With special thanks to Rev Joe Healey (African proverbs,Sayings and stories)
Nkima wa nsabhi umo akading’wa bhusatu, aho wabhona giki atupila bhusatu wenubho, akang’witana ng’wana wakwe nkima uyo wali umo duhu. Akantuula ha lwande lo bhulili ubho wali alalile unekela kayombele. Shiku jose nalikulomba ubhize nkima ntengeke, nane nakukulola nakugulanghana. Aha wamala kuyomba yeniyo akakundikija miso gakwe, ucha na kucha. Ujikwa mugati yi bhonde. Akana kenako kajaga bhuli lushiku kwibhonde kuli mayu wako na kulila no shiku jose. Niginigi uyo akigwa mihayo ya ng’wanina na ubhiza ntengeke kubhanhu bhose.
Uyise wakwe akantola nkima ungi, unkima mpya wali na bhana bhakima bhabhili. Nang’hwe akabhasola ha kaya yakwe bhali bhali bhasoga amahanga, hikala bhabhi mmoyo.
Ung’wana unuhi ng’wene aho lyashika ikanza lyajililo, aha bhamona duhu bhakayomba, akashinu aka nako kalihaya ki aha lugiko ulu. Ulu bhahaya kulya ungate bhandya kunkoya tame, jinjagi tame ijiliwa ja haliko, huna bhankunguja myenda yakwe imisoga bhanzwika isaninga lya mabhu. Bhansega no, bhanogeja haliko ukunu bhang’hadika kutumama milimo midito no. Nose akayumisha diyu makingilima litali ilimi lidinafuma lwande. Ulu wamisha wadaha minzi, wapemba moto, azuge na kufula.
Higulya ya genayo, bhaniki bhabhili bhene bhandya kung’wikolisha na kunuhya bhulinzila kunu bhalinseka. Ilimi ulu lililibhila nawe wanogaga, wali atina bhulili wa kulalila, na hangi walalaga mliko ha mabhu shiku jose. Waliwabhipa lubhubhu na mako. Na bhang’witanaga Kisonoko.
Sha lushiku lumo bhabha wakwe akahaya kuja mjini, akabhabhuja bhana bhanke, kinu iji bhalihaya akabhenhele. Wakwandya akayomba nene nalihaya ng’wenda nsoga gete. Wa kabhili akayomba ukanenhele lulu na lunasi. Hama lulu, bhabha umuja ng’wana wakwe uungi, nu bhebhe ulitogwa ki? Ng’wana ushosha, ntogwa bhabha, nene nalihaya unibhinzile ilitambi lya kwandya ili lilatule higulya ya ngofila yako hikanza ulishoka.
Huna bhabha wabho akaja kuboma, aho washika kwenuko, akangulila ng’wana wa kwandya myenda misoga. Uwakabhili lulu na lunasi. Na aha akabhiza alibhita ng’wilago hi kanza lya kushoka, katambi kamo ka mbalazi kakantula ha ngofila yakwe, ngofila yugwa. Akatambi kene kugwa aganchalila ng’waniki wakwe. Ng’wana akagasola akatambi, ukakahamba higulya ya jigila jang’wa nina. Akalila noyi ho, nose akatambi kupandika minzi ga jisoji jakwe. Huna kubhiza nti nsoga, bhuli lushiku akayuja ng’hangala idatu ahenaho aha nti kulila.
Hanuma jigazenga noni aha nti gwenuyo, ikabhiza ukuyomba na ng’wenuyo ung’wana akanang’hana shiku jose. Na kung’wenhela pye iji alijitogwa.
Ntemi wasi yeniyo wali na ng`wana ngosha watogagwa kutola. Kushika nose akita jigukulu na kubhabhilinga bhanhu bhose bhize hajigukulu. Kulwa giki ng’wana wakwe ize akomanye ng’wiye uyo aling’haya. Na bhoyi abhaniki bhabili bhali bhabhilingwa nabho, aho bhalihayauguja bhagang’witana uKisonoko bhung’wila bhebhe Jisonoko tusagulage nzwili jise, jibhegelejage ijilatu jise, dutungilage funga maziwa jise (shindilia), tudule kuja kujubhina hajigukulu ja ntemi.
