Kwevakala kuhhewula lokukhulu ngesheya kwelihlatsi njengoba iMphisi ivuka ebutfongweni lobumnadzi kakhulu.

“Laze laba luhle lolusuku,” kusho iMphisi. “Sanibonani nonkhe, bangani bami labancane nani nonkhe bangani bami labakhulu,” ibingelela leti letinye tilwane. “Kufanele nijabulele kushisa kwelilanga lamuhla. Hogelani umoya lomnandzi lohlobile. Funani etulu naphansi nidzimate nitfole kudla lokwehla ngemgogodla,” yengeta yasho njalo ngelivi lelinebungani lobendlulele.

Uyabona, iMphisi beyitawufaka sinye kuletilwane kumenyu yayo yekudla kwasebusuku ngalelo langa! Yancuma kungadli lutfo lilanga lonkhe. Ngako, entsambama, itawube seyilambe kakhulu futsi itawuhamba iyotingela kuze itfole licatsa lenyama lelimnandzi. Ekugcineni, yamemeta, “Nijabulele lusuku, bangani! Sitawubonana.” Yahleka kancane njengoba ihamba.

IMphisi yahaya ingoma yenjabulo njengoba igijima iya esigodzini lesinemanti etilwane. Lamanti abehlobile futsi abandza. Yanatsa yaze yenetiseka. Yabese itfola indzawo yekulala etjanini ngephansi kwesihlahla lesikhulu semtfunti lesiluhlata.

IMphisi yaba neliphupho lelimnandzi lekudla lokwehla ngemgogodla letakudla ebusuku ngalelo langa. Ngalokucinisekile kutawuba yinyama letfosiwe lenkhulu njengeNkhosi leliBhubesi! IMphisi yamamatseka kakhulu njengoba ilele.

Laselishona lilanga ngesikhatsi iMphisi ekugcineni ivuka ebutfongweni bayo. Yatelula yatelula futsi yasusa butfongo emtimbeni wayo lolambile. Yavula yavala umlomo wayo tikhatsi letimbalwa kuze ivocavoce umhlatsi wayo khona itewukwati kuhlafuna inyamatane yayo endzaweni lefanele.

“Hhayi-ke, sesikhatsi sekutsi ngitfole kudla kwami kwasebusuku,” kusho iMphisi. “Ngilambe njengemphisi, ha-ha-ha-ha,” yahleka waze umtimba wayo wanyakata.

Sikhashana, iMphisi yayididekile kutsi itawuhamba ibheke kuphi. Kufanele iye ngesencele noma ngesekudla yini nayifika kuletihlahla letindze? Yabona litje lelisicaba kulotjani lobutsambile. Kulolunye luhlangotsi belimphunga, kulolunye limnyama. “Ahaaaaa!” yamemeta. “Ngitawuphonsa lelitje etulu emoyeni, nalibuya lihlala ngembala lomphunga ngitawuya ngesencele nalihlala ngembala lomnyama ngitawuya ngesekudla.” Lelitje lahlala ngembala lomnyama. Ngako, ngaphandle kwekuphotisa emaseko, iMphisi yaya ngesekudla nayifika kuletihlahla letindze. Yayigcuma gcuma njengoba igijima emkhatsini waletihlahla.

Kungakapheli sikhatsi lesidze, iMphisi yabona silwane sekucala lengasihlasela – ligundvwane lelincane, lelimphunga.

“Hhayi, kuncane kakhulu loku,” kucabanga iMphisi. “Akukaneli nekutsi kuvuse sifiso sekudla.”

IMphisi yachubeka nekugijima, yase ibona lituba leliluhlata kwasibhakakha nalokuphunga. Lelituba belihleli ngaphambi kwesihlahla lesikhulu, lichwandza emhlabatsini lifuna imisundvu.

“Mmmm, awu angeke,” kucabanga iMphisi. “Naloku nako kuncane kakhulu, futsi mine ngilambe kakhulu! Ngitawubeketela. Asesibone kutsi yini lengingayitfola emgodzini wemanti.”

Njengoba iMphisi isondzela emgodzini wemanti yamemeta ngekujabula. Lokumemeta kwacishe kwaba kukhulu! Ngaphambi kwayo, ayikukholwanga leyakubona. Tilwane tabo bonkhe bukhulu betinatsa emanti.

“Nyalo,” kucabanga iMphisi, “Kutawufanele ngibe nebucili.”

Yanyonyoba yaya phambili ngekuthula yase iyema. Ngemuva kwaloko yakhansa ngesisu sayo yasondzela. Kwadzingeka kutsi icophelele ngoba tilwane tiyakhona kuhogela kahle futsi beyingafuni kutsi noma ngubani ayibone. IMphisi yatihudvula yendlula endzaweni yekugcina yetjani lobudze. Yaphelelwa ngumoya ngenca yenjabulo ngoba ngaphambi kwayo, inyamatane lencane beyinatsa emanti.

“Nako-ke,” kuhleba iMphisi. “Nyalo ngulelitje lelicijile kuphela kulamanti lakhatitelako lelisemkhatsini wami nekudla kwami.”

Njengoba iMphisi igcuma, yavala emehlo ayo, yawuvula kakhulu umlomo yaluma. Kodvwa ngaleso sikhatsi, inyosi yayisutela emphumulweni.

“Ekhuwi!” IMphisi yakhala iva buhlungu. Lelidvonsi lalenyosi belibuhlungu kakhulu! Kodvwa buhlungu lobebusemphinjeni wayo bebubukhulu kakhulu. “Kwentekani? Lenyosi ayikangisuteli mosi emphinjeni!”

Ngemuva kwaloko leMphisi yabona kutsi lelitje lelicijile lalihleli emphinjeni wayo. Yayigeje lenyamatane futsi yamita lelitje esikhundleni sayo!

“Bekufanele ngingawavali emehlo!” yabhodla ngelulaka njengoba igijigijima ifake umsila emkhatsini wemilente yayo.

Ngakulolunye luhlangotsi lwalesigodzi semanti, tonkhe leletinye tilwane tatihleti tishaye lilayini shengatsi tihlwele letibhadalele kutowubukela umbukiso. Betijabulela sonkhe sikhatsi sesimo lesibucayi seMphisi. Betibhodla ngekuhleka. Letinye taletilwane letincane betigicika ngenca yenjabulo.

“Litje lekudla kwasebusuku!” kubhodla iNkhosi leliBhubesi, ihleka kakhulu. “Kuloku, iMphisi ifundze sifundvo kabuhlungu!”

Kwase kudvuma lihlatsi njengoba tonkhe tilwane tatihleka kakhulu. Tahleka kwaze kwatamatama umhlaba. Umhlaba watamatama kakhulu ngephansi kwemtimba weMphisi kangangekutsi lelitje laceka lase liyaphuma emlonyeni wayo. Tilwane letisesigodzini semanti teva kukhala lokuncane lokuvakala khashane. Tamamatseka tibukana, futsi ngemuva kwaloko lihlatsi lababete umsindvo kwaphindze kwaba nekuthula.

Yenta indzaba ibe nemdlandla!

• Utiva njani ngaloko lokwenteka kuleMphisi? Uyayivela yini noma cha? Bongativa ngendlela leyehlukile yini kube leMphisi yayibamba lenyamatane lencane?
• INkhosi leliBhubesi itsi iMphisi ifundze sifundvo. Ngusiphi sifundvo locabanga kutsi iMphisi yasifundza?
• Kwake kwenteka yini kwadzingeka kutsi ufundze sifundvo lesimatima? Wativa njani nawufundza lesifundvo?