Full Text: Umdobi Nomkakhe
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: Umdobi Nomkakhe
Kwathi kudala, kwakuhlala umdobi eqhugwaneni elincane eceleni kolwandle.
Ngolunye usuku, wadoba kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga kuze kube sekushoneni kwalo engabambanga ngisho nenhlanzi eyodwa. Kuthe lapho esezoyeka ngalobo busuku, kwaba nokudonswa okungazelelwe entanjeni yakhe. Wadonsa i-flounder enkulu.
«Mdobi omuhle,» kukhala i-flounder, «ngicela ungidedele ngihambe. Angiyona inhlanzi yangempela, kodwa ngiyinkosana eguqulwe yaba kulesi simo. Ngibuyisele emanzini ungiyeke ngibhukude ngihambe.»
«Ngizokwenza lokho,» kusho umdobi. «Ngingancamela ukudedela i-flounder ekwazi ukukhuluma kunokuba ngiyigcine.»
Wayibuyisela emanzini inhlanzi. Yabhukuda yahamba, ishiya umugqa wegazi. Wayesegoduka umdobi nezandla ezingenalutho.
Myeni wami,» kwasho umkakhe, «awubambanga lutho usuku lonke?»
«Lutho, ngaphandle kwenhlanzi i-flounder,» esho. «Ikhulumile yathi kimi iyinkosana eyashintshwa yaba yileso simo. Ngakho ngiyiphosele emuva emanzini, njengoba ingicelile ukuba ngenze.»
«Awuzange wenze isifiso?» kwasho umkakhe.
«Cha,» esho. «Kufanele ngifise ini?»
«Hhawu, izinto eziningi, ndoda eyisiwula. Indlu engcono kunaleli qhugwane, okokuqala. Kudabukisa kakhulu ukuthi awucabanganga ngalokho! Akungabazeki ukuthi ibingakunika noma yini obuyoyicela. Hamba uyoyibiza manje. Mhlawumbe akukephuzi kakhulu.
Ukuze ajabulise umkakhe umdobi wehlela ogwini. Wama isikhashana ebuka amanzi, ayeluhlaza futhi emnyama.
Wabe esethi,
«Flounder, flounder, olwandle,
Woza, ngiyakucela, ukhulume nami
Ngoba umkami, uDame Isabel,
Ungithumele lapha ukuzokutshela indaba.»
Inhlanzi yeza ibhukuda yase ithi, «Ufunani kimi?»
«Awu,» kusho indoda, «namuhla ngikubambile ngase ngikuyeka wahamba futhi. Umkami uthukuthele ngoba angikucelanga ukuba ufeze isifiso. Uthi ufuna indlu engcono kuneqhugwane lethu eliphofu.»
«Hamba uye ekhaya, ndoda,» kusho uFlounder. «Umkakho usesitholile isifiso sakhe.
Umdobi wabuyela ekhaya. Esikhundleni seqhugwane lakhe elidala, wathola indlwana enhle. Emnyango kwakuhlezi umkakhe, ebukeka ejabule kakhulu.
«Ngena,» ememeza umyeni wakhe. «Bheka ukuthi sinekhaya elihle kangakanani.»
Bahamba besuka kwelinye igumbi beya kwelinye. Kwakunegumbi lokulala elincane elihle. Igumbi lokuphumula lalinezimbali efasiteleni nezithombe odongeni. Ekhishini kwakunezitsha zobumba nezethini nezethusi. Ngaphandle kwakunegceke elincane lasepulazini lapho izikhukhukazi namatshwele ayegijima khona. Ngaphesheya kwakunengadi, egcwele izithelo nemifino.
«Bheka,» kusho umkakhe, «akukuhle yini?»
«Hhawu, yebo,» kuphendula umyeni wakhe, «kuhle kakhulu. Inqobo nje uma kusekusha, uzokwaneliseka. Ngemuva kwalokho, sizobona.»
«Yebo, sizobona,» kusho umkakhe.
