Bekukhona lihlokohloko lelincane lebelitigcabha ngebuhle betinsiba talo letimtfubi nemlomo walo lomnyama lomanyatelako. Lahlala emihlangeni ngaseceleni kwemfula limemeta noma ngubani labengalalela. Ngibukeni! Angisimuhle? Bukani tinsiba tami letikhanyako letimtfubi! Bukani kutsi umlomo wami umanyatela njani elangeni!”

leti letinye tinyoni netilwane betingalitsandzi lelihlokohloko lelincane. Bekunguloko nje kutsi belitikhukhumeta.boastful, he was also mean.

“Hheyi, Ngwenya!” kumemeta Lihlokohloko, “Unematinyo lamabi ngempela. Makhulu futsi akalingani kantsi amtfubi, futsi uneticucu tenyama letikhaceke kuwo! Suka! Ngiyabheja wena ufisa kuba nemlomo lomuhle njengalona wami!”

Ngwenya washelela wangena ngaphansi kwemanti wacabanga kutsi kungaba kuhle njani uma Lihlokohloko angakhacela kulamatinyo akhe!

Nasekusikhatsi sekutsi Lihlokohloko akhe sidleke sakhe, wachubeka nalendlela yakhe yekutikhukhumeta. Esikhundleni sekukhetsa tincamu tetjani nemhlanga netinsiba njengaletinye tinyoni, wakhetsa emapheshana lamanyatelako nemaphepha ekugoca emaswidi lakhatimulako lawatsatsa wawaphicela kulesidleke. Watsi lapho sekacedzile, sidleke sakhe sacwebetela sakhatimula elangeni. “Hheyi, nine nokhe,” kwamemeta Lihlokohloko. “Bukani sidleke sami! Asisihle nje? Bukani kutsi simanya njani elangeni!”

Lufudvu lwatihambela kancane nje lwendlula imihlanga lwase luyema kutobuka lesidleke saLihlokohloko lesingaketayeleki. “Awufisi kuba nelikhaya lelifana naleli lami, Fudvu?” kuhlabela Lihlokohloko. “Yakho iyafifiyela nje futsi iyavilaphisa. Buka kutsi imanya njani leyami.”

Fudvu wanikina inhloko, “Ngiyajabula ngeligobolondvo lami, Lihlokohloko. Lingenta ngihlale ngiphephile, futsi nguloko lokubalulekile kimi.”

Lokulandzelako, ligundvwane lelincane lesiganga laveta inhloko yalo encunjini yemacembe. Sincamu sefoyili esidlekeni saLihlokohloko sabamba liso lalo. “Hhawu Lihlokohloko, sidleke sakho sikhanya kakhulu,” latswininita.

Lihlokohloko wakhukhumukisa tinsiba takhe. “Akusiko?” kwasho yena ngekutigcabha. “Awukadzinwa, Ligundvwane, kuhlala emacembeni lansundvu nemagala lamancane etihlahla? Indlu yakho nje ivisana buhlungu ayinakukhanya.”

“Cha, Lihlokohloko,” kwasho Gundvwane. “Uma ungulesayizi yami, ukudla kwaletinye tilwane letinyenti. Uma ngitfunguluta ngishona phansi encunjini yami yemacembe, kute namunye longangibona futsi loko kuvimbela kutsi ngidliwe. Ngingamane ngiphephe kunekutsi ngibe lusizi.”

“Nginesiciniseko kutsi umane unemona nje,” kuhogela Lihlokohloko emoyeni ngalomlomo wakhe.

Manje bekunenyoka lenkhulu edvute nalomfula leyayikadze ilele busika bonkhe. Yatsi lapho ivuka, yeva ilambe kakhulu, ngako-ke yase iyahamba iyofuna intfo letsite lemnandzi lengayidla kute igcwalise sisu sayo. Yahlangana nelufudvu loluncane lutotsela lilanga. Fudvu walubuka kanye nje lulwimi lwaNyoka lebeluyaluka kanye nemehlo akhe lakhaliphako wabese udvonsa inhloko yakhe uyibuyisela emuva kuleligobolondvo lakhe. Nyoka wagcuzula Fudvu tikhatsi letimbalwa, kodvwa kwabukeka sengatsi lugobolondvo nje lolucinile, ngako wachubeka kuyobuka intfo letsite labengafaka kuyo ematinyo akhe.

