English Original
There were only two unmarried men in the village. All the rest had found suitable partners, but Kalemeleme was so gentle that he would not stand up for his own rights, or anyone else's, while Kinku was so bad-tempered that no one could stand his tantrums for long.
Thus these two lived in unhappy loneliness, until one day Kalemeleme took his bow and arrows and went into the forest in the early morning, when the dew was on the grass. He shot a grey wild-cat and a brown wild-cat.
On his way home he met Moma, the great rock python, mightiest snake in the forest, and was about to shoot when Moma pleaded, "Gentle one, have mercy on me, for I am stiff with cold. Take me to the river where it is warm."
Touched with pity, Kalemeleme took the great reptile on his shoulders to the stream and threw him in.
Moma lifted his head above the reeds and said, "Thank you, gentle one. I have seen your loneliness. Throw in your grey wild-cat and your brown wild-cat and take what the water-spirit gives you."
Kalemeleme threw his cats into the river. Immediately the water began to ripple and grow redder and redder until beneath the surface there appeared a great, red, open mouth.
He put in his hand and pulled out a gourd. He took it home and opened it, when out stepped... the most beautiful girl that was ever seen, and she was as good as she was lovely. She could weave mats, plait baskets, and make pots; she kept the house neat, cultivated the garden well, prepared food carefully, and helped her neighbors willingly. Soon, Kalemeleme and his beautiful wife were the favourites of the village.
Kinku came to him and asked, "Tell me, Kalemeleme, where did you get your wife?"
"The water-spirit gave her to me," Kalemeleme replied, and he told him the circumstances.
"Well, I want a wife too," said Kinku. So he took his bow and arrows and went off into the forest when the sun was boiling hot overhead.
He killed a grey wild-cat and a brown wild-cat. On his way home he too met Moma, the mighty python, wilting with the heat under a bush. He was about to shoot when Moma pleaded, "Mercy, Kinku. Have mercy on me for I am suffocated with this heat. Take me to the river where it's cool."
"What! Take you, a loathsome reptile? Find your own way to the river!"
"Very well. Come along." And the snake glided through the undergrowth, while Kinku followed.
Moma plunged into the water and, lifting his head above the reeds, called out, "Kinku. I have seen your loneliness. Now throw in your grey wild-cat and your brown wild-cat and take what the water-spirit gives you."
Kinku threw in his cats. At once the water began to ripple and became redder and redder, until beneath the surface Kinku saw a huge open mouth.
He put in his hand and drew out a pumpkin. He staggered home with it. It became heavier and heavier as he went, and at last he dropped it. It cracked, and out stepped... the ugliest woman that ever was. Before he could recover from his shock, she boxed him soundly on the ears, took him by the nose and said, "Come on, Kinku. I am your wife."
She didn't give him the chance to say "no", but pummelled him, biffed him, bullied him and blamed him. She led him a dog's life, for she was as lazy as she was hideous. "Kinku, carry the water! Kinku, cut the firewood! Kinku, cultivate the garden! Kinku, cook the meal!" while she simply lay about and abused him.
Of course Kinku blamed the water-spirit, but had he only known it, he had nobody to blame but himself.
中文翻译
村里只有两个单身汉。其他人都找到了合适的伴侣，但Kalemeleme过于温和，从不为自己的或他人的权利挺身而出；而Kinku则脾气暴躁，没人能长久忍受他的坏脾气。
于是两人在不幸的孤独中生活，直到一天清晨，露水还挂在草叶上时，Kalemeleme拿起弓箭走进森林，射杀了一只灰野猫和一只棕野猫。
在回家的路上，他遇到了森林中最强大的蛇——巨岩蟒Moma。正当他要射箭时，Moma恳求道：“仁慈的人啊，可怜可怜我吧，我冻僵了。带我去温暖的河边吧。”
Kalemeleme心生怜悯，将这只巨大的爬行动物扛到肩上，带到小溪边扔了进去。
Moma从芦苇丛中抬起头说：“谢谢你，善良的人。我看到了你的孤独。把你的灰野猫和棕野猫扔进去，接受水灵给你的东西吧。”
Kalemeleme将猫扔进河里。河水立刻开始荡漾，变得越来越红，直到水面下出现一张巨大的、红色的、张开的嘴。
他把手伸进去，掏出了一个葫芦。他带回家打开，里面走出来……一个前所未见的美丽女孩，她不仅可爱，而且善良。她会编席子、编篮子、做陶罐；她把房子收拾得井井有条，把花园打理得很好，精心准备食物，并乐于帮助邻居。很快，Kalemeleme和他美丽的妻子就成了村里最受欢迎的人。
Kinku来找他，问道：“告诉我，Kalemeleme，你从哪里得到你的妻子？”
“是水灵给我的，”Kalemeleme回答，并告诉了他事情的经过。
“好吧，我也想要个妻子，”Kinku说。于是他拿起弓箭，在烈日当空时走进了森林。
他杀死了一只灰野猫和一只棕野猫。在回家的路上，他也遇到了强大的蟒蛇Moma，它正萎靡不振地躲在灌木丛下避暑。他正要射箭时，Moma恳求道：“饶命，Kinku。可怜可怜我吧，我热得透不过气了。带我去凉爽的河边吧。”
“什么！带你，一个令人厌恶的爬虫？自己找路去河边！”
“很好。跟我来。”蛇滑行穿过灌木丛，Kinku跟在后面。
Moma跳入水中，从芦苇丛中抬起头喊道：“Kinku。我看到了你的孤独。现在把你的灰野猫和棕野猫扔进去，接受水灵给你的东西吧。”
Kinku把他的猫扔了进去。河水立刻开始荡漾，变得越来越红，直到水面下Kinku看到一张巨大的张开的嘴。
他把手伸进去，掏出了一个南瓜。他踉踉跄跄地带着它回家。南瓜越来越重，最后他失手掉在地上。南瓜裂开了，里面走出来……一个前所未有的丑陋女人。他还没从震惊中恢复过来，她就狠狠地扇了他一记耳光，捏着他的鼻子说：“来吧，Kinku。我是你的妻子。”
她没给他机会说“不”，而是对他拳打脚踢，欺凌他、责备他。她让他过着牛马不如的生活，因为她既丑陋又懒惰。“Kinku，去挑水！Kinku，去砍柴！Kinku，去打理花园！Kinku，去做饭！”而她则只是躺着骂他。
当然，Kinku责怪水灵，但他若早明白，就只能怪他自己。