Kwadlula izinsuku ezimbalwa. Wabe esethi, «Myeni wami, le ndlwana negceke layo kanye nengadi kuncane kakhulu kithina. Uma i-flounder iyinkosana, ingasinika indlu enkulu kanye nencane. Ngifisa, ngaphezu kwakho konke, ukuhlala enqabeni eyakhiwe ngamatshe. Hamba uye enhlanzini yakho uyitshele lokho.»
«Awu, nkosikazi,» kusho umdobi, «le ndlwana isilungele ngokwanele. I-flounder ingase ithukuthele uma ngiya kuyo nesinye isifiso.»
«Yenza njengoba ngikutshela,» kusho unkosikazi. «Inhlanzi ingasinika inqaba uma ithanda. Hamba uyoyicela yona.»
«Lokhu akulungile,» kusho umdobi.
Kodwa umkakhe wamncenga kakhulu waze wehlela ogwini. Amanzi ayeluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka okumnyama, kodwa ezolile kakhulu.
Umdobi wathi,
«Flounder, Flounder, olwandle,
Woza, ngiyacela, ukhulume nami,
Ngoba umkami, uDame Isabel,
Ufisa into engesaba ukuyisho.»
«Manje-ke, ufunani?» kubuza inhlanzi, iphakamisa ikhanda layo ngaphezu kwamanzi.
«Hhawu,« kusho umdobi, »umkami ufisa ukuhlala enqabeni enkulu yamatshe.»
«Hamba ekhaya, uzomthola elapho,» kwaba yimpendulo.
Umdobi waphuthuma ekhaya. Lapho kwakukhona khona indlwana kwase kunesigodlo esikhulu samatshe. Umkakhe wayemi ezitebhisini.
«Woza nami,» esho. «Buka ukuthi sinendlu enhle kangakanani.»
Bangena ehholo lemabula, lapho kwakumi khona izinceku eziningi zilindile.
Badlula besuka kwelinye igumbi beya kwelinye, bencoma omata bevelveti nezibuko ezinkulu nezindwangu zikasilika negolide ezilengayo. Ngaphandle kwesigodlo kwakukhona igceke, lapho kwakunezitebele ezigcwele amahhashi nezinqola. Kwakunengadi enkulu ehlotshiswe ngezimbali nezithelo. Emasimini nasemahlathini, izinkomo nezimvu nezinyamazane zazidla.
«Hhayi-ke,» kusho umkakhe, «akukuhle yini lokhu?»
«Yebo, impela,» kusho umyeni. «Kodwa ngeke ucabange kanjalo uma kungasokusha kuwe. Ngesaba ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi uzobe usufuna enye into.»
«Ngizocabanga ngalokho,» kusho umkakhe.
Okwesikhashana, wayejabulile futhi eziqhenya ekhaya lakhe elisha. Kodwa ngolunye usuku ekuseni wavuka ecasukile, futhi kwakungekho lutho olumjabulisayo.
«Kungani ngifise okuncane kangaka?» esho ngolaka. «Singamane sibe ngamakhosi kulo lonke leli lizwe, esikhundleni sokuba nenqaba eyodwa nje. Hamba uye enhlanzini yakho uyocela ukuba yinkosi.»
«Awu, nkosikazi,» kusho umyeni, «Angifisi ukuba yinkosi. Ngeke ngihambe ngiyocela lokho.»
«Uma ungafisi ukuba yinkosi, mina ngifisa ukuba yindlovukazi,» kusho yena. «Hamba khona manje uyotshela inhlanzi lokhu engikushoyo.
Umyeni waphenduka ngokudabuka wahamba.
«Akulungile,» ezikhulumela, kodwa wehlela ogwini. Wathola amanzi emnyama futhi enolaka. Amagagasi akha amagwebu futhi ashaya ngamandla kwangathi athukuthele. Noma kunjalo wathi,
«Flounder, flounder, olwandle,
Woza, ngiyakucela, ukhulume nami,
Ngoba umkami, uDame Isabel,
Ufisa engesaba ukukusho.»
UFlounder weza futhi umdobi wamtshela isifiso somkakhe.
