Swahili Tales/Sungura na simba
| ←Kisa cha mwewe na kunguru | Swahili Tales (1870) by Sungura na simba |
Pepo aliyedanganywa na mtoto wa sultani→ |
| English translation: The Hare and the Lion |
SUNGURA NA SIMBA.
Aliondoka Sungura kuenda kutafuta chakula mwituni, akaona mbuyu mkubwa sana, akatazama juu, akaona mzinga wa asali ya nyuki. Akarudi mjini kuenda kutafuta wenziwe wa kuja kula naye.
Akapita mlangoni kwa buku, akamkaribisha buku wakakaa kitako. Akamwambia, baba yangu amekufa, ameniachia mzinga moja wa asali, bassi twende tukale. Wakaenda.
Akamwambia, panda juu. Wakapanda wote wawili, wakala asali. Nao wamechukua mienge ya moto, wakachoma nyuki, wakachimbia. Wakazima moto, wakala asali.
Marra akatoka Simba chini ya mbuyu. Akatazama juu, akaona watu wanakula, akawauliza—Nani ninyi? Sungura akamwambia buku, nyamaza, ana wazimo mzee yule. Akawauliza tena, Nani ninyi, hamsemi? Buku akaogopa, akamwambia, sisi hapa.
Sungura akamwambia buku. Nitwae mimi, unitie ndani ya mwenge, umwambie mzee simba, jitenge nitupe mwenge, nami nnakuja. Simba akajitenga, akatupa buku, ukianguka chini sungura akatoka akakimbia.
[ 372 ]Simba akamwambia, shuka bassi. Akashuka. Akamkamata, akamwambia, walikuwa weye na nani huko juu? Akamwambia, mimi na sungura. Hukumwona hapa nalipomtupa? Akamwambia, sikumwona. Akamla buku. Simba akatoka kuenda kumtafuta sungura, asimwone.
Hatta siku ya tatu sungura akaenda, akamwita kobe, akamwambia, twende, tukale asali. Akamwuliza—ya nani? Akamwambia, ya baba yangu. Akamwambia, twende. Wakafika, wakapanda juu na mienge yao ya moto, wakachoma nyuki, wakakimbia, wakakaa kitako, wakala.
Marra akatokea simba, na yule simba ndio mwenyewe asali. Akawauliza, nani ninyi juu? Sungura akamwambia kobe, nyamaza. Akauliza tena simba. Kobe akaogopa, akamwambia, mimi nitasema, umeniambia asali hii yako, kumbe si yako, ya mwenyewe simba? Simba akauliza tena, nani ninyi? Akamwambia, sisi hapa. Akawaambia, shukeni bass. Akamwambia, tunakuja. Na simba akamtafuta sungura siku nyingi, akasema, leo nitapata sungura.
Sungura akamwambia kobe, unitwae mimi unitie ndani ya mwenge, umwambie simba, jitenge nitupe mwenge, nami nitakwenda, uningoje chini. Akamwambia—Vema. Kobe akasema moyoni mwake, huyu ataka kukimbia, kuniacha mimi niliwe na simba, ataliwa yee mbele. Akamtwaa akamtia ndani ya mwenge. Akamwambia simba, Sungura huyu anakuja.
Simba akamdaka, akamkamata mkononi, akamwambia, nikufanyeje leo? Akamwambia, ukinila nyama yangu [ 374 ]ngumu. Simba akamwuliza, nikufanyeje bassi? Akamwambia, nikamata mkia unizungushe, kiisha unipige na inchi, bassi utanila. Simba akahadaika, akamzungusha, akitaka kumpiga, akachopoka mkononi, akaenda mbio. Akamkosa sungura.
Akamwambia kobe, shuka na weye. Akashuka. Akamwambia, nikufanyeje nawe? Akamwambia, nitia katika tope, unisugue hivi, hatta nibanduke maganda. Akamchukua simba, akaenda naye majini akamsugua, kobe akakimbia, simba akasugua mikono hatta ikachubuka. Akaangalia mikono yake inatoka damu, akanena, amenitenda leo sungura. Akaenda kumtafuta.
Akauliza, nyumba ya sungura i wapi? Wakamwambia, hatuijui. Na sungura amemwambia mkewe, tuhame nyumba hii. Wakahama. Simba akaenda kuuliza, wakamwambia watu, nyumba yake ile juu ya mlima. Akaenda simba, hatta akifika, hako sungura. Akasema, nitajificha ndani ya nyumba, hatta sungura akija na mkewe, nitawala wote wawili.
Akaja sungura, yee na mkewe, hana habari, hatta njiani akaona miguu ya simba, akamwambia mkewe, rudi weye, simba amepita hapa ananitafuta mimi. Akamwambia, sirudi, nitakufuata mume wangu. Akamwambia, weye mtoto wa watu, rudi. Akarudi. Sungura akaenenda, akafuata miguu, akaona imeingia ndani ya nyumba yake. Akasema—Loo! simba umo ndani.
[ 376 ]Akarudi taratibu, akaenda akasimama mbali, akatoa salaamu, akasema—Salaam nyumba! Salaam nyumba! Salaamu nyumba! Akasikia kimya. Akanena sungura, gissi gani killa siku nikipita hapa, nikitoa salaamu, nyumba hunijibu, labuda leo mna mtu humo ndani. Yule simba akadanganika, akaitikia—Salaamu!
Akamwambia—Looo! simba umo ndani, wataka kunila mimi mwanao, ukasikia wapi nyumba kusema? Simba akamwambia, uningoje bass. Sungura akakimbia, wakafukuzana hatta simba akachoka. Akawaambia watu, sungura akanishinda, bass, simtaki tena. Akarudi.