Kwezwakala ukuhhewula okukhulu ehlathini njengoba uMpungushe ayevuka ebuthongweni obumnandi basebusuku.

“Lwaze lwaluhle usuku,” kusho uMpungushe. “Sanibonani, nonke bangane bami abancane nabakhulu,” ebingelela ezinye izilwane. “Jabulelani ukushisa kwelanga namuhla. Khokhani umoya oqabulayo kakhulu. Cingani yonke indawo nize nithole ukudla okwehl’esiphundu,” enezela ngezwi elinobungane.

Phela, uMpungushe wayezofaka esinye salezi zilwane kumenyu yakhe yokudla kwakusihlwa ngalobo busuku! Kodwa wanquma ukuba angadli lutho usuku lonke. Bese kuthi, ntambama, wayezolamba kakhulu bese eyaphuma eyozingela isiteki senyama esithi cosololo. Ekugcineni, wamemeza, “Jabulelani usuku, bangane! Sizophinde sibonane.” Wathi ukuqhephuka kancane yinsini njengoba ayehamba.

UMpungushe wacula engawuvulile umlomo ingoma emnandi njengoba ayegijima eya emthonjeni wamanzi wezilwane. Amanzi ayecwebile futhi emtoti. Waphuza amaningi kangangokunokwenzeka. Wabe esezitholela indawo azolala kuyo otshanini obude ngaphansi kwesihlahla esikhulu, esiluhlaza esinomthunzi omnandi.

UMpungushe waba nephupho elihle elimayelana nesidlo esimnandi ayezosidla kamuva ngalolo suku. Ngokuqinisekile kwakuzoba yiqatha lenyama eyosiwe elikhulu kangangele Nkosi uBhubesi! UMpungushe wamamatheka kakhulu njengoba elele.

Ilanga laliyoshona lapho uMpungushe evuka ekuthatheni isihlwathi. Wazelula kaningi wakhipha ubuthongo emzimbeni wakhe olambile. Wabe esezamula izikhathi ezimbalwa ejimisa umhlathi wakhe ukuze akwazi ukuluma isisulu sakhe endaweni efanele.

“Manje-ke, sekuyisikhathi sokuba ngithole ukudla kwami kwakusihlwa,” kusho uMpungushe. “Ngilambe njengempungushe, he-he-hee,” wahleka kwaze kwashukuma umzimba.

Okwesikhashana, uMpungushe wayezibuza ukuthi kwakufanele ashone ngaphi. Ingabe kufanele aye ngokwesobunxele noma ngakwesokudla lapho efika ezihlahleni ezinde? Wabe esebona itshe eliyisicaba otshanini obufushane. Lalimpunga kolunye uhlangothi, futhi limnyama ngakolunye. “Ahaaaaa!” ememeza. “Ngizoliphonsa phezulu emoyeni itshe, futhi uma kuvela umbala ompunga ngizoya ngakwesobunxele kanti uma kuba ngomnyama, ngakwesokudla.” Itshe lawela ngombala omnyama. Ngakho, ngaphandle kokulibala, uMpungushe wajikela ngakwesokudla lapho efika ezihlahleni ezinde. Wayegxuma eshona phansi naphezulu ngezidladla zakhe njengoba ayegijima edabula ezihlahleni.

Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, uMpungushe wabona lokho okwakuzoba yisisulu sakhe sokuqala – ugundwane omncane, ompunga wasesigangeni.

“Hhayi-khona, kuncane kakhulu lokhu,” kucabanga uMpungushe. “Akwanele ngisho nokungivusela isifiso sokudla.”

UMpungushe waqhubeka egijima, wabe esebona ijuba elimpunga-sakuba luhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Lalihleli phambi kwesihlahla esikhulu, lilokhu liqopholoza phansi ngomlomo walo, lifuna izibungu.

