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Loekie die Leeu

1


   Eendag lank gelede was daar drie kinders in Afrika wat op 'n plaas gewoon het. Hulle name was Lien, Ben en Anli. Vroeg een oggend het hulle 'n leeutjie in die bos gekry: die oulikste baba leeu. Hulle het hom Loekie genoem. Hy was 'n lawwe leeu sonder baie mooi maniere, 'n regte rebel, want hy het uit die bos in Afrika weggeloop van sy eie mamma af. Hy het gestap oor berge, onder doringbome deur en oor teerpaaie na die kinders se huis toe, om 'n troetel-leeu te word. 'n Leeu as 'n troeteldier is baie groot pret. Dis net jammer dat hulle bang is vir weerlig en skerpioene en jou gogga-vriende wil opeet. Kom ons vertel die hele storie van Loekie.
 
•1•
    One day a long time ago there were three children who lived on a farm in Africa. Their names were Lien, Ben and Anli. Early one morning they found a lion cub in the bush: the cutest little lion cub. They called him Loekie. He was a silly lion without very good manners, a real rebel, because in the bush in Africa he ran away from his own mother. He walked all the way over mountains, passed underneath thorn trees and over asphalt roads towards the children's home, to become a pet lion. A lion as a pet is great fun. Just a pity that they are afraid of lightning and scorpions, and that they want to eat your bug friends. Let's tell the whole story of Loekie.
 

2


    'n Troetel leeu is beter as 'n kat, maar baie meer werk. Die kinders het gou agter gekom dat Loekie nie in die huis moet speel nie, want hy het vreeslike poele piepie in die gang gelos waarin almal getrap het. Dit was groot plasse omdat Loekie nie meer 'n klein baba was toe hy by hulle kom bly het nie. Hy was mos al groot genoeg om weg te loop, onthou, en kon in die aande self jag vir kos. Hulle het nooit gevra waar hy gaan eet het nie, maar hy het belowe dat hy nooit mense sal eet nie, ook nie hulle hondjies nie. Net hoenders en so aan.
    Hy wou eintlik van die goggas om die huis eet, maar hulle het hom vertel dat hulle resies jaag met die akkedisse. en dat die toktokkies name het: Horrel en Grompie. Toe het hy hulle ook uitgelos. Hy het baie vir hulle gesit en kyk as hulle die klippe omdop om skerpioene te vang sodat hulle met mekaar kon oorlog maak. Dit was vir hom vreeslik snaaks. Hy was doodbang vir die skerpioene en het gedink die kinders van sy plaas, is die braafste kinders op aarde.
    Loekie kon vreeslik lekker lag. As leeus lag, skud hulle magies vreeslik. En mens kon vir Loekie baie maklik laat lag omdat hy so kielierig was. Net hier aan die onderkant van sy nek. Anli het hom met haar handjies gekielie terwyl Lien en Ben sit om hom vas te hou.
 
•2•
    A pet lion is better than a cat, but much more work. The children quickly realized that Loekie should not play in the house, because he left huge puddles of pee in the hallway with everybody stepping in it. Those were big puddles because Loekie is not a little baby anymore like he used to be when he came to stay with them. He is surely big enough to walk away, remember, he could go hunt by myself at night for food. They never asked where he went to go eat, but he promised the he would never eat people, neither their little dogs. Just the chickens and so on.
    He actually wanted to eat some of the bugs around the house, but they told him that they do races with the lizards, and that the beetles have names: Horrel and Grompie. Then he let them be. He sat watching them often as they turned over the rocks hoping to catch some scorpions so that they could do warfare with each other. It was very amusing to him. He was dead scared of scorpions and thought that the children of his farm were some of the bravest children on earth.
    Loekie really enjoyed laughing. When lions laugh, the tummies shake a lot. And you could make Loekie laugh really easy because he was so ticklish. Just here at the under side of his neck. Anli tickled him with her little hands, while Line and Ben were holding him down.
  
