Die Ondeunde Boeties Kai en RosThe Naughty Little Brothers Kai and Ros

Lank, lank gelede in ’n verre land het koning Lemuel al sy onderdane opdrag gegee; om klokslag vyfuur daardie middag voor sy groot kasteel te vergader. Niemand sou verskoon word nie.
Die koning, ’n baie slim man, het geworstel met ’n paar vrae waarvoor selfs sy wysheid nie antwoorde kon vind nie.
Hy het besluit om hulp te vra.Long, long ago in a faraway land, King Lemuel gave all his subjects an order: to gather in front of his big castle at five o’clock sharp that afternoon. Nobody would be excused.
The king, a very wise man, had been wrestling with a few questions for which even his wisdom could not find answers.
He decided to ask for help.

Sy onderdane het gewonder wat so belangrik kon wees. Almal het hul koppe gekrap, baarde getrek en saggies gefluister. Tog was hulle klokslag daar.His subjects wondered what could be so important. Everyone scratched their heads, tugged their beards and whispered softly. Still, they were there at the stroke of the hour.

’n Doodse stilte het geval. Koning Lemuel verskyn toe op die balkon. Met harde, maar bekommerde stem sê hy: “Manne! Ek soek iemand dapper genoeg om op reis te gaan — op soek na antwoorde! Vrae wat my al vir jare pla. En eers wanneer daardie antwoorde gevind is, mag die reisiger terugkeer.”A deathly silence fell. King Lemuel then appears on the balcony. With a loud but worried voice he says: “Men! I am looking for someone brave enough to go on a journey, in search of answers! Questions that have troubled me for years. And only when those answers are found may the traveller return.”

Die mans het mekaar aangekyk en hul koppe geskud. Hulle het vroue en kinders om voor te sorg. Selfs toe die koning ’n groot beloning aanbied, het hulle gewik en weeg.
“Wat is die vrae, U Majesteit?” het een man dapper gevra.
Die koning het geantwoord: “Wie het die aarde afgemeet? Waar woon die lig?
Waar is die woonplek van donkerte? Het die reën ’n vader? En wie sê vir die haan wanneer om te kraai?”
By elke vraag het die mans al hoe ongemakliker geword. Hulle het saam besef: dis onmoontlik! Die koning het seker van sy varkies verloor.The men looked at each other and shook their heads. They had wives and children to care for. Even when the king offered a big reward, they weighed it up this way and that.
“What are the questions, Your Majesty?” one man asked bravely.
The king answered: “Who measured the earth? Where does the light live?
Where is the dwelling place of darkness? Does the rain have a father? And who tells the rooster when to crow?”
With every question the men grew more and more uncomfortable. Together they realised: it is impossible! The king must have lost his marbles.

Teleurgesteld wou die koning moed opgee, toe twee stemmetjies van agter af roep: “U Majesteit!
Ons sal gaan!”
Die mense het verbaas omgedraai —
dit was die tweelingboeties, Kai en Ros.Disappointed, the king wanted to give up, when two little voices called from the back: “Your Majesty!
We will go!”
The people turned around in surprise;
it was the twin brothers, Kai and Ros.

Identiese tweelinge, altyd gereed vir ’n uitdaging. Hulle het vooruit gestap, handjies saamgeslaan en gesoebat: “Asseblief, U Majesteit! Ons is dapper. Gee ons asseblief die kans!”Identical twins, always ready for a challenge. They stepped forward, clasped their little hands together and pleaded: “Please, Your Majesty! We are brave. Please give us the chance!”

Die menigte het gesidder. Twee seuntjies? So ondeund — hoe verwag hulle dat die koning so ’n belangrike opdrag aan hulle sal gee? Wat weet hulle van sulke dinge?
Hulle het nog net ’n jaar gelede hul ouers in ’n tragiese wa-en-perde ongeluk verloor en woon nou by hulle ouma.
“Ek hoop nie die koning is só roekeloos nie,” brom Rooi Piet onder sy baard.
“Waar het jy al gesien kinders vat sulke take aan?” mompel Koos Tande.The crowd shuddered. Two little boys? So naughty; how do they expect the king to give such an important task to them? What do they know about such things?
Only a year ago they lost their parents in a tragic horse-and-wagon accident, and now they live with their granny.
“I hope the king is not so reckless,” grumbles Red Piet under his beard.
“Where have you ever seen children take on such tasks?” mutters Koos Teeth.

Maar Kai en Ros steur hulle min aan die gemompel. Hulle spring opgewonde op en af, en roep: “Asseblief Oom, groot asseblief Oom!”
“Stilte!” roep koning Lemuel. “Omdat julle, groot en sterk manne, nie kans sien vir my opdrag nie, het ek besluit — Kai en Ros sal gaan. Hulle het gewys wat ware moed is. Die besluit staan vas. Hulle vertrek môreoggend met dagbreek.”
Daardie aand kon die seuntjies nie slaap nie. Toe onthou hulle; hulle het vergeet om te bid!
Op hul knieë vra Kai eerste vir Jesus se hulp, en toe Ros.
Daarna was dit net tjoef-tjaf droomland toe.But Kai and Ros pay little attention to the muttering. They jump up and down excitedly and call: “Please, Sir, pretty please, Sir!”
“Silence!” calls King Lemuel. “Because you, big and strong men, do not dare to take on my task, I have decided: Kai and Ros will go. They have shown what true courage is. The decision stands. They leave tomorrow morning at daybreak.”
That evening the little boys could not sleep. Then they remembered; they had forgotten to pray!
On their knees Kai first asks Jesus for help, and then Ros.
After that it was just quick-quick off to dreamland.

