Page:Swahili tales.djvu/357

Rh hollow. And he called his companions and said to them, "Here it sounds hollow."

And they said, "Knock." And he knocked, and they heard it sound hollow, and said, "Let us dig." And they dug, and found a large pit: it was like a well, and they saw in it honey; it was very full.

And they left the firewood, and every day carried away honey. And it was Hasseebu who was the first to find the pit of honey. And they said, "Do you go inside and dip out the honey, and give to us, and we will go and sell it in the town, and when we have finished, let us divide the money." And he said, "Very well."

And it was their employment every day for three months, and they got much wealth.

At last, when the honey was finished, there remained some quite at the bottom, and that far off, and they said, "Go in, inside there, and scrape up what is left, and when you have done we will give you a rope, take hold of it, and we will hoist you up." And he consented, and gathered it, and said, "Give me the rope." And they said to him, "There is no rope: wait a bit, it is coming." And they consulted together and said, "Let us leave him, there inside the pit, and let us divide the money."

And one arose and said, "What shall we say to his mother?" And one arose and answered, and said, "We will tell her, your son arose to go on his private business, and was caught by a lion, he and his donkey, and there in the forest we could not seek for him much, but we heard the lion crying, and we knew that it was the lion that had taken him."

And they went away into the town and told his mother. And his mother wept much, and made her mourning, till it was ended. And they divided the money, and said, "And let us send a little money to our friend's mother."