Full Text: Indaba kaNkosikazi Tittlemouse
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: Indaba kaNkosikazi Tittlemouse
Kwesukesukela kwakukhona igundane lasehlathini, igama lalo kwakunguNkosikazi Tittlemouse.
Wayehlala edongeni ngaphansi kothango.
Yeka indlu ehlekisayo! Kwakunamabanga ngamabanga emigudu enesihlabathi, eholela emagumbini okugcina izinto, nasemagumbini angaphansi okugcina amantongomane, nasemagumbini angaphansi okugcina imbewu, konke lokhu kuphakathi kwezimpande zothango.
Kwakukhona ikhishi, igumbi lokuphumula, iphentri, kanye nelada.
Futhi, kwakukhona igumbi lokulala likaNkosikazi Tittlemouse, lapho ayelala khona embhedeni omncane oyibhokisi!
UMrs. Tittlemouse wayeyigundane elincane elihlanzeke ngendlela eyisimanga futhi eliqikelelayo, elalihlale lishanyela futhi lisula uthuli phansi esihlabathini esithambile.
Kwesinye isikhathi ibhungane lalilahleka emaphaseji.
“Shu! shu! zinyawo ezincane ezingcolile!“ kwasho uMrs. Tittlemouse, ekhenceza idasipani lakhe.
Futhi ngolunye usuku isalukazi esincane sagijima sehla senyuka sigqoke ijazi elibomvu elinamachashaza.
“Indlu yakho iyasha, Mother Ladybird! Ndiza ubuyele ekhaya ezinganeni zakho!“
Ngelinye ilanga, isicabucabu esikhulu esikhuluphele sangena ukuzokhosela emvuleni.
“Uxolo, akukhona yini kwaMiss Muffet lapha?“
“Hamba, wena sicabucabu esibi esigangile! Ushiya imicu yolwembu kuyo yonke indlu yami enhle ehlanzekile!“
Wasikhiphela phandle isicabucabu ngefasitela.
Sazehlisa othangweni ngentambo ende ezacile.
UNkk. Tittlemouse wahamba waya ekamelweni lokugcina ukudla elikude, ukuyolanda izinhlamvu zama-cherry nembewu ye-thistle-down yesidlo sakusihlwa.
Kuwo wonke umhubhe wayehogela, ebheka naphansi.
“Ngizwa iphunga loju; ingabe elama-cowslip angaphandle, othangweni? Ngiqinisekile ukuthi ngiyakwazi ukubona imikhondo yezinyawo ezincane ezingcolile.“
Kusenjalo ngasekhoneni, wahlangana noBabbitty Bumble—
“Zizz, Bizz, Bizzz!“ kusho inyosi.
UNkosikazi Tittlemouse wamubheka ngeso elibukhali. Wafisa ukuthi ngabe unomshanelo.
“Sawubona, Babbitty Bumble; ngingajabula ukuthenga ingcina yezinyosi. Kodwa wenzani lapha phansi? Kungani uhlale ungena ngefasitela, bese uthi Zizz, Bizz, Bizzz?“
UNkosikazi Tittlemouse waqala ukucasuka.
“Zizz, Wizz, Wizzz!“ waphendula uBabbitty Bumble ngokutswinya okucasukile. Wanyonyoba wehla ngomhubhe, wabe esenyamalala egumbini lokugcina izinto elalisetshenziselwa ama-acorn.
UNkosikazi Tittlemouse wayesewadlile ama-acorn ngaphambi kukaKhisimusi; igumbi lokugcina izinto kwakufanele ngabe lingenalutho.
Kodwa laligcwele ubulembu obomile obungahlelekile.
UMrs. Tittlemouse waqala ukudonsa ubulembu. Ezinye izinyosi ezintathu noma ezine zakhipha amakhanda azo, zabe sezibhuza ngolaka.
"Anginawo umkhuba wokuqashisa ngendawo yokuhlala; lokhu wukugxambukela!" kusho uMrs. Tittlemouse. "Ngizobaxosha—
Buzz! Buzz! Buzzz!"—"Engabe ubani ongangisiza?
Bizz, Wizz, Wizzz!"
—"Ngeke ngibize uMr. Jackson; akaze asule izinyawo zakhe."
UNkosikazi Tittlemouse wanquma ukuziyeka izinyosi kuze kube ngemuva kwesidlo sakusihlwa.
Ngesikhathi ebuyela ekamelweni lokuphumula, wezwa umuntu ekhwehlela ngezwi elijiyile; kanti lapho kwakuhlezi uMnu. Jackson uqobo lwakhe!
Wayehlezi egcwele esihlalweni esincane esinyakazayo, edlala ngezithupha zakhe futhi emamatheka, izinyawo zakhe zibekwe phezu kwesivikelo seziko.
Wayehlala epayipini lamanzi ngaphansi kothango, emseleni omanzi nongcolile kakhulu.
“Unjani, Mr. Jackson? Maye babo, usumanzi kakhulu!“
“Ngiyabonga, ngiyabonga, ngiyabonga, Mrs. Tittlemouse! Ngizohlala isikhashana ngizomise,“ kusho uMr. Jackson.
Wahlala phansi wamoyizela, kanti amanzi ayeconsa emaphethelweni ejazi lakhe. UMrs. Tittlemouse wahambahamba nesikolobho.
