Full Text: Indaba Yentshingila uNutkin
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 Yentshingila uNutkin
Lena yindaba emayelana nomsila—umsila owawungowengwejeje encane ebomvu, futhi igama layo kwakunguNutkin.
Wayenomfowabo owayebizwa ngokuthi uTwinkleberry, nabazala abaningi kakhulu: babehlala ehlathini onqenqemeni lwechibi.
Phakathi nendawo yechibi kunesiqhingi esimbozwe yizihlahla nezihlahlana zamantongomane; futhi phakathi kwalezo zihlahla kumi isihlahla se-okhi esinembobo okuyikhaya lesikhova esibizwa ngokuthi u-Old Brown.
Ngenye ikwindla lapho amantongomane asevuthiwe, namaqabunga ezihlahleni ze-hazel ayesagolide futhi eluhlaza—uNutkin noTwinkleberry nazo zonke ezinye izingwejeje ezincane baphuma ehlathini, behlela phansi osebeni lwechibi.
Benza izihlenga ezincane ngamagatshana, futhi bagwedla bahamba phezu kwamanzi ukuya Esiqhingini sase-Owl ukuyoqoqa amantongomane.
Ingwejeje ngayinye yayinesaka elincane nephini lokugwedla elikhulu, futhi yendlala umsila wayo njengoseyili.
Baphinde bathatha nabo umnikelo wamagundane amathathu akhuluphele njengesipho sika-Old Brown, bawabeka emnyango wakhe.
Khona-ke uTwinkleberry nezinye izingwejeje ezincane zakhothama kakhulu zase zithi ngenhlonipho—
"Old Mr. Brown, singayithola imvume yakho yokuqoqa amantongomane esiqhingini sakho?"
Kodwa uNutkin wayedelela kakhulu. Wayegxumagxuma njengekherisi elincane elibomvu, ecula ethi—
"Ngiphicaphice, ngiphicaphice, rot-tot-tote!
Umuntu omncane kakhulu, ejazini elibomvu tebhu!
Uphethe induku ngesandla, netshe emphinjeni wakhe;
Uma ungixazululela lesi siphicaphicwano, ngizokunika igroat."
Lesi siphicaphicwano sidala njengezintaba. UMnu. Brown akazange amnake nhlobo uNutkin.
Wavala amehlo akhe walala.
Izingwejeje zagcwalisa amasakana azo ngamantongomane, zase zintweza zibuyela ekhaya kusihlwa.
Kodwa ngakusasa ekuseni babuya bonke futhi e-Owl Island; uTwinkleberry nabanye baletha imvukuzane enhle ekhuluphele, bayibeka etsheni phambi komnyango ka-Old Brown, base bethi—
"Mnu. Brown, singayithola imvume yakho yokuqoqa amanye amantongomane?"
Kodwa uNutkin, owayengenayo inhlonipho, waqala ukudansa ehla enyuka, ekitaza uMnu. Brown omdala ngembabazane futhi ecula—
"Mnu. Brown omdala! Mfumbe-mfumbe!
UHitty Pitty ngaphakathi kodonga,
UHitty Pitty ngaphandle kodonga;
Uma uthinta uHitty Pitty,
UHitty Pitty uzokuluma!"
UMnu. Brown wavuka ngokuzuma wayesethwala imvukuzane wayingenisa endlini yakhe.
Wavala umnyango ebusweni bukaNutkin. Kungekudala umucu omncane wentuthu eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka yomlilo wezinkuni wenyuka usuka esiqongweni somuthi, uNutkin wabe eselunguza embotsheni yokhiye wacula wathi—
"Indlu igcwele, umgodi ugcwele!
Futhi awukwazi ukuqoqa isitsha esigcwele!"
Izingwejeje zafuna amantongomane kuso sonke isiqhingi zagcwalisa amasaka azo amancane.
Kodwa uNutkin waqoqa ama-aphula e-oak—aphuzi nabomvu—wahlala esiphunzini se-beech edlala amamabula, ebuka umnyango kaMnu. Brown omdala.
Ngosuku lwesithathu izingwejeje zavuka ekuseni kakhulu zaya ukuyodoba; zabamba izinhlanzana eziyisikhombisa ezikhuluphele njengesipho sika-Old Brown.
Zagwedla zawela ichibi zafika ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-chestnut esigobekile e-Owl Island.
UTwinkleberry nezinye izingwejeje ezincane eziyisithupha ngayinye yayiphethe iminnow ekhuluphele; kodwa uNutkin, owayengenayo inhlonipho, akazange alethe isipho nhlobo. Wagijima phambili, ecula—
"Indoda yasehlane yathi kimi,
'Mangaki ama-strawberry amila olwandle?'
Ngayiphendula ngokusemandleni ami—
'Angangama-red herring amila ehlathini.'"
Kodwa uMnu. Brown omdala wayengazikhathaleli iziphicaphicwano—ngisho nalapho impendulo inikeziwe.
Ngosuku lwesine izingwejeje zaletha isipho samabhungane ayisithupha akhuluphele, ayemnandi njengamaplamu ku-plum pudding ku-Old Brown. Ibhungane ngalinye lalisongwe ngokucophelela eqabungeni le-dock futhi laqiniswa ngephini lenaliti kaphayini.
