Full Text: UHans Onenhlanhla
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: UHans Onenhlanhla
UHans wasebenza indoda emnene iminyaka eyisikhombisa emiide. Ngosuku oluthile, uHans wathi,
«Sekuyisikhathi sokuba ngibuyele ekhaya kunina. Ngingaqoqa manje imiholo yami?»
Indoda yaphendula,
«Ubuyisizo olukhulu kakhulu iminyaka yonke le, futhi ngifuna ukukuklomela ngendlela efanele.»
Ngalokho, yanikeza uHans isigaxa segolide esikhulu njengekhanda lakhe. UHans wabopha igolide esikhwameni, wasiphonsa ehlombe lakhe, wase eqonda ekhaya. Njengoba ehamba emgwaqeni, wahlangana nendoda egibele ihhashi.
Hawu, kuyoba into enhle kanjani ukugibela!» kumemeza uHans. «Kufanele kuzizwe njengokuhlala esihlalweni esinethasha, futhi ufika ekupheleni kohambo lwakho ngaphandle kokushaya izinzwane zakho etsheni ngalinye.»
Umgibeli wezwa lokhu wathi,
«Ngakho ngixoxele, Hans, kungani uhamba ngezinyawo uma ufisa ukugibela?»
«Ngifanele ukuthwala le nkwantshu yegolide ekhaya,» kusho uHans. «Iwumvuzo weminyaka eyisikhombisa yomsebenzi wami. Inzima kakhulu kangangokuba ibuhlungu ihlombe lami futhi idonsa ikhanda lami eceleni.»
«Kulungile,» kusho umgibeli, ehiciza ihhashi lakhe, «ngingakusindisa kuleso sithwalo. Ngizokunika ihhashi lami uma unginika inkwantshu yakho yegolide.»
«Ngiyavuma—futhi ngiyabonga!» kusho uHans. «Kodwa uzoba nesikhathi eside uyithwala.
Indoda yehla yathatha inhlama yegolide. Ngemva kwalokho yasiza uHans ukukhuphuka ehhashini yabeka izintambo ezandleni zakhe.
«Uma ufuna ukuhamba ngokushesha,» yathi, «udinga nje ukuchofoza ulimi lwakho ukhale, «Hamba!»»
UHans wajabula kakhulu ukuhlala ehhashini. Isikhashana, wahamba kancane kancane.
Ngemuva kwalokho wacabanga ukuthi angathanda ukuhamba ngokushesha. Ngakho waqhweba ngolimi lwakhe wathi,
«Hamba! Hamba!»
Ihhashi laqala ukugijima kancane. Njengoba u-Hans wayengazi ukumlalisa, ihhashi lagijima ngokushesha ngokushesha kwaze kwathi ekugcineni lamphonsa u-Hans emgodini. Ihhashi belizogijima, kodwa lamiswa indoda eyayiqhuba inkomo.
Ukugibela akujoki,» kusho uHans njengoba ekhwela ephuma emgodini. «Hhayi kule silwane esicabanga ukuphula amathe ngokikhipha amathe ngokishaya nangokuphuka. Inkomo yakho ingcono kakhulu! Umuntu angalandela ngokuthula ngemuva kwayo, futhi inika ubisi nebhotela nafulethi nsuku zonke. Hawu, ngifisa kakhulu inkomo!»
«Kulungile,» kusho indoda, «njengoba ufisa kakhulu, ngizoshintshana nenkomo yami ngehashi lakho.»
UHans wavuma ngenjabulo. Indoda yagxuma phezu kwehashi yase inyamalala ngokushesha.
UHans waqhuba inkomo, ecabanga ukuthi wenze isivumelwano esihle kakhulu. «Uma nginepani kuphela, futhi umsebenzi wami uzongiphathela lowo, ngizoba nebhotela noshizi ukuze ngidle uma ngilambile. Uma ngomile, ngingaphuza ubisi.»
Ekuphakameni kwelanga, ukushisa kwanda kakhulu, futhi uHans woma kakhulu. Wayedlula ensimu evulekile lapho kungabonakali khona umthombo noma umthombo wamanzi.
«Manje yisikhathi,» kusho yena, «sokuba inkomo yami inginike isiphuzo esihle sobisi.»
