Ngano: Rwendo rwemhuka dzemusango

So I'm doing a couple of plays for Shona day! I thought it would be nice to share one of the scripts. Its a story my uncle shared with us as kids. Every Easter, my parents would take us Kumusha (our rural home) to see family. All my grandparents' children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren gravitated to Chivi, Masvingo province, in a little village called Zifunzi.

After a long day, of mostly playing with all your cousins and village friends, we all sat around the fire and listened to jokes or such stories. I hope you enjoy this one. I presented it as the script that we are using.

Grandfather : Paivapo

Translator/(NARRATOR): Once upon a time.

Children: Dzepfunde

Grandfather: mhuka dzemusango dzaienda kune imwe nzvimbo yaiva kure kure.

Translator: all the animals went on a long journey.

Grandfather: Dzakatakura chikafu nezvinwiwa.

Translator: They carried all their food and drinks to have along the way.

Grandfather: Dzave pakati perwendo dzakaona kuti kwaive kwasara bodoro rimwe redhirinki.

Translator: In the middle of the journey they realised that they only had one bottle of cool drink left.

Grandfather: Dzakagara dare kuti dzisarura akavimbika angatumwe kunotenga imwe dhirinki.

Translator: the animals sat down and had a meeting about whom they thought should go off to get more drinks.

The meeting

Shumba: who can go quickly?

-Tsuro raises his hand

Nzou: (shaking his head) Tsuro, you cannot be trusted!

-Baboon raises his hand

(Everyone shakes their heads)

Ingwe : Gudo, you can be trusted but you are not very smart, you could get lost or get cheated out of our money.

-Snake raises his hand

Twiza: nyoka, we don’t trust you plus how will you carry the drinks?

Grandfather: Vakazeya kwenguva yakareba kusvika vaona kuti zvaiva nani kutuma Kamba nokuti kunyangwe zvake aiva nechinono vose vaivimba naye.

-All the animals deliberate in a low voice

Translator: The discussion went on and on until all the animals realised that although the tortoise was very slow he was the most reliable animal to send.

Grandfather: Mhuka dzose dzakawirirana kuti hapana anonwa dhirinki rasara kusvika Kamba adzoka.

Translator: all the animals promised the tortoise that they wouldn't drink the last drink till he had returned.

Grandfather: Kamba akatanga kufamba.

The tortoise left.

Translator: Help us count the number of days that he was gone for in Shona.

-Helpers: walk across with number cards as children shout - potsi, piri, tatu, ina, shanu, tanhatu, nomwe, sere, pfumbamwe, gumi!

Grandfather: Kamba haangadzoke.

The tortoise did not return for many days.

Grandfather: Zvino mhuka dzange dzafa nenyota. Bere ndiye akatanga kuchema achiti

Bere: “iiihhhh I’m dying of thirst! Let’s just drink a little bit of the drink!"

.

Translator: because all the animals were now very thirsty, they agreed with what the hyena had said and started to open the last bottle of cool drink.

Grandfather: Kamba abudisa musoro akati “mukangobata dhirinki iyoyo chete, handiende!”

Translator: Then the tortoise stuck out his head and said “if you dare drink that and break your promise. I won’t go!”

THE END