Wahlala isikhathi eside kangangokuthi kwaze kwadingeka abuzwe ukuthi angathanda yini isidlo?
Kuqala wamupha izinhlamvu zama-cherry.
“Ngiyabonga, ngiyabonga, Nkosikazi Tittlemouse! Anginamazinyo, anginamazinyo, anginamazinyo!“ kusho uMnu. Jackson.
Wavula umlomo wakhe kakhulu ngokungadingekile; ngempela wayengenalo ngisho nelilodwa izinyo ekhanda lakhe.
Khona-ke wamnika imbewu yethiseli—“Tiddly, widdly, widdly! Pouff, pouff, puff!“ washo uMnu. Jackson. Waphephetha le mbewu yethiseli kulo lonke igumbi.
“Ngiyabonga, ngiyabonga, ngiyabonga, Nkk. Tittlemouse! Manje engingakuthanda ngempela—ngempela—kungaba yisitshana soju!“
“Ngiyesaba ukuthi anginalutho, Mnu. Jackson,“ kusho uNkk. Tittlemouse.
“Tiddly, widdly, widdly, Nkk. Tittlemouse!“ kusho uMnu. Jackson emamatheka, “Ngiyalizwa iphunga lalo; yingakho ngize ukuzokuvakashela.“
UMnu. Jackson wasukuma ngokusinda etafuleni, waqala ukubheka emakhabetheni.
UNkk. Tittlemouse wamlandela nendwangu yokwesula, ukuze asule imikhondo yezinyawo zakhe ezinkulu ezimanzi phansi ekamelweni lokuphumula.
Kwathi lapho esezikholisile ukuthi alukho uju emakhabetheni, waqala ukuhamba ephasijini.
“Impela, impela, uzobhajwa, Mnu. Jackson!”
“Tiddly, widdly, widdly, Nkk. Tittlemouse!”
Okokuqala wazicindezela wangena endlini yokugcina ukudla.
“Tiddly, widdly, widdly? alukho uju? alukho uju, Nkosikazi Tittlemouse?““
Kwakukhona abantu abathathu abanwabuzelayo ababecashe endaweni yokubeka amapuleti. Ababili babo baphunyuka; kodwa omncane kunabo bonke wambamba.
Wabe esezimpintsha endlini yokugcina ukudla. UMiss Butterfly wayenambitha ushukela; kodwa wandiza waphuma ngewindi.
“Tiddly, widdly, widdly, Mrs. Tittlemouse; kubonakala sengathi unezivakashi eziningi!”
“Futhi ngaphandle kwesimemo!” kusho uMrs. Thomasina Tittlemouse.
Bahamba ngendlela enesanti—
"Tiddly widdly—"
"Buzz! Wizz! Wizz!"
Wahlangana noBabbitty ekhoneni, wamhlwitha, wabe esembeka phansi futhi.
"Angizithandi izibubuli. Zigcwele amaboya," kusho uMr. Jackson, esula umlomo wakhe ngomkhono wejazi lakhe.
"Phuma, selesele elidala elinengekayo!" kuklabalasa uBabbitty Bumble.
"Ngizohlanya!" kuthethisa uMrs. Tittlemouse.
Wazivalela egumbini elingaphansi lamantongomane ngenkathi uMnu. Jackson ekhipha isidleke sezinyosi. Wayebonakala engenankinga nokutinyelwa.
Ngesikhathi uNkk. Tittlemouse equnga isibindi sokuphuma—wonke umuntu wayesehambile.
Kodwa ukungcola kwakwethusa—
“Angikaze ngibone ukungcola okunje—amabala oju; nolele, noboya be-thistle—kanye nemikhondo yezinyawo ezingcolile ezinkulu nezincane—kuyo yonke indlu yami enhle nehlanzekile!“
Waqoqa ubulembu nezinsalela zengcina yezinyosi.
Wabe esephuma walanda amagatshana, ukuze avale kancane umnyango wangaphambili.
“Ngizowenza ube mncane kakhulu kuMr. Jackson!“
Walanda insipho ethambile, nendwangu yeflaneli, kanye nebhulashi elisha lokukhuhla egumbini lokugcina impahla. Kodwa wayekhathele kakhulu ukuba enze okunye. Kuqala walala esihlalweni sakhe, wabe eseya embhedeni.
“Kuzophinde kuhlanzeke futhi?“ kusho uNkosikazi Tittlemouse ohluphekayo.
Ngakusasa ekuseni wavuka ekuseni kakhulu waqala ukuhlanza kwasentwasahlobo okwathatha amasonto amabili.
Washanela, wakolobha, wesula uthuli; futhi wahlikihla ifenisha ngengcina yezinyosi, wacwebezelisa izipuni zakhe ezincane zethini.
Ngesikhathi konke sekuhlelekile futhi kuhlanzekile kahle, wenzela amanye amagundane amancane amahlanu idili, ngaphandle kuka-Mr. Jackson.
Walizwa iphunga ledili wenyuka osebeni, kodwa akakwazanga ukuziminyeza emnyango.
Ngakho-ke bamnika izinkomishi zama-acorn ezigcwele i-honeydew ngaphandle ngefasitela, futhi akazange acasuke nakancane.
Wahlala ngaphandle elangeni, wathi—
“Tiddly, widdly, widdly! Ngikufisela impilo enhle, Mrs. Tittlemouse!“