Wabophela inkomo esihlahlakazini eceleni kwendlela futhi wasebenzisa isigqoko sakhe njengembiza. Kodwa akabanga nayo neyodwa inconsi lobisi. Futhi njengoba engumuntu ongenalo ulwazi lokukhupha ubisi, inkomo yamkhahlela kakhulu waze wawa phansi. Njengoba ehlezi lapho, kwafika icebo engqondweni yakhe: wayetshintshile igolide lakhe ngehashi, bese ehashi nale nkomo. Ingabe wayenza izinqumo ezinhle?
Ngaleso sikhathi kwafika umthengisi wenyama ephethe ingulube enqoleni encane.
«Kwenzekeni ngempela?» ebuza, esiza uHans ukuba ame ngemilenze.
UHans mamxoxela indaba yonke. Umthengisi wenyama wahleka wathi, «Leyo nkomo ayinalo ubisi lokunika muntu. Imdala futhi ilungele inyama kuphela.»
«Kuyisihawu esikhulu,» kusho uHans, egqiza ikhanda. «Nakuba ingapha inyama eningi, angikuthandi inyama yenkomo. Ngingakhetha inyama yengulube enhle enonile njengeyakho.»
«Khona-ke, Hans,» kusho umthengisi wenyama, «ngoba nginesihawu, ngizokunika ingulube yami uyiphe inkomo yakho.»
UHans, esacabanga ngezinto azishintshile, wavuma. Kodwa njengoba ehamba nengulube, wezwa engenakuthula.
Maduze wafika umfana ethwele ihansi ngaphansi kwengalo yakhe.
«Ingabe leyo nguluwe ibiwe,» umfana axwayisa. «Amadoda ayifuna. Kuzoba kubi kuwe uma beyithola ezandleni zakho. Ngizokusiza—ngipha inguluwe uthathe ihansi lami esikhundleni sayo.»
UHans, ekhathazekile ngokungena enkingeni, wavuma. Umfana washesha wahamba nanguluwe, uHans waqhubeka neihansi ngaphansi kwengalo yakhe. Njengoba ehamba, waqala ukuzibuza ukuthi indaba yomfana yayiyiqiniso, kodwa kwase kulate kakhulu ukushintsha isinqumo sakhe.
Nxa ngicabanga ngakho,» washo yedwa, «ngizuze ngokushintsha. Nginenqe elimnandi lokulidhla, amanoni enqe okugcoba esinkweni sami, nezimpaphe ezimhlophe ezinhle zokugcwalisa ikhuseni. Unyoko uzojabula kakhulu!»
Kodwa-ke wama. Unina wayelinde yena iminyaka eyisikhombisa. Wayeqale negolide — igolide elingabancedile bobabili. Manje wayelenqe kuphela. Wayenzeni?
Okokuqala, wacabanga ngempela ngezinto azishintshile. Ngayinye yayibukeka iyibona elihle, kodwa ngaso sonke isikhathi wayenikela into enexabiso. Wezwa isisindo esisindayo enhliziyweni yakhe.
Ekugcineni wafika emzaneni. Lapho wabona umuntu ogaya izimese ephendula isondo lakhe. Njengoba esebenza wacula:
«Izimese neziqece ezindala ngizigaya zibe zintsha,
Isondo lami liyazungeza ngokushesha njengemoya.»
UHans wama ukubuka. «Umsebenzi wakho kumele ube muhle,» wathi, «njengoba ucula kanje usebenza.»
«Yebo impela,» kusho indoda. «Umgayi wezimese omuhle uhlale ethole imali ephaketheni lakhe. Kodwa ngixoxele — wawuthenga kuphi lowo hhafu omuhle?»
«Angikuthengelanga,» kusho uHans. «Ngashintsha ingulube yami ngenxa yawo.»
«Oh? Ingulube yawuthola kuphi?»
«Ngayishintsha nenkomo.»
«Nenkomo?»
«Ngayishintsha ngehhashi.»
«Ngehhashi?»
«Ngayishintsha ngegolide elikhulu njengekhanda lami.»
«Igolide yalithola kanjani?»
«Kwakuyimvuzo yeminyaka eyisikhombisa yomsebenzi wami.»
Umgayi wezimese wabuka uHans ngokukhathazeka. «Mngane wami,» wathi ngomusa, «ushintshile iminyaka eyisikhombisa yomsebenzi wakho. Leyo golide yayingakwazi ukuthenga ukudla komndeni wakho izinyanga eziningi, noma yakusiza unina ngezindlela eziningi. Lapho ushintsha izinto ezibalulekile, ushintsha amathuba angawanikeza.
