A chief had daughters, all got married. When it came to the youngest one, she refused to marry, saying, “I want a man who can pass through a hole in the tree with a ball!” [The indolo is an aperture through a tree-trunk, often seen in trees misformed by the parting and joining again of branches; it is a kind of peep-hole.] The chief was astonished, and said, “Wherever shall I find him here in this country?” He tried calling together all the people. Then indeed all gathered together, and tried to pass through the hole, and it baffled them to pass through. Then those returned. Again others came, and they tried to pass through the hole; and they were baffled. Then the child grew very thin. The chief remained sorrowful.
Then others heard afar off that, “Over there is a chief’s daughter, she wants a man who can pass through a hole in the tree.” Then there arose two brothers and their brother-in-law, that is three people. Then the little brother said, “I am going with you!” Then they refused saying, “No, we don’t want you to go with us.” Then their brother-in-law said, “Let us go with him!” They said, “No, if he comes here, we shall beat him!” Then the (youngster) pretended to remain. When those elders had risen, he too arose behind, and went along hiding. Their brother-in-law looked round, and said, “Your little brother, we have come with him, friends!” Then his brothers said, “Let us beat him!” His brother-in-law refused, saying, “No, because he is only a youngster, he is not responsible!” He himself reached the house and sat down.
Then indeed they listened to those words, and gave him the basket of meal; and he took and carried it. And he remained behind with the basket of meal. When he had travelled a little, he saw a huge bird rise up, and turn to the west; he scooped up (some) meal, and went and threw it on the place where the bird had risen. When they had gone on, he came to some little black ants, and there he scooped up (some) meal, and threw it down. And they passed on. Again he came to a stream, and fish swimming about, and he scooped up (some) of that meal, and threw it in the stream; and then reached the outskirts of the village.
They entered the village, and arrived and sat down. Then a certain (man) went to the chief and said, “People have arrived over there.” He said, “How many are they?” He said, “There are three adults and a child.” He said, “Show them to a house. What have they come for?” “This very business of your daughter.” Then indeed they showed them to a house. When morning dawned, (the chief) said, “Let those people come who slept over there.” Then indeed he went to call them, saying, “The chief calls for you, let us go, you three!” That youngster remained. They all three reached the chief. And he gave them a ball, and said, “Try now!” Then one went first, and threw (the ball) down, and the ball bounced away. When it reached the hole in the tree, he caught it in order to go through; and was baffled. And another tried; and he too was baffled. Yet another tried; and he too was baffled.
The chief stared about and asked, “Was it just these same people that came?” One said, “They came three of them and a youngster.” He said, “And the youngster, go and bring him.” Then indeed they went and brought him. And he came with fear. When he reached the chief, the chief said, “Give him the ball!” And he took it and threw it down. And then he went after it. When it reached the hole in the tree, he caught it. When he poked in his head, he went inside with the ball. Again he threw it down; and that ball he caught on (her) breasts [i. e., of the girl, who was waiting on the other side of the tree]. Then the people were very glad, and brought fine clothing. But his brothers, when they saw that fine clothing, envied him, and said, “All right, we shall tell on him; they will drive him away, or maybe we shall kill him.”
When night came, both his elder brothers went to his mother-in-law, and said, “O wife of the chief!” And she answered, “It is I!” They said, “That son-in-law whom you have married into has wisdom; even if you say, ‘To prove that you are a son-in law, you would bring a baby this very day!’ you would see that indeed he has brought it.” And the chief’s wife answered, “Oh, you people! And where would he get a child from?” And they said, “It is true!” Then the chief’s wife consented to those words and went out. When she reached the courtyard of that son-in-law, she said, “To prove that you are a son-in-law, you would bring a child this very day!” Then that youngster was very astonished. He said, “Where am I to get a child from this very day?”
