Kalabushe the talkative
Gaspah Juma
Jesse Breytenbach
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
