Tsuro's tail

I have been struggling to find or come up with a Shona play that includes all the boys as I've had an overwhelming response to my Shona/Culture day. All the boys want to be included. Anyway, this is another script. I hope you like it.

Narrator : Mangwanani, this is a story about how the rabbit (tsuro lost his long beautiful tail)

Grandmother: Paivapo

Translator: Once upon a time.

Children: Dzepfunde

Grandmother: Rimwe gore kare kare kwakaita nguva yezhara

Translator: A long time ago there was a very bad drought

Grandmother: Mhuka dzesango dzakagara pasi dzikaronga kuti dzichere tsime yemvura.

Narrator: All the animals sat down and decided to dig a well.

Meeting

Elephant: This drought has gone on for too long. What can we do?

Cheetah: I think we could move from here and try find a place where there’s water.

Warthog: I have young babies and cannot travel far right now.

Monkey: I’ve been swing on branches back and forth there’s no water nearby

Baboon: Why don’t we dig a well?

Hare: Hahahaha that’s a silly idea, how could we possibly do that. This meeting is a waste of my time. Bye! -+ (he waves his long tail and hops off)

Elephant: Gudo, I think that is a great idea. Let’s get started!

Grandmother: Mhuka dzakachera dzikacheradzikachera

Narrator: The animals dug and dug and dug

Grandmother: kusvika vawana mvura. Dzese mhuka dzakafara, dzikanwa.

Narrator: After a lot of digging the animals finally reached the water. All of them were so happy. They drank their water.

Grandmother: Mhuka dzese chaijinjana kurinda mvura kuti tsuro asatora. Asi tsuro akatanga kunzwa nyota. Saka akaronga nzira yekutsotsa mhuka.

Translator: All the animals took turns to guard the water because they didn’t want tsuro to get it. After some days tsuro got very thirsty, so he came up with a plan to trick the animals.

Narrator: Everytime he would trick the different animals on duty then drink the water and even swim in it. (Rhino, giraffe and zebra take turns to guard the water and get tricked by tsuro)

Grandmother: Tsuro akasvika mumwe musi ndokuwana pana Shumba na Ingwe

Translator: Tsuro came one day and found Shumba and Ingwe on guard duty

Hare: Who is on guard today?

Lion: Me Shumba and Ingwe, all the animals are tired you taking advantage of us. So because I’m the strongest one, and he is very fast, you cannot beat us! (Roars)

Hare: Oh okay, I will just sit here then (opens a tin of honey and eats in lions face).

Leopard: What is that?

Hare: Oh nothing ‘it’s called the tie me up to taste’.

Lion and Cheetah: please may we have some?

Hare: I will have to tie you up to taste

Grandmother: Shumba na Ingwe vakabvuma kusungwa, kuti vadye huchi

Translator: The Lion and the leopard agreed to get tied up as they enjoyed the honey.

Grandmother: Tsuro akabva anwa mvura akagezeramo

Translator: tsuro drank and swam in the water as the leopard and lion watched helplessly.

Grandmother: Mhuka dzose dzakatsamwa dzakaronga kuti dotsotsa tsuro sei.

Narrator: The next morning the animals were so angry. They devised a plan they took very strong glue and stuck it to a chair then waited for tsuro to return.

Wild dog: (put glue on chair and laugh)

Zebra: Tsuro do not be alarmed, we have realised how smart you are and want to show you some respect.

Sable: Yes Tsuro please tora chigaro - take a seat and have your water( give him a glass).

Tsuro: (sits) This is more like it!

Grandmother: Tsuro paakasumuka muswe wake wange wakanamira pachigaro. Akachema kusvika mhuka dzese dzamubatsira.

Translator: When tsuro finally decided to get up his tail was stuck to the chair he tried and tried to get it off and cried out loud until finally all the animals came together to pull it off.

Grandmother: Muswe wake wakbva wadambuka. Ndosaka ukatarisa tsuro nhasi haana muswe.

Translator: And when it did his tail came off with it. And this is how to this day tsuro has a very short tail

Children: laugh

Narrator: The end