Jisonoko akabheja kiti umo wawililagwa, aho wamala kwita yeniyo atiyumiligije akalila no kunguno nu wei watogagwa kuja. Na ng’halikijo akanomba nina anzunilije aje. Nina akayomba, bhebhe Kisonoko, bhebhe utina myenda ya kuzwala na hangi utamanile nulu hadoo ukubhina nang’ho ulitogwa kuja kumbina? Kisonoko wamanulomba, nina ung’wila, “Ulu ulitogwa kuja na hene nakwita nzugo gumo gwa bhunyenya na kukusanja sanja na mabhu, ulu udula kusolela bhunyenya wenubho kwikanza lya saa ibhili, ukuja kumbina haho na haho. Huna wita nzugo gwa bhunyenya mgati ya mabhu umayu ng’wenuyo.
Haho ung’wana akapela hanze bho nyango gwa numa ng’wilago ukalila.
Wangu wangu ng`wize bha ng’wihema mnambije ng’wana nuhi, Noni japi na ndilizu wangu wangu anguhagi ng ’wize, umo nulu pye bho kugunana nzugi wangu wangu solelagi solelagi.
Huna haho gwandya jiza noni jape ibhili jigagwa higulya yidilisha lya numba ya kuzugila. Aha numa jiza hangi ibhili, hanuma ya yeniyo dunoni tudododo twikalaga ng’wi hema tulila na kutulatula manana, jugwa hasi ha mabhu jandya kutumama nimo. Jusolela ubhunyenya juditila mugati yi bhakuli na kusaja mbu duhu. Nimo pye kwenuyo kugatumang’wa kwisa limo duhu, ni noni jenijo pye julala hidilisha. Nigini akalichala ilibhakuli kuli mayu wakwe kulwa bhuyegi wa giki aguja kumbina, ikala unina uyomba nduhu, nduhu ubhebhe Kisonoko. Utina myenda ya kuzwala na utadulile kubhina udizuja. Kisonoko agongeja kulomba no, unina uyomba, ihaha ulu udula kusolela mizugo ibhili ya bunyenya kwikanza lya saa imo ukuja. Wiganika giki akudula kunoja Kisonoko, usola mizugo ibhili ya bhunyenya wisanja na mabhu wiyita. Nuwe unigini upela nhambo hanze ng’wibhonde ilo likalaga numa ya numba. Akalila kiti kwandya;
“Wangu wangu bhana bha ng’wihema, mnambilije ng’wana nuhi,
noni jaza na ndilizu, wangu wangu anguhagi ng’wize,
umo nulu pye bho kugunana nzugi, wangu wangu solelagi solelagi.
Huna bhiza bhingi kulebha abhakwandya, bhakasolela bhunyenya pye bhukaditila mgati yibhakuli, bhuleka mabhu duhu. Nimo gwenuyo kugatumang`wa hikanza iguhi, Kisonoko ukasola ibhakuli kuli nina wa bhuyegi wa kubhitila.
Wiganika giki nalibhona ihaha nduhu makoye akudula kuja. Ikala mayu wakwe ung’wila, pye iyeniyo bhuhala duhu, utudula ukuja hangi utina myenda utadulile nukubhina, na ukuditila iponda soni duhu.
Aha wamala kuyomba yeniyo winga na bhana bhakwe bhabili uja kujigukulu. Aho bhikala bhamalaga kuja pye na atasangile munhu ha kaya, Kisonoko akaja kulwa bhusunduhazu hasi ya mbalazi, akalila;
“Ibhigisage ibhigisage mbalazi,
unibhegeleje wa dhahabu, na hela na jizwalo”.
Unwani wakwe noni akalala mnti ung’wenhela jizwalo ja langi ya dhahabu na hela na jilatu jiza gete ja (halili) uzwala ubhalondeja bhaniki bhiye kujigukulu ikala bhadambadijije igiki na weyi Kisonoko, bhahayaga nkima ungi. Nguno wamanyikaga nsoga no kumyenda yakwe ya sabho.
Ngosha haho akanjila undima nkono, akigusha nawe na atigushije na munhu ungi hose hose. Nu nkono gwakwe atakulekelile gete, ulu giki alihayiwa ishinye na bhanhu bhangi, ngosha wayomba, mayu ng’wenuyo alibhina na nene duhu.
Huna lulu bhakishinya ikanza lya ng’wisho bhujiku. Kisonoko akahaya kushoka kaya, ngosha akang’wila, “Nakukushindikila mpaga kukaya”. Nguno yaho wahayaga kumana ipande ili akigishaga nigini nsoga ng’wenuyu. Ikanza lya kuja Kisonoko akipuluka wangu wangu mmakono gangosha akapela kung’wabho. Nu ngosha akankubhija, ikala Kisonoko akikindika wingila ng’wipundu itale lya ng’hulu ulugala unyango.
