A famine arose; one day a man went out to eat some mushrooms. He just returned empty. Again another day he went out. He heard a honey-guide arrive; he took it along, and it took him a great distance; and he came back, and left it.
On his return to the village, there arose another, one very poor; and he heard that same honey-guide come, and he took it along, and it took him a great distance to the edge of an anthill; and he found it sitting with a most beautiful calabash. Then that man was afraid.
And the calabash said, “Don’t be afraid! Come here!” And he came. It said, “Won’t you carry me?” And he went and carried it. When he arrived at a great opening, it said, “Put me down!” And he put it down, and the calabash entered. It said, “Friend, poke your hand through!” And he poked it through, and lo! a jar of beer. And then he began to dance, and said, “That’s right, let me eat a little food today!” Again it said, “Friend, poke your hand through.” Behold, a great basket of thick porridge. And he took it gladly. And it said, “Here’s a tinder-box, carry your porridge in this!” And again it said, “Don’t go and tell this at the village!” And he refused, saying “No Sir, not I!” And he packed the porridge inside the tinder-box.
And then off he went; and he arrived at the village, and took out the porridge, and gave to all his companions. They all insistently asked him, “Where has this come from?” And he said, “I have begged it.” They said, “Tell us where you begged it!” And he absolutely refused.
When morning dawned, one of the worthies arose and said, “I am going into the bush.” He heard a honey-guide come, and he followed it. When he reached the side of the anthill, he found it sitting with a calabash. And that man said, “What a fine calabash this is!” And the calabash answered, saying “I am a man!” On hearing that, the man arose with his spear to wound it, and it [the spear] was caught by the calabash. And it answered, saying “Friend, don’t kill me!”
And the man said, “The ill-omens abound!” And he rose with his axe to break it. And it caught the axe, and said “Friend, carry me!” The man answered, “If I carry you, give me back my weapons and axes!” And it answered, “Yes, I shall give you them!” And he went and carried it.
Whilst carrying it, he tried to break it. And it said, “Mate, don’t kill me!” And the man said, “Who’s your mate, you calabash?” When he arrived at a certain place, it said “Put me down!” And it entered. It said, “Stretch out your hands!” And he stretched them out, and it cut off all his fingers.
He rushed out, and arrived home at his village. When they all saw him, they asked “What has done this to you?” He said, “A calabash cut me!” On hearing that, that poor man felt very sorrowful, but he said not a thing.
When morning dawned, he set out right over there, and found the calabash, and it asked him, saying “Friend, you betrayed me.” And he denied it, saying “No, Sir; it was your own messenger that brought him!” And it gave him food, and he took it to the village. All, when they saw that food, asked him about it insistently. And he confessed, saying “It was the calabash that gave it to me!” At that very moment the food went back.