In hul droom het hulle hul rugsakkies gevat en begin stap.
Hulle was in ’n land so mooi, dis amper onbeskryflik. Blou lug, golwende gras, blomme van elke kleur — rooi, geel, pers, wit en oranje. Skoenlappers het gelyk soos Mamma se mooiste borsspeld, en voëltjies het op die nektar van blomme gesmul.In their dream they took their little backpacks and began to walk.
They were in a land so beautiful, it is almost beyond words. Blue sky, waving grass, flowers of every colour: red, yellow, purple, white and orange. Butterflies looked like Mommy’s prettiest brooch, and little birds feasted on the nectar of flowers.

Alles was vrolik; voëls het gesing, goggas het feesgevier. Hulle het gesing: “Al die veld is vrolik, al die voëltjies sing, al die sprinkane spring...”Everything was cheerful; birds sang, bugs had a party. They sang: “All the veld is cheerful, all the little birds sing, all the grasshoppers jump…”

Saam met die diere het hulle gespeel en snags onder ’n boom saam met hasies en bokkies geslaap.Together with the animals they played, and at night they slept under a tree together with little rabbits and little buck.

Niemand was bang nie. Maar ... hulle het vergeet waarvoor hulle daar was.Nobody was afraid. But… they forgot what they were there for.

Totdat Kai weer onthou: “Die koning se opdrag!”
Hulle het planne beraam, maar geen antwoorde gekry nie. Toe besluit hulle om raad te vra:
Koning Leeu sê: “Vra vir oupa Uil. Hy weet dalk.”Until Kai remembers again: “The king’s task!”
They made plans, but found no answers. Then they decide to ask for advice:
King Lion says: “Ask Grandpa Owl. Maybe he knows.”

Oupa Uil het net sy oë gerol. “Ek het al baie dinge gesien, maar die pad van lig en donker ken ek nie.”Grandpa Owl just rolled his eyes. “I have seen many things, but the path of light and darkness I do not know.”

Kai en Ros het daardie nag onder die boom saam met diere aan die slaap geraak.
Die volgende oggend het hulle weer gaan soek.That night Kai and Ros fell asleep under the tree together with animals.
The next morning they went searching again.

Karel Kraai het ook nie antwoorde gehad nie. “Ek kry altyd kos vir my kleintjies sonder om te vra; maar ek weet nie hoe nie.”Karel Crow had no answers either. “I always get food for my little ones without asking; but I do not know how.”

Wildedonkie? Hy snuffel maar net spruitjies uit.
“Ek is dapper!” sê Tannie Volstruis! “Selfs perde wat vinnig verby galop, maak my nie bang nie!”
Kallie Krokodil het gespog oor hoe niemand hom met ’n hoek kan vang nie.
Seekoei het daarna voortgespog oor haar krag; sy het geen raad gehad nie.
Uiteindelik het Kai en Ros moedeloos in die gras aan die slaap geraak.Wild Donkey? He just sniffs out little sprouts.
“I am brave!” says Auntie Ostrich! “Even horses galloping fast past me do not scare me!”
Kallie Crocodile boasted about how nobody can catch him with a hook.
Hippo then went on boasting about her strength; she had no advice.
In the end Kai and Ros fell asleep in the grass, downhearted.

Toe sien ons hulle weer: veilig in hulle bedjies. ’n Liewe ou tannie glip saggies in, fluister iets in elkeen se oor en druk ’n soentjie op hul voorkoppe.
Die volgende oggend word hulle wakker met vreugde in hul harte.Then we see them again: safe in their little beds. A dear old lady slips in softly, whispers something into each one’s ear and presses a little kiss on their foreheads.
The next morning they wake up with joy in their hearts.

“Boetie!” roep Kai, “ek het ’n droom gehad – ek weet wat om vir die koning te sê!”
“Ek ook!” sê Ros. En toe vertel hulle ... dit was dieselfde droom! En dieselfde antwoord!
Hulle onthou hul mamma se Bybelverhale, veral dié van Job. Hoe God, Job se vrae beantwoord het met woorde soos: “Alles onder die hemel behoort aan My.” En Job, ten spyte van al sy hartseer, het gesê: “Nou weet ek dat U álles doen!”“Brother!” calls Kai, “I had a dream – I know what to tell the king!”
“Me too!” says Ros. And then they tell… it was the same dream! And the same answer!
They remember their mommy’s Bible stories, especially the one about Job. How God answered Job’s questions with words like: “Everything under heaven belongs to Me.” And Job, in spite of all his sadness, said: “Now I know that You can do all things!”

Hulle hardloop paleis toe, hul harte vol sekerheid. Koning Lemuel was stomgeslaan deur hul wysheid. Hulle vertel van hul drome, van hulle mamma en ouma, en van Jesus — die Skepper van hemel en aarde.They run to the palace, their hearts full of certainty. King Lemuel was amazed by their wisdom. They tell about their dreams, about their mommy and granny, and about Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth.

Die koning het geluister tot laatnag. En toe ... stil en diep geraak, het hy sy lewe aan Jesus gegee.
Koning Lemuel het besluit om ’n kerk te bou. ’n Plek waar almal op Sondae kon bymekaar kom om van God te leer. Die land het begin floreer, en almal het gelukkig saamgeleef.The king listened until late at night. And then… grown quiet and deep, he gave his life to Jesus.
King Lemuel decided to build a church. A place where everyone could come together on Sundays to learn about God. The land began to flourish, and everyone lived happily together.