Kudala kakhulu, uma kufa inyoni emhlabeni, umoya wayo wawuphuma emzimbeni bese undiza uye phezulu emafini; wawuphila khona njengomuntu wasemafini, wawubheka futhi unakekela izinyoni nezilwane emhlabeni.
Izinyoni nezilwane zazazi ngalaba bantu basemafini.
Kwafika isikhathi lapho kwakungenamvula khona unyaka wonke. Utshani basha, iziphethu
zoma kwathi izilwane zalamba. Izilwane kanye nezinyoni zahlangana zanquma ukuthi zenzenjani ngesomiso esibi kangaka.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kufanele sidle intshe,” kwasho uBhubesi ekhotha izindebe zomlomo.
“Lutho!” kugwinya uNtshe.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kufanele sicinge enye indawo esingahlala kuyo,” kwasho uNkawu.
“Ayikho enye indawo esingahlala kuyo,” kukhonkotha uNkentshane. “Isomiso sikhona yonke indawo.”
“Kufanele sikhulume nabantu basemafini,” kwasho uSikhova. “Bona bazokwazi ukuthi kufanele benzeni.”
Izinyoni nezilwane zavumelana ngokuthi izinyoni zizondiza ziye phezulu emafini ziyokhuluma nabantu basemafini. Mhlawumbe babezothumela ukudla phansi emhlabeni ukuze izinyoni nezilwane ezibulawa yindlala zidle.
UFudu nomkakhe nabo babekhona emhlanganweni. UFudu wayekhathazekile kakhulu. Wayazi ukuthi uma abantu basemafini beletha ukudla emhlabeni, wayezofika emva kwesikhathi lapho okunokudla khona ngenxa yobunokwe. Wayelambe kakhulu futhi wayengazimisele ukuthi angaphuthelwa wukudla.
“Wo-hhe,” kwasho yena. “Kodwa ngempela ucabanga ukuthi abantu basemafini bayokwazi ukulalela isiqhoqho sezinyoni? Kumele zihambe nenkosi. Zihambe nothile nje ozokwenza kube nesithunzi nokubaluleka ukucela kwethu. Mina ngizoba yinkosi. Ngizokhulumela thina sonke.”
Izinyoni zanyenyeza zifakana imilomo. Ekugcineni izinyoni zavuma ukuhamba noFudu njengenkosi yazo.
Khona manjalo uNsingizi wenwaya ikhanda. “Manje uFudu uzofika kanjani emafini?” kubuza yena. UMpisi wagigitheka, noNkawu wanyenyeza. Akekho owayeke wacabanga ngale nkinga. Yayiminingi imibono. Ekugcineni uSikhova waphakamisa ukuthi izinyoni zinamathisele izimpaphe ezinyaweni zikaFudu. Uma enezimpaphe ezanele cishe angakwazi ukundiza.
UFudu wayebukeka ehlekisa lapho izinyawo zakhe sezinanyathiselwe ngezimpaphe. Iningi lezilwane lalifuna ukuhleka, kodwa zazazi ukuthi uFudu yithemba lokugcina lokuphila.
Zonke izilwane zazibambe umoya ngenkathi uFudu ebhakuzisa izinyawo zakhe. Kancane, kancane waphakama emhlabathini wandiza waqonda esibhakabhakeni. Izilwane zashaya ihlombe ngenjabulo kwathi izinyoni zacula ngenkathi uFudu endiza eya phezulu emafini.
Kwathi uma uFudu nezinyoni kufika emafini, abantu basemafini bajabula kakhulu ukubona izinyoni, futhi baziqhenya ngokuthi zazinqume ukuza nenkosi yazo kubo. Abantu basemafini benza idili – izithelo ezimnandi nemifino enambithekayo nokwakuyinto izinyoni kwase kukudala zayigcina.
“Ngokukabani lokhu kudla?” kubuza enye yezinyoni ngenjabulo.
“Ubuzelani, okwenu nonke,” kusho abantu basemafini.
UFudu akabange esachitha sikhathi. Wahamba ngokukhulu ukushesha nangobugovu wafike wadla konke ukudla okukhona, ngenkathi izinyoni zibukele. Abantu basemafini babemangele nje ukubona ukuthi izinyoni kazidli, kodwa bacabanga ukuthi kuyisiko lezinyoni ukuthi ziyekele inkosi yazo idle kuqala.
[a/w04]
Izinyoni zazithukuthele ziqhuma futhi zilambe zifa! Zaphuthuma zaqonda kuFudu zafike zakhipha zonke izimpaphe zazo kuye. Emva kwalokho zandiza zabuyela emuva emhlabeni ukuze ziyotshela zonke ezinye izilwane ngobugovu bukaFudu.
Izimpaphe zikaFudu zazindizela zehlela phansi emhlabeni yena wazithola esengumtshingo ubethwa ngubani emafini. Waqalaza ngapha nangapha edinga usizo. Uma egxumela emhlabeni wayezofa nakanjani. Kusenjalo wabona uPholi owayeqhwandaqhwanda efuna ukubona ukuthi angethole yini okuyizinsalela zokudla okushiywe uFudu.
“Ngiyakucela, Pholi,” kuncenga uFudu, “tshela umkami angakhele indunduma enkulu ngamacembe yikhona ngizogxuma ngehle emafini ngingawi ngiphahlazeke ngife emhlabathini olukhuni.”
UPholi wayediniwe yisenzo sikaFudu ukudla. Wathi uma efika emhlabeni watshela umkaFudu ukuthi uthe akabokwakha indunduma yamadwala ukuze aqathakele phezu kwawo lapha ehla emafini.
UmkaFudu wenza indunduma yamadwala. UFudu wabuka phansi wabona umkakhe emile eduze kokuthile. Wazicabangela ukuthi lokho kwabe kuyindunduma yamacembe, ngakho wavala amehlo, wadonsa umoya wayesegxuma-ke.
Umzimba wakhe omncane noyindilinga wawela phansi washaya kabuhlungu emadwaleni. Wakhala kakhulu ngoba igobolondo lakhe lavele laphahlazeka.
Umkakhe wagijima waya kuFudu wabuka ethukile ngomonakalo owawudaleke egobolondweni elihle kangaka lomyeni wakhe. Wamelapha emnakekela kwaze kwaba uyelulama kahle, kodwa ukuqhekezeka egobolondweni lakhe kwahlala kuyizibazi zaphakade – kwaba wuphawu lwesenzo ayesenze ezinyonini bandla.
Kusenjalo abantu basemafini babephatheke kabi uma bebona izinyoni kudlalwa ngazo ngaleya ndlela. Bachiphiza bakhala, izinyembezi zabo zawa zisuka esibhakabhakeni zamanzisa umhlaba njengemvula. Utshani nezihlahla kwaphinde kwahluma futhi izinyoni nezilwane zaphinde zathola ukudla. Kodwa izinyoni aziphindanga nje zethemba izimfudu futhi, kanti kuze kube namuhla, izimfudu zifihla amakhanda azo ngaphansi kwamagobolondo ngenxa yamahloni uma zibona inyoni.
