Ngelinye ilanga kwake kwaba nehlokohloko elalizigabisa ngezimpaphe zalo ezinhle ezinombala ophuzi kanye nomlomo omnyama ocwebezelayo. Lalihleli phezu komhlanga eduze komfula limemeza noma ngubani owayengase alalele, “Ngibukeni! Angimuhle yini? Bukani izimpahle zami ezigqamile eziphuzi! Bukani ukuthi umlomo wami ucwebezela kanjani lapho uhlatshwa yilanga!”

Ezinye izinyoni kanye nezilwane zazingalithandi ihlokohloko elincane. Kwakungekhona nje ukuthi laliziqhayisa kuphela, laliphinde libe nonya.

“Hheshe, Ngwenya!” kumemeza Ihlokohloko, “Ave unamazinyo amabi ngendlela exakile. Makhulu, acijile futhi aphuzi, futhi unezinsalela zenyama ezisalele kuwo! Phu! Ngiyafunga ukuthi uyafisa sengathi ngabe ubunomlomo omuhle onjengowami!”

Ingwenya yanyelela yangena ngaphansi kwamanzi yase icabanga ngokuthi bekungaba kuhle kanjani ukuba Ihlokohloko laligaxele emazinyweni ayo!

Ngenkathi sekuyisikhathi sokuthi Ihlokohloko lakhe isidleke, lahamba lazulazula ngokuzigabisa njengokwejwayelekile. Esikhundleni sokukhetha iziqephu zotshani nomhlanga nezimpaphe njengezinye izinyoni, lacosha iziqephu zephepha elicwebezelayo namaphepha akhanyayo okugoqa amaswidi, elabe seliwathungela esidlekeni. Lathi lapho seliqedile, isidleke salo sase sicwebezela futhi sikhanya lapho sihlatshwa yilanga. “Sanibonani nonke,” kumemeza Ihlokohloko. “Bukani isidleke sami! Ingabe asimangalisi na? Sibhekeni ukuthi sicwebezela kanjani elangeni!”

Ufudu lwamangala lwedlula emhlangeni futhi lwama lwabuka isidleke esingajwayelekile seHlokohlolo. “Awufisi ngabe ubunekhaya elifana nelami, Fudu?” kutshiloza Ihlokohloko. “Elakho liphuphile futhi liyadikibalisa. Buka elami ukuthi licwebezela kanjani.”

Ufudu lwanikina ikhanda lalo, “Ngijabule ngegobolondo lami, Hlokohloko. Lingigcina ngiphephile, futhi lokho kubaluleke kakhulu kimi.”

Okulandelayo, igundane elincane lalunguza ngekhanda lalo ngaphansi kwengqumbi yamacembe omileyo. Isiqephu sefoyili elisesidlekeni seHlokohloko sadonsa amehlo alo. “Ewu, Hlokohloko, isidleke sakho sigqamile kakhulu,” kunswininiza igundwane.

Ihlokohloko lafutha izimpaphe zalo. “Usho njalo?” lasho ngokuzigabisa. “Gundane, awukhathele ukuhlala phakathi kwamacembe ansundu nezinswazi? Ave idumaza futhi iyimbi indlu yakho.”

“Cha, Hlokohloko,” kwasho Igundane. “Uma unobuncane obungangobami, uyisidlo sezinye izilwane eziningi. Uma ngizifihla ngaphansi kwenqwaba yamacembe ami, akekho ongakwazi ukungibona kanti lokho kungisiza ukuthi ngingadliwa. Kungcono ngiphephe kunokuthi ngizisole.”

“Ngiqinisekile ukuthi unomona nje,” kuhogela Ihlokohloko emoyeni

ngomlomo walo.

Manje sekunenyoka enkulu eduze komfula ebilokhu ibhacile ubusika bonke. Ngenkathi ivuka, yayizizwa ilambe kakhulu, ngakho yahamba yayocinga okuthile okumnandi okuya esiswini. Yathola ufudu oluncane lotha ilanga. Ufudu lwabona ulimi lweNyoka olunyakazayo kanye namehlo asabuhlalu lwavele lwadonsa ikhanda lalo labuyela ngqo egobolondweni lalo. Inyoka yadudula Ufudu izikhathi ezimbalwa, kodwa kwabonakala sengathi kwakuyigobolondo nje eliqinile, ngakho yaqhubekela phambili yayobheka okunye eyayingase ifake amazinyo ayo kukho.

Khona manjalo Inyoka yabona Igundane, elaliqoqa izinhlamvu nokunye okudliwayo okuzoyizayo kwesidlo sasemini. Yahubuluza ngesisu iqonde kulo, izama ukwenza umsindo omncane ngangokusemandleni, kodwa isisu sayo esasikhala ngenxa yendlala senza ukuthi ungaphumeleli lo mzamo. Igundane lantweza ngokushesha ngangamandla ezinyawana zalo lanswininiza ngokushesha lisithela ngaphansi kwengqumbi yamahlamvu omileyo. Lalala lapho lithule du, linganyakazisi ngisho izindevu. Inyoka yahlokoloza amahlamvu kancane, kodwa isisu sayo sasesiduma kuzwakale. Yayisilambe kakhulu ukuthi ingacinga kuwo wonke lawo mahlamvu ukuze ithole ukudla okwakukuncane njengeGundane, ngakho yavele yaqhubekela phambili.

Khona manjalo yazithola yehla iqonde phansi emfuleni. Lapho-ke, into engajwayelekile yadonsa amehlo ayo. Yayibukeka njengesidleke nje, kodwa yabe ikhazimula futhi icwebezela lapho ihlatshwa yilanga elikhanyayo. Inyoka yabona Ihlokohloko lindiza lingena esidlekeni. “Kuyahlekisa ukuthi inyoni angeke izame ukufihla isidleke sayo enyokeni elambile,” kwasho Inyoka ikhuluma yodwa.

Yahubuluza kancane ibheke emfuleni futhi yashwilingana yenyuka ngomhlanga ibheke esidlekeni seHlokohloko. Ngenhlanhla, ngenkathi nje isizofaka ikhanda layo esidlekene idle inyoni encane, yabonwa ngezinye izinyoni, ezabe sezibanga umsindo wokwexwayisa. Ihlokohloko laphuma liyinhlamvu esidlekeni salo ngesikhathi esifanele futhi lakwazi ukubaleka, kodwa Inyoka yasiwisa phansi bhu isidleke esidle, lapho esavele sahlephuka sahlakazeka.

“Lokho kuzokufundisa, Hlokohloko, ngokuzithwala kwakho,” kutshiloza ezinye izinyoni.

“Futhi awubheke nje!” kukhala iphuphu, “Izimpaphe zakho seziphenduke

zaba nsundu!”

Ihlokohloko labuka izimpiko zalo ngokwesaba. Nebala zase ziphenduke zaba nsundu ngokuphelele. Lazizwa lihlazeke kakhulu. Kwakungekhona nje ukuthi licishe ladliwa kuphela, kodwa indlu yalo yayibhidliziwe kanti nezimpaphe zalo ezinhle eziphuzi zase zinsundu futhi sezijwayelekile, njengeningi lezinye izinyoni.

Ihlokohloko lasifunda isifundo salo. Layeka ukuzigabisa futhi laqala ukuba Nomusa kwezinye izilwane. Nakuba izimpaphe zalo zaphenduka zaba phuzi futhi, kuze

kube namuhla, njalo ebusika ziyaphenduka zibe nsundu ukuze zilikhumbuze ngobuwula balo.

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