Intombazane eyagcina ishada nendodana yeNkosi
Kwakukhona indoda nomkayo okwase kuphele isikhathi eside befisa sengathi ngelinye ilanga bangathola umntwana.
Lo mndeni emzini wawo kwabe kunewindi elingemuva lapho wawukwazi ukuthi uma umi ngakulo ubone ingadi enhle, eyayigcwele izimbali eziqhakazile namakhambi. Le ngadi yayibiyelwe ngodonga olude futhi akekho umuntu owayecabanga ukuthi angasondela ngakuyona ngoba kwakungeyomndeni owawucebile futhi unamandla amakhulu uhlonishwa emhlabeni jikelele. Ngelinye ilanga owesifazane wayemi ngasewindini ebuka engadini, amehlo akhe azithela phezu kwenye ingadi eyayihlelwe kahle itshalwe izithelo eziluhlaza, wase efikelwa umuzwa wokuthi lezi zithelo sengathi angazikha. Khona lapho wabonakala kungathi uphelelwa ngamandla elahlekelwa nayithemba. Umyeni wakhe wakuqaphela lokho, wase embuza ukuthi ngempela uguliswa yini unkosikazi wakhe.
“Oh we,” kuphendula unkosikazi,”Uma ngingakwazi ukudla ezinye zaleziya zithelo ezikuleya ngadi engemuva komuzi wethu, ngingafa.”
Indoda yakhe eyabe imthanda, yacabanga ngokushesha:”Ngaphambi kokuba kuze kufe umkakho kungcono ukuba umlethele lezo zithelo wena uqobo, noma kungabiza kangakanani.”
Kwathi ezintathakusa, wanombela odongeni wawelela engadini yezithelo, wakha inqwaba yazo wayonika umkakhe. Umkakhe wazihlanganisa wenza isaladi elalinambitheka kamnandi, walidla ngokuphazima kweso. Ngendlela elalimnandi ngayo nangakusasa wayesalihalela ngokuphindaphindiwe. Ngesikhathi sasebusuku wathi akaphindele futhi ayokha lezi zithelo, kodwa kwathi ngesikhathi esejombela odongeni, wayenokwesaba okukhulu, ngoba wabona lo mndeni wezigwili okungabanikazi bengadi yezithelo bemi ngaphambi kwakhe.
“Ungakwenza kanjani lokhu, kusho yena ngentukuthelo eyayibhalwe ebusweni. Unangena engadini yami webe izithelo zami njengesela loqobo? Uzojeza ngalokhu okwenzile.:
Waphendula ngokuthi; “Ngicela intethelelo, ngithathe isinqumo sokuzokha lezi zithelo ngenxa yokuthi ngibona ukudingeka kwazo. Umkami uzibone elunguza ewindini, wazihalela ngendlela yokuthi uma engase angazitholi angafa nokufa.”
Nebala isigwili sehlisa umoya sase sithi kule ndoda: Uma kuya ngendlela osho ngayo, ngizokuvumela ukhe izithelo ezizokwanelisa, kodwa ngizokubekela umbandela othile, kumele unginike ingane ezozalwa umkakho. Izophathwa ngendlela futhi ngizoyinakekela njengonina wayo.
Le ndoda yavuma yonke into, nebala bagcina bekhulelisene nomkayo. Ingane yazalwa yaqanjwa igama elithi nguRapunzel. Le ngane yakhula iyinhle ihlala elangeni. Ngesikhathi isineminyaka eli-12 lezi zigwili zayivalela emzini wazo owawusehlathini kungekho windi namnyango ngaphandle kwewindi elaliphezulu. Uma lo mndeni ungena kule ndlu okwakuvalelwe kuyo ingane, yayizwakala ikhala.
‘Rapunzel, Rapunzel, yehlisela izinwele zakho kimina.
Phela le ngane yabe ishaya ngezinwele ezinde, zicwebezela njengegolide. Ngesikhathi izwa izwi lo mndeni wayo oyizigwili yayiziqaqa izinwele zayo eyayihlala izibophile, izikhiphe ngewindi zehle njalo. Izigwili lezi zazisebenzisa izinwele zale ngane ukunyukela lapho yayivalelwe khona. Emuva kwesikhathi esiyiminyaka emibili, kwenzeka indodana yeNkosi yadlula ngasehlathini lapho kwakukhona lo muzi okwakuvalelwe kuwo ingane. Indodana yeNkosi yezwa umzwilili womculo, yama yawulalela. Kwabe kunguRapunzel, wayezihlalele ekhipha umzwangedwa ngokuziculela.
Indodana yeNkosi yayifuna ukunyukela kuye, yabheka umnyango ongenela kulo muzi, kodwa yangawuthola. Yabuyela ekhaya kodwa umculo wawuyithinte kakhulu inhliziyo yakhe okungangokuba njalo yayiphuma iye ehlathini iyolalela lo mculo. Ngelinye ilanga wayemi ngemuva kwesihlahla, wabona lo mndeni wezigwili usondela lapho kwakuhlala khona intombazane, wase eyizwa ikhala:
‘Rapunzel, Rapunzel, “Yehlisela izinwele zakho kimina.”
Nebala uRapunzel wenze njalo wase ehlisela izinwele izigwili zanyukela kuye.
“Uma kuwukuthi lesi isiteshi esigibela wonke umuntu, nami ngizozama eyami inhlanhla,” kusho indodana yeNkosi. Kwathi ngakusasa sekuqala ukuhlwalala indodana yeNkosi yanikela kulo muzi nayo yaqala yamemeza njengoba ihlala izwa.
‘Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Yehlisela izinwele zakho kimina.”
Ngokushesha izinwele zehla indodana yeNkosi yabambelela kuzo yanyuka.
Ekuqaleni uRapunzel wayenokwesaba okukhulu ebona indoda angakaze ayibone empilweni yakhe iza kuye. Indodana yeNkosi yaqala yamkhulumisa njengomngani. Yamtshela ukuthi inhliziyo yakhe ithinteke kakhulu okwenza kube nzima nokucabanga.
URapunzele waba nokukhululeka ngesikhathi indodana yeNkosi isimbuza ukuthi angathanda yini ukuba ngumkayo. Wayibuka indodana yeNkosi wabona ukuthi iyinsizwa ebukekayo, wathula wacabanga:”Uzongithanda ngaphezulu kokuthandwa uDame Gothel osemdala, washo ngokukhululeka nangokujabula wathi angathanda ukuba ngumkakhe.
Wathi uzohamba naye kodwa ehlushwa ukuthi akamazi kahle. Bavumelana ngaleso sikhathi ukuthi kumele eze kuye njalo ngezikhathi zantambama. Kuthe ngesikhathi santambama indodana yeNkosi yenze njalo yaqonda lapho kuhlala khona le ntombazane. Yamemeza ngezwi elijwayelekile.
Nebala intombazane yazehlisa izinwele, yazibamba indodana yeNkosi yenyukela kuye.
Kuthe esephakathi endlini esikhundleni sokubona intombazane wazithela phezu kwale ndoda eyisicebi eyayivalele uRapunzel. Emuva kokudonsisana ngamazwi nendodana yeNkosi, isicebi sagcina sehlele ngezansi sagoba uphondo. URapunzel wagcina eshadie nendodana yenkosi, bamthatha bayohlala naye eSigodlweni baphila impilo emnandi baze bahlukaniswa wukufa.