Full Text: INdlovukazi Yezinyosi
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: INdlovukazi Yezinyosi
Inkosi yayinamadodana amathathu. Amadodana amabili ayethandeka, ehlakaniphile, futhi ebukeka kahle. Nokho, ayenamavila, futhi ayezicabangela wona kuphela, engakhathali ngenduduzo noma ngenjabulo yabanye abantu. Ayenomfowabo omncane owayebizwa ngokuthi u-Alexander, owayethule futhi emnene. Abafowabo ababili abadala babejwayele ukumhleka.
«Umsulwa kakhulu ukuba ungazakhela indlela kulo mhlaba,» basho.
Ngelinye ilanga, abafowabo abathathu baqala uhambo lwabo kanyekanye. Babengakayi kude ngenkathi befika esidulini sezintuthwane.
«Asikhuphukele kulesi siduli sezintuthwane,» kusho umfowabo omdala. ”Kuzoba mnandi ukubona izintuthwane zethukile zigijima ziya le nale zithwele amaqanda azo.”
«Cha, cha,» kusho u-Alexander, «ziyekeni izintuthwane ezincane zibe nokuthula. Kungani kufanele sizethuse?»
Basishiya isiduli sezintuthwane singalinyaziwe, base beqhubeka nohambo lwabo.
Kungekudala bafika echibini. Amadada amaningi ayebhukuda emanzini. Khona-ke umfowabo wesibili wathi,
«Wozani, asiwajikijele ngamatshe amanye alawa madada amahle.»
«Cha,» kusho u-Alexander, «ningawalimazi. Asiwadingeli ukudla. Pho kungani kufanele siwazwise ubuhlungu futhi siwalimaze?»
Ngakho bashiya amadada ebhukuda echibini. Bahamba baze bafika esidlekeni sezinyosi esihlahleni.
"Asibase umlilo," kusho umfowabo omdala. "Intuthu izovimba izinyosi ukuthi zingasilumi. Bese sithatha uju."
Kodwa u-Alexander wamvimba.
"Ningabasi umlilo. Kungani kufanele sephuce izinyosi isidleke sazo? Asilambile, futhi asikwazi ukuphatha uju sihambe nalo."
Baphinde bawalalela amazwi akhe, nakuba babethi,
"Ungumuntu odabukisayo, oyisiphukuphuku."
Baqhubeka njalo nohambo lwabo.
Ekugcineni, bafika enqabeni enkulu. Yakhiwe ngetshe, futhi zonke izinto abazibonayo, ngisho namahhashi asezitebeleni, kwakungamatshe.
Abafowethu bahamba bengena igumbi negumbi. Ababonanga indoda noma owesifazane noma ingane, kuphela imifanekiso yamatshe.
Ekugcineni, bafika emnyango, lapho ngembobo yakhona babona indoda encane, empunga. Bangqongqoza emnyango. Indoda yasukuma, yavula umnyango, yabanika ukudla futhi yabakhombisa igumbi lapho bengase balale khona. Kodwa ayizange ikhulume ngisho nelilodwa igama.
Ngakusasa ekuseni, wakhombisa itafula letshe okwakubhalwe kulo imisebenzi emithathu. Lena kwakuyimisebenzi wonke umuntu oza esigodlweni okwakumelwe ayenze.
Owokuqala kwakungulo:
«Ebulembwini obuzungeze isigodlo, kuhlakazeke amaparele ayinkulungwane. Kumele atholwe wonke ngosuku olulodwa. Noma ngubani owenza lokhu uzokhulula isigodlo esiqalekisweni saso. Noma ngubani ozamayo kodwa ehluleke, yena uqobo uzophendulwa abe yitshe ekushoneni kwelanga.»
Umfowabo omdala kakhulu wafunda la magama wabe eseqala ngaso leso sikhathi ukufuna amaparele. Wafuna usuku lonke. Kodwa kwathi lapho ilanga lishona wayethole ayikhulu kuphela. Ngakho waphendulwa waba yitshe.
