Kif Ċikku sab in-numru sebgħa

How Ċikku came to number 7

Get to know the neighbours and practise what you've learned in a new story.

The storyA Saturday in June. At the market and then in the courtyard, the people who were there tell you and Ella how a tiny grey kitten found number 7, and whose key he took first.

New words in the story

widintu his ear (widna, an ear)
gidmu bit him (gidem, he bit)
semmieh named him (semma, he named)

A Saturday in June. At the market and then in the courtyard, the people who were there tell you and Ella how a tiny grey kitten found number 7, and whose key he took first.

Tap a word to see what it means.

AutoplayEnglish

A Saturday morning in June. The market on the square is full of people. You and Ella stop at the fish stall.
Salvu
Bonġu! Oh, in-numru sebgħa! Intom hawn mill-ġdid.
Good morning! Oh, number 7! You're here again.
Ella
Bonġu, Sur Salvu! Nixtieq ftit ħut, jekk jogħġbok. Għal Ċikku.
Good morning, Mr Salvu! I'd like some fish, please. For Ċikku.
Salvu
Għal Ċikku? Żgur. Il-kont tiegħu diġà twil ħafna.
For Ċikku? Of course. His bill is very long already.
Sur Salvu, kemm ilek taf lil Ċikku?
Mr Salvu, how long have you known Ċikku?
Sur Salvu, kemm ilek taf lil Ċikku?
Mr Salvu, how long have you known Ċikku?
Salvu
Ilni nafu ħafna snin. Minn meta kien qattus żgħir żgħir.
I've known him for many years. Since he was a tiny little cat.
Ella
Żgħir żgħir? Ċikku kien żgħir?
Tiny? Ċikku was little?
Salvu
Iva. Ħafna snin ilu, filgħodu kmieni, fil-bard, ġie hawn, fis-suq.
Yes. Many years ago, early one cold morning, he came here, to the market.
Salvu
Kien imxarrab u bil-ġuħ. U kien żgħir: kien joqgħod f'idi.
He was wet and hungry. And he was tiny: he sat in my hand.
U int x'għamilt?
And what did you do?
U int x'għamilt?
And what did you do?
Salvu
Tajtu ftit ħut. U hekk beda l-kont tiegħu!
I gave him some fish. And that's how his bill started!
Ella
U għaliex widintu hekk?
And why is his ear like that?
Salvu
Fis-suq kien hemm kelb kbir. Il-kelb gidmu f'widintu.
There was a big dog at the market. The dog bit him on the ear.
Salvu
Minn dak il-jum, Ċikku ma jħobbx il-klieb.
Since that day, Ċikku hasn't liked dogs.
Karim from the corner shop comes over with a box of apples.
Karim
Bonġu! Qed titkellmu dwar Ċikku? Jien ukoll kont hemm.
Good morning! Are you talking about Ċikku? I was there too.
Karim
In-nies tawh ħut u ħalib, imma ħadd ma kien jaf ta' min hu.
People gave him fish and milk, but nobody knew whose he was.
Ella
U baqa' fis-suq?
And did he stay at the market?
Karim
Le. Kien iħobbna, imma kien qed ifittex dar. Dar vera.
No. He liked us, but he was looking for a home. A real home.
Karim
Mexa warajja mis-suq, minn triq għal triq.
He followed me from the market, from street to street.
Karim
Ħares lejn kull dar. Mhux din. Mhux din. Mhux din.
He looked at every house. Not this one. Not this one. Not this one.
Karim
Imbagħad ra dar b'bieb aħdar.
Then he saw a house with a green door.
Ella
In-numru sebgħa!
Number 7!
Karim
Iva. Poġġa fuq it-taraġ u stenna.
Yes. He sat down on the steps and waited.
That afternoon, in the courtyard of number 7. Marija sits on her bench in the sun, and you tell her what you have heard.
Marija
Iva, iva. Jien naf kollox. Jien kont hemm.
Yes, yes. I know everything. I was there.
Marija
Dak il-lejl kienet ix-xita. Ftaħt il-bieb, u fuq it-taraġ kien hemm qattus żgħir u griż.
That night it was raining. I opened the door, and on the steps sat a little grey cat.
Marija
Għedtlu: Int mhux il-qattus tiegħi!
I said to him: You're not my cat!
Ella
U hu?
And what did he do?
Marija
Mexa ġod-dar, u daqshekk. Bħas-sid.
He just walked into the house. Like the boss.
U fejn kien jorqod?
And where did he sleep?
U fejn kien jorqod?
And where did he sleep?
Marija
Fil-flat tiegħek. Dak iż-żmien il-flat kien battal.
In your flat. That flat was empty then.
Fil-flat tiegħi?
In my flat?
Fil-flat tiegħi?
In my flat?
Marija
Iva. Għal żmien twil, dak kien il-flat tiegħu.
Yes. For a long time it was his flat.
Ella
Nanna, u min semmieh Ċikku?
Grandma, and who named him Ċikku?
Marija
Jien. Kien żgħir u griż. Għedtlu: Int se tkun Ċikku.
I did. He was so small and grey. I said: You'll be Ċikku.
Marija
U l-għada filgħodu, ħa l-ewwel ċavetta tiegħu.
And the next morning he took his first key.
Ella
Iċ-ċavetta ta' min?
Whose key?
Marija
Iċ-ċavetta tal-flat battal. Mill-but tiegħi.
The key to the empty flat. From my pocket.
Tal-flat tiegħi? Mela... iċ-ċavetta tiegħi!
To my flat? So... my key!
Tal-flat tiegħi? Mela... iċ-ċavetta tiegħi!
To my flat? So... my key!
Marija
Iva. Għalhekk l-ewwel lejl ħa ċ-ċavetta tiegħek. Kienet iċ-ċavetta tiegħu.
Yes. That's why he took your key on the first night. It was his key.
Ċikku walks across the courtyard and jumps onto the bench, right between you and Marija.
Ella
Mhux ħażin. Iħobb dik iċ-ċavetta, dak kollox!
He isn't bad. He just loves that key!
Ella
Jekk tibqa' hawn għaxar snin, jieħu għaxar ċwievet tiegħek!
If you stay here for ten years, he'll take ten of your keys!
Tajjeb. Mela se jkolli bżonn ħafna ċwievet.
All right. Then I'll need lots of keys.
Tajjeb. Mela se jkolli bżonn ħafna ċwievet.
All right. Then I'll need lots of keys.
Marija
Tixtieq tazza te? Ngħidlek iktar.
Would you like a cup of tea? I'll tell you more.
Bil-qalb! U int, Ċikku? Tixtieq ftit ħut?
I'd love one! And you, Ċikku? Would you like some fish?
Bil-qalb! U int, Ċikku? Tixtieq ftit ħut?
I'd love one! And you, Ċikku? Would you like some fish?
Ċikku ma jgħid xejn. Imma diġà bilqiegħda quddiem il-bieb ta' Marija.
Ċikku says nothing. But he's already sitting at Marija's door.

Kif Ċikku sab in-numru sebgħa

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Kif Ċikku sab in-numru sebgħa

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