Isizathu sokungalali kwesikhova

Le ncwadi ngeka

Every child should own a hundred books by the age of five. To that end, Book Dash gathers creative volunteers to create new African storybooks that anyone can freely print, translate and distribute. Then we work with partners to give those books to preschool children to own.
To find out more, and to download beautiful, open-licensed, print-ready books, visit bookdash.org.

Isizathu sokungalali kwesikhova
(Why the owl never sleeps)
Illustrated by Gerald Bedeker
Written by Wandile Mathe
Designed by Luke Mateman
Translated by Wandile Mathe
with the help of the Book Dash participants in Johannesburg on 17 August 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-997425-52-6
Typeset in Lato
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence  (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
You are free to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) this work for any purpose, even commercially.  The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the following license terms:
You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. No additional restrictions: You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Gerald Bedeker    Wandile Mathe    Luke Mateman

Emandulo amatshe esathambile, nezihlahla zisakhuluma, zonke izilwane zazihlala ndawonye emhlabeni ngaphansi kompheme omkhulu.

Mihla namalanga zazinakekelana,  zivikelana ebubini obungase  bulethwe ngabantu.

Lapho lishona ilanga izindlovu zazishaya umculo oshelelayo ngemiboko yazo, izinyoni zitshiloze kamnandi, ipigogo lidanse.

Ngobunye ubusuku yisikhova okwakumele  siqaphe izilwane sezilele.

Ngakho-ke saqapha silokhu  sibheka yonke indawo ukuthi  abantu abasondeli yini.

Dukuduku, isihlahla esasingaphambi  kwesikhova safohloka sashukuma.

“Awu!” UMnu. Sikhova wayesebanjwe  ngumfanyana.
Wamemeza, wahlikiza izimpaphe zakhe.  Kwezwakala nomsindo wokupupuza.

“Ngicela ungangosi bandla!”
Thatha ezinye izilwane.
Mina ngihlakaniphe kakhulu  ukuba ngidliwe –  angizukuba mnandi neze.

Wavuma umfanyana washona  khona emphemeni wezilwane.
Wafike wabasa umlilo, zavuka  ngokuphazima kweso izilwane.
“Umlilo!” zimemeza, zihlakazeka.

Izinambuzane zacasha ngaphansi  komhlabathi.
Ezinye izilwane zabalekela  emfuleni unomphela.
Izinyoni zandizela ebumnyameni  besibhakabhaka.

Abantu baphindela ekhaya namakati, izinkomo kanye nezinja, bashiya uMnu. Sikhova edliwa ngamahloni.
“Akumele baphinde bangibone.”

Kusukela kulobo busuku isikhova safunga ukuthi asisoze siphinde sivele emini … sesiyovela ebusuku kuphela ukuthi sidle futhi selule namaphiko aso.