Kwakhe kwaba nehlokohloko ebegade liziqhenya ngamasiba walo amahle atjheli kunye nomlomo onzima omanyazelako. Belihlala emhlangeni magega nomlambo lirhuwelele nanyana ngubani ongalalela. “Qala mina! Ngimuhle? Qala amasibami atjheli akhanyako! Qalani bona umlomami umanyazela kangangani elangeni!”

Ezinye iinyoni neembandana bezingalithandi ihlokohloko elincani. Bekungasi kukuthi beliziqhenya kwaphela kodwana belinelunya.

“Yeyi, Ngwenya!” kurhuwelela Ihlokohloko, “unamazinyo amambi. Makhulu, abukhali, atjheli begodu kuneensalela zenyama hlangana nawo! Shu! Ngiyafunga ufisa ngathana bewunomlomo omuhle njengewami!”

Ingwenya yananaba yangena ngemanzini, yacabanga ngokuthi bekuzokuba mnandi kangangani ngathana ihlokohloko libhajwe emazinywenayo!

Kwathi ngesikhathi sokobana Ihlokohloko lakhe isidleke, lakhamba lajika jika ngokuziqhenya njengenjwayelo. Esikhundleni sokuthatha iinqetjhana zotjani nomhlanga namasiba njengezinye iinyoni, ladobha iinqetjhana zephepha elimanyazelako namaphepha akhanyako wokusonga amaswidi lawathungelela esidlekeni. Kwathi naliqedako, isidleke salo besele simanyazela begodu sikhanya nasihlatjwa lilanga. “Yeyi, nina,” kurhuwelela Ihlokohloko. “Qalani isidleke sami! Kghani asikarisi? Qalani bona simanyazela kangangani elangeni!”

IKghuru yamangala khulu njengombana idlula emhlangeni, yajama yabukela isidleke ebegade singakajayeleki seHlokohloko. “Kghani nawe ufisa kwangathi ungaba nekhaya elifana nelami, Kghuru?” kutsiyoza iHlokohloko. “Lakho lifiphele begodu liyadondisa. Qala bona lami limanyazela kangangani.”

IKghuru yathintitha ihloko. “Ngithabile ngeqephe lami, Hlokohloko. Liyangivikela, ngilokho okuqakathekileko kimi.”

Okulandelako, ikhondlwana elincani laveza ihloko lahlola lingaphasi kwamakari omileko. Isiqetjhana sefoyili esisesidlekeni seHlokohloko sadosa amehlwalo. “Yoo, Hlokohloko, isidleke sakho siyamanyazela,” litjho litswininiza.

IHlokohloko lakhukhumalisa amasibalo. “Utjho njalo?” latjho ngokuziqhenya. “Awukadinwa, Khondlo, ukuhlala emakarini anzotho neengojwaneni? Iphathisa amahloni begodu yimbi indlwakho.”

“Awa, Hlokohloko” kutjho iKhondlo. “Nange ulingana nami, usisidlo sezinye iimbandana ezinengi. Nangizifihla ngaphasi kwendundu yamakari, akekho ongangibona namkha ongangidla. Kuncono ngiphephe kunokobana ngizisole.”

“Nginesiqiniseko sokobana unomona,” iHlokohloko lidosa umoya liphakamise nomlomalo.

Nje-ke begade kunenyoka ekulu eduze nomlambo ebegade izifihlile ubusika boke. Nayivukako begade ilambe khulu, yeke yakhamba yayokuzuma ukudla okumnandi. Yahlangana nekghuru encani yothele ilanga. IKghuru yabona ilimu leNyoka elisikinyekako kunye namehlo ameruzako yavele larhunyeza ihlokwayo yabuyela ngeqepheni. INyoka yagobola ikghuru iinkhathi ezimbalwa kodwana kwabonakala bona iqephe liqinile, yeke yaragela phambili yayokufuna into engakghona ukufaka amazinyo wayo kiyo.

Kusesenjalo iNyoka yabona iKhondlo, ebelizidobhela imbewu nezinye izinto ezimnandi zesidlo semini. Yarhurhubela ngakilo, ilinga ukungenzi itjhada, kodwana amathumbayo ebekalila enza bona umzamo wayo ungaphumeleli. IKhondlo leqa msinyana ngendlela ebelingakghona ngayo ngeenyawana zalo ezincani litswininiza, msinyana langena ngaphasi kwamakari omileko. Lalala lapho ngokurhabako, langasikinyeka. INyoka yarhubha rhubha emakarini kancazana kodwana amathumbayo besele alila khulu. Beyilambe khulu inganawo amandla wokurhubha woke amakari bona ifumane ukudla okuncani okungange Khondlo, yeke yadlulela phambili.

Msinyana yazifumana sele yehla itjhinga emlanjeni. Kunento erarako eyadosa amehlwayo. Ibonakala kwangathi sidleke kodwana iyamanyazela begodu iyakhanya nayihlatjwa lilanga. INyoka yabona iHlokohloko liphaphela esidlekeni. “Kuyahlekisa ukuthi inyoni ibhalelwa kufihla isidleke sayo enyokeni elambileko,” kutjho iNyoka ikhuluma yodwa.

Yarhurhuba kancani yatjhinga emlanjeni begodu yazisonga songa yakhwela emhlangeni itjhinga esidlekeni seHlokohloko. Ngetjhudu, kwathi nasele izokufaka ihlokwayo ngesidlekeni idle inyoni encani, ezinye iinyoni zayibona, zenza itjhada lokuyelelisa. IHlokohloko laphuma ngebelo ngesidlekeni ngesikhathi esifaneleko lakghona ukubaleka kodwana iNyoka yawisela isidleke esihle phasi, sahlephuka phakathi.

“Lokho kuzokufundisa isifundo, Hlokohloko ngokubukisa kwako,” kutsiyoza ezinye iinyoni.

“Qala nje!” Kulila idzinyani lenyoni, “iinsiba zakho sezinzotho!”

IHlokohloko laqala iinsiba zalo ngokusaba. Kwamambala bezinzotho. Labanamahloni. Ingasi ngombana lipheze ladliwa kwaphela kodwana nendlwalo ibhidliziwe namasibalo amahle atjheli besele anzotho begodu ajayelekile njengewezinye iinyoni.

IHlokohloko lafunda isifundo. Lalisa ukuziqhenya lathoma ukuba nomusa kwezinye iinbandana. Nanyana amasibalo abatjheli godu, bekube namhlanjesi, qobe ebusika, aba nzotho godu bona likhumbule ubudlhadlha balo.

IHlokohloko elincani eliziqhenyako

* Sebenzisa umdaka, ihlama yokudlala namkha iPhrestiki ukwenza abadlali abasendabeni le, namkha udwebe bakho abadlali bese ubasike ubakhiphe. Sebenzisa abadlali bakho bona ucoce yakho indaba, ngendlelakho!

* Inga-kghani uyazazi ezinye iindaba ezineenyoka neenyoni? Khuyini eyenzekako eendabenezo? Inga-kghani kukhona okufanako?