Ngosuku olulandelayo umfowabo wesibili waqala ukufuna. Waqala ngaphambi kokuba kuse, efuna ngokukhanya kwenyanga. Kodwa ekushoneni kwelanga wayethole amaparele angamakhulu amabili kuphela. Ngakho naye, waphendulwa waba yitshe.
Manje kwase kuyithuba lika-Alexander. Wafuna, wafuna, kodwa wathola idlanzana nje lamaparele. Ngesikhathi ilanga selizoshona, u-Alexander onosizi wawisa amagugu waqala ukukhala. Ngesikhathi ekhala, kwafika kuye izintuthwane ayesindise ikhaya lazo.
«Sawubona, mngani Alexander,» zisho, «Wake wasenzela okuhle. Manje sesizokubuyisela.»
Zaya ngapha nangapha ebulembwini izintuthwane ezincane. Enye ngemuva kwenye zaqhamuka neparele zalibeka phambi kwakhe. Ngemuva kwalokho zaya ekhaya zingalindanga ukubongwa kwakhe.
Ngenjabulo enkulu, u-Alexander wathwala amaparele waya esigodlweni. Khona-ke indoda endala empunga yakhomba itafula letshe. Lapho u-Alexander wafunda umsebenzi wesibili.
«Ukhiye wegumbi lamakhosazana ungaphansi kodaka namanzi kwaleli chiba elikhulu. Kumele utholakale bese kuvulwa umnyango.»
«Awu!» wacabanga u-Alexander, «lena yinto engingasoze ngayenza. Akekho umuntu emhlabeni ongacwila ajule ngokwanele ukuthola ukhiye omncane olahleke echibini elikhulu.»
Waphuma wema eceleni kwechibi, nezinyembezi zakhe zaconsela emanzini aluhlaza. Khona-ke amadada ayewasindisile eza ebhukuda ezinyaweni zakhe. «Ungadabuki kangaka, mngani Alexander,» asho. «Wasisindisa. Manje yisikhathi sethu sokuba sikusindise.»
Atshuza aya phansi ekujuleni kwechibi. Ekugcineni elilodwa lakhuphuka liphethe ukhiye ngoqhwaku lwalo.
UAlexander wawuthatha wavula umnyango wegumbi lamakhosazana. Ayelapho, omathathu elele zwi.
Manje indoda encane empunga yakhombisa u-Alexander umsebenzi wakhe wokugcina, onzima kunayo yonke.
«Ngena ekamelweni lapho amakhosazana amathathu alele khona. Afana kakhulu kangangokuthi nonina uqobo akakwazi ukuwahlukanisa. Kumele uvuse omncane kunabo bonke futhi othandekayo. Ngaphambi kokuba balale omdala wadla ushukela, owesibili wadla isiraphu kancane, kanti omncane wadla ukhezo loju.»
Kodwa u-Alexander wayezokwazi kanjani ukuthi ubani owayedle uju? Wema wabuka amakhosazana. Ayefana ncamashi njengoba isithombe sakhe esibukweni sasifana naye.
Ngaleso sikhathi kwandiza kwangena ekamelweni indlovukazi yezinyosi yesidleke ayesisindisile. Yandizela emadodakazini enkosi futhi yabhuza isuka kwenye iya kwenye:
«Bhu, bhu», yabhuza izungeza amakhosazana.
Yabe isiqala ukuncela uju ezindebeni zomunye wawo. Ngalokho u-Alexander wazi ukuthi lo nguye omncane, wayesemvusa.
Ngesikhathi evula amehlo akhe, isigodlo sakhululwa emlingweni waso. Amanye amakhosazana avuka, kanti amahhashi namadoda aphinde abuyela ezimweni zawo.
Khona-ke inkosi yanika u-Alexander ingxenye yombuso wayo, nendodakazi yayo yokugcina njengomakoti. Abanye abafowabo ababili bashada namanye amakhosazana. Babefunde ku-Alexander ukuthi kungcono ukuba ngumuntu olula nonenhliziyo enhle kunokuhlakanipha kodwa ungabi nomusa.