Izimfene ezaziya le na le
Family Literacy Project
Benjamin Mitchley
Kwakukhona ilizwe elikude. Abantu bakhona babehlala ezindlini ezincane behlale bejabule. Emva kweminyaka, bazithola bengathokozile ngenxa yezilwane zasendle ezazifika zibesabise.
Lezizilwane zazifika zidle izitshalo zize zithathe nabantwana abancane zibaleke nabo. Kwakungasesiyo indawo ephephile neze; kodwa ke babengayaphi?
Umndeni owodwa wathola isu lokuyohlala entabeni. Kwakulula ukuthola ukudla khona.
Kwakumila izitshalo phakathi namatshe. Ihlanze lamila eceleni kwegquma. Kwakunonogwaja kanye nezinyoni ababengazidla.
Eminye imindeni yabona ukuthi bahlezi kahle laba abahlala entabeni. "Imnandi impilo laphaya intabeni," kusho indoda ehlala entabeni. "Nani kumele nizohlala khona."
Ngokushesha neminye imindeni yashiya amakhaya ayo yanyukela entabeni. Umndeni ngamunye wathola umgede, abafika bahlala kuwo bathokomala futhi baphepha.
Ngokushesha izingane zabe sezikwazi ukugibela amatshe, nokukha izithelo ezihlahleni. Basebekwazi ukushibeka ezihlahleni njengezinkawu.
Kancane kancane izinto zashintsha. Izingane zangabe zisakhuluma kodwa zase ziqale ukubhonga. Abazali babonana amakhala abo ekhula, bemila noboya. Behamba ngezandla kanye nezinyawo.
Njalo uma bebukana babebonana ukuthi amazinyo abo ayakhula.
Bashintsha baba izidalwa ezintsha ezazingakaze zibonwe, baphenduka izimfene.
Baphila kahle isikhathi eside beyizimfene ezikhululekile. Bayeka ukugijimisa onogwaja nezinyoni.
Bagcina bekhohliwe nokuthi kuhanjwa kanjani. Bayeka ukukhuluma nokugqoka izingubo ngoba imilenze yabo yayimide futhi inoboya obumnyama.
Kodwa babesakhumbula ukuthi babengabantu. Babebukana amakhala amade bahlekane.
Loyo owayehlekwa waye gxuma gxuma ukudinwa. Kwahamba isikhashana bangakwazi ukuhlala ndawonye ngenxa yokuchwensana. Umndeni ngamunye wahlukana.
Yingakho nje nanamuhla izimfene zingaphili njengesizwe sezimfene kodwa ngamaqoqana amancane.
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Izimfene ezaziya le na le
Author - Southern African Folktale
Translation - Family Literacy Project
Illustration - Benjamin Mitchley
Language - isiZulu
Level - First paragraphs
© African Storybook Initiative 2015
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
