Full Text: Izintambo Zomculo Zase-Bremen
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: Izintambo Zomculo Zase-Bremen
Imbongolo yayithwele amabhegi asindayo ezinhlamvini iminyaka eminingi. Yayisebenza kanzima, kodwa yaqala ukuphupha ngempilo ehlukile. Yake yezwa ibhendi yasemgwaqweni edolobheni eliseduze futhi yathanda umculo.
«Nginezwi elikhulu, elinamandla,» yacabanga. «Ngizoya edolobheni enkulu ngibe umculi odumile!»
Wayengahambanga kude lapho ebona inja endala ilele eceleni kwendlela, ibukeka idinwe kakhulu. «Kungani ulusizi kangaka, mngane wami?» kubuza imbongolo.
«Ah,» kusho inja, «sengimdala kakhulu ukuzingela ngenxa yenkhosi yami. Ufuna inja encane, futhi ngizwa sengingasoze ngadunyiswa. Angazi ukuthi ngiyaphi.»
«Woza nami!» kusho imbongolo. «Ngiyaqala ibhendi. Unerithi elimangalisayo lapho ugijima; ungashaya isigubhu mina ngishaye uflute.»
Inja yaxhuga umsila yavuma.
Maduze babona ikati lihlezi phakathi endleleni. Lalibukeka lusizi njengentambama yezimvula. «Kukhona ini, Tom?» kubuza imbongolo.
«Ngikhathele ukugijimisa amagundane,» kusho ikati ngokuzimisela. «Amazinyo ami afile, futhi ngingathanda ukuhlala ngasemlilweni ngihlabe ikhwelo. Kodwa inkosikazi yami ithi kumele ngisebenze noma ngimuke. Ngizoya kuphi?»
«Woza nathi!» kusho imbongolo. «Unekhwelo elimnandi lomculo wabusuku. Uyoba umculi wethu oyinhloko.»
«Ngenhliziyo yami yonke,» kusho ikati, wahlangana nomgubho.
Abangane abathathu maduzane badlula isango leplasi lapho iqhude lalikhala ngamandla akhe onke. «Ukhala kakhulu kangangokuvusa umhlaba wonke!» wahleka imbongolo. «Yini le ngxolo?»
«Ngikhala ukusho farewell,» lathi iqhude. «Iphisi lithi ngidala umsindo kakhulu futhi lifuna ukungikhipha ngehora elithulile! Angifuni ukushiya iplasi lami, kodwa anginandawo yokuya.»
«Ungadabuki, Red Comb,» lathi imbongolo. «Unekhono elimangalisayo. Joyina ibhendi lethu! Kungcono ukuba inkanyezi edolobheni kunokuba ihora eplasini.»
«Yibona umqondo omuhle!» amemeza iqhude.
Njengoba ilanga lalisethela, abangane abane babesabekude nedolobha. Bafuna indawo yokuphumula futhi bathola isihlahla esikhulu, esine amagatsha amaningi. Imbongolo nenja balala phansi kwamagatsha, ikati yakhwela phakathi nendawo, kanti iqhude lendiza phezulu kakhulu ukuze lilinde.
«Ngibona ukukhanya!» iqhude lamemeza. «Kukhona indlu encane enomfutho ngaphesheya kwehlathi.»
«Ake sihambe,» kusho imbongolo. «Indlu efudumele ingcono kunesihlahla esibandayo.»
«Mhlawumbe kukhona ithambo elingasetshenziswanga kimi,» kusho inja.
«Nezitsha zobisi,» kwengeza ikati.
«Nolaka olumnandi,» kuhlabelela iziqholo.
Bafinyelela ekholishi bese babhekisisa efasiteleni. Imbongolo, njengoba yayinde kunabo bonke, yayibheka ngaphakathi.
«Ubonani?» kubuza inja ngezwi eliphansi.
«Ngibona itafula eligcwele izinto ezimnandi zokudla!» imbongolo yaphendula. «Kodwa ngibona namadobi anesiphithiphithi. Athathe leli khaya elihle futhi agcine ukudla konke ngawalo.»
«Lokho akukhona okulungile,» kusho iqhude. «Kufanele sithole indlela yokuwaxosha ubuyele ehlathini.»
Izilwane zaceba icebo elihlakaniphile lokuzwakala njengekwaya enkulu. Imbongolo yema ngasefasiteleni, inja yagxuma emhlane wayo, ikati yakhwela phezu kwenja, futhi iqhude lakhothama phezu kwekhanda likakati.
Ngesibonakaliso sombongolo, zakhipha ingoma yazo enkulu kakhulu! Imbongolo yakhala, inja yakhonkotha, ikati yanyonkotha, futhi iqhude lakhala. Zenza umsindo omkhulu kangaka wezulu ukuthi ifasitela lathuthumela. Zethuswa umsindo «wamadlozi», amasela ashiya izipunu zawo agijima ngokwesaba.
Abangane abane bangena ngaphakathi bajabulela isidlo sangobusuku esimangalisayo. Babenenjabulo enkulu ukuba nendlu phezu kwamakhanda abo! Lapho sebagcwele, bathola izindawo ezifanelekile zokulala. Imbongolo yakhetha utshani obuthambile ngaphandle, inja yazigomela ngemva komnyango, ikati lalala eduze kweziko elishisayo, futhi iqhude laphaphama laya phezulu ebhimini eliphakeme.
Phakathi nobusuku, amasela abuyela emuva akhangela indlu. Yayimnyama futhi ithule.
«Mhlawumbe sasigesabisa into engekho,» inhloko yathi. «Buyela ubheke ukuthi indlu ivikelekile.»
Isela elilodwa lahuqa libuyela ngaphakathi. Lahamba kancane kakhulu, lizama ukungavusi muntu.
Waya esithandweni somlilo ukuzokhanyisa ikhandlela. Ebona amehlo ekati akhanyayo, wacabanga ukuthi angamalahle ashisayo wase welula isandla. Ikati, lishaywa uvalo, laxhuma phezulu lamphipha ngokudlala! Isela lakhubazeka liya emnyango, lapho inja yavuka khona yamhlabela ibhulukwe lakhe. Egcekeni, wagqogqa imbongolo, eyamnikeza ukuqhushwa okumnene kodwa okuqinile ngezinselo zayo. Iqhude, lizwa umsindo, lakhala ngokunqoba
«Ukukurukuku!»
Isela laguqa emuva kubangane balo, lithuthumela ngokwesaba.
«Indlu yomlingo le!» lamemeza. «Umthakathi wangikrwela ubuso, indoda enezikhali zokuphinca yangibamba umlenze, futhi isilo esikhulu sangixosha egcekeni! Futhi phezu kophahla, umahluleli wahlala ememeza, ‹Bambani isela! Bambani isela!› Akufanele sibuye!»
Amasela ahlala kude nehlathi phakade. Abangane abane bathanda ikhotishi kakhulu kangangokuthi banquma ukuyenza ikhaya labo laphakade. Abazange bafike edolobheni, ngoba baqonda ukuthi sebethe bathola indawo engcono kakhulu emhlabeni wonke—indawo lapho babengaba bona khona, ndawonye.