Kahn

Ĩvinda ĩmwe tene, vaĩ kamwana keetawa Ndemane. Kaaĩna mwĩĩituinya weetawa Ndemanzana. Ĩla inya na ĩthe woo meetiwe, nĩmaendie kwĩkala na mwendw'ethe. Ĩndi mayaasũvĩwa nesa. Nĩmavũawa na myũnzyu ndaasa na kunengwe kaũsũlũ kavũthũ ĩvinda ĩmwe tu kwa muthenya. Kwondũ wa ũu nimasembie matoloka.

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Nĩmethĩiy'e ngunga ya kwĩkala nthĩnĩ. Maĩna vw'ĩa nũndũ nĩmew'ĩte kana malya andũ nĩmekalaa tulĩmanĩ. Kwoou nĩmasovisye mwango mũlũmu wa kũkunĩka mũomo wa ngunga ĩsu; maatiie tulima twili tunini twa kulikya nzeve. Ndemane nĩwakanisye mwĩĩtuinya amwĩa, "nathi kusyĩma ĩkala nthĩnĩ wa ngunga na ndũkaue nyama. Malya-andũ mevata na muuke wa nyama ĩiko."

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Kĩla wĩĩo Ndemane nĩwaetae kĩla ũwaie - kavalũkũ kana kasũni kana nzia. Evakuvĩ na ngunga nĩwainaa: "Ndemanzane, Ndemanzane, kaana ka inya. Mbingũĩe ngunga ĩno. Nthũngũlũlũ noilĩke Ĩna tũlima twĩlĩ."

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Ndemanzane nĩwew'aa ũtulu wa kwĩkala nthĩnĩ wa ngunga mũthenya mũima. Mũthenya ũmwe mwanaainya athi, Ndemanzane nĩwaumalũkile athi kũtembea. Nĩwethĩie kalũsĩ ka kũthaũka nako, na mĩtĩ ya kũlĩsa. Niwew'ie ena ũthasyo na ena utanu. Nĩwasũnĩie ndeto ii: "kũtonya kwĩthĩwa vate kĩndũ kĩĩtawa malya-andũ. Mwendwau atonya kwĩthĩwa aweetaa malya-andũ nĩkana atwĩkĩe vw'ĩa."

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Mũthenya ũla watĩĩe nĩwew'ie ena ũnyiau wa kwakania mwaki ote. Ĩndi aakanisye mwaki ngungani nthĩnĩ mwango ũvingĩtwe nesa – nĩkana ethĩwe wĩvithonĩ. Nĩwasũanĩie, "nĩnĩsĩ ngailĩla kasama kanini ĩũlũ wa mwaki vaĩ ũndũ wĩkĩka. Ũtonya kwĩthĩwa ũndũ museo mũno kũya lĩu mũue."

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Ĩla mwanaainya wokie mũsyĩ nĩwainie otatene, "Ndemanzane, Ndemanzane kaana ka inya Mbingũĩe ngunga ĩno. Nthũngũlũlũ noilĩke Ĩna tũlima twĩlĩ." Nĩwa mũvingũĩe mwango alika nthĩnĩ. Ĩla Ndemane woonie nyama mbuue nĩwakũlilye, "Wĩkie ũũ ata ũtena mwaki?" Ndemanzane nĩwamũsũngĩie kwa mĩtũkĩ, "Nanĩkie nyana sũanĩ nza wa ngunga." Nũndũ Ndemane aĩ mũnou na ndendaa ngalali, nĩmekalile nthĩ maya lĩu woo vamwe na ũtanu.

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Mũthenya ũla watĩĩe nĩwavuvie mawki and auwa lĩu ĩngĩ. Kavinda kanini amina kũua nĩwew'ie wasya ũkwina nza wa mũomo, "Ndemanzane, Ndemanzane, kaana ka inya. Mbingũĩe ngunga ĩno. Nthũngũlũlũ noilĩke Ĩna tũlima twĩlĩ." Ĩndĩ wasya ndwew'ĩkaa ta wa mwanaainya. Ndemanzane nĩwaisye, "Aiie. We ndwĩĩ mwanaainya wakwa; wasya waku tita wake." Nĩwew'ie ee ũsũvĩonĩ wa ngunga.

