Kudala-dala, xa intaka isifa emhlabeni, umphefumlo wayo wawushiya umzimba wayo undandele emafini apho wawufika uhlale khona njengomntu wasemafini, owaluse nononophele iintaka nezilwanyana emhlabeni.

Iintaka nezilwanyana zazisazi ngaba bantu basemafini.

Kwafika ixesha lokunqaba kwemvula unyaka wonke. Ingca yoma nko, amanzi aphela emithonjeni nezilwanyana zabhuqwa yindlala. Izilwanyana kunye neentaka zadibana, zaxoxa ngesisombululo kwingxaki leyo yembalela eyayigqugqisile.

“Ndicinga ukuba sitye inciniba ezi,” wabharhumla njalo uNgonyama elenca imilebe yakhe.

“Hayi bo!” wakhalima uNciniba.

“Ndicinga ukuba kufuneka sikhangele enye indawo esinokuhlala kuyo,” kwatsho uNkawu.

“Akukho ndawo yimbi esinokubalekela kuyo,” wagxwala njalo uDyakalashe. “Yimbalela nje tshitshilili, kulo lonke.”

“Kufuneka khe sithethe nabantu basemafini,” kwatsho uSikhova. “Baza kuza necebo bona.”

Iintaka kunye nezilwanyana zavumelana ukuba iintaka zibhabhele emafini ukuya kuthetha nabantu basemafini. Mhlawumbi babeza kuvuma ukuthumela ukutya emhlabeni ukuze kutye iintaka nezilwanyana ezazilamba.

UFudo kunye nonkosikazi wakhe babekho nabo apho entlanganisweni. UFudo wayexhalabile kakhulu. Wayesazi ukuba xa abantu basemafini bathe bathumela ukutya emhlabeni, mhlawumbi wayengashiywa lixesha, afike sele kuphelile. Wayelambe kakhulu, engafuni tu ukuphoswa kukutya oko.

“Eeee,” watsho. “Nicinga ukuba abantu basemafini baza kumamela umhlambi weentaka? Kufuneka kubekho ikumkani eza kuhamba nabo. Umntu oza kunika isidima kwisicelo sethu. Ndiza kuba yiloo kumkani yazo ke mna. Ndiza kumela wonke nje umntu.”

Iintaka zagqugula. Ekugqibeleni zavumelana ngelithi ziza kuhamba noFudo, abe yikumkani yazo.

Ngesiquphe, uMkholwane wazikrwempa entloko. “Siza kumsa njani uFudo emafini?” wabuza. UNgcuka wagigitheka, waza uNkawu wenza engathethekiyo ingxokozelo. Akukho namnye owayekhe wacinga ngale ngxaki. Zawa ngokuwa iimbono. Ekugqibeleni uSikhova wacebisa ukuba iintaka zincamathelise iintsiba zazo emilenzeni kaFudo. Ukuba anganeentsiba ezaneleyo angakwazi ukubhabha.

UFudo wabonakala ngathi sisibhanxa zakuba zincanyathelisiwe zonke intsiba emilenzeni yakhe. Izilwanyana ezininzi zazifuna ukumhleka, kodwa zazisazi ukuba uFudo wayelithemba lazo lokugqibela.

Wonke umntu wabamba umzimba xa uFudo ekhabalaza, ephakuzelisa imilenze yakhe. Kancinane, wancothuka emhlabeni wantingela esibhakabhakeni. Izilwanyana zamqhwabela ngeli lixa iintaka zimculela xa uFudo entingela emafini.

Bakufika uFudo neentaka emafini, abantu basemafini bavuya kakhulu ukubona iintaka nokuqaphela ukuba zize nekumkani yazo. Abantu basemafini benza isidlo esikhulu – iziqhamo ezimnandi nemifuno emnandi ezingazange zazingcamla iintaka ngaphambili.

“Kukutya kukabani konke oku?” yabuza enye yeentaka ivuya.

“Kutheni ubuza nje, kokwenu nonke,” batsho abantu basemafini.

