Story 3: The story of the two brothers in marriage

Icishimicisho cabofinabofi babili

Kambi kasuba abofinabofi babili, sombi umbi wali mupalu wanama. Penka kubuko bwabo balokupacila amafupa enka. Sombi kambi kasuba balipanjile amano ati, Mba nindo kubuko bwesu batucitilefi? Lomba umbi alilabile ati, Mba tulyepo shani ifinani fyaminefu, pakuti balatupela amafupa enka.

Lomba bobilo balilele mutulo nekulokukoloma umunkonono; umbi ati, Mafupa enka aya, mafupa enka aya; umubyakwe ati, Mbanokalabila bomfwe, mbanokalabila bomfwe. Penka umbi umwanakashi, uwamufimwaice, alileko ukubalele kubatwalila amenda. Penka nekusangana balokukoloma umunkonono ati, Mafupa enka, mafupa enka, umbi naye ati, Mbanokalabila bomfwe. Lomba umwanakashi aliumfwile nekuya kulabila kuli banyina nabanakulu. Penka banakulu ati, Kanjeko nane nkomfwe. Icinecine naye nekumfwa umunkonono.

Penka balile nekulabila kubana ati, Mwe bana mulaluba apace. Iciriecine yalifwile naimbi inama. Penka balipishi ifyamabondo, lomba mumbya yabako nekufyatikamo icibondo necamunefumo, nekutwala kubako. Penka nabo abako bobilo balilabile ati, Taubwene, we mwaume, twalyapo iminefu nafwebo. Lomba kubuko balibeshibile nekwikala bwino bonse.

Capela kashimi.

The story of the two brothers in marriage

One day, one of two brothers in marriage was a hunter of game. Now, from their father-in-law, only animal bones were being put on the plate. So, one day they decided to find out why the in-laws did that! Then one asked, “How shall we be able to eat pieces of meat when we are always given bones?”

So, both pretended to go to sleep and started groaning in the following style. One moaned, “There are only bones”; while the other groaned, “Here they are, say it loud for them to hear; here they are, say it loud for them to hear.” When the youngest daughter (wife) took some warm water to her husband, she found him groaning, “These are only bones.” And the other one, “Here they are, say it loud for them to hear.” After listening to the groaning, she went straight to inform her mother and grandmother. The grandmother decided to verify, and she found the same.

In the end, they told their daughters that what they had been doing was really bad. When another animal was killed, it was cooked and on the sons-in-law’s plates big pieces of real meat (no bones) were put and taken to them. So, the two brothers in marriage said, “Have you seen, my friend, today we have eaten real meat!” Now the father-in-law got to know them very well, and they lived together well.

End of the story.

Story 3: The story of the two brothers in marriage¹From Anonymous (1937c).

Talking in your sleep is one of the ways to convey what cannot be said.