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Crushed louse
Zimbili Dlamini
Magriet Brink
English
Long time ago, there were two young men who lost their cows.

They looked for the cows until it was late.
As it got dark, they saw a light in a house.

They agreed to go and ask for a place to sleep.
They went to the house and knocked. The door opened and they went in.

The young men didn't see anyone. But they heard a voice greeting them.
The voice said, "I am a louse. Open the metal pot and have food. Open the earthenware pot and drink amahewu."
Then the louse put on its skin and went out.
The young men ate, drank, and gave thanks.

Then they left the house.
As they left, they had a bad thought. They said, "No, it couldn't have happened that we had food from a louse." 

Eventually they agreed to go back and crush the louse.
They went back to the house and crushed the louse.

Suddenly the louse was gone, and the house disappeared!

They found themselves outside in the open.
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Crushed louse
Author - Zimbili Dlamini
Translation - Zimbili Dlamini
Illustration - Magriet Brink
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
    • Die platgetrapte luis
      Afrikaans (Translation)
    • Nsabwe yothudzulidwa
      ChiChewa (Translation)
    • Inda yakatswanyiwa
      ChiShona (Translation)
    • Le Pou Écrasé
      French (Translation)
    • Le pou écrasé
      French (Translation)
    • Tenngu Ɓiɓɓaangu
      Fulfulde Adamawa (Translation)
    • Mutsuttsukakkiyar Kwarkwata
      Hausa (Nigeria) (Translation)
    • Intwala eputjukileko
      isiNdebele (Translation)
    • Intwala eyatyunyuzwayo
      isiXhosa (Translation)
    • Intwala eyachotshwa
      isiZulu (Original)
    • Bashatse guhonyora Inda barayibura
      Kinyarwanda (Translation)
    • Shinser she á bvəʼəyin
      Lámnsoʼ (Translation)
    • Enffa Y’Ensekere
      Luganda (Translation)
    • Enhumba eyatemwa entanda
      Lusoga (Translation)
    • Ensekere ensekembule
      Lusoga (Translation)
    • O Piolho Esmagado
      Portuguese (Translation)
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