Ngosha akima henaho mpaga uyise wakwe akabhita kuja kung’wakwe, akang’wila, “Umayu uyo wali wamanyikaga uyo wali hajigukulu wibhisa umu mung’obho gwa ng’hulu”. Huna bhuli bhiza bhatabhonile nulu ki. Bakingila mgati ya numba huna bhumona Kisonoko alalile ha mabhu kiti umo ali shiku jose na tala ibakile.
Kunguno akingila nhambo ipundu lya ng’hulu wa nguha kushika ha mbalazi ukungula myenda yakwe imisoga ujitula hasi ya mbalazi noni jipandike kujisola, ushoka wangu wangu. Akitula mumabhu kitumo jili nhungwa jakwe.
Lushiku lwa kabhili jubhejiwa jigukulu nina na bhabha wakwe na bhakulu bhakwe aho bhaja. Kisonoko akaja hangi uko mbalazi uyomba, “Ibigisage ibigisage mbalazi, unibegeleje wa dhahabu na hela na jizwalo”. Noni yung’wenhela myenda misoga ya higulya kukila iyakwandya (ya mpango ntale). Aho washika kumbina bhuli ng’wene ujinjimala na kukumya umo ali ubhusoga bhokwe nu ngosha uyo wali wanindila, akandima nkono bhubhina. Bhuli ng’wene uyo wahaya kubhina nang’hwe ngosha wahaya. “Mayu uyu alibhina na nene”. Bhujiku aha wabhitila Kisonoko akahaya kuja lokwe, nu ngosha ukubhija kiti naho kwandya. Bhulingisilo amane numba iyo wingila.
Ikala akikindika, akapela ukibhisa ng’wibhonde numa ya numba ya ng’wa bhabha wakwe. Mugati yilago linilo likimila ichungwa kwali kubyalile machungwa mabhisi mingi. Iki Kisonoko walatamanile ipande lya kwibhisa. Akikindika ng’wichungwa nduhu kwitenda. Ngosha akima henaho mpaga bhabha wakwe ushoka kuja kaya yakwe. Akang’wila umayu uyo wamanyikaga walubhinaga na nene washepaga henaha. Uyise akiganika, azitubhiza Kisonoko? Akalamula kwenha mbasa nunti kuteng’we, ikala bhatabhonile jose jose. Aha bhaja ukuliko bhukamona kisonoko alalile kitumo jili ijitwa jakwe, akanguha kushika kulinti ukakungula myenda imisoga uzwala amagata akwe.
Lushiku lwa kadatu aho bhaja uyise, nu nina na bhakuluye, akaja hangi uko mbalazi ukalila, “Ibhigisage ibhigisage mbalazi, unibegeleje wa dhahabu na hela na jizwalo”. Noni yakwe yung’wenhela jizwalo jisoga kubhita ija shiku ijibhili. Yung’wenhela jilatu ja dhahabu pye. Aho washika uko mbina bhuling’wene akabhiza atina kokuyomba umu bhusoga wakwe. Akabhina nu ngosha, aha ngelelo akahaya kuja lokwe nu ngosha akankubhija aliyomba mung’holo yakwe, “Ihaha na kulola azidunitoloka gete”. Kisonoko akaja nhambo gete nose ijilatu jakwe ijimo ja gugulu gwa moso jigakunguka ha ludano.
Ngosha akajikuga, nulushiku lwa kabhili uja najo kuli yise wakwe ukang’wila, “Nakumona uyo akwikola na jilatu iji”. Abhaniki abhabhili aha bigwa, imhola jenijo bhakayega no, kulwa nguno amagulu gabho gali masoga na madoo na bhiganika giki nduhu mhayo bhakudula kujizwala ijilatu jenijo. Huna uokwandya akingila mugati ya chumba umojaikalaga ijilatu ugema. Nu mayu wake aliwimilile habihi yakwe, aliyo ng’hulume jakwe jali jidi sawa. Hi giko ijilatu jigabhiza jido gete kuli wei, unina ung’winha lushu ung’wila, nduhu umhayo itinage, ulu ubhiza ngole utulolwa kulukulume kunguno uduja wa magulu. Huna lulu ung’hala ng’wenuyo akalutina ulukulume lokwe. Akashindila ijilatu akandanganya ngosha. Ngosha uninhya munhya wakwe higulya ya falasi, ulinha bhuja lobo. Aha bhalija bhakabhita habihi yali mbalazi ilo walihamba Kisonoko. Ahigulya yali yigisije inoni ahitambi, ilimba;
“Shoga hangi, shoga hangi, maninga mujilatu kokalaga,
jilatu jili jidoo gete niyo jidalenganilile,
ngosha ngosha nolage munhya wako tame,
Munhya wa ng’hana alikaya wanekaga.
