Mupunyutsi

ChiShona

English

Mupunyutsi aiva chijaya chigwindiri. Aifarira kubata mbeva nevamwe vakomana vezera rake. Vaiteya mariva mazuva ose. Nguva dzose, Mupunyutsi aibata mbeva dzakawanda kudarika vamwe vose, zvichizoita kuti aitirwe godo.

Rimwe zuva Mupunyutsi akawana riva rake rabata mudhende. Vamwe vose vakatanga vachamuseka, asi vakazorega kuseka pavakarangarira zvaitaurwa pamusoro pemudhende. Zvainzi kubata mudhende kwaishura rufu.

Mupunyutsi akafunga kupunyutsa mudhende uya, asi vamwe vake vakamurambidza. “Uuraye!” akadaro mumwe wavo, asi Mupunyutsi akaramba. Vamwe vakomana vakabva vamuudza kuti havaikwanisa kuramba vachitamba naye nokuti aizovapa munyama.

Achinzwa izvi, Mupunyutsi akatora mudhende wake akauisa munhava yake, ndokunanga kumba kuna amai vake. Akamboda kuchema, asi akarangarira zvaakanga audzwa nababa vake vasati vafa. Vakanga vamuudza kuti munhurume haaifanira kuchema nhamo, asi kuti aifanira kutofunga zano.

Mupunyutsi was an healthy boy who had just entered adolescence. He enjoyed catching mice with other young boys of his age. Each day they would set mice traps. Mupunyutsi always caught the most mice, and this made the other boys jealous.

One day Mupunyutsi found an elephant shrew caught in his trap. All the other boys laughed at him, but immediately stopped when they remembered what was said about the elephant shrew. It was believed that catching a shrew was an omen of death.

Mupunyutsi decided to release the elephant shrew, but the other boys forbade him from doing so. “Kill it!” said one of the boys, but Mupunyutsi refused. The other boys then told him that he could no longer be a part of their group, as he would bring bad luck upon them.

On hearing this, Mupunyutsi took the elephant shrew and put it in his small woven pouch, then headed home to his mother. For a moment he wanted to cry, but then he remembered what his father had said to him before he died. He had been told that a man was never to cry when faced with difficulties. Instead, he had to come up with a plan.

Akasvikowana amai vake vagere paruvanze vachimenya nzungu. “Tarisai, amai, ndabata mudhende,” akadaro achirwisa misodzi yakanga yoda kudonha. Vachinzwa izvi vakabva vati mhere kwetsu vakabata gotsi. Mupunyutsi akamboda kuvanyaradza, asi akazofunga kuvasiya kuti vambopedza shungu. Vakazoti vadzikama, Mupunyutsi ndokuti kwavari, “Amai, zvino ini handione ndichikwanisa kuramba ndichagara mumusha uno. Vanhu vose vachazenge vonditiza vachiti ndingazovapa munyama.” Akabva audza amai vake kuti akanga afunga kuenda nyika iri kure kure. Amai vaMupunyutsi vakachema zvaipisa tsitsi.

Mupunyutsi akatora nhava yake yaiva nemudhende netumwewo tunhu twake. Akatora zvakare pfumo rake neuta nemiseve zvaakanga asiyirwa nababa vake. Amai vake vakamurongedzerawo mbuva, vakamukumbirira rudziviriro kuvadzimu. Vaviri vakaonekana, mukomana ndokupinda munzira.

When he got home, his mother was seated outside shelling nuts. “Look, mother, I caught an elephant shrew,” he said as he fought back tears. On hearing this, his mother held the back of her head and began to wail. Mupunyutsi wanted to comfort her, but then decided to leave her to let out her grief. When she had calmed down, Mupunyutsi said, “Mother, I do not believe that I can continue to live in this village. Soon everyone will be avoiding me, saying I will bring them bad luck.” He told his mother that he ad decided to go to a faraway place. Mupunyutsi’s mother wept pitifully.

Mupunyutsi took his pouch which had the elephant shrew and a few other small items of his. He also took the spear, and the bow and arrows that his father had left him. His mother also packed some food for the journey, and asked for the ancestral spirits’ protection, for him. The two bade each other farewell, and the young boy set off.

Akafamba nemumasango kwemazuva. Mbuva yaakanga arongedzerwa naamai vake yakangogara kwemazuva mashomanana. Akazoti ofa nenzara nenyota, ukuwo runeto ruchimukurira. Kufamba zvakwakanga kworema, akazongoerekana ati pasi bwerekeshe. “Zvino ndichaita sei?” Mupunyutsi akazozvibvunza. Akagara akazendamisa musana pabwe guru, akarembedza musoro, uso akavhara nezvanza zvake. Akapedza chinguva akadai, apa pfungwa dzichingomhanya-mhanya. Akazofunga kuenderera mberi nerwendo rwake, achiti kuda aizosangana nemisha mberi.

