MuchiShona
Paivepo. (Dzepfunde!) Rimwe zuva, Nzou yakatuka Tsuro ichiti, “Iwe kambuka kaduku! Suduruka munzira mangu. Hauna simba; hauna basa munyika ino.” Zuva rimwe chetero, Mvuu yakadzinga Tsuro pamahombekombe erwizi ichiti, “Ibva pano, kachinhu kasina maturo!”
Tsuro haana kupopota. Akaenda kumba kwake, akafunga usiku hwose. Mangwanani, akatora tambo refu rakasimba, akaenda kuna Nzou.
“Changamire Nzou,” akadaro Tsuro achikotamira pasi, “munoti ndine simba shoma. Ndinobvuma. Asi ndinoda kukuratidzai chimwe chinhu. Ngatiitei mutambo wetambo — imi mubate uku, ini ndichabata uko mhiri kwechikomo. Kana mukandikweva ndikayambuka chikomo, ndichava muranda wenyu nokusingaperi.”
Nzou yakaseka zvikuru. “Zvakanaka, kambuka. Ndichakukweva nomunwe mumwe chete!” Yakabata tambo.
Tsuro akamhanya mhiri kwechikomo kurwizi, akasvika kuna Mvuu. “Changamire Mvuu,” akadaro, “munoti handina maturo. Ngatiedzei mutambo wetambo. Imi mubate uku; ini ndichabata uko mhiri kwechikomo. Kana mukandikweva ndikapinda murwizi, ndichava muranda wenyu.” Mvuu yakaseka, ikabata tambo nomuromo wayo mukuru.
Tsuro akamira pamusoro pechikomo, akadaidzira nezwi guru: “Kwevai zvino!” Nzou yakakweva kuno; Mvuu ikakweva uko. Tambo yakaoma kuti twii. Nzou yakashamisika ichiti, “Ko, kambuka aka kane simba rakadai?” Mvuu yakati mumoyo mayo, “Tsuro uyu anondikurira sei?”
Vakakweva zuva rose, dikita richiyerera, kusvikira vose vari vaviri vaneta, vabatwa nenyota nokupera simba. Pakupedzisira, tambo yakadambuka nepakati, Nzou ikawira nemanhede kudivi rimwe, Mvuu ikanyura murwizi nokudivi rimwe.
Tsuro akashanyira mumwe nomumwe wavo manheru iwayo. “Changamire,” akati kuna Nzou, “tangove takaenzana here nhasi?” Nzou, ichifemereka, yakati, “Hongu, Tsuro. Takaenzana. Uri mhare chaiyo.” Mvuu yakadarowo. Kubva zuva iroro, hapana mhuka yakazozvidza Tsuro nokuda kwoudiki hwake.
Ndipo pakaperera sarungano.
In English
Paivepo — once upon a time. (Dzepfunde!) One day Elephant insulted Hare, saying, “You tiny scrap of a creature! Out of my path. You have no strength and no place in this land.” That very same day, Hippo drove Hare from the riverbank, snorting, “Away with you, you worthless little thing!”
Hare did not argue. He went home and thought all night long. In the morning he took a long, strong rope and went to find Elephant.
“Great Chief Elephant,” said Hare, bowing low, “you say I have little strength. I admit it. But allow me to show you one thing. Let us play the tug of war — you hold this end, and I shall hold the other end beyond the hill. If you drag me over the hill, I shall be your servant forever.”
Elephant laughed mightily. “Very well, little scrap. I shall pull you with a single finger!” And he took hold of the rope.
Hare ran over the hill down to the river, where he found Hippo. “Great Chief Hippo,” he said, “you say I am worthless. Let us test it with the tug of war. You hold this end; I shall hold the other beyond the hill. If you drag me into the river, I shall be your servant forever.” Hippo laughed and gripped the rope in her enormous mouth.
Then Hare stood on top of the hill and shouted with a great voice: “Pull now!” Elephant heaved on one side; Hippo heaved on the other. The rope went taut as iron. Elephant marvelled: “How can this little scrap have such strength?” And Hippo said in her heart, “How is this Hare overpowering me?”
They pulled the whole day long, sweat pouring, until both were exhausted, parched, and trembling. At last the rope snapped in the middle — Elephant tumbled backwards on one side, and Hippo plunged into the river on the other.
That evening, Hare visited each of them in turn. “Great Chief,” he said to Elephant, “shall we call ourselves equals today?” Elephant, still panting, replied, “Yes, Hare. We are equals. You are a true champion.” Hippo said the same. And from that day onward, no animal ever again despised Hare for his smallness.
And there the storyteller's tale came to its end.