«Yini!» kusho inhlanzi, «akanelisekile? Kulungile, uzosithola nalesi sifiso futhi. Hamba ekhaya, uzomthola eseyindlovukazi.
Umdobi wagoduka wathola ukuthi inqaba yayingasekho. Kude, wabona isigodlo, esikhulu kakhulu futhi esihle. Amafulegi ayephephezela emibhoshongweni yaso, namasosha ayehla enyuka phambi kwaso. Waya kuso, wahamba emahholo amade nakumagumbi amahle. Ekugcineni, wafika ehholo elikhulu lapho kwakunesihlalo sobukhosi segolide. Lapha kwakuhlezi umkakhe, enomqhele ekhanda lakhe.
Ingubo yakhe yayiyindwangu yegolide, futhi ayezungezwe amakhosi namakhosikazi.
«Awu, mkami,» esho, «ngakho usuyindlovukazi manje?»
«Yebo,» ephendula, «ngiyindlovukazi.»
Wama wambuka isikhathi eside. Wabe esekhuluma futhi.
«Hhayi-ke, mkami, kunento eyodwa engijabulisayo. Njengoba usuyindlovukazi, uzokwaneliseka. Akusekho lutho ongalufisa.»
«Sizobona ngalokho,» esho.
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, inkosikazi yomdobi yaya ngokuya ingabe isakuthokozela ukuba yindlovukazi. Yayihlala iphapheme ebusuku, izibuza ukuthi akukho yini okunye okwengeziwe engakufisa.
Ngemva kobunye ubusuku bokuqwasha yavuka ekuseni kakhulu yema efasiteleni. Isibhakabhaka sasinombala obomvana ngokuntwela kokusa. Kancane kancane saba nombala wegolide, kwase kuphuma ilanga. Kwakuwumbono omuhle kakhulu.
«Hhawu,» isho, «Ngingathanda ukuba namandla okwenza ilanga liphume. Ngifisa ukubusa ilanga nenyanga. Myeni wami, myeni wami, vuka!» imemeza. «Hamba ngokushesha uye enhlanzini uyitshele ukuthi ngifisa ukubusa ilanga nenyanga.»
Umyeni wethuka kakhulu waze wawa embhedeni.
«Mkami, mkami! Utheni?» ebuza.
«Ngifisa ukubusa ilanga nenyanga,» isho. Hamba ngokushesha uyotshela i-flounder.» Kodwa wawa ngamadolo phambi kwayo.
«Ungafisi isifiso esinjalo,» ekhala. «Kukhohlakele. KunoYedwa kuphela ongabusa ilanga nenyanga.
Kulokhu, umkakhe wathukuthela kakhulu waze wamxosha emnyango. Umdobi ohluphekile wehlela ogwini. Kwakuvuke isiphepho esikhulu, futhi ulwandle lwalumnyama kakhulu. Amagagasi athukuthele ayegingqika eya le nale futhi eshayeka emadwaleni.
Engazi kahle ukuthi wenzani, umdobi waphinda amagama amadala athi,
«Flounder, Flounder, oselwandle,
Woza, ngiyakucela, ukhulume nami,
Ngoba umkami, uDame Isabel,
Ufisa lokho engesaba ukukusho.»
Ngesikhathi inhlanzi ivela, umdobi wakhala wathi, «Awu, ngizokwenzenjani? Umkami ufisa ukubusa ilanga nenyanga.»
«Kukhona Oyedwa kuphela ongakwenza lokho,» kuphendula inhlanzi.
«Goduka. Uzothola umkakho eqhugwaneni lenu elidala ngasolwandle.
Ngempela, isigodlo esikhulu sasingasekho. Kwakukhona iqhugwane elidala, elalibukeka lilibancane futhi lihlupheke kakhulu kunakuqala. Emnyango kwakuhlezi umkakhe, egqoke ingubo endala, edabukile. Futhi kulelo qhugwane elidala elihluphekile kwadingeka ukuba ahlale, ngenxa yokunganeliseki kwakhe.