Paakasimudza musoro achiti asimuke, akamboramba akati nde-e mberi kwake. Akanga akatarisana nebwe guru rairatidza kuti rakanga rakapfiga musuo webako. Akasimuka ndokuenda pabwe riya. Akamboriongorora ndokuzoedza kurisunda, asi harina kana kutsukunyuka. Aida kupinda mubako achiti zvimwe aigona kuwana zvaizomubatsira parwendo rwake. Akaramba achisunda asi zvakaramba. Ipapo shungu dzakamukurira, kuzvishingisa nekuzvigwinyisa kwese kuchibva kwati nyangara.

Akatanga kusvimha amire, akazendamira ibwe riya. Paakatanga kugara pasi akazendama kudaro, akanzwa sekunge ibwe rakanga razunguzika. Akabva asuduruka nekukurumbidza, hana ichirova. Ipapo ibwe rakabva rakunguruka, bako ndokuzaruka.

Musuo webako wakanga wakakura zvikuru. Mupunyutsi akatadza kuziva kuti odii. Aingokwanisa chete kuona zvaiva kumusuo, kumberi aingoona rima rega rega. Pfungwa dzake dzichipishana, akarangarira kuti kumusha kwaakanga abva kwakanga kusisina chake, nekudaro akazongorovera mwoyo kudombo. “Chinouya chinoona ini!” akazviudza achitaurira pasi pasi.

Akati nyahwa nyahwa achipinda mubako, achibvunda nekufemereka, uku hana ichirova. Achangopinda, ibwe rakatanga kunguruka richidzokera pakare. Akaedza kuridzividza kuvhara, asi aiziva kuti uku kwaingova zvako kutambisa nguva.

He walked through forests for days. The food that his mother had packed for him only lasted a few days. It wasn’t long before hunger, thirst and fatigue had gotten the best of him. As walking was getting harder, he suddenly, without a care, sat heavily on the ground. “What am I going to do?” Mupunyutsi thought to himself. He sat with his back resting against a large boulder, his head drooping, and his face buried in his hands. He carried on like this for a while as his mind wandered. Then he decided to continue with his journey, perhaps he would run into some villages ahead.

When he lifted his head to get up, his eyes remained fixed on what was in front of him. There, before him, was a large boulder covering the entrance to a cave. He stood up and went to the boulder. He first examined it then tried to push it, but it would not budge. He thought that maybe he would find some things inside the cave that could be useful for his journey. He kept pushing, but with no success. This drove him to despair, and immediately all the strength and courage that had sustained him just disappeared.

He began to weep, standing with his back resting against the boulder. As he began to slowly sit, with his back still resting on the boulder, he thought he felt it move. He quickly moved away, his heart beating fast. Then suddenly the boulder rolled away from the entrance, opening the cave.

The entrance to the cave was very big. Mupunyutsi did not know what to do. He could only see what was at the entrance, ahead he could only see darkness. As his mind raced, he remembered that there was nothing for him back in his village. Bearing that in mind, he decided to face the situation. “I will deal with whatever comes my way!” he whispered to himself.

He stealthily crept into the cave, shivering and breathing heavily, his heart racing. As soon as he entered the cave, the boulder started to roll back. He tried to stop it but, really, he knew it was pointless.

Mupunyutsi akafamba zvishoma nezvishoma. Aibata madziro ebako nokuti maiva nerima. Apo maziso ake akazenge ajaira rima raivemo, akatanga kuona zviri nani ndokuzofamba zvake asingabatire pamadziro. Akaramba achifamba ndokuona kuti akanga atova mune imwe nyika!

Zvaakaona mubako zvakamukatyamadza. Akaona mhuka zhinji dzakasiyana-siyana, nendzudzi zhinji dzeshiri. Maivawo nemiti yemichero, nekadziva. Mupunyutsi akafara zvakanyanya! Akanonga michero ndokudya, achibva azononwa mvura padziva. Akazonogara akazembera rimwe bwe, achibva abatwa nehope.

Akapeputswa neruzha rwekurira kwemhuka dzakasiyana. Akambovhunduka nerima raakaona, ndokuzorangariria kuti aiva mubako, maranzi ezuva aisasvikamo.

Mupunyutsi akasimuka ndokutanga kufamba achiringa-ringa. Kutya zvino kwakanga kwapera. Akaona chapungu chigere pabazi remuti, ndokutanga kutaura akachitarisa. “Seiko mhuka idzi dzichigara muno?” akadaro achitaura ega. Akanga asingatarisire kuti chapungu chingamupindure, saka pachakataura akavhunduka ndokusvetukira uko achizhamba.

“Tese takapinda muno nenzira yawakaita iwe.” Chapungu chakarondedzera zvizhinji pamusoro pedzimwe mhuka dzaivawo mubako. Chakazoti, “Unofanira kuziva zvakare kuti bako rino musha weimwe chembere ine mwoyo wakaipa zvikuru. Inowanza kunge iri muchidumba icho.” Chapungu chakabva chanongedzera dumba raiva mubako. “Chembere iyi ndiyo yega inokwanisa kuvhura bako rino, kana kuita kuti muve nechiedza,” chapungu chakaenderera mberi nekurondedzera. “Inogona zvese izvi nokuti ine gona raiinaro. Dai zvaikwanisika taiitorera gona iri topunyuka.”

