A Woman and a Bird

Copyright © Anike Foundation

Once upon a time, there was a pregnant woman in a village waiting for her child to arrive. One day, she gave birth and took her maternity leave. One week passed, then two weeks. On the third week, she said, “I have to go to work in my field. There is no one else who will do it for me.” And as there were no nurseries in the village, she took her child on her back and went to the field.

When she arrived, she cut grass and piled it underneath a big tree. She placed a cloth across the grass and on it put her child. She took another cloth and covered her child to protect him from the sun. After a break, she took her hoe and began to work. As she worked, she moved farther and farther away from the child.

Around late morning, she was already at the other end of the field. The child woke up and began to cry because he did not see his mother. He cried and cried, but his mother was far away and could not hear as the child continued to cry. In the tree above him there was a bird that heard the crying child and went down to look at him. The bird thought the child was cute and so did what birds do and took the child back with him into the tree. There he had a big nest. He put the child in his nest and cradled him until he fell asleep. Meanwhile, his unassuming mother worked in the field.

At midday, the mother decided it was time to go home. She went back to where she left her child and the child was no longer there. She started to cry. She said, “Who took my child? I left him right here, who took him?” Unfortunately, no one answered her so the mother was scared. She told herself that maybe a lion passed and ate her child while she was working. Then she cried even more. She cried so loudly that the sleeping child woke up and started crying too. His mother heard him but did not know where he was. She looked up and saw him in the tree and wondered how he got up there.

Then she saw the bird flying around the child and understood that it was the bird that stole him. She said to the bird, “Beautiful bird, you did well to keep him safe, but now I have to go home. Beautiful bird, please bring back my child.”

The bird refused.

The tree was very tall and the mother could not climb. Once she realized this, she cried again. She cried so much that an old man who was passing by heard her. The old man approached slowly and found the mother crying. He asked her, “Madam, why are you crying?”

The mother said, “It’s my child.”

The old man said, “What did your child do?”

The mother answered, “Look! There in the tree.”

The old man looked and said, “How did he get up there?”

The mother said, “It's that bird that took him.”

Then the old man said, “Stop crying. Ask the bird if he will bring you back your child.”

The mother said, “But I asked him, and he does not want to bring him back to me.”

The old man said, “But that depends on how you asked, madam!”

The lady said, “I told the bird you did well to keep him safe, now bring him back to me.”

The old man said, “No, madam, that's not how you should have asked!”

The lady said, “But what should I have done?”

The old man said, “Well, you tell the bird the same thing but singing the way birds sing. They only understand songs, so you say bring me my child but while singing. Madam, I warn you, if there is a false note in your song, it will not bring back the child. For the bird to bring back the child, you have to sing true and respect the rhythm.”

The mother had already cried a lot, so there was a chance that she might sing badly.

Now let us imagine singing with the mother so that the bird can bring the child back. If we sing well, maybe the bird will bring back the child, but if we do not sing well he will not bring back the child and it will be a pity!

The child is called Tshianga and, while singing, our chorus will have the name: Tshianga. Let's go!

“Beautiful bird, bring back my child, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga, beautiful golden crown bird, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. Beautiful bird, bring my child, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga.

Beautiful bird, are you my twin? Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. Beautiful bird, time is passing, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. Beautiful bird, the breasts are swollen, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga.”

The bird, who was wary of what the lady was singing, sang back, “If I come down right away, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga, you will shoot me, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tashianga. You will call the whole village to kill me, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. You will go tell your husband, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. That the bird stole the infant, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. Let's look for the arrows to launch, Tshianga Tshiangala Tshianga.”

And the lady sang to the bird, “Why tell him the hurt of Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. Beautiful bird, bring back my child, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. Beautiful bird, you are my twin, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. Beautiful bird, time is passing, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga. Beautiful bird, the breasts are swollen, Tshianga Tshiangalala Tshianga.”

Because we sang well, the bird came down with the child and his mother brought him home.