 

3


    Die kinders het natuurlik nie vir hulle mamma en pappa vertel dat hulle 'n leeu het nie. Die Mamma Reet en Pappa Hans sou bang wees die wilde dier vreet hulle kinders op! Ook sou hulle in elk geval gedink het dat Loekie nie kan praat nie, want grootmense weet partykeer niks. Loekie sou ook in elk geval nie met hulle gepraat het nie, want al sy stories en speletjies was net vir kinders. O, en hy kon die mooiste stories vertel.
    Elke oggend, net na die kinders hulle pap klaar geëet het, het Loekie hulle by die tweede groot boom in die bos gekry. Hy kon in die boom klim en op 'n tak lê sodat die werkers van die plaas of grootmense hom nie sou sien nie.
    As die kinders eers saam met hulle leeu was, het iets wonderliks gebeur. Van die eerste dag af: Hy het onsigbaar geword. Al die kinders het geweet dit was omdat Lien die eerste dag op sy stert getrap het en hulle toe elke dag die seerplekkie met dik modder gedokter en gesmeer het. Want sien, dit het Loekie se toorplekkie geword. Regtig. 'n Perfekte toor-kolletjie. Want sodra mens daar aan sy stert gevryf het, was hy onsigbaar en kon hy praat. En Loekie kon baie laf lag.
 
•3•
    Of course the children did not tell their mother and father that they had a lion. The Mamma Reet and Pappa Hans would be scared that the wild animal would eat their children! And in any case they would have thought that Loekie could not speak, 'cause sometimes grown-ups know nothing. In any case, Loekie would not have talked with them, 'cause all his stories and games were just for kids. O, and could he tell the most beautiful stories.
    Every morning, just after the kids had eaten their porridge, Loekie waited for them by the second big tree in the bush. He could climb into the tree and lay on a branch so that the workers from the farm and the grown-ups would not see him.
    Once the children were with their lion, something most wonderful happened. From the first day onwards: He became invisible. All the children knew that it was so because Lien stepped on his tail on the first day and from then on, every day they doctored and smeared that wound with thick clay, because you see, it became Loekie's magic place. Seriously. A perfect little magic spot. 'Cause as soon as someone rubbed his tail, he because invisible and could talk. And Loekie could laugh really silly.
 

4


    Een oggend moes Anli en Ben alleen met Loekie speel want Lien was by die ballet. Hulle het eers vir Loekie op die swaai laat swaai, want hy het daarvan gehou om hoog gemaak te word. Toe het hulle hom vir 'n rukkie in die kruiwa gestoot.
    Met Loekie in die kruiwa het hulle by Horrel en Grompie, die twee toktokkies, gaan kuier. Want Horrel het die vorige dag begin hik en hik en hik en almal was bekommerd oor haar. As toktokkies hik, hou hulle aan met omval. Ja, regtig. En dis baie swaar vir 'n toktokkie om weer regop op sy voetjies te staan.
 
•4•
    One morning Anli and Ben had to play alone with Loekie because Lien went to ballet. First they loaded Loekie onto the swing, 'cause he liked it when they pushed him high. Then they pushed him around for a while in the wheelbarrow.
    With Loekie in the wheelbarrow, they went to visit the two beetles, Horrel and Grompie. 'Cause Horrel started with the hiccups the day before, and they were all worried about her. When beetles have the hiccups, they keep falling over. And it is very difficult for them to get back on their feet again.
 