“Hmmm, mangikuyeke naloku,” kucabanga uMpungushe. “Kuncane kakhulu nakho, mina ngiyafa yindlala! Ngizoba nesineke. Ake sibone ukuthi yini engizoyithola emthonjeni wezilwane.”

Njengoba uMpungushe ayesondela emthonjeni wezilwane, wahhewula ngenjabulo. Wacishe wazibhaqisa ngomsindo omkhulu kakhulu! Lapho, phambi kwakhe, wabona isimo esasingakholeki. Izilwane zalo lonke uhlobo nosayizi zaziphuza amanzi.

“Manje,” kucabanga uMpungushe, “Kuzomele ngisebenzise ubuchule.”

Wanyonyoba eya phambili ngobunono obukhulu wabe eselinda. Wayesekhasa kancane kancane aze acishe ahuqe phansi ngesisu. Kwakumele acophelele ngoba izilwane zikwazi ukuhogela iphunga kahle kakhulu futhi wayengafuni silwane esizombona. UMpungushe wadlula engxenyeni yokugcina yotshani obude. Kwakuthi akafe yinjabulo ngoba lapho phambi kwakhe, insephe esencane yayiphuza amanzi izolile.

“Yiyo kanye engiyifunayo,” kuhleba uMpungushe. “Manje sekusele nje leliya dwala elicijile emanzini acwebezelayo phakathi kwami nesidlo sami.”

Njengoba uMpungushe egasela, wavala amehlo, wavula umlomo kakhulu futhi wathi ngqi waluma ngamandla. Kodwa ngaso leso sikhathi, wantinyelwa yinyosi esihlokweni sekhala lakhe.

“Aweeeeeee!” kuhhewula uMpungushe ezwa ubuhlungu. Ukuntinyela kwenyosi kwakubuhlungu kakhulu! Kodwa ubuhlungu obabusemphinjeni wakhe kwakubuhlungu ngisho nakakhulu. “Kuqhubekani kanti? Inyosi ayingintinyelanga emphinjeni!”

UMpungushe wayeseqaphela ukuthi idwala elicijile lalibhajwe emphinjeni wakhe. Wayeyigejile insephe futhi wagwinya idwala esikhundleni sayo!

“Bekumele ngigcine amehlo ami evuliwe!” wagquma ngokucasuka njengoba ayesuka ehamba umsila uqoshele phakathi kwemilenze yakhe.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi lomthombo wamanzi, zonke izilwane zazihleli zilandelana njengezibukeli ezikhokhile embukisweni. Zakujabulela kakhulu okwakwehlela uMpungushe. Zaqhephuka ngohleko. Ezinye kwezincane zazishaya ungqimphothwe yinjabulo.

“Itshe liwukudla kwakusihlwa!” kubhonga iNkosi uBhubesi, ethokoze kakhulu. “Kulokhu, uMpungushe ufunde isifundo esinzima!”

Ihlathi labe selichwaza njengoba zonke izilwane zazihleka kakhulu. Zahleka kwaze kwazamazama umhlaba. Umhlaba wazamazama kakhulu ngaphansi komzimba kaMpungushe kangangokuthi itshe laphuma laqhasha emlonyeni wakhe. Izilwane emthonjeni wamanzi zezwa ukuhhewula okukhalela phansi ebangeni elikude. Zonke zamamatheka zabukana, kwabe sekuphinda kuba nokuthula nokuzola ehlathini.

Yenza indaba ihlabe umxhwele!

• Uzizwa kanjani ngalokho okwenzeka kuMpungushe? Ingabe uyamzwela noma cha? Ingabe ubuyozizwa ngendlela ehlukile ukube uMpungushe wayeyibambile insephe esencane?
• INkosi uBhubesi uthi uMpungushe ufunde isifundo. Yisiphi isifundo ocabanga ukuthi uMpungushe usifundile?
• Kwake kwadingeka yini ukuba wena ufunde isifundo esinzima? Wazizwa kanjani lapho ufunda leso sifundo?