UHans wama. Wayeqale negolide evela eminyakeni eyisikhombisa yomsebenzi—igolide eyayingakwazi ukuthenga ukudla, izingubo, futhi isizakale unina wakhe. Manje wayenayo inyoni yehhansi kuphela.
«Uba umgayiwe wezinhloka njengami,» umuntu wamnikeza. «Konke okudingayo itshe lokugaya. Ngizothatha inyoni yakho yehhansi ngenxa yalo. Uthini?»
UHans wabuka inyoni yehhansi, wabe esebuka itshe lokugaya. Wacabanga ngunina emlindile, nokuthi angajabha kanjani uma ebuya ekhaya engenalutho. «Ngi... angazi,» kusho yena kancane. «Ngenzile izishintshiswano eziningi namuhla, futhi ngayinye yayibukeka iyibona elimnandi ngaleso sikhathi. Kodwa manje ngiyaqonda ukuthi bengidela inani lomsebenzi wami obukhuni. Mhlawumbe kufanele ngigcine inyoni yehhansi futhi ngicabange ngokucophelela nakakhulu.»
Umgayiwe wezinhloka wahleka. «Lolo ucabango luhlakaniphile, mfana omncane. Imali nezinto ezibalulekiwe zimelela isikhathi sakho nomzamo wakho. Hlala ucabanga ngokucophelela ngaphambi kokuzishintshiswa.
UHans wabonga indoda waqhubeka nendlela yakhe ephethe ihansi. Njengoba ehamba, wacabanga ngazo zonke izinto azishintshile ngalolo suku. Waqonda ukuthi wayephuthuma kakhulu, ethemba abantu abangamazi abangase bengabi nokuqonda. Indaba yomfana mayelana nengulube yayingase ingabi yiqiniso nhlobo—kwakufanele abuze imibuzo eminingi noma acabange ngokujulile. Wayengacabanganga ngempela ngamagolide akhe ukuthi ayeyikuphi noma ngamathuba angawanikezela. Amagolide ayesebenze iminyaka eyisikhombisa ukuwahola aseshabalele, futhi wayengananto ngaphandle kwehansi.
Ekugcineni wafika emthonjeni wama ukuphumula nokuphuzela. Wabeka ihansi phansi ngokucophelela walibheka. «Ungase ungabi yigolide,» washo ekhuluma nehansi, «kodwa uyinto ethile. Futhi ngifunde isifundo esibalulekile namuhla: kumele ngicabange ngokucophelela ngempela ngenani lezinto kanye namathuba azinikezayo ngaphambi kokuba ngizishintshele.
Lapho uHans efika ekhaya konina, wamxoxela indaba yonke ngenhliziyo enzima.
«Ngiyaxolisa, Mama,» kusho yena. «Ngasebenza iminyaka eyisikhombisa ukuze ngihole leyo golide, futhi ngifuna ukukusiza ngayo. Bekufanele ngicabange ngalokho okwakungenzeka ngayo ngempela ngaphambi kokuyishintsha.»
Unina walalela ngokubekezela.
«Hans wami othandekayo, ufunde isifundo esibalulekile. Leyo golide yayimele iminyaka eyisikhombisa yokuphila kwakho: isikhathi sakho, umzamo wakho, ukusebenza kwakho kanzima. Lapho ushintsha izinto ezibalulekile ngaphandle kokucabanga, unikela amathuba. Kodwa uthole into ebalulekile: ukuhlakanipha kokucabanga ngokucophelela nokuhlelela phambili.»
UHans wanqekuzisa ikhanda. «Kusukela manje, ngizocabanga ngalokho izinto ezibaluleke ngakho ngempela, ngihlelele phambili lokho esikudingayo, futhi ngibe nokucophelela ngokwengeziwe mayelana nalabo engibathembayo.»
Unina wahleka.
«Khumbula, ndodana yami: nakuba ungajabulela izinto ozibonayo phambi kwakho, hlala ucabanga ngokucophelela ukuthi ngempela ufuna ukuzinikela yini.»
Ngakho-ke uHans waqala ukuqonda ukuthi nakuba elahlekele igolide lakhe, wayethole into ebalulekile kakhulu — ukuhlakanipha kokubeka inani kulokho akuholayo nokucabanga ngokucophelela ngaphambi kokwenza izinqumo.