Kudala-dala kwaye kukho ihobohobo elincinci elalizigwagwisa ngeentsiba zalo ezintle ezityheli nomlomo walo okhazimlayo omnyama. Lalihlala kwiingcongolo ezingasemlanjeni likhwaza nabani na owayenokuliphulaphula, “Ndijonge! Andimhlanga? Jonga iintsiba zam eziqaqambileyo ezityheli! Jonga indlela umlomo wam okhazimla ngayo elangeni!”

Ezinye iintaka nezilwanyana zazingalithandi ihobohobo elincinci. Yayingeyonto nje yokuba lizigwagwisa, koko lalikwakhohlakele.

“Yhee Ngwenya!” wakhwaza uHobohobo, “Unamazinyo amabi gqitha. Makhulu, azingxavula, atyheli, yaye unamasuntswana okutya axinge phakathi kwawo! Phuuu! Ndiqinisekile unqwenela ukuba ube ubunomlomo omhle ofana nowam!”

UNgwenya watshona phansti kwamanzi waza wacinga ngendlela ekwakunokuba mnandi ngayo ukuba uHobohobo wayexinge kumazinyo akhe!

Xa yayilixesha lokuba uHobohobo akhe indlwana yakhe, wenza njengendlela yakhe yesiqhelo yokuzigwagwisa. Endaweni yokuba akhethe izijungqwana zengca neengcongolo neentsiba ngokufana nezinye iintaka, wachola iziqwengana zamaphepha akhazimlayo namaphepha akhazimlayo okubopha iiswiti, awazolukela endlwaneni. Wathi akugqiba, indlwane yakhe yabe ikhazimla idanyaza elangeni. “Yhe nina,” wakhwaza uHobohobo. “Jongani indlwane yam! Ayintlanga ngokumangalisayo? Jongani indlela ekhazimla ngayo elangeni!”

Ufudo lwathi chu ludlula ezingcongolweni lwaza lwema ukuba lujonge indlu kaHobohobo engaqhelekanga. “Awunqweneli ukuba unge unendlu efana neyam, Fudwazana?” wantyiloza uHobohobo. “Eyakho idangele kwaye iyakruqula. Jonga ukuba eyam ikhazimla kangakanani.”

UFudwazana wanikina intloko, “Ndonwabile liqokobhe lam Hobohoho. Liyandikhusela, yaye kuphela kwento ebalulekileyo kum leyo.”

Okulandelayo, impukwana yedobo yakroba ikwinqumba yamagqabi omileyo. Isiqwengana sefoyile kwindlwana kaHobohobo satsala umdla wayo. “Yho, Hobohobo, indlwane yakho iqaqambe kakhulu,” yatswina.

“Ayinjalo?” watsho ngebhongo. Awudinwanga, Mpukwana, kukuhlala kumagqabi amdaka nasezintsaseni? Hayi ukuba lusizi nokunganiki mdla kwendlu yakho.”

“Hayi, Hobohobo,” watsho uMpukwana. “Xa ungangam, ujongene nokutyiwa zezinye izilwanyana ezininzi. Xa ndithe ndavunduza ndatshona kwinqumba yamagqabi am, akukho mntu unokundibona yaye oko kunqanda ukuba ndingatyiwa. Ndikhetha ukukhuseleka kunokuba ndizisole.”

“Ndiqinisekile ukuba unomona,” enyevula uHobohobo umlomo ewuphakamisele emoyeni.

Ngoku kwakukho inyoka enkulu kufutshane nomlambo eyayilele ubusika bonke. Yathi xa ivuka, yaziva ilambe kakhulu, yaza yaya kukhangela into emnandi yokutya ukuzalisa isisu sayo. Yadibana nofudo oluncinci lothe ilanga. UFudwazana wajonga kwakanye kulwimi olulencezayo lukaNyoka namehlo aziingqanda waza warhoxisa intloko yakhe wangena eqokobheni lakhe. UNyoka wamqhoqhoza kambalwa uFudwazana, kodwa kwabonakala ngathi liqokobhe  nje eliqinileyo, ngoko ke wemka eyokukhangela into awayenokuyiluma.

Kungekudala uNyoka wabona uMpukwana, owayeqokelela iinkozo nezinye izinto ezimnandi eza kwenza isidlo sasemini. Warhubuluzela ngakuye, ezama ukungangxoli kangangoko kwakunokwenzeka, kodwa isisu sakhe esasixuxuzela sambhaqisa. UMpukwana watsiba ngokukhawuleza kangangoko imilenze yakhe yayinokumthwala waza wajubalaza ngokukhawuleza wehlela emazantsi enqumba yamagqabi akhe omileyo. Walala apho ethe cwaka, kungashukumi nelinye ibhovu. UNyoka waxhokonxa amagqabi ithutyana, kodwa ngoku isisu sakhe sasigquma kakhulu. Wayelambe kakhulu ukuba angomba kuwo onke loo magqabi ngesidlo esincinci esingangoMpukwana, ngoko ke wedlulela phambili.

Kungekudala wazifumana esezanti ngasemlanjeni. Apho, into engaqhelekanga kakhulu yatsala iliso lakhe. Yayikhangeleka kanye ngathi yindlwane, kodwa yayikhazimla idanyaza kwilanga eliqaqambileyo. UNyoka wabona uHobohobo ebhabha engena endlwaneni. “Isimanga ukuba intaka ingazami ukufihla indlwane yayo kwinyoka elambileyo,” wazixelela uNyoka.

Wachwechwa ngokuzola ukuya ngasemlanjeni waza wenyuka ngeengcongolo ukuya kwindlwane kaHobohobo. Ngethamsanqa, xa kanye wayeza kufaka intloko endlwaneni aze atye intakana, wabonwa zezinye iintaka, ezahlahlambayo zatswina zisenza isilumkiso. UHobohobo watsiba waphuma ngokukhawuleza kuselithuba endlwaneni waza wakwazi ukubaleka, kodwa uNyoka wayibetha yawela phantsi indlwane entle, apho yaqhekeka yahlukana.

“Oko kuza kukufundisa, Hobohobo, ngokuba lithanda njezu,” zatswina

ezinye iintaka.

“Yaye jonga,” yakhwaza intakana, “Iintsiba zakho zijike zamdaka ngebala!”

UHobohobo wajonga iintsiba zakhe ngokoyika. Ngokwenene zazimdaka ngokupheleleyo ngebala. Waziva eneentloni. Kwakungaphelelanga nje ukuba ephantse watyiwa, kodwa indlu yakhe yayitshatyalalisiwe yaye neentsiba zakhe ezintle zazimdaka ngebala zifana nje nezezinye iintaka.

UHobohobo wayefunde isifundo. Wayeka ukuthanda injezu waza waqalisa ukuba nobubele kwezinye izilwanyana. Nangona iintsiba zakhe zaphinda zajika zaba tyheli kwakhona, kude kube namhla, ubusika ngabunye, zijika zibe mdaka ngebala kwakhona ukumkhumbuza ngobuyatha bakhe.

Ihobohobo elincinci elizigwagwisayo

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