A woman was born a poor outcast. She lived like that a great while. One day she said, “First let me go and hook some fish in the river.” Then indeed she went to the river with bait, and set it. Then she fished, (and found) a sprat; she fished (and found) a Samba fish; when she did it again, she fished up a barble, pitch black. Her barble she put in a little basket, and took it to the village. She said, “This barble of mine I shall cook tomorrow,” and she put it away alive, and took the little sprats and little sambas and cooked them. Then she put that barble at the head (of her bed) in the little basket.
Then while she slept at night, that barble changed into a man, while that wife of his, the outcast, still slept; and he built a great village with wealth, and became very rich. Then, when she woke up, she found herself clothed in much calico, who used to dress in rags. Then she said, “This wealth, where have I got it from?” When she was about to take hold of the little basket, she found that there was no barble in it. Lo! it was that that had changed into a man. Then she sat down and said, “Indeed, I have become wealthy today.”
Then he said, “Wife, this way in which I have become rich, this way in which we have both become rich, your mother is not to see me; I am not seen by my mother-in-law!” indeed in that way did she fear him, saying, “My son-in-law is not seen.”
One day she said, “Today I am going, I shall show him obstinacy, I shall see him.” Then indeed she went to the house where her son-in-law was playing his musical instrument. When he had done that, and saw his mother-in-law coming in the door-way, he took an elephant’s tusk, and gave it to her, thinking maybe she would stop on the way; but not she, she didn’t stop on the way she was coming. Then he said, “Ah! Whyever has my mother-in-law done this obstinacy?” Then he slipped out another way. And off he went to the river, right there to where he was taken out by that outcast.
When his wife came back from hoeing, she found an empty house. So she went in the road where her husband had gone, crying. She found that he had already dived into the water. And she arrived and sat down on the land, and then leaned over the water, and sang,
“Oh husband,
Breaker of the river-grass, come back!
Breaker of the river-grass, I am sorry!
Breaker of the river-grass, come back!
Breaker of the river-grass, I am sorry!
Breaker of the river-grass, come back!
Breaker of the river-grass, oh...!”
Her husband said,
“I have gone...! home to the rapids,
To the rapids where we swim with the chiefs,
To the rapids...! with the chiefs...!”
Then, lo! in the water where he was, his sister came and said, “Pop! what are you saying?” The outcast said,
“Little wriggling barble is a fish,
little wriggling barble is a fish.
I recognise you, O my sister-in-law...!
Little wriggling barble is a fish...!
Drag me and take me down...!
Little wriggling barble is a fish...!”
Then she returned to her brother, and said, “Isn’t your wife wise? She knew that I was her sister-in-law!” He said, “First you go, mother, (see) whether she will recognise you too!” Then his mother went also, and arrived, and said, “Pop! what are you saying?” Her daughter-in-law said,
“Little wriggling barble is a fish,
little wriggling barble is a fish.
I recognise you, my mother-in-law...!
Little wriggling barble is a fish...!
Drag me and take me down...!
Little wriggling barble is a fish...!”
Then indeed her mother-in-law went back, and said, “She has recognised me also, saying, ‘Mother-in-law’.” He said, “First of all go you, her father-in-law, (see) if she will recognise you.” And he indeed—wobble, wobble, wobble—and arrived, and said,
“Little wriggling barble is a fish,
little wriggling barble is a fish.
I recognise you, my father-in-law...!
Little wriggling barble is a fish...!
Drag me and take me down...!
Little wriggling barble is a fish...!”
Then her father-in-law went back, and said, “Isn’t she a wise child?” He added, “Go, you her husband, go to the village, don’t persecute a free person!” Then indeed her husband went out, and off they went to the village. After that he said, “My wife, (see) how your mother compelled me; another day I won’t come back!” Then he stayed a great while.
One day (the people) said, “Go and fetch the chief’s wife, let her come and dance at the initiation.” Her husband said, “You go!” His wife said, “Not I, lest I should find that you have already gone home to the ponds!” He said, “Ah, you go, a man’s wife is to be gazed at!” Then indeed she went with many of his people. Then his mother-in-law said, “Today too I am going to see my son-in-law!” And so she went. He said, “Mother-in-law is coming.” He took an elephant’s tusk, and gave it to her as she came. Then he went out, and his mother-in-law, whom he feared, remained alone. Then off he went. Then there, where his wife was, her heart sank. Then she came pit-a-pat. When she reached the house, she found her husband already gone. She said, “And today also, my husband, isn’t it that demon of a mother of mine that has driven him away? Then she just went out to her mother. She found her, wounded her with a hoe, and another; ah! she killed her mother.
Then she went back, and ran quickly down the path where her husband had gone. And she sped along. She found that he had already arrived at the river. She reached the very spot where she usually sat. And then she sang,
“Oh husband,
Breaker of the river-grass, come back!
Breaker of the river-grass, I am sorry!
Breaker of the river-grass, come back!
Breaker of the river-grass, I am sorry!
Breaker of the river-grass, come back!
Breaker of the river-grass, oh...!”
They said, “And today that child has come already.” Suddenly his sister appeared, that same one, and said, “Pop! What are you saying?” She said,
“Little wriggling barble is a fish,
little wriggling barble is a fish.
I recognise you, O my sister-in-law...!
Little wriggling barble is a fish...!
Drag me and take me down...!
Little wriggling barble is a fish...!”
And she went back, and said, “And today too she knows that her sister-in-law has come!” Then he said, “Today fetch my wife for me, I can’t go back to the land!” Indeed she caught her by the arm, and pulled her into the water! Thus he took her away.