KISWAHILI: KISONOKO
Mwanamke mmoja alishikwa na ugonjwa. Alipoona kwamba hatapona ugonjwa alimwita mtoto wake wa kike aliyekuwa mmoja tu. Alimweka pembeni mwa kitanda alichokuwa amelalia akamwamuachia neno, akisema, “Naomba siku zote uwe mwanamke mwema, mimi nitakuangalia na kukulinda.”
Alipomaliza kusema maneno hayo, alifunika macho yake, akafa. Alizikwa ndani ya bustani. Mtoto huyo alikuwa akienda kila siku kwenye bustani hiyo kwa mama yake na kulia mno siku zote. Mtoto huyo aliyasikia maneno ya mama yake akawa mwema kwa watu wote.
Baba yake alimuoa mwanamke mwingine. Mwanamke huyo mpya alikuwa na watoto wa kike wawili. Naye aliwachukua nyumbani mwake, walikuwa na sura nzuri, lakini mioyoni mwao walikuwa wabaya.
Yule mtoto mtesekaji ulipofika wakati wa kilio alienda kulia kwa mama yake. Walipomuona tu walisema, “Kadudu haka nako kanataka nini kwenye Baraza hili.”
Wakitaka kula mkate walianza kumtesa kwanza, “ondoeni kwanza chakula cha kwenye jiko.” Ndipo walimvua nguo zake zilizo nzuri walimvisha linguo lililochanika chanika la kijivu.
Walimcheka mno, walikuwa wanamuangalizia kwenye jiko huku wakimlazimisha kufanya kazi nzito sana. Mwishowe alianza kuamuka asubuhi wakati kukiwa bado giza jua likiwa bado halijachomoza. Alipoamka alichota maji, aliwasha moto, alipika na kufua.
Juu ya hayo, wale wasichana wawili walianza kumchokoza na kumtesa kwa kila namna huku wakimcheka. Wakati jua linapochwea naye alikuwa amechoka. Hakuwa na kitanda cha kulalia. Tena alikuwa akilala jikoni kwenye majivu siku zote. Alikuwa amechafuka vumbi na uchafu mwilini. Pia walimwita Kisonoko.
Siku moja baba yake alitaka kwenda mjini. Akawauliza watoto wake, juu ya kitu ambacho walitaka akawaletee. Mtoto wa kwanza alisema, “mimi nataka nguo nzuri kabisa.”
Mtoto wa pili alisema, “ukaniletee lulu na alimasi.” Basi, baba akamuuliza na mtoto wake mwingine, “na wewe unapenda nini”? Mtoto alijibu, “mpendwa baba, mimi nataka unikatie tawi la kwanza litakalopiga juu ya kofia yako wakati ukiwa unarudi.”
Ndipo baba yao alienda mjini. Alipofika huko, alimnunulia mtoto wa kwanza nguo nzuri. Mtoto wa pili alimnunulie lulu na alimasi. Pia alipokuwa akirudi nyumbani alipita bustanini, tawi moja la mbaazi lilimpiga kwenye kofia, ikaanguka. Katawi hako kalikoanguka alikachukua na kumpelekea msichana wake.
Mtoto huyo alikachukua kale katawi na kwenda kukapanda kwenye kaburi la mama yake. Alilia sana huko, mwishowe kale katawi kalipata maji ya machozi yake. Ndipo kakawa mti mzuri, kila siku akawa akienda mara tatu hapo kwenye mti huo kulia.
Hapo ndege walijenga kwenye mti huo, ikawa kule kusema naye mtoto alimlinda siku zote. Pia mama yule alimletea yote aliyoyapenda.
Mfalme wa nchi hiyo, alikuwa na mtoto mwanamume aliyetaka kuoa. Mpaka kufikia mwishowe alifanya sikukuu na kuwakusanya watu wote kwenye sikukuu hiyo. Lengo la sikukuu hiyo lilikuwa ni kwa ajili ya kumwezesha mtoto wake kuja kuchagua mwenzake aliyemtaka. Pia wale wasichana wawili walikuwa wamealikwa nao. Walipotaka kwenda walimwita Kisonoko wakamwambia, “wewe kisonoko tuchane nyele zetu, uvitengeneze viatu vyetu, tufungie sindilia zetu, tuweze kwenda kucheza kwenye sikukuu ya Mfalme.”
