Full Text: Izipho Ezimbili Zenkosazana Yomlingo
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: Izipho Ezimbili Zenkosazana Yomlingo
Kwake kwaba neferi eyayizulazula isesimweni sesalukazi esimpofu. Kwahlwa ngenkathi ihamba emgwaqweni wasemaphandleni. Yadlula amasimu namahlathi yaze yafika ezindlini ezimbili.
Enye, enkulu nenhle, yayingeyendoda ecebile. Enye yayiyindlwana yendoda empofu.
Iferi yacabanga yathi, «Ngeke kube yinkinga endodeni ecebile ukunginika indawo yokukhosela.»
Ngakho yaya emnyango wayo yangqongqoza. Yavula umnyango yamemeza yathi,
«Ubani lona? Ufunani?»
«Ngilahlekile, nobusuku sebuseduze,» kusho iferi. «Ngiyakuncenga ukuba unginike indawo yokukhosela.«
Indoda ecebile yayibuka kusukela ekhanda kuye ozwaneni. Yabe isinikina ikhanda yathi,
«Ngeke ngikungenise. Uma ngingenisa yonke indoda nowesifazane ompofu ongqongqoza emnyango wami, nami ngizoba isinxibi maduze. Qhubeka nohambo lwakho.»
Yabe isivala umnyango yayishiya ngaphandle.
Wafulathela indlu yakhe waya endlini encane. Kuthe nje engangqongqoza, indoda empofu yavula umnyango yamcela ukuba angene.
«Ubukeka ukhathele,» kusho yena, «futhi sekuhlwile. Kumele uchithe ubusuku nathi.
Umkakhe wabe esesondela phambili.
«Asinako okuningi, nkosikazi elungile,» esho. «Kodwa lokho esinakho sizokwabelana ngakho, ngezinhliziyo zethu zonke.»
Kwakukhona amazambane ayephekwa emlilweni, kanti lona wesifazane wakhipha isitsha sesinkwa nobisi. Isidlo sakusihlwa sasimnandi, ngoba sasifakwe isinongo sokuthula nenjabulo.
Kwathi lapho kufika isikhathi sokulala, unkosikazi wabizela umyeni wakhe eceleni.
«Myeni wami othandekayo,» esho, «Asizenzele umbhede wotshani. Khona-ke lo wesifazane ompofu angalala embhedeni wethu aphumule. Usekhulile, futhi, ngemuva kokuhamba usuku lonke, kumele ukuba ukhathele.»
«Ngenhliziyo yami yonke,» kusho umyeni.
Ifari ayifisanga ukuba benze lokhu, kodwa abazange bamukele u-»cha.» Ngakho-ke waphumula embhedeni wabo, kanti bona balala enqwabeni yotshani.
Ekuseni inkosikazi yavuka yapheka isidlo sasekuseni. Ilanga lakhanya ekamelweni, futhi ubuso bendoda nenkosikazi babukhanya njengosuku.
Ngemva kwesidlo sasekuseni ifari yababonga yavalelisa.
Kodwa emnyango yaphenduka yathi:
«Nibe nomusa kimi ngenkathi nicabanga ukuthi ngimpofu futhi ngingeke ngikwazi ukunibuyisela ngalutho. Ukunikhombisa ukuthi nginayo intando namandla okunisiza, ngizoninika izifiso ezintathu.»
«Yini enye engingayifisa,» kubuza umyeni, «ngaphandle kokuthi sobabili, inqobo nje uma sisaphila, siphile kahle futhi siqine, nokuthi sibe nokudla okwanele esingakudla? Angikwazi ukucabanga ngesifiso sesithathu.
Aningathandi yini indlu entsha?» kubuza ifari, imamatheka.
«Hhawu, yebo,» kukhala umbi wemisele nomkakhe, «besingathanda. Uma lezi zifiso ezintathu zifeziwe, asisafuni lutho olunye.»
Ifari yashintsha indlu endala yaba yintsha, yabe isihamba, ithembisa ukuthi nezinye izifiso zabo nazo zizofezwa.
Cishe emini indoda ecebile yabuka ngaphandle kwewindi layo. Ngokumangala kwayo, yabona iqhugwane elisha. Yaligqolozela isikhathi eside.
Yabe isibiza umkayo yathi:
«Izolo bekuneqhugwane elidala, elimpofu ngaphesheya komgwaqo . Namuhla kunelisha elihle endaweni efanayo. Gijima uye khona ubuze ukuthi lokhu kwenzeke kanjani.»
Inkosikazi yahamba yabuza umumbi wemisele, «Ngobusuku obubodwa, uyithole kanjani indlu entsha esikhundleni saleli elidala lakho?
Ngizokutshela,» washo.
«Izolo kusihlwa owesifazane ompofu wafika emnyango wethu wacela indawo yokukhosela ebusuku. Namuhla ekuseni usitshele ukuthi uyifeyiri, nokuthi uzosipha izifiso ezintathu. Sifise impilo enhle nokudla kwansuku zonke, wabe eseguqula indlu yethu yaba yile ndlwana entsha nenhle.
