MuchiShona
Paivepo. (Dzepfunde!) Kare kare, nzara huru yakawira nyika yose. Mvura yakanga yaramba kunaya kwemakore maviri. Miti yakaoma, nzizi dzikapwa, uye mhuka dzesango dzakatanga kufamba dzichitsvaka chokudya kure nekure.
Munguva iyoyo, Tsuro naGudo vaiva shamwari huru. Vaifamba pamwe chete, vachivimbisana kuti chose chichawanikwa nomumwe chaizogoverwa pakati pavo. “Isu tiri hama,” akadaro Gudo. “Chandichawana ndechako; chauchawana ndechangu.”
Rimwe zuva, Gudo akawana muonde wakange wakazara nemaonde akaibva ari kumucheto kwesango. Pachinzvimbo chokudana shamwari yake, akakwira mumuti oga usiku, akadya kusvikira dumbu rake rozvimba. Mangwanani, akapfeka chiso chenzara, akati kuna Tsuro, “Shamwari, nzara iri kundiuraya. Hapana chandakawana.”
Asi Tsuro akanga aona makushe emaonde muzino raGudo. Haana kutaura chinhu; akangonyemwerera mumoyo make achiti, “Zvakanaka, Gudo. Rimwe zuva richasvika.”
Mushure memazuva mashoma, Tsuro akawana uchi hwakawanda mumhango yomuti. Akakoka Gudo achiti, “Shamwari, nhasi tichadya! Asi tsika yedu inoti: munhu anofanira kutanga ageza maoko ake kuti tidye zvakachena.” Gudo akatarisa maoko ake — akanga akasviba nendaka. Akamhanya kurwizi rwaiva kure kunogeza.
Asi nzira yaiva yeruvhundu netsvina. Paakadzoka, maoko ake akanga asvibazve. “Kwira udzokere, shamwari,” akadaro Tsuro. “Hatingadyi noruoko rune tsvina.” Gudo akaenda kachitatu, kachina, kachishanu. Nguva imwe neimwe yaaidzoka, Tsuro akanga achidya uchi zvishoma nezvishoma. Pakupedzisira, Gudo paakasvika ane maoko akachena, uchi hwakanga hwapera. Mudziyo wakanga usina chinhu.
Gudo akatsamwa kwazvo, akati, “Wandinyengera, Tsuro!” Tsuro akapindura zvinyoronyoro achiti, “Kwete, shamwari. Ndakangokudzidzisa chidzidzo chawakatanga kundidzidzisa iwe. Wakadya maonde usiku, ukandiudza kuti hapana chawakawana. Zvawakadyira ini, ndizvo zvandakudyirawo.”
Gudo akanyara zvikuru. Kubva zuva iroro, akaziva kuti unyengeri hahubhadhari, uye ushamwari hunovakwa pachokwadi.
Ndipo pakaperera sarungano.
In English
Paivepo — once upon a time. (Dzepfunde!) Long, long ago, a great famine fell upon the whole land. The rain had refused to fall for two years. The trees withered, the rivers ran dry, and the animals of the bush wandered far and wide in search of food.
In those days, Hare and Baboon were the closest of friends. They travelled together and made a solemn promise: whatever one of them found, they would share between them. “We are kin,” said Baboon. “What I find is yours; what you find is mine.”
One day, Baboon discovered a wild fig tree heavy with ripe fruit at the far edge of the forest. Instead of calling his friend, he climbed the tree alone at night and ate until his belly was round as a drum. In the morning he put on a hungry face and said to Hare, “My friend, this hunger is killing me. I have found nothing at all.”
But Hare had seen the fig skins caught between Baboon's teeth. He said nothing. He only smiled inside himself and thought, “Very well, Baboon. Another day will come.”
A few days later, Hare found a hollow tree brimming with honey. He invited Baboon, saying, “Friend, today we feast! But you know our custom: a person must first wash his hands so that we may eat cleanly.” Baboon looked at his hands — they were black with dirt. Off he ran to the distant river to wash.
But the path was all dust and ash. By the time he returned, his hands were filthy again. “Go back and wash once more, my friend,” said Hare. “We cannot eat with unclean hands.” Baboon went a third time, a fourth, a fifth. And each time he was away, Hare ate the honey, little by little. When at last Baboon arrived with clean hands, the honey was finished. The pot stood empty.
Baboon was furious. “You have tricked me, Hare!” he cried. Hare answered gently, “No, my friend. I have only taught you the lesson you first taught me. You ate the figs in the night and told me you had found nothing. As you served me, so have I served you.”
Baboon was deeply ashamed. From that day he understood that deceit never pays, and that friendship is built upon honesty.
And there the storyteller's tale came to its end.