Kisonoko alifanya kama walivyomueleza. Alipomaliza kufanya hivyo, hakuvumilia alilia mno kwa vile naye alikuwa anapenda kwenda. Mwishowe alimuomba mama yake amruhusu kwenda.
Mama yake alisema, “wewe Kisonoko, wewe huna nguo za kuvaa unataka kwenda, tena hujui kucheza hata kidogo nawe unataka kuja kwenye ngoma?”
Kisonoko alikuwa akiomba, mama yake alimwambia, “Kama unapenda kwenda, basi, nitamwaga mfuko mmoja wa ufuta na kuuchanganya na majivu, kama utaweza kuchambua ufuta huo kwa muda wa saa mbili, utaenda kwenye ngoma hapo hapo. Ndipo akamwaga mfuko wa ufuta ndani ya majivu mama yule.
Hapo mtoto alikimbia nje kwa mlango wa nyuma kwenye bustani akalia huko.
“Haraka haraka njoni mlioko hemani mnisaidie mtoto mtesekaji, Ndege weusi, na wa blue haraka haraka wahini muje, mmoja au wote kwa kusaidia njoni haraka haraka okoteni okoteni.”
Ndipo hapo wakaanza kuja ndege waupe wawili wakatua juu ya dirisha la nyumba ya kupikia. Nyuma yake wakaja tena ndege wawili. Baada ya hao, wakaja ndege wadogo wadogo ambao walikuwa wakiishi kwenye hema. Wakalia na kupiga piga mabawa yao. Wakadondoka chini kwenye majivu wakaanza kufanya kazi.
Waliokota ufuta wakaweka ndani ya bakuli na kubakisha maivu tu. Kazi yote hiyo ilifanywa kwa saa moja tu, na wale ndege wakaruka kwenye dirisha.
Mtoto alilipeleka lile bakuli kwa mama yake kwa furaha kwamba ataenda ngomani. Lakini mama yake alisema, “hapana, wewe kisonoko. Huna nguo za kuvaa na huwezi kucheza usiende.”
Kisonoko aliongeza kuomba sana, mama yake alisema, “sasa ukiweza kuokota mizigo miwili ya ufuta kwa muda wa saa moja utaenda.” Akafikiri kwamba ataweza kumchosha Kisonoko, alichukua mifuko miwili ya ufuta akaichanganya na majivu akaimwaga.
Naye mtoto alikimbia mbio nje kwenye bustani hiyo ilikuwa nyuma ya nyumba. Akalia kama kwanza;
“Haraka haraka nyie wa kwenye hema, mnisaidie mtoto mtesekaji. Ndege wekundu, na wa blue, haraka haraka wahini muje, mmoja au wote kwa kusaidia njoni, haraka haraka okoteni okoteni.”
Ndipo wakaja wengi kupita wale wa mwanzo. Waliokota ufuta ote wakatia kwenye bakuli, wakaacha majivu tu. Kazi hiyo ilifanywa kwa muda mfupi. Kisonoko akaenda kulichukua lile bakuli na kulipeleka kwa mama yake kwa furaha iliyopilitiza.
Akafikiri kwamba kwa sasa hakuna matatizo ataweza kwenda. Lakini mama yake alimwambia, “yote hayo ni ujinga tu, hutaweza kwenda tena huna nguo huwezi na kucheza, utatutia aibu tu.”
Alipomaliza kusema hivyo, aliondoka na watoto wake kwenda kwenye sikukuu. Waliondoka wote naye hakukuta mtu pale nyumbani, kisonoko alienda kwa huzuni kwenye mti wa mbaazi, akalia;
“Jisokote jisokote mbaazi, unitengenezee wa dhahabu, hela za mavazi.”
Rafiki yake ndege aliruka mtini akamletea mavazi ya rangi ya dhahabu na hela na viatu vizuri kweli vya (halili) akavaa akawafuata wasichana wenzake kwenye sikukuu lakini hawakumgundua kuwa, ni yeye Kisonoko. Walikuwa wakidhani mwanamke mwingine, kwa sababu alijulikana kuwa mzuri mno kwa nguo zake za mali ua gharama zaidi.
Mwanamume hapo alimwendea akamshika mkono, alicheza naye na hakucheza na mtu mwingine yeyote. Pia hakuuachia kabisa mkono wake, kama kwamba alitaka kucheza na watu wengine, mwanamume huyo alisema, “mama huyu anacheza na mimi tu.”