Then he went out, put on his little loin-cloth and said, “I am off, my wife, for home!” And his wife, when she saw her husband like that, wept in tears. And then off he went; and arrived there at the river, and crossed, and arrived at that bird. That bird asked him, “Where are you going, friend?” He said, “I am going home. My mother-in-law is bothering me, she said that to prove that I am a son-in-law I should bring a child this very day! And where am to get it from?” The bird heard, and asked him, “Was it you who gave me the meal?” And he replied, “It was I, Sir!” The bird said, “Stop here first sitting down.” Then indeed he remained sitting. The bird rose and went westward. When a short time had passed, he saw the bird coming with a baby, and it gave it to him, saying, “Take (it) to her (your mother-in-law) and let her nurse it.” Then indeed he went to the village. When he reached the village, he gave it to his wife, saying, “Take it to your mother, here is the child!” Then indeed she took it to her mother. Then her mother was greatly astonished, and said, “This person, where has he got the child from?” And she took that child, and went back (to her house).
And those elders of his came and said, “Don’t you see, O wife of the chief, this person is a wise one! Now you take some bwengo seed [Ubwengo is a very minute fatty seed, resembling millet], go and pour it out in the bush, you will see that he has picked it up!” His mother-in-law agreed. Then indeed she took a basket of bwengo in the morning; and she arrived and poured it out, and returned to her son-in-law, and said, “To prove that you are a son-in-law, you would go and pick up the bwengo that I have spilled!” Then indeed the child was very sad again, and went out with his little loin-cloth. When he arrived where the little black ants were, he saw a basket. Then the little ants asked him, saying, “Where are you going?” He said, “I am going home! My mother-in-law has spilled bwengo seed, and she has told me to pick it up. Bwengo isn’t picked up, it is difficult!”
The little ants said, “Is it you who gave us the meal?” And he answered, “It was I.” Then the little ants went in and called all their little mates, and said, “That friend of ours, who gave us the meal, has come. His mother-in-law has spilled bwengo seed!” Then indeed they all came out; and they all sufficed to pick up one (seed) each, they all put them in the basket, and gave them to him, saying, “Take them to your mother-in-law!” Then indeed he took them. Again she was astonished, and said, “Indeed this son-in-law of mine is wise!”
Again in the evening his elder brothers came, and said, “Don’t you see, O wife of the chief, this person is cunning? Even if you pour beads into the water, he will go and take them out!” But indeed she agreed. She filled a basket brimful with tiny beads, and arrived and poured them in the water, and returned, and went and told her son-in-law. And her son-in-law was very sad indeed, and went out and away. And he arrived just there at the stream. The fish asked him, “Where are you going, friend?” He answered, “I am going home: it was my mother-in-law who poured beads here into the water, and she wants me to pick them up!” The fish asked him, “Was it you who gave us the meal?” He said’ “It was I!” Then they all dived, and told their companions down below. Then indeed they all picked up those beads, and filled that basket. The fish said, “Go now, friend!” And he went and arrived and put down (the basket); and said, “Your mother is worrying me, because every day she sends me on improper errands!” Then indeed that child went and spoke to her mother: and her mother denied, saying, “No, it is not my fault, but his elder brothers tell me.”
Then she went out, and went to her father, and said, “Why does mother worry my husband like this?” She added, “She came first of all and said, ‘To prove yourself a son-in-law, give birth to a child this very day!’ Then my husband went and brought a child. And then she came back and said, ‘If one had a son-in-law he would pick up bwengo seed!’ He picked it up. Again she poured beads in the water; and again she came to my husband, and again she told him. Again he went and picked them up!” Then that chief was very angry, and said, “Call the chief’s wife!” Indeed they went and called her. When the chief’s wife came, she denied saying, “No Sir, but his own elder brothers are telling on him.” The chief said, “Go and fetch those people!” Then indeed they went and fetched them. When those people came to the chief, he bound them, and sent men to take them back home. Then indeed they took them.
After a few days the chief gathered together goods, and said, “Take my son-in-law and his wife to their home.” Then indeed they arose with their people, and off they went. And they reached home, and they were very glad at home when they saw them. And they swept out a house for him to enter. In the evening he portioned out the goods to his uncles and mother. When many days had passed at his home too, he again arose to return to his wife’s village. They arrived at his wife’s village.