Page:Swahili tales.djvu/415

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BLESSING OR PROPERTY.
395

not. I asked for the property, and she for a blessing." And be left her a cooking pot, and a mortar for cleaning corn; he did not leave her even a little food.

Her neighbours used to come and borrow the mortar, and clean their corn, and then they gave her a little grain, and she cooked and ate it. And others used to come and borrow her cooking pots, and cook with them, and then they gave her too a little food. And this was every day her employment.

And she searched about in her father and mother's house, without finding anything except a pumpkin seed. And she took it and went and planted it under the well. And a plant sprung up, and bore many pumpkins.

Her brother had no news of her, and he asked people, "Where does my sister get food?" And they told him, "People borrow her mortar, and they clean their corn, and give her too a little food; and people borrow her cooking pots, and cook with them, and give her too a little food."

And her brother arose and went and robbed her of the mortar and cooking pots. And then she awoke in the morning and sought for food, and could not get it. And she stayed till nine o'clock, and said, "I will go and look at my pumpkin, whether it has grown." And she went, and saw that many pumpkins had come. And she was comforted.

And she gathered the pumpkins, and went and sold them, and got food. And this was her employment every day, to gather and go and sell. And when the third day came, every one who ate those pumpkins found them exceedingly sweet. And everybody used to take grain and go to her place and buy. And many days passed, and she got property.

Her brother's wife heard that news, and sent her slave