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

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

Ng’wina ikabyalaga magi haho na nyanza, mu luseni hihi na lutende (masaka ga mu nyanza, maswa ga mu nyanza) yukafukila maseni na kugabhundalila (giti ngoko).

Ulu magi gutanduka (gugomiwa) bhiza bhana bhikala ha ngongo gwa ng’waninabho. Ninabho lulu wandya lugendo lwa kuja mu nyanza.

Abhana abhatadimile chiza ha ngongo gwa ng’waninabho bhakagwilaga mu nyanza, nabho bhakabhizaga sanza ng’wina, bhatashikile ha bhujibha hagatigati ya Nyanza, iti ng’wina ng’hana aliyo Sanza ng’wina, nusu Ng’wina.

Sanza ng’wina bhatakulaga umo ng’wina bhakakulilaga abho bhushika ha bhujiba bhatali bhadimile ha ngongo gwa ng’waninabho bhakabhizaga ng’wina gete.

Kiswahili: Mamba Na Nusu Mamba

Mamba hutaga mayai karibu na bahari, kwenye mchanga karibu na matete (vichaka vya baharini, mwenye majani ya baharini). Huwa anayafukia kwenye mchanga na kuyaatamia (kama kuku).

Mayai yakipasuka watoto hutoka na kukaa kwenye mgongo wa mama yao. Basi, mama yao huanza mwendo wa kwenda baharini.

Watoto wale ambao hawatashikilia vizuri mgongoni mwa mama yao huanguka mwenye bahari. Huwa wanakuwa nusu mamba ‘Sanza Ng’wina’, ndio kusema kuwa, hao hawajafika katikati ya bahari. Hao sio mamba kweli, maana yake, hao ni nusu mamba.

Nusu Mamba huwa hawakui kama mamba wanavyokuwa, kwa sababu hawakufika katikati wakiwa wameshika mgongo wa mama yao. Watoto wale wanaofika katikati ya bahari wakiwa wameshika kwenye mgongo wa mama yao, hao ndio, huwa mamba wa kweli.

ENGLISH: CROCODILES AND HALF CROCODILES

A crocodile lays eggs near the lake, in sand near to the reeds (oceanweed, seaweed). It covers them with sand and incubates on them (like chicken).

When eggs hatch, the young crocodiles come out and sit on their mother’s back. Then their mother sets out the journey to the lake.

The young ones which do not hold on to the back of their mother falls off the lake. Those ones become referred to as half crocodiles ‘Sanza Ng’wina’, that is, they have not reached the middle of the lake. They are not true crocodiles, meaning, they are half crocodiles.

Half crocodiles do not grow as true crocodiles do, because they did not reach the middle of the lake while on their mother’s back. Those young crocodiles which reach the middle of the ocean holding their mother’s backs are the true crocodiles.