Page:Swahili tales.djvu/38

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18
SULTANI DARAI.

Ah! Bwana, watoto wale marra mbili, nami nimekwisha wapa sehemu zao, sikuwafundisha mathehebu mabaya, watoto wadogo wakiisha pewa chakula chao, wakiisha kula marra moja, bass na tungojee chakula cha jioni. Akamwambia, bass mke wangu, nathania hawajala, ndio hakwambia waite, kama wamekula, bass.

Akatoka kwenda zake kazini, mwanamke akapika chakula cha jioni, chalipokwisha chakula, kabla hajaja mumewe, akawapa kulia watoto, akampa mwanawe wali mwema, na yule akampa ukoko, tena walioungua. Kijana akala, akanywa maji, akatoka akaenda kucheza nje.

Hatta jioni mumewe akarudi, akija zake nyumbani, akamwita, Mke wangu. Akamwambia, lebeka, bwana. Akamwambia, chakula kimekwisha? Akamwambia, kimekwisha, bwana. Pakua. Ee walla, bwana. Akaenda akapakua, akaja akaandika, akampa mumewe maji ya kunawa. Akamwambia, mke wangu! Akamwambia, lebeka, bwana. Waite watoto, waje kula chakula. Ah! Bwana, maneno naliyokwambia ussubui hayakukutosha? Akamwambia, maneno gani, bibi? Sikukwambia, vijana hawali marra mbili chakula, utawafundisha mathehebu mabaya. Akamwambia, sina khabari, mke wangu, kama vijana vimekwisha kula, bassi ntakula pekeyangu, mke wangu? Nawe nawa, tule wote. Akamwambia, nnakuja. Akatwaa chicha mwanamuke, akasugua mikono yake. Mumewe akamwambia, mbona unakawia, mke wangu, nami nakungoja tule. Mikono yangu ina masizi, nasugua sana kwa chicha, ipate kuwa meupe, nawe kula ntakuja; upande wangu sitie mchuzi, ntakula kwa kitoweo. Akaja