Ndipo basi walicheza wakati wa mwisho usiku. Kisonoko alitaka kurudi nyumbani, mwanamume akamwambia, “Nitakusindikiza mpaka nyumbani.” Lengo lake alitaka kwenda kufahamu sehemu ile anayokaa mtoto huyo mzuri.
Wakati wa kwenda Kisonoko alitokoroka haraka haraka kwenye mikono ya yule mwanamume akakimbia kwao. Mwanamume alimfuata, lakini Kisonoko aliruka akaingia kwenye tundu kubwa la njiwa akafunga mlango.
Mwanamume huyo alisimama hapo mpaka baba yake alipita kwenda kwake, akamwambia, “mama huyo aliyejulikana yule aliyekuwa kwenye sikukuu amejificha humu kwenye shimo la njiwa.”
Ndipo wakaja hawakuona hata kitu. Walipoingia ndani ya nyumba ndipo walimuona Kisonoko amelala kwenye majivu kama alivyokuwa siku zote na taa ikiwa imewaka.
Kwa haraka aliingia mbio kwenye tundu la njiwa akawahi kufika kwenye mbaazi akavua nguo zake zilizo nzuri akaziweka chini ya mbaazi ili ndege wapate kuzichukua, akarudi haraka haraka. Akajiweka kwenye majivu kama kawaida yake.
Siku ya pili iliaandaliwa sikukuu, mama yake na baba yake na wakubwa zake walipoenda. Kisonomo alienda tena kwenye mbaazi akasema, “Jisokote jisokote mbaazi, unitengenezee wa dhahabu, hela za mavazi.”
Ndege akamletea nguo nzuri za juu kupita mwanzoni (ya mpango wa zamani). Alipofika kwenye ngoma, kila mmoja alisimama na alishangaa mno vile alivyo kwa uzuri wake na mwanamume yule aliyemsubiri, alimshika mkono wakacheza.
Kila mmoja aliyetaka kucheza naye, mwanamume yule alisema, “mama huyu anacheza na mimi.” Usiku ulipoingia zaidi, Kisonoko alitaka kwenda kama kawaida yake, na mwanamume alimfuata kama hapo mwanzo. Lengo lake likiwa ni kutaka kufahamu nyumba anayoingia.
Lakini aliruka, akakimbia akajificha bustanini nyuma ya nyumba ya baba yake. Ndani yake bustani hiyo, kulikuwa na mchungwa ambao ulikuwa umezaa machungwa mabichi mengi.
Kwa vile Kisonoko hakujua sehemu ya kujificha. Aliruka kwenye mchungwa bila kujitokeza. Mwanamume alisemama hapo mpaka baba yake akarudi kwenda nyumbani kwake.
Alimwambia, “mama yule ambaye alijulikana aliyekuwa akicheza nami amepenyeza hapa.” Baba yake alifikiri “asije akawa Kisonoko?” Aliamua kuleta shoka mti ukatwe, lakini hakuona chochote. Walipoenda jikoni walimkuta Kisonoko amelala kama ilivyo kawaida yake, alihawi kufika kwenye mti akavua nguo zilizo nzuri akavaa manguo yake yaliyochanika chanika.
Siku ya tatu walipoenda baba yake, na mama yake pia wakubwa zake, alienda tena kwenye mbaazi akalia; “Jisokote jisokote mbaazi, unitengenezee wa dhahabu, hela za mavazi.” Ndege akamletea nguo nzuri za juu kupita zile za siku zile mbili. Akamletea viatu vya dhahabu vyote. Alipofika ngomani kila mmoja akawa hana la kusema kwenye uzuri wake.
Alicheza na mwanamume huyo, pale mwishoni alitaka kwenda kama kawaida yake ya kwenda, na mwanamume alimfuata akisema moyoni, “sasa ndipo nitaangalia asinitoroke kabisa.” Kisonoko alienda mbio kabisa mwishowe kiatu chake kimoja cha mguu wa kushoto kilivulika kwenye mpando.
Mwanamume akakiokota, na siku ya pili alienda nacho kwa baba yake akamwambia, “Nataka kumuona yule atakayefanana na kiatu iki.” Wasichana wale wawili waliposikia habari hizo, walifurahi mno, kwa sababu miguu yao ilikuwa mizuri, na midogo na walifikiri hivi, hakuna neno wataweza kukivaa kiatu hicho.