5


    Dit was toe dat die gemors begin het: Loekie het in die gat geval. Dit was 'n groot en diep gat wat mans gegrou het om vir die kinders 'n swembad te bou op die plaas omdat dit vreeslik warm is in Afrika. 'n Swembad begin met 'n diep, diep gat. Net daar val Loekie toe: karplaks in die gat omdat hy laf was en oor 'n klip wou spring. Boems; tot onderin die gat en hy rol af tot onder en daar sit hy en huil tussen al die grootmense mans wat die gat grawe. Loekie is mos onsigbaar en die mans kan hom nie sien nie.
    Toe Lien van die ballet af kom, was Anli by die hek. Sy kon nie vir Mamma Reet vertel hoekom sy huil nie. Toe knoop sy maar haar vingers agter haar rug en vertel 'n groot-groot jok oor 'n seer toon.
    Eers na almal gekookte kos geëet het, met slap geel pampoen en liggroen boontjies, kon hulle vir Loekie gaan help. Dit was 'n swaar en lang etenstyd.
 
•5•
    It was then that the big mess started: Loekie fell into the hole. It was a big and deep hold that men dug to make a swimming pool for the kids because it is very hot in Africa. A swimming pool starts with a deep, deep hole. Just there then Loekie fell -- kahdoof! into the hole because he was silly and tried to jump over a rock. Kahdoof, to the bottom of the hole and he rolled down, and there he sat and cried among all the grown-ups that dug the hole. Loekie is invisible remember, and the men could not see him.
    When Lien came back from ballet, Anli was at the gate. She could not tell her mom why she was crying. Then she crossed her fingers behind her back and told a big lie about a sore toe.
    Only after everybody had eaten the cooked food, with mushy yellow pumpkin and light green beans, could they go help Loekie. It was a long and heavy meal time.
 

6


    Loekie was intussen alleen in die swembad gat, omdat al die werkers ook gaan eet het. Hy het vreeslik gehuil. As leeus huil word hulle oortjies heeltemal plat en as hulle te lank huil staan hulle oortjies nooit ooit weer regop nie. Regtig.
    Die kinders moes baie gou aan 'n plan dink want iemand sou later die middag sement in die gat begin gooi om die swembad klaar te bou. Ben het onder in die gat gaan sit en vir Loekie begin kielie sodat hy kon ophou huil. Die twee dogtertjies het gou gaan lang planke haal sodat Loekie daarteen kon opklim. Dit was 'n baie, baie goeie plan. Ai, wel, dit het na 'n goeie plan geklink. Want Loekie wou nie op die planke loop nie omdat hy te bang was. Daar het dik blou reënwolke opgekom en die blitse het begin slaan. Loekie het harder begin huil en Anli ook, want sy was baie bekommerd oor haar liefie-leeu. En sy was bang vir die weerlig. Toe klim sy in die gat en gaan lê op Loekie se rug. Toe huil hulle saam. So baie trane dat dit sy voorpoot papsopnat gemaak het. Die eerste reën druppels het begin val.
 
•6•
    Meanwhile Loekie was the only one in the swimming pool hole, because all the other workers went to eat. He was crying terribly. When lions cry they flatten their little ears and when they cry too long their ears will never stand up straight again. Seriously.
    The children had to think of a plan fast, because later that afternoon someone was going to start pouring cement to finish building the swimming pool. Ben went to sit down in the hole and started to tickle Loekie so that he could quit crying. The two little girls quickly went to fetch long planks so that Loekie could climb out on them. It was a very, very good plan. Oh, it sounded like a very good plan. Because Loekie did not want to walk on the planks because he was scared. Then thick dark blue clouds gathered and the lightning started to strike. Loekie started to cry just louder and so did Anli, because she was worried about her beloved lion. And she was scared of the lightning. Then they cried together. So many tears that his front paw because sopping wet. The first rain drops started to fall.
 

7


    Daar was net een plan. En dit was 'n wrede plan. Lien het gou onder 'n klip 'n skerpioen gaan vang en in 'n botteltjie gesit. Dit was maklik want die akkedisse was haar maats en het haar gehelp. Die akkedisse het op die skerpioen gespoeg en toe skrik hy so groot dat hy in die botteltjie in hardloop en Lien die doppie kon toemaak.
    Gou-gou het al drie die kinders onder in die swembad gesit langs Loekie. Hulle het weer gesmeek dat hy moet uitklim. Hy het net nog harder gehuil.
    Toe wys hulle vir hom die skerpioen.
    Lien het gesê: "As jy nie nou uitklim nie, Loekie, dan maak ons die doppie van die bottel oop en los die skerpioen saam met jou vir die hele nag in hierdie gat. Regtig-egtig, cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die." 
 
