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Kalabushe the talkative
Gaspah Juma
Jesse Breytenbach
English
Long time ago, there lived a girl whose name was Kalabushe. Kalabushe was a very talkative girl. Although her mother warned her not to talk too much, Kalabushe did not listen.
Kalabushe's aunt lived across the valley on the other side of Kalabushe's village. One day she fell ill. She had nobody to take care of her.
Kalabushe's mother was very busy. It was late in the evening when she gave Kalabushe food to take to her sick aunt.
On the way, Kalabushe met Sinson. Sinson was a hyena who had changed into a person.
Sinson asked Kalabushe, "What are you carrying?" Kalabushe answered, "I am carrying meat, eggs and milk." Kalabushe's mother had warned her not to say what she was carrying.
Kalabushe also said, "I am taking the food to my sick aunt." Sinson licked his lips at the thought of the meat that Kalabushe was carrying.
Sinson quickly ran ahead of Kalabushe to her aunt's house.
He swallowed Kalabushe's aunt and then covered himself with her blanket.
When Kalabushe arrived, the house was very quiet. She went inside and called out, "Aunt, where are you?"
Kalabushe did not hear her aunt's voice.  She went to the inner room where her aunt slept. She was surprised when she saw someone covered with a big blanket.
Kalabushe asked, "Aunt, why are your ears so big today?" 

Sinson replied from under the big blanket, "So that I can hear you well."
Kalabushe asked again, "Aunt, why are your eyes so big today?"

Sinson answered, "So I can see you well."
Kalabushe finally asked, "Aunt, why is your mouth so big today?"

Sinson replied, "So I can eat you up!" He jumped from the bed and swallowed Kalabushe.
Kalabushe kept talking even when she was inside Sinson's stomach. She asked many questions.
In the end, Sinson was so tired of Kalabushe's many questions that he decided to spit her out.
Kalabushe and her aunt were rescued by the villagers.

From that day, Kalabushe did not talk too much to strangers.
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Kalabushe the talkative
Author - Gaspah Juma
Translation - Gaspah Juma
Illustration - Jesse Breytenbach
Language - English
Level - First paragraphs
© African Storybook Initiative 2014
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
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  • Translations and adaptations
    • Kalabushe die babbelkous
      Afrikaans (Translation)
    • Kaliifatu ŋkǝmprǝyar
      Anii (Adaptation)
    • Kalabushe wobwetuka
      Chichewa (Translation)
    • Kalabushe muyobi
      Chinkhonde (Translation)
    • Kalabushe Mukanazi
      ChiTonga (Translation)
    • Kalabushe musimbi waambaulisya
      ChiTonga (Adaptation)
    • Kalabushi mbeleŵeta
      Chitonga (Malawi) (Translation)
    • Kalabushe musikana wokambisisa
      CiNyanja (Translation)
    • Shupiwe wolankhula kwambiri
      CiNyanja (Adaptation)
    • Kalabushe muyowozi
      Citumbuka (Translation)
    • A Kalabushe ŵamkamwa
      Ciyawo (Malawi) (Translation)
    • Nyakawululu Ja Cut Wac
      Dhopadhola (Translation)
    • Kalabushe ottokollolla
      Ellomwe (Malawi) (Translation)
    • Kalabushe and the hyena
      English (Adaptation)
    • Kalabushe, La Bavarde
      French (Translation)
    • Kande Sarkin Surutu
      Hausa (Nigeria) (Translation)
    • Kalabushe Umukashana Uwaleelandisha Saana
      IciBemba (Translation)
    • Kalabushe Cilandisha
      IciBemba (Adaptation)
    • UKalabutjhe okhulumela futhi
      isiNdebele (Translation)
    • UNandipha intombazana elincoko
      isiXhosa (Translation)
    • UKalabushe intombazanyana ekhuluma kakhulu
      isiZulu (Translation)
    • Intombazane eyayikuthanda ukukhuluma
      isiZulu (Translation)
    • UZama intombazanyana ekhuluma kakhulu
      isiZulu (Adaptation)
    • ǃHoaxa Kalabushes xa
      Khoekhoegowab (Translation)
    • Kabanyana na Warupyisi
      Kinyarwanda (Translation)
    • Kalabushe, Chiriku
      Kiswahili (Original)
    • Chiriku
      Kiswahili (Adaptation)
    • Kalabushe na Fisi
      Kiswahili (Translation)
    • Kadondi Omutumulitumuli
      Lugwere (Translation)
    • Neŋamba
      Lunyole (Translation)
    • Kalabushe Mulomi Lomi
      Lusamia (Translation)
    • Kantono n'empiti
      Lusoga (Translation)
    • Azuma Yatɔa Gbalinŋu Daana
      Mampruli (Translation)
    • Kalabushe weendjovo dihapu
      Oshikwanyama (Translation)
    • Omupopyagani Kalabushe
      Oshindonga (Translation)
    • Kalabushe omuhungire uatjinene
      Otjiherero (Translation)
    • Kalabushe a Tagarela
      Portuguese (Translation)
    • Kalabushe kuuyunga unene
      Rukwangali (Translation)
    • Kalabuše wa go bolela kudu
      Sepedi (Translation)
    • Moitheri ea buang haholo
      Sesotho (Lesotho) (Translation)
    • Moitheri ya buang haholo
      Sesotho (South Africa) (Translation)
    • Katlego, mosetsana yo o buang thata
      Setswana (Translation)
    • Kalabushe Mukanazi
      SiLozi (Translation)
    • Intfombatana letsandza kukhuluma
      Siswati (Translation)
    • Kalabushe Toagaleh Daan
      Talen (Translation)
    • ለታይን ዝብእን
      Tigrigna (Translation)
    • Kalabushe muambi wa biko
      Tshivenḓa (Translation)
    • Khalabushe wo vulavula ngopfu
      Xitsonga (Translation)
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