Khosi ya zwiṋoni
South African Folktale
Wiehan de Jager

Kale zwiṋoni zwo vhuya zwa vha na muṱangano. Zwi khou ṱoḓa khosi u edza vhathu na phukha. Ndi tshiṋoni tshifhio tshine tsha nga vha khosi.

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"Goni ḽi na nungo na mbonalo ya khosi!" Ndi tshiṅwe tshiṋoni tshe tsha ralo. "Hai a ḽi na khare, nahone ḽi tshi lila ipfi ḽi pfala ḽo dinalea." Tsho ralo tshiṅwe tshiṋoni. "Ndi Mphwe, ngauri ndi khulwanesa nahone i a vhomba sa ndau," ndi tshiṅwe tshi tshi vhidzelela. "Hai, a i koni u fhufha. Khosi ya zwiṋoni i fanela u kona u fhufha."

2

"Ndi humbula uri ndi nga vha khosi," hu amba phikhokho i tshi ṱharamudza mutshila. "Ndo nakesa." "Ni a di hudza," hu amba gwitha. "Ndi na maṱo mahulu u fhira zwiṋoni zwoṱhe. Ndi nga vha khosi." "Hai, hu si inwi Gwitha," zwiṋoni zwa ṱavha mikosi. Ḓuvha ḽi tshi bva inwi nia lala.

3

Mafhungo a u ṋanga khosi ho ngo ya kule. Tshiṅwe tshiṋoni tsha ḓa na muhumbulo. "Tshiṋoni tshi no ḓo fhufha tsha ya nṱha u fhira zwoṱhe ndi tshone tshi no ḓo vha khosi," tshi tshi amba. Zwiṋoni zwoṱhe zwa ṱavha mikosi ya u tenda, zwa mbo fhufhela nṱha makoleni.

4

Sekhwa ḽa fhufha lwa ḓuvha ḽithihi, ḽa leleḓa nṱha ha thavha ndapfusa dza ḽifhasi. Goni ḽa fhufha maḓuvha mavhili nṱha ha thavha. Ḽianga ḽa fhufha maḓuvha mararu, ḽa leleḓa ḽo livha ḓuvhani ḽi sa aweli, nahone ḽi kule na he zwiṅwe zwiṋoni zwa swika. Zwiṋoni zwa pfa ipfi ḽa Ḽianga, "Ndo fhufha u fhira noṱhe ndi khosi."

5

Zwenezwo Ḽianga ḽa pfa kuipfi kuṱuku nga nṱha ku hangei ku tshi ri, "Ndo ni fhira noṱhe nga u fhufha, ndi khosi, tii, tii, tii, tii!" ndi Lutiitii tshiṋoni tshitukusa. Kuṋoni ukwu kwo nambatela kha phapha dza Ḽianga ḽi tshi khou leleḓa, henengei nṱha.

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"A ni nga dovhi na mphira," ḽo ralo Ḽianga, ḽa Fhufhela nṱha-nṱha. Ḽa fhufhela nṱha u swika ḽi si tsha kona u fhirela phanḓa. "Ndi nṱha ha zwiṋoni zwoṱhe, Ndi khosi yaṋu!" Ḽa vhidzelela.

7

Fhedzi kuṋoni kuṱuku kwa bva kha phapha dza Ḽianga. "Tii, tii, tii! Ndi nṋe kuṋoni kuṱuku kha zwoṱhe! Ndi khosi yaṋu." Ḽianga ḽo vha ḽo no neta ḽi sa tsha kona u fhufhela nṱha.

8

Ḽa leleḓa ḽi tshi vhuya fhasi na kuṋoni kuṱuku fhasi ha maphapha aḽo. Zwiṅwe zwiṋoni zwo vha zwo sinyutshela Lutiitii. Zwo lu lindela zwo ḓiimisela u lu ṱhuvha mathenga.

9

Lutiitii lu tshi vhona zwiṅwe zwiṋoni zwo sinyuwa lwa fhufha lwa dzhena mulindini wa ṋowa u si na tshithu. Zwiṋoni zwa vhidza gwitha uri nga maṱo aḽo mahulu ḽi dzule ḽo linda kuṋoni ku tshi bva ḽi ku fare. Gwitha ḽa dzula phanḓa ha mulindi.

10

Fhedzi ḓuvha ḽo vha ḽi tshi khou dudela, Gwitha ḽa mbo di farwa nga khofhe. Lutiitii lwa lavhelesa nnḓa nga buli, lu tshi vhona uri gwitha ḽo eḓela lwa fhufha lwa shavha.

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Gwitha ḽa farwa nga ṱhoni uri ḽo ponyokisa Lutiitii. Zwino ḽi zwima vhusiku fhedzi. Masiari ḽi a lala kule na maṱo a zwiṅwe zwononi.

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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:
Khosi ya zwiṋoni
Author - South African Folktale
Translation - Maphaha Tshimangadzo Nelson
Illustration - Wiehan de Jager
Language - Tshivenḓa
Level - Longer paragraphs