•7•
    There was just one plan. And it was a cruel plan. Lien quickly went to catch a scorpion from under the rocks and put it in a little bottle. It was easy 'cause the lizards were her friends and they helped her. The lizards spat on the scorpion and then he got such a fright that he ran into the little bottle and Lien quickly closed the lid.
    In a jiffy all three children sat in the pool next to Loekie. Again they pleaded for him to get out. He just cried even louder.
    Then they showed him the scorpion.
    Lien said: "Loekie, if you do not climb out right now, then we will open the bottle cap and leave the scorpion here with you the whole night in the hole. Totally serious, cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die.
 

8


    Net toe het die eerste weerlig se blitse begin slaan en die Mamma van die huis het die kinders geroep om dadelik in te kom. Sy kon hulle gelukkig nie sien in die gat van die swembad nie, want sy sou gedink het hulle is baie stout.
    Toe maak Ben die bottel oop en die skerpioen spring uit. En toe hol hulle almal en skreeu en gil. Eers Anli voor – op Loekie se rug, omdat sy die kleinste en die vinnigste was en ook nogal vrek bang vir die skerpioen. Toe Lien, met Ben op haar rug, omdat sy die oudste sussie was. Hulle het almal op teen die planke en uit die wrede gat gehardloop.
    Hulle het gehol en gehol en gehol tot in die huis, terwyl hulle papnat reën en die weerlig slaan. Binne het Mamma net bietjie geraas en hulle afgedroog. Sy kon gelukkig mos nie vir Loekie sien nie en het vir al die kinders koekies gegee en oranje koeldrank. Loekie het, van pure verlig wees, ses koekies opgeëet.
    Daai nag het die kinders vir Loekie onder Anli se bed laat slaap. Omdat hy 'n brawe leeu was: wat 'n swaar dag gehad het. Ai, Loekie was 'n lekker troetel leeu. En sy oortjies het toe weer regop gestaan na Lien dit drooggeblaas het.
    Loekie het elkeen van die kinders se oortjies papnat gaan lek, want dit het hulle vreeslik laat giggel.
    En hulle giggels was vir Loekie mooier as enige iets op aarde, want hulle was sy eie, eie troetelkinders: Lien, Ben en Anli van die plaas Bergkrans. In Afrika.

- Audrey N Painter
 
•8•
    Right then the first lightning bolts started to strike and the mother of the house called the children to come in immediately. Fortunately she could not see them in the hole of the swimming pool, because she would think that there were very naughty.
    Then Ben opened the bottle and the scorpion jumped out. And then they all ran and shouted and yelled. First Anli in front, on Loekie's back, because she was the smallest and the fastest and also very scared of the scorpion. Then Lien, with Ben on her back, because she was the oldest sister. They all ran up on the planks out of the cruel hole.
    They ran and ran and ran right up to the house, while they got sopping wet in the rain the lightning was striking. Inside mother scolded them just a little and dried them. Fortunately she could not see Loekie at all, and she gave all the children cookies and orange cool drink. Loekie, out of pure relief, at six cookies.
    That night the children let Loekie sleep under Anli's bed, 'cause he was a brave lion that had a really bad day. Oh, Loekie was a really fun pet lion. And his little ears perked up again after Lien blow dried them.
    Loekie licked each one of the kids; ears sopping wet, 'cause it really made them giggle.
    And to Loekie, their giggles were more beautiful than anything else on earth, his own pet children: Lien, Ben, and Anli, from the farm 'Bergkrans' (mountain cliff).