There was a great famine in the country.
Hundreds of people were killed every day. And those who remained alive abandoned their homes and went to look for new shelters.
In one village lived a young man and a girl, a brother and a sister. The sister's name was Dimatana, and the brother's name was Mfano.
When hunger began to creep up on their home, the young man said to Dimatana:
“Sister, I’ll go to distant kraals (That’s what cattle breeders’ villages are called.) and hire myself there to work with rich cattle breeders—I’m not afraid of any work.” And for you alone, until I return, our supplies will still suffice.
He hid all the grain that they still had left in the cave and left.
One day, when Dimatana was cooking stew and baking flatbread, Izimu, a terrible, evil monster, entered the cave.
He saw that Dimatana had placed a large bowl of bean soup and a small bowl of flatbread on the table, and said:
- My big bowl, Dimatana. And my little bowl, Dimatana. And everything that remains in the cauldron is also mine, Dimatana.
Dimatana did not dare to argue with him. And Izimu ate everything that Dimatana had prepared and went home.
This happened on the second day, and on the third, and on the fourth.
On the fifth day, two pigeons flew in and knocked with their beaks at the entrance to the cave. And when Dimatana came out, the doves said:
“Will you feed us, Dimatana?” Then our wings will become strong, then we will fly to look for your brother, so that he can quickly come and deal with the monster Izimu.
Dimatana said:
- Thank you, pigeons. Would you like me to give you some corn kernels? But the doves answered:
- No, our neck is too narrow, we can’t swallow corn kernels!
“Then I’ll give you some beans,” said Dimatana. The doves replied:
- No, our neck is too narrow, we can’t swallow the beans!
“Then I will feed you millet,” said Dimatana.
“That’s good,” said the pigeons.
Dimatana poured millet on them; The pigeons pecked and pecked, gained strength and flew off to look for her brother.
They flew and flew and arrived at the same kraal. And there people were also starving. They saw the pigeons and grabbed sticks to kill them.
But the pigeons began to ask people:
- Don't kill us! We are looking for Mfano, Dimatana's brother. We want to tell him that his sister will soon die of hunger. Then the people lowered their sticks and said:
- Fly on, pigeons! Mfano is not here! So the pigeons flew from village to village, from kraal to kraal, and everywhere they repeated the same thing:
“We are looking for Dimatana’s brother.” If he doesn't return, his sister will starve to death.
Finally, the pigeons flew to the farthest village and again began to ask the people:
- Don't kill us! We are looking for Mfano, Dimatana's brother!
- I'm here! - the young man shouted.
“We have come for you,” said the pigeons. - Come back quickly, otherwise the evil Izimu will harass your sister!
And they lifted Mfano and carried him to his native village, to where his sister remained.
And Dimatana could barely move from hunger. But Mfano ordered her to stand at the hearth and, as if nothing had happened, prepare dinner.
- Don't be afraid of anything! - he said. And he hid in the depths of the cave.
And so, as soon as Dimatana managed to put the bowls on the table, Izimu himself appeared.
He said:
- Let me eat, Dimatana! Everything in the big bowl is mine. And what’s in the small bowl is mine. And what remains in the cauldron is also mine.
But Dimatana said:
- No, I won’t let you eat anymore. I'll eat what's in the big bowl myself. And I will eat what’s in the small bowl myself. And I will also eat what’s left in the cauldron myself.
- That's how you spoke! - Izimu said. - This is not without reason. That's right, you're hoping for someone's help.
And he backed towards the exit.
But then Mfano jumped out of his hiding place and killed the monster Izima.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru