The mother, the log, the cat and the hen

Hale vuka mama na ɓaɓa

Three sisters

• Hale vuka mama na ɓaɓa — Long ago there was a mother and a father.
• Wadza wana wararu, piya wantrumama — They had three children, all girls.
• Mama na ɓaɓa wafu, wanatsa waɓaki weke ɗagoni — The mother and father died, and the girls stayed alone at home.
• Vwa suku, boyi la mfalume liviri pareni — One day, a servant of the king passed along the road.
• Wa handra arongoa amba : « Wami nisitsaha nilolwe na boyi la mfalume. » — The first said: "I would like to marry the king's servant."
• Wa vili arongoa amba : « Wami nisitsaha nilolwe na boyi la vili lahe. » — The second said: "I would like to marry his second servant."
• Wa raru, mtiti, arongoa amba : « Wami nisitsaha nilolwe na mfalume, nimdzalie wana wararu wa uso wa nuru. » — The third, the youngest, said: "I would like to marry the king and give him three children with faces of light."
• Mfalume akia hadisi ile, amlolo umtiti — The king heard this and married the youngest.
• Wananya wahe waɓaki na hasira — Her sisters were left full of anger.

A log, a cat, a hen

• Vwa suku, mtrumshe wa mfalume adza mwana mntru-baba — One day, the king's wife gave birth to a boy.
• Mwana ule aka na uso wa nuru — That child had a face of light.
• Wananya wahe wamrenge umwana, wamtria harimwa yi sanduku, wamtria mroni — Her sisters took the child, put him in a box and set him on the river.
• Maji yamvingi hule — The water carried him far away.
• Watria gudri vwahano hahe — In his place, they put a log.
• Mfalume aregeya, ambilwa amba : « Mtrumshe waho adza gudri. » — The king came home and was told: "Your wife gave birth to a log."
• Mwaha wa vili, adza mwana tsena ; wamtria mroni, watria mpaha vwahano hahe — The next year she had another child; they put him on the river and put a cat in his place.
• Mwaha wa raru, adza mwana mntru-mama ; wamtria mroni, watria nkuhu vwahano hahe — The third year she had a girl; they put her on the river and put a hen in her place.
• Mfalume aja hasira, amfungu mtrumshe wahe harimwa yi nyumba ntiti — The king grew angry and shut his wife away in a small house.

The bird that talks

• Ɓako na koko wa zarde ya mfalume wawapara wana mroni — An old man and an old woman from the king's garden found the children in the river.
• Wawavingi ɗagoni, waleye wana wale ha siri — They took them home and raised the children in secret.
• Wana watrendre, waka wazuri — The children grew up and became beautiful.
• Vwa suku, mwana mntru-mama akia amba vwa nyunyi isilagua mlimaju — One day, the girl heard that there was a talking bird on the mountain.
• Wananya wahe waili walawa, waendre mlimaju warenge yi nyunyi — Her two brothers went up the mountain to fetch the bird.
• Ɓe kawaregeya — But they did not come back.
• Mwana mntru-mama aendre weke ; aendre, aendre, aendre, ata apara nyunyi — The girl set off alone; she walked and walked and walked until she found the bird.
• Nyunyi imwambia amba : « Wananyaho wao ɗe mawe yale. » — The bird told her: "Your brothers are those stones there."
• « Watrie maji ya dhahabu, vo wahime. » — "Pour golden water on them, and they will rise again."
• Mwana mntru-mama awatria maji, wananya wahe wahimi — The girl poured the water on them, and her brothers rose.
• Waregeya ɗagoni vwamoja, na inyunyi ilaguao — They went home together, with the talking bird.

The truth

• Mfalume akia hadisi ya wana wale, awahiri — The king heard about those children and summoned them.
• Wakati ule, nyunyi ilagua, imwambia mfalume amba : — Then the bird spoke and said to the king:
• « Mfalume, wana wani ɗe wana waho ! Mtrumshe waho kadza gudri, mpaha wala nkuhu. » — "King, these children are yours! Your wife never gave birth to a log, a cat or a hen."
• « Wananya wahe wawatria mroni. » — "It was her sisters who put them on the river."
• Mfalume aono amba ɗe kweli — The king saw that it was true.
• Amtoa mtrumshe wahe, amumia radhi — He let his wife out and asked her forgiveness.
• Wananya waili walawa mwiji ule, kawaregeya tsena — The two sisters left the town and never came back.
• Mfalume, mtrumshe wahe na wana waêshi vwamoja — The king, his wife and the children lived together.
• Hadisi ikomo — The story is over.

Words of the tale

Counting, repeating

Practice

• What do the sisters put in place of the first child?

  A ___.

  loghenstone

• What does vwahano hahe mean?

  vwahano hahe = ___

  in its placeon the riverat home

Mini-quiz

Two tales from Koko