2019-05-18
I was once visiting a place where germs and things came to talk and was listening to the stories they told.
I heard a tail from a vicious germ. He told of a wonderful place he had been. He was on the hands of a careless girl. What made being there so wonderful was all the company! The girl was so careless about washing that every time she went to the toilet or played outside the germ was joined by a whole lot of friends and they could throw a party. Then when the girl ate anything they could climb all over the food and try their best to make the girl sick. Every time the girl was wounded she didn’t care so all the germ’s could climb into it and infect the wound. The best was when the girl did become sick, she coughed so hard that all the germs could easily fly to other people. It was wonderful, but the germ left because of the crowding.
Another tired germ told a different story. She told how she thought she had found a happy place to stay. On the hands of a reasonable boy who liked to have fun. He would go out and play and that was fine. But after he went to the toilet the germ had to hang on desperately as many of her friends were washed away by the boy. But worse than that was when it came to food time! The boy washed his hands so thoroughly that the germ was hard pressed to do anything let alone get at the food. And whenever the boy got a wound he cleaned it out and all the germs had to stay far away. This boy was even careful when he coughed and sneezed. The germs would gather for the flight but be caught by his hand or sleeve. It was horrible, she was in the lounge for a bit of a break.
A shaken piece of plaque then told of his battles in the mouth of a conscientious girl. Normally the plaque would happily settle on a tooth and gather some friends and form a mining party. Then they would set to work boring holes into the tooth to dig out a wonderful house for all sorts of germs. But this girl made it hard. Twice a day she should would vigorously brush her teeth. Initially the plaque thought that all would be well. The bristles and paste would be an annoyance but be quickly gone and probably even miss him. But not here. This girl was careful and brushed everywhere. There was no escape. In the morning she brushed away all the mining equipment he had set up and in the evening she brushed away all his friends. He moved to find a better, more sheltered place, perhaps in-between two teeth, but the bristles and paste found him there. This had gone on for weeks, so he gave up and was also here for a bit of a breather before finding another mouth.
2019-06-25
The names are fabrications. However I am not well aquanted with Zulu and have not asked anyone for help so they may be insensitive or even gendered wrong.
means bad.
is the suffix “-diniwe” for tired and the “into” is intended to indicate a girl from intombazana.
is the suffix “-zamazisa” for shaken (a most excellent word!). The “Um” is intended to indicate a boy from umfana.
Once upon a time I visited a place where germs go between jobs, to rest.
Oh wait I should tell you about the germs. Germs are tiny creatures so small you cannot see them with special tools. They are often responsible for people getting sick.
I visited this place and listened to some of the stories that the germs told. One of the germs, his name was Bolile and he was bad. Bolile had found a wonderful place to work. He had was on the hands of a careless girl. It was wonderful there because of all the company! The girl was so careless about washing her hands that every time she went to the toilet or played outside Bolile was joined by a whole new crowd of germs and they could throw a party. Then when the girl ate anything Bolile and all his new friends could climb all over the food and try their best to make the girl sick. The girl didn’t pay any attention to cuts and grazes so Bolile and his friends could go and infect them. But the absolute best was when the girl did become sick and begin coughing and sneezing. Oh what fun! She didn’t cover her mouth or anything so Bolile and the other germs could jump right in and fly to all the people near the girl. It was wonderful but Bolile eventually left because there were just too many other germs there.
I met another germ with a different story. Her name was Intodiniwe, and she was very tired. She had tried to work on the hands of a reasonable boy. It was nice at first, the boy liked to have fun and often played outside with his friends. But whenever the boy went to the toilet Intodiniwe had to hang on while she watched many other germs get washed away by the boy. But this was not the end of her trouble. It got worse. When it was time for food the boy washed his hands so thoroughly that Intodiniwe was hard pressed to so anything other than hang on. She could not even think of getting at the food to try and make the boy sick.
Intodiniwe thought she might have better luck when the boy got hurt with a cut or a graze, but alas he was careful then too. He would clean and disinfect the injury so that Intodiniwe and all her friends had to stay away while it healed. The boy was even careful when he coughed. He would cover his mouth with his hand or sleeve so that any germ hoping to fly to another person was caught and stopped. Intodiniwe was at this place of rest for a bit of a break before she set out to find new work.
The last story I heard was not from a germ, but a bit of plaque. Plaque is the filmy stuff that collects on your teeth. It can cause decay, like how germs cause sickness. The plaques name was Umzamazisa and he was rather shaken when I spoke to him. Normally a bit of plaque would happily settle on a tooth, gather some friends and form a mining party. They would set to work boring holes into the tooth to dig out wonderful houses for all sorts of germs. A very lucrative business and good work. But Umzamazisa had the misfortune of settling in the mouth of a girl who made all of this difficult. Twice a day the girl would vigorously brush her teeth. Initially Umzamazisa thought that all would be well. The bristles and paste would be an annoyance but be quickly gone and probably even miss him. But not here. This girl was careful and brushed everywhere. There was no escape. In the morning she brushed away all the mining equipment Umzamazisa had set up and in the evening she brushed away all his friends. Umzamazisa moved to find a better, more sheltered place, perhaps in-between two teeth, but the bristles and paste found him even there. This had gone on for weeks, so he gave up. Umzamazisa was in the place of rest for a bit of a breather before finding another mouth.