Kudala-dala bengekabikho abantu. UMdali wayejonge ezantsi kwihlabathi elihle awayelidalile. Wacinga kwelokuba abenomntu ozakujonga indalo yakhe.

Ingonyama yagquma, "Ndiyinkosi yehlathi, ndingalijonga ihlabathi."

Yatsho ngesandi sexilongo indlovu, "Nkosi yam, undidale ndamkhulu kuzo zonke izilwanyana. Ndingoyena owufaneleyo lo msebenzi."

UMnenga, intlazi enkulu kuzo zonke iintlanzi, wajonga phezulu esibhakabhakeni watshiza amanzi, "Ingaba aba bazigqatsayo bayakwazi ukuqubha kwakunye nokubona iintlanzi, ezimibalabala, ezihamba ziligquba kwakunye nezigidi zezilwanyana ezincinane zaselwandle? Ndiyakwazi ukubona ulwandle, ndiyakwazi kanti nokuveza intloko yam ngaphezu kwamanzi ndijonge ukuba kwenzeka ntoni phezu komhlaba. Ndinomzimba omkhulu, akukho namnye onokwenza ngokuthanda kwakhe."

Ukrebe wayecinga ukuba kufuneka amazinyo wayo abukhali kuphela ukwenza loo msebenzi.

Ukhozi lwahleka, "Ezi zilwanyana zikwazi ukubona izilwanyana ezisemhlabeni kuphela. UMnenga noKrebe bona bakwazi ukubona izilwanyana zaselwandle kuphela. Kodwa mna ndiyabhabha, ndiyasibona isibhakabhaka, umhlaba kunye namanzi. Ndim kuphela okulungeleyo ukuba ngumgcini wehlabathi."

UMdali waziphulaphula ngocoselelo ezi zilwanyana, iintlanzi kwakunye neentaka. "Ndizakudala umntu," watsho. Zonke izilwanyana zamangaliswa, yayiyintoni le nto kuthiwa "nguMntu." Linjani ibala layo, ingaba ineentsiba, uboya okanye amaxolo okwentlanzi? Ingaba uyakubaleka okwengonyama? Aqubhe okwentlanzi? Abhabhele phezulu okoKhozi?

Kwakusele kusihlwa ilanga lisiya kutshonela. Kwaba sebusuku. Wagquma umdali okwesibhakabhaka ebusuku, wafaka ukuphinziza kweenkwenkwezi emehlweni, waza wathatha ubumnyama bamafu wenza ngabo iinwele. Wabeka amasuntswana enyanga ekupheleni kweminwe wenza iinzipho waza wathatha nokukhazimla kweenkwenkwezi wenza ngako amazinyo. Umfazi nendoda yokuqala badalwa ngezikhumba ezikhazimlayo ezifana nobusuku.

Ngokukhawuleza baphela ubusuku kwaba kusasa. UMdali wagquma ngokukhanya kokusa, wathabatha uhlaza lwesibhakabhaka walufaka emehlweni, wathatha umthubi welanganga wawufaka ezinweleni kwaza phambi kwakhe kwema indoda nomfazi abanezikhumba ezimhlophe, amehlo aluhlaza kunye neenwele ezimthubi.

Intsasa yajika kwaba semva kwemini. Ilanga lalikhazimla kakhulu, ngoko ke watsala ukukhanya okumthubi kunye nomthunzi omnyama wenza indoda nomfazi abanesikhumba esimthubi, iinwele ezimnyama kunye namehlo akekeleyo ukwenzela bajonge ilanga.

Kwakusihlwa ke ngoku, isibhakabhaka sasimthuqwasi sele kuvele neekwenkwezi ezimbalwa. UMdali wajonga ezantsi wabona ubuhle bombala womhlaba omdaka otyebileyo kunye nombala wesibhakabhaka wenza ngayo isikhumba somntu. Umbala omnyama wobusuku wawusebenzisa ukwenza iinwele waza wasebenzisa ukukhazimla kweenkwenkwezi ukwenza amehlo. Phambi kwakhe kwema indoda nomfazi abanesikhumba esingumbala omdaka, iinwele ezimnyama kunye namehlo amnyama.

Zamangaliswa izilwanyana zijonge esi sidalwa singaqhelekanga sima ngemilenze emibini, sinesikhumba esingagqunywanga, singenaboya, iintsiba okanye amaxolo afana nawentlanzi. Ingonyama yajonga ezantsi kuloo mpumlo yayo yagquma, "Ndinamendu kunabo kwaye ndingwabaqhwetha kube kanye ngeenzipho zam ndibabulale, uxolo UKUBA NDITSHO."

IQwarhashe lacebisa, "Imigca embalwa ingabenza babukeke." INgwe yathi, "Namachokoza ambalwa." INdlovu yatsho ngelo xilongo layo, "Mhlawumbi bebeyakujongeka ngcono ngomnye umbala."

Ukrebe wajonga amazinyo wabo wancuma ebonisa amazinyo wayo abukhali. "Ah! Abanayo imisila yokuqubha, Bazakuqubha njani? Kodwa bazakujonga nathi. Ha! Ha! Ha! Iintlanzi, ezinkulu nezincinane zahleka zatsho zitsibela emanzini ziphelile yintsini."

UMdali wahleka epholile, "Niyabona, ukuze niphile, umntu kufuneka ajonge izilwanyana, ulwandle, izityalo kunye nemithi emikhulu nemincinane. Mhla umntu waqala ukutshabalalisa indalo ngenxa yokunyoluka, naye uyakutshabalala." Izilwanyana, iintlanzi kunye neentaka zathoba iintloko zazo zinethemba lokuba ziya kukhuseleka. Ngoko ke, WENA kunye NAM, masinakekele ihlabathi lethu elihle.