Collected by: Don Sybertz,   Scanned by: Cephas Yao Agbemenu

With special thanks to Rev Joe Healey (African proverbs,Sayings and stories)

Lushiku lumo ikatula mbula nduma gete, usayayi nunke, bhali bhadini pandi lya gwigasha. Ulu idigiki kupelela ng’wipilinga ling’ong’ho ili lilibihi.

Bhakalibhona lyochi lilifumila ung`wipilinga bhakabhona giki ahenaho nahi pande lya bhupanga wabho. Bhakaja bhalipela. Aha bhashika mo bhisanga ndamhala ya mbiti na nkima wayo na bhana bhabho bhalota moto. Abhoyi bhali bhadibhonaga imbeho.

Yubhakaribhusha indamhala ya mbiti. Duliho Lung’wando. Yuyomba, “Hii, ilelo tapandika na shiliwa ja nyama.” Ulung`wando nang`hwe ushosha, “Muzidubhiza na mayange ilikubi ilya nyama ng`walipandikaga. Tulindagi tume tamu nang’wite umo mulitogelwa.

Ikanza litakulile, Lung`wando nu nke bhuma. Ulung’wando wimila, uyomba, “Lolagi ilipilinga lise lyina makoye, lilihaya gugwa. Tujagi pye abhose tukalihande iliwe lizidutugwila.” Ahenaho unamhala wa Mbiti na bhiye kihamo nu Lung’wando nu nke bhuja kujulihanda iliwe wa nguzu lizutubhagwila.

Aha ikanza lyabhita idoo ulung’wando ung’wila unke, “ Nke wane unimo, gwenuyu ndamu dugumala inguzu na gulumila kushisha nose tugucha. Nalibhona hambo hambo upele wangu wangu ukenhe ng`hingi ya ndumbulila.”

Nke wa Lung’wando upela na atigelile hangi. Lyubhita ikanza ulung’wando uhaya, “Ni bhuli unkima wane wadila ukushoka, nalibhona hambo hambo nankubhije na kiyenhe ing’hingi ya ndumbulila. Aliyo muzidulilekela iliwe likumumala.” Unamhala wa Mbiti uzunya, “Nahene jaga.” Haho na haho Lung´wando upela nhambo gete, atashokile. Ukunu numa umuna Mbiti nabhiye bhulihandatila iliwe lizitugwa. Bhunoga abhangi bhuyucha bhalidimilile iliwe.

Nosage indamhala ya Mbiti yuyomba, “iii! Gong’hana ulung`wndo ali nsala gete, watuwilaga uweyi nu Nke bhaje bhakenhe ng`hingi ya ndumbulila. Gashinaga bhalumbulilaga gete.

Kiswahili: Imekata Nguzo Ya Mfululizo.

Ilitokea siku moja, mvua kubwa ilinyesha, Sungura na mkewe hawakuwa na mahali pa kwenda kujistiri isipokuwa kukimbilia pangoni katika mlima uliokuwa karibu.

Waliona moshi umefuka wakasema, “Huko ndiko mahali pa usalama wao,” wakaenda mbio. Kufika huko wakamkuta mzee Fisi na  mkewe na watoto wao wanaota moto, bila wao kuona baridi.

“Karibuni akina Sungura.”  Mzee Fisi akasema, “Ama kweli tutapata kitoweo kizuri cha nyama.” Sungura akajibu, “Msiwe na wasiwasi kitoweo cha nyama mtapata, subirini kwanza tupate joto ndipo mwaweza kufanya mtakavyo.”

Haukupita muda Sungura na mkewe walipopata joto mwilini, Sungura akasimama akasema, “Angalieni kuna hatari pangoni petu, litaanguka. Twendeni tushirikiane kuzuia mwamba wa jiwe usituponde.”

Hapo mzee Fisi na wengineo pamoja na Sungura  na mkewe wakaenda kushika jiwe kwa nguvu, lisiwaangukie. Punde Sungura akamwambia mkewe, “Mke wangu kazi hii ni ngumu, tutakosa nguvu za kuinua na hatimaye kufa. Naona ni heri tukimbilie upesi ukalete nguzo ya mti wa mfululizo.”  Bi Sungura akaenda zake mbio, asionekane.

Baada ya muda, bwana Sungura akasema, “Mbona Mke wangu amechelewa kurudi? Naona ni bora nami nimfuate nikalete hiyo nguzo ya mfululizo.”

Mzee Fisi akasema, “Haya nenda.” Hapo Sungura akakimbia mbio  asirudi. Huku nyuma  wakina Fisi na wenzake wakaendelea  kuzingatia maelezo ya kulizuia jiwe lisianguke. Wakachoka baadhi yao wakafa huku wakilishikilia lile jiwe.

Hatimaye Mzee Fisi akasema, “Ama kweli Sungura ni mjanja, alituambia yeye na mkewe wanaenda kuleta nguzo ya mti wa mfululizo, kumbe wamefululiza kweli kweli.”

ENGLISH: THE PILLAR OF THE SERIES

It happened one day, when the heavy rain stopped, the rabbit and his wife did not have a place to work except to run into a cave in a nearby mountain.

They saw a frightened smoke saying, “This is their place of security,” they ran. On arriving they found an old Hyena and his wife and their children warming themselves around fire, without feeling cool.

“Welcome rabbit.” Elder hyena said, “We really will get a good stew of meat.” Rabbits replied, “Do not worry about meat, you will get it, let us warm ourselves and you can do what you want.”

Not long after the rabbit and his wife got in the place, the rabbit stood and said, “Look at the danger in our eyes, it will fall. Let us join together to block the stone rock. “

Then the old Hyena and the rest with the Rabbit and his wife went to grab the stone, not to fall. As soon as Rabbits said to his wife, “My wife’s job is hard, we will lose the power to lift and eventually die. I think it is nice to run away quickly and bring the pillar of series. “Mrs. Rabbit ran away, and did not appear.

In time, Mr. Rabbits said, “Why is my wife late to come back? I think it is the best of all option for me to follow her and bring that pillar of the series.”

Elder hyena said, “Go.” The Rabbit ran away and did not return. After that, Hyena and her colleagues continued to consider the details of preventing the stone from falling. They left some of them dead while holding the stone.

Elderly hyena then said, “The rabbit is really tricky, he told us that he and his wife are going to bring a post of a series of trees, meaning, they have really trickly gone without returning.”