PagineUkuziphindiselela kweNgede
A free picture book in Zulu by Zulu folktale
Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede is a picture book in Zulu for ages 8–11 by Zulu folktale that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Zulu
- Written by
- Zulu folktale
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Phumy Zikode
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede is a short illustrated picture book in Zulu by Zulu folktale, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Phumy Zikode. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 3–4) and is graded as Level 4 · Longer paragraphs, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Zulu. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 18 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Lena yindaba yeNgede, nomfanyana owayehala uSibusiso. Ngelinye ilanga uSibusiso wayeyozingela wezwa uNgede. Umlomo kaSibusiso waqala waconsa amathe esecabanga uju. Wama wazama ukulalelisisa, wayifuna waze wayibona inyoni ihlezi emagatsheni esihlahla phezulu. “Chitik-chitik-chitik,” Kusho inyoni encane idiniwe, indizela esihlahleni esilandelayo, nesilandelayo. “Chitik,…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 3.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Die Heuningwyser se wraak
- Bemba · Icilandushi ca ŋuni
- English · The Honeyguide's revenge
- Jamaican Creole · Di Onigaid Rivenj
- Kaonde · Kushinkanya kwaka Maimba
- Kiswahili · Kisasi cha Kiongozi
- Lukhonzo · Erithuhulia ly’omunyabukyi
- Lumasaaba · Intsilihaasa iy’omwoolesi we bubuukhi
- Lunda · Inkoku ya kazhila kawichi
- Lunyole · Omulagiriri w’aŋali omudungere n’omwegalulo gugwe
- Luvale · Linga mwalinga mukwenu yakatotaphako
- Mauritian Creole · Revans zwazo roder dimiel
- Nyanja · Kubwezela kwa Olozela kuli njuci
- Otjiherero · Ongore yokazera kouitji
- Somali · Aargoosigii shimbir-malabka
- Spanish · La venganza del Pájaro Miel
- Tonga · Cizyole ca Ngede
- Tswana · Pusoloso ya mogaka
Reading together in Zulu
- Read it aloud first, pointing at the pictures; then let your child “read” the pictures back to you.
- Ask open questions: what happened, how did the character feel, what would you do?
- Growing up with two languages? Talk about the story in whichever language feels easiest — the understanding carries over.
More free books in Zulu
UMbuzanyana
Igolide likaMkhulu
UMpungushe Okhaliphile uyabaphica
Usuku Olumatasa Kakhulu!
Ngubani ongabala afike eshumini?
Izingubo zami zesikole
Izilwane zasepulazini
Wenzani?
See all 145 free Zulu books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede” free to read?
Yes. “Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede” is free to read online in Pagine on any phone, tablet or computer — no payment and nothing to download. It is openly licensed (CC BY 3.0).
What language is “Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede” in?
It is written in Zulu. Pagine has 145 free children’s books in Zulu.
What age is “Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana, Lukhonzo and more.
Who wrote “Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede”?
“Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede” was written by Zulu folktale and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Zulu translation is by Phumy Zikode.
Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.
Get the free app →Credits: Ukuziphindiselela kweNgede — Written by Zulu folktale; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Phumy Zikode; Read by Beauty Ngwenya. Zulu, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2099). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026