Ndipo yule wa kwanza aliingia ndani ya chumba mule kilimokuwa kile kiatu akakijaribisha. Wakati huo, mama yake alikuwa amesimama karibu yake, lakini vidole vyake havikuwa sawa.
Hivyo kiatu kikawa kidogo kabisa kwake, mama yake alimpa kisu akasema, “hakuna neno jikate, ukiwa mke wa ikulu hutaangaliwa kwenye kidole kikubwa kwa sababu hutaenda kwa miguu.
Ndipo mjinga huyo alikikata kidole chake kikubwa. Alishindilia kiatu akamdanganya mwanamume. Mwanamume akampandisha mpenzi wake juu ya farasi, akapanda wakaenda kidogo. Walipokuwa wakienda walipita karibu na pale ulipokuwa ule mbaasi ule ambao Kisonoko aliupanda. Juu yake alikuwepo ndege amekaa juu yake akiimba;
“Rudi tena, rudi tena, damu imejaa kwenye kiatu ni kidogo kabisa tena hakilingani, mwanamume mwanamume muangalie mpenzi wako kwanza, mpenzi wa kweli yuko nyumbani umemuacha.”
ENGLISH: KISONOKO
Once upon a time, there lived a sick woman. When she realized that she would not get well from her sickness, she called her only daughter, asked her to sit on the side of the bed, and said the following words: “Please always be a good woman, I will watch over you and protect you.”
When she had finished speaking, she closed her eyes and died. She was buried in the garden. Every time, the daughter would take a walk in the garden to visit her mother’s grave, crying. And whenever she heard her mother’s words ring in her mind, she became good to all.
Meanwhile, her father married another woman, who had two beautiful but wicked daughters. The woman took them to her new home with her.
When the time for paying homage to her late mother reached, the two girls saw the poor girl and said: “What does the donkey have for this house?” They stripped her of her beautiful clothes and forced her to wear an ugly gray cloth.
They laughed at her; they watched her in the kitchen as they kept pressing her to work hard. Finally she started getting up early in the morning while it was still dark. When she got up she would draw water and light a fire.
The two girls continued ridiculing her and even nicknamed her Kisonoko. She was denied a bed to sleep on, making her survive on an ash floor in the kitchen, while extremely tired.
One day her father wanted to go to town. He asked his children what they wished to be brought. The first child said, “I want the best clothes.”
The second child said, “Bring me some pearls and a ribbon.”
Then he turned to the motherless child and asked, “What do you like?” The child replied, “Dear dad, I want you to set up the first branch that will hit your hat while you are back.”
The
ir father went to town. He bought the first girl what she had asked for. The second child picked up pearls and ribbons. As he returned home, a branch of a pea hit him in the hat, making it fall. He took it to his other daughter as she had requested him.
The girl took an old little branch and went up to her mother’s grave. She wept very loudly, and at last she used the old little branch to wipe out her tears from her eyes. And when a good tree fell in the garden, she would walk three times every day on it to the garden.
As the birds built their nests on the tree, one kept talking to her, and the girl always felt guarded. The mother also brought her everything she liked.
Now, the king in that country had a son who wanted to marry. He finally organized a feast and gathered all the people for the festival. The purpose of the festival was to enable his son to choose his preferred partner. The two girls were also invited. But before they set off, they called Kisonoko and said to her, “You snitch to scatter our noses, make our shoes, tie our cords, we want to go to the King’s feast.”
Kisonoko did as they explained. When she finished, she did not weep so much, since she had also planned to go to the festival. Finally she asked her step-mother to let her go.
Her mother said, “You are a Snoopy, you do not have the clothes to wear and you want to go? You do not know how to dance at all yet you want to attend the ceremony?”
Kisonoko kept pleading, and her mother said to her, “If you want to go, then I will pour one sack of sorghum and mix it with ashes. If you can analyze the oils for about two hours, you will go to the dance.
Kisonoko ran out to the back door into the garden and wept there. One of the birds told the others, “Quickly jump into the tent and help the baby, the black and the blue bird, and hurry. Let us go, one or all, to help the girl speed up her task.”
And the two birds flew into the kitchen through the window, followed by two others afterwards. So the little birds started living in the tent. They helped the poor girl to separate the oils from the rice.
They put the oils in the bowl and dried the rice. All this work was accomplished within an hour. Once done, the birds flew out through the window again.
The girl brought the bowl to her mother with the joy, knowing that that she would now be permitted to go to the dance. But her mother said, “No, you are a slut. You cannot go; you do not have clothes to wear to the dance.”