Mudhende waiva munhava yaMupunyutsi uchiteerera hurukuro yake nechapungu. Wakabva wadongorera nekumuromo wenhava, ndokutaura naMupunyutsi. “Iwe wakandipunyutsa rufu, saka ini ndichakubatsirawo.” Mupunyutsi akatarisa mudhende akashama muromo. Asi mhuka dzose dzakanga dzotaura!? “Ndiri mudikidiki, uye ndinogona kumhanya, saka ndinokwanisa kupinda mudumba nekukurumbidza pasina andiona,” wakadaro mudhende. “Ndinopinda ndoba gona. Mumwe wenyu anofanira kubva achimbidza kunditora pandinongobuda.”

Ipapo chapungu chakabva chadairira, “Uchingobuda, ndinokutora ini ndobhururuka newe. Mukomana anomira pamusuo ogamha gona apo unoriregedzera, obva azarura bako.”

Vatatu ava vakabva varangana zuva ravaizoita izvi.

Mupunyutsi walked slowly. He held onto the walls of the cave as he walked because it was very dark. When his eyes finally became accustomed to the dark, he began to see better and stopped holding the walls. He kept walking, and realised he was in a whole other world!

What he saw in the cave shocked him. There were many different animals, as well as different types of birds. There were also wild fruit trees and a pool. Mupunyutsi was overjoyed! He picked and ate some wild fruit, then went and drank water at the pool. He sat down resting against a rock, then drifted off.

He was woken by the noisy cries of different animals. For a moment the darkness disturbed him, then he remembered that he was inside a cave, and rays of light from the sun could not make it through.

Mupunyutsi stood up and began to walk and look around the cave. All the fear had disappeared. Then he saw a bateleur perched on the branch of a tree. He spoke out loud as he looked at it. “Why on earth do these animals live in here?” He did not expect the bateleur to respond, and so when it spoke he jumped and screamed in disbelief.

“We all entered this cave in this same way you did.” The bateleur went on the tell a lot more stories about the other animals that were in the cave. Then it said, “This cave is home to a very cruel old woman. She spends most of her time in that ugly-looking hut.” The bateleur then pointed to a crude hut that was in the cave. “This old woman is the only one who can open this cave, or brighten it up,” the bateleur continued to explain. “She is capable of all this because she possesses a divination horn. If it is possible, we could take the horn from her and escape.”

The elephant shrew was in Mupunyutsi’s pouch, listening to his conversation with the bateleur. It then peeped through the opening of the pouch, and spoke to Mupunyutsi. “Because you helped me escape death, I am ready to help you.” Mupunyutsi looked at the elephant shrew open-mouthed. Could all the animals talk now!? “I am small and can run very fast, so I could enter the cave quickly, and unnoticed,” said the elephant shrew. “I will enter and steal the horn. One of you should then quickly pick me up once I am out.”

The bateleur immediately responded, “Once you get out, I will swoop down and pick you up. The boy will wait by the entrance, and catch the horn once you let go off it, then he will open the cave.”

The trio then agreed on the day that they would carry out their plan.

Zuva riya dzakazosvika, mudhende ndokunoita sezvakanga zvarongwa. Wakapinda mudumba rechembere, ukaba gona. Chembere yakazhamba ndokuedza kumhanya ichiudzingirira. Mudhende wakabva wangonakurirwa mudenga nechapungu. Chakabhururuka chichienda kuna Mupunyutsi, uyo akanga atogadzirira kugamha gona.

Ava negona, Mupunyutsi akarigumhisa ibwe repamusuo, iro rakabva rakunguruka bako ndokuzaruka. Mhuka dzose dzakaita chipitipiti dzichibuda mubako. Mupunyutsi ndiye akapedzisira kubuda, ndokushandisa gona riya kuvhara bako zvakare.

Chembere yakadhanaira yakananga kumusuo webako, asi yakatadza kusvika risati razarika!

The day finally arrived, and the elephant shrew went ahead and did what they had planned. It got into the old woman’s hut and stole the divination horn. The old woman yelled and tried to run as she chased after it. The elephant shrew was immediately snatched by the bateleur. It flew towards Mupunyutsi, who stood ready to catch the horn.

Once he had the horn, Mupuntyutsi used it to touch the boulder at the entrance, and it rolled away, opening the cave. The animals hurriedly made an escape out of the cave. Mupunyutsi was the last to leave the cave and used the horn to close the entrance once more.

The old woman walked unsteadily towards the cave entrance, but failed to make it before it was closed off!

Zuva rakanga richangobuda. Mhuka dzakaenda nemativi akasiyana, shiri dzichibhururukirawo kwakasiyana. Mupunyutsi akatarisa mudenga ndokusekerera. Akanga asisanzwi kutya. Akanga agadzirira kutarisana nezvaiva mberi.

The sun had just come out. The animals went in different directions, and so did the birds as they flew away. Mupunyutsi looked up into the sky and smiled. He was no longer afraid. He felt ready to face what lay ahead.


‘Mupunyutsi’ is an adaptation, by Shungu Constance Chidovi, of a Shona folktale. Illustrations used: Mongoose and lions, by Eshita Munshi; Sun in the sky, hills, and forest by Amar Soni; Young boy Rob Owen; all published under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver.