Full Text: Abazingeli Abayishumi Nambili Abanesibindi
One story, four ways to read it
Every story comes in its original version plus several simplified reading levels, so it grows with your child.
The original text is the full story with rich vocabulary and descriptive language, ideal for reading aloud together and for kids who are ready for longer sentences.
The simplified levels retell the same story in shorter, simpler sentences matched to your child's stage. Ages 2-6 uses a few short sentences per scene, perfect for first time readers. Ages 4-8 adds simple dialogue and everyday vocabulary for kids beginning to follow along. Ages 6-10 keeps the language accessible while bringing back more of the story's detail, a natural bridge to the original.
Start at the level where your child is comfortable, and move up when they're ready. Hearing the same story told in richer language each time is one of the best ways to build vocabulary in any language.
Original Text: Abazingeli Abayishumi Nambili Abanesibindi
Kwakunendodana yenkosi eyayithanda intombi ehlakaniphile, hhayi nje ngobuhle bayo, kodwa nangengqondo yayo ebukhali nomoya wayo onesibindi. Ngelinye ilanga, isithunywa saletha izindaba ezibuhlungu:
“Uyihlo uyashona. Ufisa ukukubona ngaphambi kokuphela.”
Inkosana kwadingeka ihambe ngokushesha.
“Thatha le ndandatho,” yatshela intombi. “Kuyisithembiso sokuthi noma ngabe isigodlo sifunani kimi, inhliziyo yami ingeyakho. Ngizobuya ngizokulanda.”
Esigodlweni, inkosi eyayisizokufa yahleba isifiso sayo sokugcina.
“Ndodana, umbuso untekenteke. Ukuze ugweme impi, kufanele ushade neNkosazana yaseNyakatho.”
Inkosana yezwa ubunzima bezimpilo eziyinkulungwane emahlombe ayo. Yayingeke iqale ukubusa kwayo ngempi.
“Ngizokwenza konke okusemandleni ami ukuqinisekisa ukuthula kwabantu bakithi, Baba,”
yaphendula, yize inhliziyo yayo yaba nzima ngomhlatshelo eyayizwa ukuthi kufanele iwukwenze.
Inkosi endala yakhothama, futhi inkosana yathweswa umqhele. Ephoqwa ngumthwalo wakhe, wathumela ukuba kulandwe Inkosazana yaseNyakatho. Ngesikhathi intokazi izwa lokhu, ayizange iphelelwe yithemba. Yayazi ukuthi isigodlo senkosi sigcwele abeluleki abangeke bamvumele ukuthi ashade naxumuntu ovamileax onjengayo. Ukuze asindise uthando lwabo, wayazi ukuthi kumele akhombise umbuso ukuthi ungumsizi wakhe onamakhono kakhulu, hhayi nje inkumbulo ekude.
“Baba,” esho, “iNkosi izungezwe yilabo abafuna ukuyisebenzisa. Uma ngihamba njengami uqobo, ngizoxoshwa. Kodwa uma ngihamba njengomhleli wamasu, ngingamvikela futhi ngibonise ukubaluleka kwami kubantu bakhe. Ngidinga abangani abayishumi nanye abanesibindi nabagxile njengami.”
Uyise, ebona ukuzimisela kwakhe, waphendula wathi,
“Uzobathola. Khetha labo obathembayo kakhulu.”
Waqoqa abangane abayishumi nanye abahlakaniphile, baziqeqesha baze banyaka kanyekanye ngokuphelele. Bagqoka izingubo zabazingeli eziqinile nezamaqhinga ezazifihla ukuthi bangobani.
“Asiyi ukuyokhohlisa iNkosi,” wathi kubo, “kodwa siyoyikhonza kahle kakhulu aze angakwazi ukucabanga ukubusa ngaphandle kwethu.”
Bafika esigodlweni base becela ukukhonza kubaqaphi beNkosi. INkosi, ikhathele yingcindezi yezepolitiki, ayizange imqaphele isithandwa sayo emfaniswaneni waso oqinile, kodwa yamangazwa yisizotha seqembu.
“Angikaze ngilibone ibutho elihleleke kangaka,” yasho,
yase iqoka intombi njengoMzingeli wayo oMkhulu nomeluleki.