Kisonoko continued to plead with her stepmother, but instead she was given a new task. “Now you can pick up two sacks of ointment for about an hour.” The woman thought she would be able to dissuade Kisonoko from persisting to go to the dance. She took two bags of ointments and mixed with ashes to make the work harder for the girl.
Kisonoko ran out to her usual garden behind the house. She cried again. One bird said to the others, “Quick, hurry to the tent, help the poor child. The red and the blue, quickly birds, let us go, one or all to help, quickly pick up pick up.”
And many birds came to the rescue of the girl. Within a short while, the work was done. Then Kisonoko went to pick up the bowl and took it to her mother with a great deal of joy.
She thought that there would be no more obstacles this time around. But her mother told her, “All of this is stupid, you cannot go to the festival; you have no clothes so you cannot dance, you will just shame us.”
After saying that, she left with her children to go to the feast. Kisonoko went to sit at the peacock tree and wept, saying, “round yourself round yourself peas, you make for me a gold chain, and a lot of clothes.”
Her friends flew into a fig tree and brought her a gold-colored dress and shoes. Then she went to the party; no one could tell that it was Kisonoko. They thought it was another woman, who was well known for her expensive dressing.
The king’s son approached Kisonoko, got hold of her and started dancing with her. He did not dance with anyone else, and he never held out his hand to signal any other girl come to the floor.
When the festival was over and Kisonoko wanted to go home, the prince said, “I will take you home,” His intention was to visit the girl’s home and appreciate it. While on the way, Kisonoko quickly escaped from the man and fled. He ran after her, but she flew into a big dove of pigeons and closed the door behind her.
The man stood there until his father came over. He told the dad, “The famous lady at the feast has hidden herself in the pigeons’ hole here.”
When they entered the house, they saw Kisonoko lying on the ash, and the fire was burning.
She hurriedly ran to a dove’s eye and came to the pea and stripped off her beautiful clothes and put them under the pearls so the birds could pick them up. She returned quickly and lain herself on the ash as usual.
The next day another festival was prepared. When her mother, father and grandparents were gone to the ceremony, she went back to the peas and said, “Round yourself, round yourself the peas, you make for me a gold chain, across the cloth.”
The bird brought her the best clothes, like at the beginning. When she came to the dance, she was given a standing ovation by the crowd. Everyone was very surprised at her beauty. The man, who was waiting for her all along, embraced her and began dancing with her. Everybody wanted to dance with her, but the man said, “This lady is dancing with none other than me.”
As the night wore on, Kisonoko wanted to go home, as usual. The man followed her like he had done earlier. His goal was to get to know her house.
But she ran and hid herself in the garden behind her father’s house. In the garden, there was an orange tree that bore many fruits. She just vanished into the tree without a trace. The man stood there until Kisonoko’s father returned home.
He told him, “The famous lady who was dancing with me has gone through here.” Her father thought: “Could she have become Kisonoko?” He decided to bring the tree to the ground, but he did not find her. When they went to the kitchen they found Kisonoko sleeping as usual.
On the third day after her father, her mother and grandparents left home, she went back to the garden weeping; “Swim the peas, the gold plates, and the coat of clothes.” The birds brought her the best clothes and golden shoes during those two days. When she arrived at the festival everyone was speechless about her beauty.
She danced with the man again, and at the end she wanted to leave as usual. The man followed her, telling himself, “Now I will be careful enough not to let her escape.” But Kisonoko ran very fast, leaving her left foot shoe on the chair. The man picked it up and took it to her father the next day. He told the Kisonoko’s father, “I want to see the one whose foot fits in this shoe.”
When the two wicked girls heard about it, they were very happy, because they had small, beautiful legs, which they knew would fit in the shoe.
The first one went into the mule room, tried on the shoe, but her toes were irregular. Meanwhile, her mother was keenly watching her.
As expected, the shoe could not fit because of one of the toes. The mother took a knife and said, “There’s no way you will fail to become queen at the palace because one big toe on your foot”
And the foolish mother went ahead and cut off the offending toe. She shouted that the shoe fitted her daughter’s foot, deceiving the man. The man hoisted his girlfriend onto the horse, climbed it and travelled some distance.
As they went on they passed by a place where there was a riot. A fowl was perched on a man’s skull, singing:
“Come back, come back, the shoe is full of blood, check your girlfriend well, there is a confusion, your real girlfriend is at home, you left her there.”
Sukuma Legacy Project 