Ngekushesha Nyoka wabona Gundvwane, lobekabutsa tinhlavu naletinye tintfo letimnandzi lebekatatidla ngesikhatsi sekudla kwasemini. Waphuma wacondza ngakuye, wetama kungabangi umsindvo lomkhulu, kodvwa sisu sakhe lebesikhonona samlahla. Gundvwane waphuma agijima ngalamakhulu ematubane watfubeleta waya ngaphansi kwelencumbi yakhe yemacembe lomile. Walala lapho wabindza wanganyakatisi ngisho emadzevu. Nyoka waphendla lamacembe kwesikhashana, kodvwa sisu sakhe besesikhala kakhulu. Bese alambe kakhulu kutsi bekangagubha kuwo onkhe lamacembe kutsi adle kudla lokuncane njengaGundvwane, ngako-ke wabese sewuyachubeka.

Ngekusesha watikhandza asasentasi ngasemfuleni. Khona lapho emehlo akhe akhangwa yintfo lengaketayeleki leyadvonsa emehlo akhe. Beyibukeka njengesidleke, kodvwa beyicwebetela futsi imanya kulokukhanya kwelilanga. Nyoka wabona Lihlokohloko andiza ayongena kulesidleke. “Kuyahlekisa kutsi leya nyoni ngeke seyetame kufihlela inyoka lelambile lesidleke sayo,” kusho Nyoka akhuluma yedvwa.

Wahuma ngekuthula wacondza ngasemfuleni wabese ukhuphuka ngemhlanga uya etulu esidlekeni saLihlokohloko. Ngenhlanhla, watsi lapho afuna kufaka inhloko yakhe ekhatsi esidlekeni atodla lenyoni lencane, wabonwa nguletinye tinyoni, letabe setiyantjilota tibanga umsindvo wekwecwayisa. Lihlokohloko waphuma ngemjako esidlekeni sakhe kusenesikhatsi wakwati kubaleka, kodvwa Nyoka washaya lesidleke sakhe lesihle wasiwisela phansi emhlabatsini, lapho satsi nasifika khona sephuka.

“Loko kutakufundzisa, Lihlokohloko ngalokutsandza kubukisa,” kuntjilota letinye tinyoni.

“Futsi buka!” kukhala lintjwele, “Tinsiba takho setigucuke tabansundvu!”

Lihlokohloko watibuka tinsiba takhe ngekwesaba. Nembala besetigucuke tinsundvu. Wativa anemahloni. Bekungesiko nje kuphela kutsi abecishe wadliwa, kodvwa indlu yakhe beyibhidlitiwe netinsiba takhe letinhle letimtfubi besetinsundvu setingule tetayelekile njengencumbi yaletinye tinyoni.

Lihlokhloko bekasifundzile sifundvo sakhe. Wakhawula kubukisa futsi wacala kulunga kuletinye tilwane. Noma tinsiba takhe taphindza tagucuka taba mtfubi, kute kube ngunamuhla, bonkhe busika, tiyagucuka tibensundvu futsi kumkhumbuta lobulima bakhe.

Lihlokohloko lelitikhukhumetako

• Sebentisa lubumba, inhlama yekudlala noma iprestikhi kwenta balingisi kulendzaba, noma dvweba takho titfombe tabo bese uyatijuba uyatikhipha. Sebentisa labalingisi bakho kuphindza ucoce lendzaba ngeyakho indlela!
• Kukhona yini letinye tindzaba lotatiko letinetinyoka netinyoni kuto? Yini leyentekako kuletindzaba? Kukhona yini lokufanako kulendzaba?