A hosi ya tinyanyana
Le roi des oiseaux
Khale ngopfu svinene, loko kutumbulukile sviharhi ni tinyanyana. Kutani, sviharhi hinkwasvu asvini tihosi ta svone. Svihari sva nhova asvifumiwa hi ngonyama, kambe tinyanyana apfi tingena hosi.
Kutani loko kuhlengeletaniwile, kuvoniwa lwsvaku lesvi svihahaka, hosi yifanela kuva mani-ke? Kukumeka lesvaku lweyi afanelaka kuva hosi, kujuleka ive nyenyana leyi yingani timhondro. Kutani, loko vavona lesvaku “hingayikumisa kuyini hosi leyi yingani timhondro-ke”? Vasecheke; vayakuma lesvaku kuni xikhovha.
Loko hilavisa xikhovha, xini lesvi svakuva sviyimilenyana svanga timhondro. Kambe xikhovha axanyonxanga kuva xitiva lesvaku xini timhondro. Kutani, loko yipaluxiwile mhaka leyo hinkwayu, tinyenyana hinkwatu ti hlaya lesvaku:
— Hexi!…hosi yini timhondro!; hosi ini timhondro!.
Hosi ayinyonxanga kuva yitiva lesvaku yini timhondro. Kutani, kubekiwa nawu lesvaku mhunu lweyi otokokumiwa na ahlaya lesvaku “hosi yini tinhondro”, ha! ali khombzeni; ataya jele, ava ayadlayiwa. Kutani, lanu vatrhama na vachava lesvaku vatahlayisa kuyini lesvaku hosi leyi yini timhondro, hikusa svavilelisa.
Kutani, kosuka yin’we ya tinyanyana yiyatlhasa lani minsinya mikumanaka hi kupatrana. Loko kuba moya, minsinya liya susumetana yiku: “nchwee… nchwee… nchwee… nchwee”. Kutani, nyenyana yitlhasa lahayani kutlhanganaka marhavi hiku: “Hosi yini timhondro!…hosi yini timhondro!”. Yisuka, yifamba.
Kutani mpfumawulu lowu wukumeke na wukhawuteliwi ka nsinya lowu. Loko kuba moya, kotwala mpfumawulu lowu wunge: “hosi yini timhondro!…hosi yini timhondro!”.
Kutani, hosi yijula kutiva ka vhanu hinkwavu “kasi hi mani apaluxeke lesvaku hosi yini timhondro!”
Nyenyana liyaa yiku:
— He!…he!…Mine nisvitwe le nsinyeni le, lesvaku hosi yini timhondro! Loko mujula kusvitwa, ahisukeni hifamba!
Vasukeke, svanga hi namunhla: kubaka moya lowu. Vatlhasa, vatrhama. Vayima, vayingiseta tinyenyana hinkwatu ni sviharhi na sverhiii!, svitrhamile lanu. Kutani, ko chuka moya wusungula. Nkama lo’ wubaka, wuku: “nchwee… nchwee… nchwee”, na nsinya wuvulavula wuku ““hosi yini timhondro!…hosi yini timhondro!”.
Kutani, tiku drihangalaka, driku:
— Angana nandru, lweyi, hikusa hinkwerhu, kusukela namunhla, hisvitivile lesvaku “hosi yini timhondro!”
Kutani, loko kuyatlhasa akuva vahlawula lesvasku: ” wene, n’waxikhovha, wufanela kuhifuma, hikusa wuni timhondro!”, xikhovha xohlawuliwa kuva xiva hosi ya tinyenyana hinkwatu, hikusa, svitibziwi lesvaku yini timhondro.
Hasvitiva lesvaku hosi yini mbangu lomu yitirhaka kone; yini lweyi ayinhlampselaka mpahla; lweyi ayichefaka malepfu. Kuni lweyi ayibekisaka hosi leyi.
Kutani, drimbeni siku, hosi ayini liyendro; yijula kuyendrela tinyenyana ta muganga wun’wana, svanga hilesvi tihosi tapfuxelana. Kutani, yikombele kuhlawuliwa nyenyana yin’we akuva i li yone, loko hosi yiyendra, yitakayilulamisa, yiyifenya misisi, yiyibasisela mpahla; yiyiyencela hinkwasvu.
Kutani, loko yiyetlhasa nyenyana leyi, yisungula kululamisa hosi, yiyifenya hi lanu svijulekaka ha kone. Kutani loko yilavisa la ka timhondro, yikuma lesvaku: Hawu! Lesvi ahitimhondro svinene; i mavoya. Nyenyana leyi yigami yichavile kupaluxa lesvaku, lesvi sviga la, ahitimhondro, i mavoya. Kutani, yoyakhwela nsinyeni, yisungula kuyimbelela yiku:
— He!…He!…atimhondro ta hosi i mavoya…i mavoyoo! He!…he!…atimhondro ta hosi i mavoyoo! Timhondro ta n’waxikhovha i mavoyoo! …i mavoyooo!
Kutani, loko tinyenyana hinkwatu tidritwa lisimu ledraku “timhondro ta hosi i mavoya”, titrhindrekeleke svinene kusuhi ni hosi, kuva titatavona lesvaku i timhondro hakunene, kumbe i mavoya. Kutaku loko vatrhindrekela, tinyenyana hinkwatu titrumbula lesvaku: ha! Kasi, hakunene, ahitimhondro i mavoya.
Kutani tirhambana tinyenyana hinkwatu, lesvaku hosi leyi yitabiwa, yihlongoliwa, yiva yisusiwa vuhosini. Kutani, lesvi ipfeke ali nhlikanhi, hosi leyi hibiwi hi tinyenyana; yitrutruma, yiyaku nhoveni tlhuu! Yitrhama ko mutrwhini, lesvi sviyencaka lesvaku kutlhasa namunhla lesvi, xikhovha, lexi nkama lowo axili hosi, svosvi axahahumi nhlikanhini, xihuma vusikwini, hikusa, loko xo suka xihumelela nhlikanhini, xobiwa, hikusa xakanganyise xitrhungu xa vakatinyenyeka, lesvaku xone xini timhondro, na kasi ahitimhondro, i mavoya.
Kutani, vuhosi bza n’waxikhovha bzogamisa svosvo. Akumeka na atrhama nhoveni; angahumi nhlikanhini. Ntsena akota kuhuma vusikwini, hikusa, loko ochuka ahumelela, kumbe xinyenyatana, nambi xogama kwini, xoba; xihlekula. Thuu! nkaringana.
Nhlamuxelo wa xihitana lexi xijula kuyibzela lesvaku: loko hihlawula, kufana ni lesvi masikwana lawa tihosi tohlawuliwa; tihosi leti hitihlawulaka, kufanela kuva hititiva; hitilavisisa matrhamela ya tone; kudumbeka ka tone ni ntiyisu, lesvaku hitayihlawula, kuve hosi na hiyitiva lesvaku matrhamela ya tone hi lawa, ni lawa, ni lawa. Hikusa, loko hosi yihlawula, yihifuma kuyatlhasa makarhi ka mpfuka hivona lesvaku, ahiyone hosi ya ntiyisu; yitohihlekula iva hiyisusa vuhosi; yitrutruma, yiyatrama nhoveni.
Kutani, mhunu, loko ajula kuhlawuliwa vuhosi, afanela akuva ani ntiyisu, ava aveni matrhamela lawa xitrhungu xinavelaka hone. Ahina!