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

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

Zunzu ili noni ndololo gete alu nomo gwayo nihu no. Iki mili gwayo guli ndo, nu nomo nihu itadugije kwigombagula nulu kwinuna.

Umu shiku ja kale kushika na lelo bhanhu bhatumamilagwa kununwa ulu usata. Kwene kuhaya bhatemagwa lusalago na kutulwa ho jinuno, (ipembe lya ng`ombe) mininga gabhubhi gafume kubhununilo wa jinuno jutulwa ho jigondo nulu lubhubhi. Huna lulu ulu Manga wandya kuliduta lipembe na lubhubhi, jinuno jikala ho nulu dakika itano.

Iki masala ga bhanhu ng`hangala ningi gajililile ku limela ulu yubhonwa ngoko iligombagula mu nhingo, angu ilinuna. Nulu noni yose yose, aliyo Zunzu itudula kwigombagula umu nhingo kulwa nomo bhulihu nu mili gwayo guli ndo, kushika agombagulwe na ng’wiye.

Kiswahili: Zungu Hajitibu (Hajidonowi)

Zunzu ni ndege mdogo kabisa lakini mgomo wake ni mrefu mno. Kwa vile mwili wake ni mdogo na mdomo wake ni mrefu hivyo, hawezi kujidonoa au kujitibu.

Siku za zamani hadi kufikia leo watu walikuwa wakihudumiwa kwa kuvutwa kwa mdomo katika kupatiwa matibabu akiugua.

Ndipo kusema, amekatwa chale na kuwekewa pembe ya ng’ombe au kivuta damu chafu, ili itoke kwenye kivutio yaani kwenye ncha ya pembe. Hapo iliwekwa aina fulani ya gundi iwezayo kushikilia pembe.

Ndipo mganga huanza kulivuta lile pembe na ile gundi, kile kivuta damu chafu hukaa pale kwa muda kama wa dakika tano hivi.

Kwa vile na akili za watu, mara nyingi huelekea kwenye kutaniana kama akionwa kuku akijidonoa shingoni, eti anajivuta damu chafu, au anajitibu.

Hali hiyo, huweza kuongelewa pia kwa ndege yoyote, lakini Zunzu hawezi kujidonoa donoa shingoni, kwa sababu ya mdomo wake kuwa mrefu na mwili wake ni mdogo, mpaka adonolewe na mwenzake.

ENGLISH: ZUNZU (A SMALL BIRD) DOES NOT CURE ITSELF

A mumming bird is a very small bird but its beak is very long. Since its body is small and its beak is so long, it cannot cure itself.

From the past to this day, people were treated by means of a mouth.

That was done by incising some parts of the body and using the horn of the bull  to suck out the dirty blood  and make it come out through the tip of the horn. There was some kind of glue that could hold the horn.

Then, the healer could suck the horn and the glue which drew the dirty blood. It could stay there for about five minutes.

The minds of people  often make jokes when they see a chicken biting itself into the neck.They say the chicken is pulling out dirty blood, or she is curing herself.

That practice is also observed among birds. As for Zunzu, that  cannotbe done. She cannot bite her neck because its mouth is long and its body is small. She can only do that when assisted by a partner.