Come himself and fetch it.”
Then the boy’s eldest brother and his wife went and sang
“Give, sister-in-law, give,
Give our brother his pen: give up his pen.”
The bonga maiden sing in answer
“Let the owner of the pen
Come himself and fetch it”
Then the boy’s maternal uncle and his wife went and sang the same song and received the same answer. So they told the boy that he must go himself.
When he reached the tank the bonga girl came up and held out his books to him; but when he went to take them she drew back and so she enticed him into the tank; but when once he was under the water he found he was in quite a dry and sandy place. There he stayed and was married to the bonga girl. After he had lived with her a long time he became homesick and longed to see his father and mother. So he told his bonga wife that he must go and visit them. “Then do not take your school books with you,” said she; “perhaps you won’t come back.” “No, I will surely return,” he answered; so she agreed to his going and said that she would sit on the door step and watch for his return; and he must promise to be very quick. She tied up some cakes and dried rice for him and also gave him back his school books.