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A wax bird flying in the sunshine.

Watoto wa nta Children of wax Les enfants de cire

Written by Southern African Folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Mutugi Kamundi

Read by Lauwo George

Language Kiswahili

Level Level 2

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Autoplay story


A man, a woman and three boys standing.

Hapo zamani za kale, paliishi familia yenye furaha.

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family.

Il était une fois une famille bien heureuse.


Three boys doing chores and working in a field.

Hawakugombana hata kidogo. Watoto waliwasaidia wazazi nyumbani na shambani.

They never fought with each other. They helped their parents at home and in the fields.

Ils ne se disputaient jamais. Ils aidaient leurs parents à la maison et dans les champs.


A man standing in front of a campfire holding his hand up and three boys standing next to him.

Lakini, walikatazwa kwenda karibu na moto.

But they were not allowed to go near a fire.

Mais ils n’avaient pas le droit de s’approcher d’un feu.


Half a house in daytime with the sun above it and the other half at nighttime with the moon and stars.

Walifanya kazi zao zote usiku. Hii ni kwa sababu walikuwa wameumbwa kwa nta.

They had to do all their work during the night. Because they were made of wax!

Ils devaient faire tout leur travail pendant la nuit. Puisqu’ils étaient faits de cire !


A boy thinking about daytime.

Lakini, kijana mmoja alitamani kwenda nje wakati wa mchana.

But one of the boys longed to go out in the sunlight.

Mais un des garçons désirait se promener au soleil.


A boy walking through a bright doorway and two boys covering their eyes.

Siku moja tamaa ya kwenda nje ikazidi. Wenzake wakamwonya asiende juani. Lakini, hakusikia.

One day the longing was too strong. His brothers warned him…

Un jour son désir était trop puissant. Ses frères l’avertirent…


A boy melting.

Aliyeyuka kwa sababu joto lilikuwa kali.

But it was too late! He melted in the hot sun.

Mais c’était trop tard ! Il fondit au soleil brûlant.


Two sad-looking boys with their arms around each other.

Watoto wa nta walihuzunika walipoona kaka yao akiyeyuka.

The wax children were so sad to see their brother melting away.

Les enfants de cire étaient si tristes de voir leur frère fondre.


Two boys shaping a lump of melted wax into a bird.

Wakapanga jambo fulani. Walichukua nta iliyoyeyuka wakatengeza ndege.

But they made a plan. They shaped the lump of melted wax into a bird.

Mais ils firent un plan. Ils façonnèrent le morceau de cire fondue en oiseau.


A wax bird on a high mountain at sunrise.

Wakamweka ndege huyo juu ya mlima mrefu.

They took their bird brother up to a high mountain.

Ils apportèrent leur frère l’oiseau jusqu’au sommet d’une montagne haute.


A wax bird flying in the sunshine.

Jua lilipochomoza asubuhi, akapeperuka akiimba kwa furaha.

And as the sun rose, he flew away singing into the morning light.

Et lorsque le soleil se leva, il s’envola vers la lumière du matin en chantant.


Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Mutugi Kamundi
Read by: Lauwo George
Language: Kiswahili
Level: Level 2
Source: Children of wax from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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