INkosi yayinomngane oqotho—iBhubesi elihlakaniphile elalibona ngale kwaso sonke isifihla-buso. IBhubesi lahleba,
“Ndabezitha, laba akusiwo amasosha ocabanga ukuthi ayiwo. Bangabesifazane abayishumi nambili abazifihlile.”
“Akunakwenzeka,” kwasho iNkosi.
“Hlola ubuqotho babo,” kwasikisela iBhubesi. “Sabalalisa amatshe ayigugu nosilika ehholo. Uma befuna ubukhazikhazi, bazontenga. Uma befuna amandla, bazoma ukuze babale izindleko.”
Inceku, eyayincoma umsebenzi wabazingeli, yaxwayisa intombi. Yahleka ngobumnene. “Asikho lapha ngenxa yegolide noma usilika,” yatshela abangani bayo. “Silapha ngenxa yokuphepha kweNkosi. Mashani sengathi phansi kwenziwe ngetshe namagugu amane ewuthuli nje.”
Ngakusasa ekuseni, abazingeli abayishumi nambili bamashela phakathi kwehholo. Abazange bawathi nhla amagugu; bagcina amehlo abo emkhathini nezandla zabo ezimpahleni zabo.
“Uyabona?” iNkosi yatshela iBhubesi. “Banokuzikhuza komakadebona bangempela. Izinsolo zakho azinasisekelo.”
ULion wayengagculisekile.
“Uvivinyo olulodwa lokugcina lokugxila. Beka amaphazili emishini ayishumi nambili ayinkimbinkimbi ehholo—imishini edinga amahora amaningi yokuyikhanda. Kuthiwa amasosha awahlaliseki ukuba angenza imisebenzi enjalo.”
Inceku yaphinda yaxwayisa intombi.
“Ukugxila kwethu kusekuthuleni kweNkosi, hhayi emidlalweni,” kusho yona. “Sizodlula kuwo ngaphandle kokubheka ngisho nakanye, ngoba umgomo wethu mkhulu kunanoma iliphi iphazili.”
Abazingeli badlula ezindidini ngokungakhathali nhlobo. INkosi yase iqinisekile ngesimilo sabo.
“Kwanele, Bhubesi. Sebekufakazele ukuzinikela kwabo. Ngeke ngisaphinde ngilalele imibono yakho.”
IBhubesi lagobisa ikhanda lalo, liqaphela ukuthi ukuzikhuza kwentokazi kwakunamandla kakhulu kunomuzwa walo wemvelo.
Izinyanga eziningi, uMzingeli oMkhulu wakhonza eceleni kweNkosi, eyisiza ukuqondisa imithetho yezwe. Ngelinye ilanga, kwafika isithunywa sigibele:
“Inkosazana yaseNyakatho isemasangweni ukuzosayina isivumelwano somshado!”
Intombi, ithe izwa ukuthi isikhathi seqiniso sesifikile, yezwa amandla ayo ephela. Ingcindezi yemfihlo yayo nokwesaba ukumlahlekela yagcina iyihlulile, yabe isiquleka.
INkosi yaphuthuma ukuyibamba. Ngesikhathi eyikhipha igilavu ukuze ahlole ukushaya kwenhliziyo yakhe, ukukhanya kwelanga kwakhanyisa indandatho emunweni wakhe—isithembiso ayemnike sona kwenye impilo.
Wabuka ubuso 'bomzingeli' owayemvikele, emeluleka, futhi ema naye ezinyangeni ezinzima kakhulu zokubusa kwakhe.
“Bekunguwe,” wahlebela. “Awugcinanga ngokungilinda; wasilwela.”
INkosi yakhuluma ngokwethembeka kwiNkosazana yaseNyakatho, eyavuma ukuthi nayo yayifisa umshado wothando, hhayi wezepolitiki kuphela. Ngokubambisana, basayina isivumelwano sezohwebo esaqinisekisa ukuthula ngaphandle komshado ophoqelelwe. INkosi yabe isiyethula iNdlovukazi yayo entsha, hhayi njengentombi eyayitholile, kodwa njengeqhawe elayisiza ukusindisa umbuso. Ngisho neBhubesi lavuma: iqiniso lase liyitholile ekugcineni indawo yalo efanele.