Inkosikazi yendoda ecebile yagijima yaphindela emuva ukuyotshela umyeni wayo lezi zindaba.
«Ngingazishaya!» wakhala. «Ukuba nje bengazi ukuthi uyi-fairy! Phela, uqale weza emnyango wami, ebukeka njengesinxibi esidala esimpofu. Wangicela ukuba ngimngenise, ngase ngithi ‘cha.’
Yeka ishwa!» kwasho umkakhe. «Kodwa shesha ugibele ihhashi lakho umlandele. Uma umfica, umncenge ukuba asigcwalisele nathi izifiso ezintathu.
Indoda ecebile yafaka isihlalo ehashini layo elihle kakhulu yabe isigibela ngesivinini ilandela inkosazana yomlingo. Ekugcineni, yamfica. Yakhuluma ngobumnene nangomusa omkhulu. «Ngithemba ukuthi awuthukuthele ngoba angizange ngikungenise phezolo,» yasho. »Ngangilahle ukhiye wesicabha sendlu. Ngaphambi kokuba ngiwuthole, wawusuqhubekile. Uma uphinde udlula ngakithi, kufanele uhlale nathi.»
«Yebo,» yasho, «ngizokwenza njalo, uma ngiphinde ngiza ngakini.»
Khona-ke indoda ecebile yayicela ukuthi iyinikeze izifiso ezintathu njengoba yayenze kumakhelwane wayo ompofu.
«Ngeke kukusize ngalutho,» kusho inkosazana yomlingo. «Yini le okudingeka uyifise?»
«Hhawu,» kukhala indoda ecebile, «ngiqinisekile ngingathola okuthile engikufunayo.»
«Kulungile-ke,» kusho inkosazana yomlingo, «gibela ubuyele ekhaya. Izifiso ezintathu zokuqala ozozenza zizofezeka.
Indoda ecebile yayigxile kakhulu ekucabangeni ngesifiso sayo kangangokuthi yadebeselela ukubamba izintambo ziqine. Ihhashi layo laqala ukugxumagxuma nokukhahlela ngamandla.
“Zola, Bess,“ yasho.
Kodwa ihhashi laya ngokuya lingalawuleki. Ngokukhungatheka, yamemeza,
“Khuza, Bess! Siyini sonke lesi siphithiphithi? Ngifisa sengathi ungawa phansi uhlale uthule futhi ube yisithulu!“
Kuthe lawo mazwi ephuma nje emlonyeni wakhe, ihhashi lawa ngaphansi kwakhe, laba yisimungulu nesithulu, lingasakwazi ukuzwa noma ukuphendula imiyalo yakhe. Wayesebenzise isifiso sakhe sokuqala engahlosile, futhi sase sifezekile.
“Hhayi-ke, okungenani ngisaselelwe yizifiso ezimbili,“ wazicabangela.
Wayengakuthandi ukushiya ihhashi, isihlalo sehhashi, netomu emgwaqweni. Ngakho-ke, wasebenzisa wonke amandla akhe ukudonsa ihhashi, wabe esebeka itomu nesihlalo sehhashi emhlane wakhe, waqala ukuhamba ngezinyawo eya ekhaya. Ilanga lasemini lalishisa bhe. Ukuhamba nomthwalo ongaka kwakushisa futhi kukhandla. Wacabanga ngendlela umkakhe ayephole ngayo, ehlezi ngokunethezeka ekhaya. Kanti, nguye owayemgqugquzele ukuba ajahe ifari.
“Awu! Ngifisa sengathi lesi sihlalo sehhashi sunganamathela emhlane wakhe,“ wakhonona, engacabangi ngemiphumela yamagama akhe. Kuthe eqeda nje ukukhuluma, isihlalo sehhashi sashelela sawa emhlane wakhe. Nakuba kwakushisa, waphuthuma ekhaya ngokushesha okukhulu. Lapho, wafica umkakhe ehlezi isihlalo sehhashi sinamathele emhlane wakhe, ekhala ngoba ehluleka ukusisusa.
Ungakhathazeki kangaka ngento encane," kusho yena. "Ngizofisa ukuthi sibe nayo yonke ingcebo yomhlaba, futhi isifiso sizofezeka uma uvumela isihlalo sehhashi sihlale emhlane wakho."
"Siphukuphukundini," ekhala, "ingaba nasiphi isidingo yonke leyo ngcebo uma ngizoba nalesi sihlalo sehhashi emhlane wami izinsuku zami zonke? Cha, cha! Wena ufise ukuthi sibe semhlane wami, manje kufanele ufise ukuthi sisuke."
Noma ayengafuni neze, kwadingeka afise ukuthi isihlalo sehhashi sisuke emhlane wakhe. Ngokushesha sawa phansi.
Indoda ecebile yayisizenzile zonke izifiso zayo ezintathu. Zayilethela intukuthelo nenkathazo kuphela, amazwi abuhlungu avela kumkayo, nokulahlekelwa ihhashi layo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izifiso ezintathu zendoda empofu enomusa nenelisekile zayikhulula ezinkathazweni kuze kube sekupheleni kwezinsuku zayo.