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Okavinda kanini kathela, mũndũ nĩwainie nza wa ngunga, "mbingũĩe mwĩĩtuia." "Ndemanzane, Ndemanzane, kaana ka inya Mbingũĩe ngunga ĩno. Nthũngũlũlũ noilĩke Ĩna tũlima twĩlĩ." Nũndũ wasya wew'ĩkaa ta wa mwanaainya nĩwavingũie mwango.

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Ĩmũndũ ĩnene ĩna masyulĩ maĩngĩ nĩyosũie mũomonĩ wa ngunga. Niyakwatie Ndemanzane mbee wa atanasemba atoloke. Ndemanzane aĩna kamwanya okanini ka kwosa mũu kuma mwakini. Akuĩtwe nĩwendie etĩte mũu nzĩanĩ vala mesĩla.

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Mũthenya ũsu Ndemane nĩwatweete mwaatũ wĩna nzũkĩ mwĩta na aikua na mũvuko atũlĩtye kĩtuoni. Ĩla wavikie ngunganĩ nĩweethĩie mũomo wĩ ĩteng'ũ na mwĩĩtuinya atevo. Ĩndĩ mũu nĩwonanisye nzĩa ya kũthĩ kĩthekanĩ. Nĩwatĩe mũu mũvaka ona mwaki vandũ vaasanga.

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Ĩndĩ yaumaala Ndemane nĩwatilile ũlii ũla woveete mũvuko na mwĩĩtuinya aumaala. Ndemane nĩwakwananisye mũvuko ũsu na ũla wake wĩna nzũkĩ mwĩta na syana isu nisyeevithie syetela syone ũndũ ũla ũkwĩkĩka.

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Ĩmũndũ ĩsu ĩkweete na kĩw'ũ yokie na kĩmwana na mwĩĩtu wake. Nĩyeiye mwĩĩtu, "lika Nyũmba weete kĩndũ kĩseo nakwetee vau mũvukoni." Mwĩĩtu nĩwavingũie mũvuko asisye nĩ kyaũ na aũmwa kwoko nĩ nzũkĩ na eetana, "Nĩkĩkũmana!" Kĩmwana nĩkyatũmiwe, "Thi wamũtetheesye!" Nakyo kyathi kyekiwe ota mwĩĩtuinya.

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Ĩmũndũ ĩu nĩyalikile nyũmba ĩlonzete ĩkwasya, "Mwĩkoone ta nĩ ndia." Nĩyavingie mũomo na yavingũa mũvuko yo mweene. Nzũkĩ isu nĩsyamalũkile syĩnthatu na syantĩa kũmũmanga mũtwe, manyũũ na metho. Nĩwatwiwe nthongo na atũvatũva kĩla vandũ na woo mwiingĩ.

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Nĩwasembie avalũka ĩtũngũnĩ na mũtwe wakwama ndakanĩ. Nĩwalyũkile ekala kĩthukĩ kya mũtĩ kĩtonya kũtwĩka mwaatũ. Kwa ĩvinda ĩasa kuma mũthenya ũsu Ndemane and Ndemanzane nĩmaĩĩe ũkĩ mũseo kuma mwatũnĩ ũsu.

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Vakuvi na mwaki vaĩna ĩmũndũ ĩnene ĩna masyulĩ maĩngĩ ĩkalĩte nthĩ na ĩmũvuko ĩnene vakuvĩ nayo. Ndemane nĩwathengeie ĩmũndũ ĩu akwĩtwĩkĩthya nũkũthua aĩa, "Nau nivatonyeka wandetheesya na kĩw'ũ? Nĩnomĩa kũũ na nĩngwenda kĩw'ũ." Ĩmũndũ ĩu nĩyamũie, "Nĩngũkwetee kĩw'ũ wambatha kana ndwĩkwata mũvuko wakwa. Nĩyalikilye mũvuko ũsu nyũmba neesa."

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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:
Ndemane Na Ndemanzane
Author - South African Folktale
Translation - Anna Kula
Illustration - Jemma Kahn
Language - Kikamba
Level - Longer paragraphs