UFudo akazange achithe xesha. Wakhawuleza ngokurhala okukhulu, watya konke ukutya okwakulapho, nentshela yako lo gama iintaka zimbukeleyo. Bothuka kakhulu abantu basemafini sesi senzo sokungatyi kweentaka, kodwa babuya bacinga ukuba mhlawumbi eli lisiko lakwaNtaka, ukuvumela ukuba kutye inkosi yazo kuqala.

Iintaka zazinomsindo kwaye zilambe kakhulu! Zaya kuFudo zigaba, zafika zamxhwitha iintsiba zazo. Emva koko zabhabha, zibuyela emhlabeni ukuya kuxelela ezinye izilwanyana ngamaqhetseba kaFudo.

Iintsiba zikaFudo zaqhawuka, zaphasalaka, zawela emhlabeni, waza ke wazifumana eze emafini, engasakwazi ngoku ukubhabha. Wantanyantanyaza engazi nokuba makathini. Xa athe watsibela emhlabeni, wayeza kufa ngokuqinisekileyo. Ngesiquphe wabona uSikhwenene ephanda ngeenzipho, ekhangela intsalela yokutya engabe yayishiywe nguFudo.

“Nceda, Sikhwenene,” wacenga uFudo, “xelela umfazi wam ukuba andakhele ingqumba enkulu yamagqabi ukwenzela ukuba ndiwele kuyo xa ndisuka emafini, ukuze ndingakroboki ndife xa ndiwele emhlabeni olukhuni.”

USikhwenene wayenomsindo kakhulu kuba uFudo etye konke ukutya wakugqiba. Xa ebuyela emhlabeni waxelela unkosikazi kaFudo ukuba umyeni wakhe umcele ukuba amakhele ingqumba yamatye aza kuchopha kuwo xa esihla, evela esibhakabhakeni.

UNkosikazi kaFudo wamisa iqonga lamatye. UFudo wajonga phantsi esesibhakabhakeni, waza wabona unkosikazi wakhe eme ecaleni kwento ethile. Wacinga ukuba leyo yayiyingqumba yamagqabi, waza wavala amehlo akhe ebambe umphefumlo, watsiba.

Umzinjana wakhe ongqukuva wehla, wawela phantsi apho ematyeni. Wakhala kakhulu asakubona iqokobhe lakhe liphahlazeka ematyeni.

UNkosikazi kaFudo wabaleka weza kuye, wothuswa yindlela iqokobhe lakhe elihle elalikroboke ngayo. Wamonga wade waphila kodwa lona iqokobhe lahlala licandekile kaninzi, unaphakade – lisikhumbuzo esibi soko awayekwenze kwiintsizana zeentaka.

Kwelinye icala, abantu basemafini babelusizi kakhulu bakubona indlela eziqhathwe ngayo iintaka. Bagxwala, bekhwaza zaza iinyembezi zabo zawela emhlabeni, zinkcenkceshela umhlaba njengemvula. Ingca nemithi zakhula kwakhona, zaza ke iintaka nezilwanyana zanokutya kwakhona. Nangona kunjalo, iintaka zange ziphinde zithembe naluphi na ufudo kwakhona, kwaye ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, amafudo asafihla iintloko zawo ngaphantsi kwamaqokobhe awo ngenxa yeentloni xa ebona intaka.

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

* Buza abantwana bakho wenjenje, “Ngelohluke njani ibali ukuba uFudo ebabelene neentaka ngokutya kwabantu basemafini?” Emva koko ke bakhuthaze ukuba babalise ibali ngokutsha baliguqule ngokufakela oko.

* UFudo ufunyenwe ziintloni ekupheleni kwebali, nto leyo ethetha ukuba ikho into ayifundileyo koko kwenzekileyo! Yalela abantwana ukuba bazobe umfanekiso kaFudo bandule babhale begqibezela isivakalisi esilandelayo esikwiqamza lentetho kufuphi nomfanekiso wabo: Ndifunde ukuba …