Kodwa uNutkin wacula ngokungahloniphi njengakuqala—
"Old Mr. Brown! Mfumbe-mfumbe!
Ufulawa wase-England, isithelo sase-Spain,
Zihlangene ndawonye emvuleni;
Zifakwe esikhwameni esiboshwe ngentambo,
Uma ungixazululela le mfumbe, ngizokunika indandatho!"
Lokho kwakuwubuwula bukaNutkin, ngoba wayengenayo indandatho yokunika u-Old Brown.
Ezinye izingwejeje zazingela phezulu naphansi ezihlahleni zamantongomane; kodwa uNutkin waqoqa imicamelo yezinaliti ka-robin esihlahleni sameva, wabe esezihloma zagcwala izikhonkwane zezinaliti zikaphayini.
Ngosuku lwesihlanu izingwejeje zaletha isipho soju lwasendle; lwabe lumnandi kakhulu futhi lunamathela kangangokuba zakhotha iminwe yazo njengoba zilubeka phansi etsheni. Zaziluthathe esidlekeni sezinyosi ezinkulu esiqongweni segquma.
Kodwa uNutkin wagxumagxuma ehla enyuka, ecula—
"Hum-a-bum! bhuza! bhuza! Hum-a-bum bhuza!
Ngesikhathi ngihamba phezu kweTipple-tine
Ngahlangana nomhlambi wezingulube ezinhle;
Ezinye zinezintamo eziphuzi, ezinye zinemihlane ephuzi!
Zabe ziyizingulube ezinhle kakhulu
Ezake zahamba phezu kweTipple-tine."
UMnu. Brown Omdala waphendulela amehlo akhe phezulu ngokunengwa ukungahloniphi kukaNutkin.
Kodwa waludla uju!
Izingwejeje zagcwalisa amasaka azo amancane ngamantongomane.
Kodwa uNutkin wahlala edwaleni elikhulu eliyisicaba wadlala umdlalo wama-ninepins nge-apula lasendle nezigaxa eziluhlaza ze-fir.
Ngosuku lwesithupha, okwakunguMgqibelo, izingwejeje zaphinda zeza okokugcina; zaletha iqanda elisha kubhasikidi omncane womhlanga njengesipho sokuvalelisa sokugcina sika-Old Brown.
Kodwa uNutkin wagijima ngaphambili ehleka futhi ememeza—
"UHumpty Dumpty ulele emhosheni,
Enengubo emhlophe entanyeni yakhe,
Odokotela abangamashumi amane nababazi abangamashumi amane,
Abakwazi ukulungisa uHumpty Dumpty abuyele esimeni!"
Manje uMnu. Brown omdala waba nentshisekelo emaqandeni; wavula iso elilodwa waphinde walivala. Kodwa namanje akazange akhulume.
UNutkin waba ongenanhlonipho kakhulu—
"Mnu. Brown Omdala! Mnu. Brown Omdala!
Hickamore, Hackamore, emnyango wekhishi leNkosi;
Onke amahhashi eNkosi, nawo onke amadoda eNkosi,
Ahluleka ukususa uHickamore, Hackamore,
Emnyango wekhishi leNkosi."
UNutkin wadansa wehla wenyuka njengomsebe welanga; kodwa uBrown Omdala akashongo lutho nhlobo.
UNutkin waqala futhi—
"U-Arthur O'Bower ugqabule ibhande lakhe,
Uza ebhonga enyuka nezwe!
UKing of Scots ngawo wonke amandla akhe,
Ngeke amjikise u-Arthur of the Bower!"
UNutkin wenza umsindo obhuzayo ukuze azwakale njengomoya, wase egijima egxuma wahlala ngqo ekhanda lika-Old Brown!...
Khona-ke ngasikhathi sinye kwaba nokubhakuzisa nokushikashikana kanye no-"Tswi!" omkhulu.
Ezinye izingwejeje zabaleka ngokushesha zangena ezihlahleni.
Lapho bebuya ngokucophelela okukhulu, belunguza ngasesihlahleni—kwakuhlezi u-Old Brown emnyango wakhe, enganyakazi nhlobo, evale amehlo akhe, sengathi akwenzekanga lutho.
Kodwa uNutkin wayesephaketheni levasti lakhe!
Lokhu kubukeka njengokuphela kwendaba; kodwa akunjalo.
U-Old Brown wathwala uNutkin wamngenisa endlini yakhe, wambamba wamphakamisa ngomsila, esezomhluba isikhumba; kodwa uNutkin wadonsa ngamandla kakhulu kangangokuthi umsila wakhe waphuka kabili, wabe esegijima ngesivinini enyuka ngezitebhisi waphunyuka ngefasitela legumbi elingaphansi kophahla.
Futhi kuze kube namuhla, uma uhlangana noNutkin phezulu esihlahleni umbuze imfumbe, uzokujikijela ngezinti, agxobe izinyawo zakhe, athethise, aphinde amemeze—
"Cuck-cuck-cuck-cur-r-r-cuck-k-k!"