Donkey Child Bimbo asino - Storybooks CanadaBimbo asino Donkey Child Written by: Lindiwe Matshikiza Illustrated by: Meghan Judge Translated by: (it) Laura Pighini This story originates

Bimbo asinoBimbo asino

Donkey ChildDonkey Child

Lindiwe Matshikiza Meghan Judge Laura Pighini Italian / English Level 3

Fu una piccola bimba a vedere per primala misteriosa figura in lontananza.

•••

It was a little girl who first saw themysterious shape in the distance.

2

Man mano che la figura si avvicinava, videche si trattava di una donna molto incinta.

•••

As the shape moved closer, she saw that itwas a heavily pregnant woman.

3

Timida ma coraggiosa, la bimba si avvicinòalla donna. “Dobbiamo tenerla con noi,”decise la gente della piccola bimba.“Terremo lei e il suo bimbo al sicuro.”

•••

Shy but brave, the little girl moved nearerto the woman. “We must keep her withus,” the little girl’s people decided. “We’llkeep her and her child safe.”

4

Il bimbo stava arrivando. “Spingi!”“Portate delle coperte!” “Acqua!”“SPINGIIIIII!!”

•••

The child was soon on its way. “Push!”“Bring blankets!” “Water!”“Puuuuussssshhh!!!”

5

Ma quando videro il bimbo tutti fecero unsalto indietro scioccati. “Un asino?!?”

•••

But when they saw the baby, everyonejumped back in shock. “A donkey?!”

6

Tutti cominciarono a discutere. “Avevamodetto che li avremmo tenuti al sicuro equesto è quello che faremo!” Disseroalcuni. “Ma ci porteranno sfortuna!”Dissero altri.

•••

Everyone began to argue. “We said wewould keep mother and child safe, andthat’s what we’ll do,” said some. “But theywill bring us bad luck!” said others.

7

Al che, la donna si ritrovò da sola dinuovo. Si chiese cosa fare con questostrano bimbo. Si chiese cosa fare con sestessa.

•••

And so the woman found herself aloneagain. She wondered what to do with thisawkward child. She wondered what to dowith herself.

8

Ma alla fine dovette accettare che quelloera suo figlio e che lei era sua madre.

•••

But finally she had to accept that he washer child and she was his mother.

9

Ora, se il bimbo fosse rimasto di quellastessa piccola taglia, tutto sarebbe statodiverso. Ma il bimbo asino crebbe ecrebbe finché non poté più stare sullespalle della mamma. E per quanto lei ciprovasse, non poteva comportarsi comeun essere umano. Sua madre era spessostanca e frustrata. A volte gli faceva farelavori da bestia.

•••

Now, if the child had stayed that same,small size, everything might have beendifferent. But the donkey child grew andgrew until he could no longer fit on hismother’s back. And no matter how hardhe tried, he could not behave like ahuman being. His mother was often tiredand frustrated. Sometimes she made himdo work meant for animals.

10

Confusione e rabbia crebbero dentroAsino. Non poteva fare questo, non potevafare quello. Non poteva essere così e nonpoteva essere cosà. Un giorno si arrabbiòcosì tanto che scalciò al suolo sua madre.

•••

Confusion and anger built up insideDonkey. He couldn’t do this and hecouldn’t do that. He couldn’t be like thisand he couldn’t be like that. He became soangry that, one day, he kicked his motherto the ground.

11

Asino si vergognò. Cominciò a correre viail più veloce e lontano che poté.

•••

Donkey was filled with shame. He startedto run away as far and fast as he could.

12

Quando smise di correre, era notte eAsino si era perso. “Hi-ho?” ragliònell’oscurità. “Hi-ho?” rispose l’eco. Era dasolo. Acciambellatosi su se stesso siaddormentò in un sonno profondo etormentato.

•••

By the time he stopped running, it wasnight, and Donkey was lost. “Hee haw?”he whispered to the darkness. “HeeHaw?” it echoed back. He was alone.Curling himself into a tight ball, he fell intoa deep and troubled sleep.

13

Asino si sveglio trovando uno stranovecchio a osservarlo. Asino lo guardò negliocchi e cominciò a sentire un barlume disperanza.

•••

Donkey woke up to find a strange old manstaring down at him. He looked into theold man’s eyes and started to feel atwinkle of hope.

14

Asino andò a vivere con il vecchio che gliinsegnò tanti modi diversi persopravvivere. Asino ascoltava e imparavae lo stesso valeva per il vecchio. Siaiutavano vicenda e ridevano insieme.

•••

Donkey went to stay with the old man,who taught him many different ways tosurvive. Donkey listened and learned, andso did the old man. They helped eachother, and they laughed together.

15

Una mattina, il vecchio chiese a Asino diportarlo in cima ad una montagna.

•••

One morning, the old man asked Donkeyto carry him to the top of a mountain.

16

Al di sopra delle nuvole siaddormentarono. Asino sognò che suamadre era ammalata e lo chiamava. Equando si svegliò..

•••

High up amongst the clouds they fellasleep. Donkey dreamed that his motherwas sick and calling to him. And when hewoke up…

17

…Le nuvole erano sparite insieme al suoamico, il vecchio.

•••

… the clouds had disappeared along withhis friend, the old man.

18

Asino finalmente capì cosa doveva fare.•••

Donkey finally knew what to do.

19

Asino trovò sua madre, da sola chepiangeva la scomparsa di suo figlio. Sifissarono a vicenda a lungo. E poi siabbracciarono molto forte.

•••

Donkey found his mother, alone andmourning her lost child. They stared ateach other for a long time. And thenhugged each other very hard.

20

Il bambino asino e sua madre crebberoinsieme e trovarono tanti modi per viverel’uno affianco all’altro. Lentamente,intorno a loro, altre famiglie cominciaronoa sistemarsi.

•••

The donkey child and his mother havegrown together and found many ways ofliving side by side. Slowly, all around them,other families have started to settle.

21

Storybooks CanadaStorybooks Canadastorybookscanada.ca

Bimbo asinoBimbo asino

Donkey ChildDonkey ChildWritten by: Lindiwe MatshikizaIllustrated by: Meghan Judge

Translated by: (it) Laura Pighini

This story originates from the African Storybook (africanstorybook.org) andis brought to you by Storybooks Canada in an effort to provide children’sstories in Canada’s many languages.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

22