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

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

Waliho nsaji umo aha mhunze aladina myenda. Agaja kubhamaduka gujulomba myenda, ugimiwa ugapejiwa uwilwa dingilage aha isaji ebhe. Munhu ng’wenuyo akinga uja kulinwani ng’wiye katibu kata, John Nkinga ugalomba kwenuko myenda.

Katibu kata ung’winha unsaji ng’wenuyo myenda. Ng’waka gwenuyo bhugigela bhusatu bhojipindupindu. Aha makanza gene bhaliho na bhajinja bha Shi.

Katibu kata ubhajija kujinja Shi kunguno ya bhusatu wenubho bhojipindupindu. Bhajinja bha Shi bhiwila giki dumulagagi ung’wenuyu ni bhuli alidujija guguja Shi? Dulile he?

Bhizunilija shene ng’hana bhamulage. Ahi kanza bhakwilomelaga oliho unsaji uyo aginhiwa myenda nu John Nkinga aladegelekile, abhoyi abhajinja bha Shi bhahayaga giki ung’wenuyo amasala magehu nekagi duhu adita nulu ki.

Unsaji uyu nwani ng’wiye ong’wa katibu kata uja ukang’wila giki abhajinja bha Shi bhahaya giki, “Bhaliza gugubhulaga kunguno obhajija gujinja Shi.

Katibu kata ahawigwa chene uja kuli mkuu /ntale o wilaya ugalomba bhuhamisho usamiwa uja gujutumamila Masanga.

Yubhiza sawa nulu sumo ulo lulihaya giki, “Nipijage lohasilili nang’ho nalagupija lohigulya.

Kiswahili: Niokoe Ya Chini Chini Nami Nitakuokoa Ya Juu Juu

Kulikuwa na kichaa mmoja pale Mhunze hakuwa na nguo. Alienda kwa wenye maduka kuomba nguo, akanyimwa na kufukuzwa akaambiwa ‘tuondokee hapa kichaa wewe.’

Mtu huyo aliondoka akaenda kwa rafiki yake katibu kata, John Nkinga kuomba huko nguo. Katibu kata alimpa kichaa huyo nguo. Mwaka huo uliingia ugonjwa wa kipindupindu. Wakati huo pia walikuwepo wauza samaki.

Katibu kata aliwakataza kuuza samaki kwa sababu ya ugonjwa huo wa kipindupindu. Wauza samaki waliambizana kwamba wamuue huyo katibu, kwa nini aliwakataza kuuza samaki? Wangekula wapi? Walidai hivyo.

Walikubaliana hivyo kwamba wamuue. Wakati wakizungumza alikuwepo yule kichaa aliyepewa nguo na John Nkinga akisikiliza, wao wauzaji wa samaki walifikiri kwamba huyo ana akili ndogo tu hangefanya kitu chochote.

Kichaa huyu rafiki ya katibu kata alienda kumwambia hivi, wauza samaki wamesema kwamba, “Wanakuja kukuua kwa sababu umewakataza kuuza samaki.

Katibu kata aliposikia hivyo, alienda kwa mkuu wa wilaya kuomba uhamisho akahamishwa kwenda kufanya kazi Masanga.

Ikawa sawa na methali imesamayo hivi, “Niokoe ya chini chini nawe nitakuokoa ya juu juu.”

ENGLISH: SAVE ME NOW AND I’LL SAVE YOU IN FUTURE

Once upon a time, there was a madman at Mhunze. He used to go about naked. He went to shop owners to beg for clothes. He was refused and told to get away from them.

The madman went to his friend, a ward secretary called John Nkinga, to beg for clothes. The ward secretary gave him clothes. The same year cholera broke out in their village. There were fish sellers in the village.

The ward secretary forbade them to sell fish because of cholera. The traders asked the madman to kill the secretary because he had forbidden them to sell fish. “How else can we earn a living?” they asked.

They agreed to kill him. While speaking, the madman, who had been given clothes by John Nkinga, was listening to them. The fish sellers thought that he had just a little mind and that he could do nothing.

The madman went to the ward secretary and said to him, “The fish sellers are coming to kill you because you’ve forbidden them to sell fish.”

When the ward secretary heard it, he went to the district commissioner to request that he be transferred to Masanga.

What happened was similar to the saying “Save me now and I’ll save you in future.”