Once upon a time there were seven brothers and they had one sister.  Every day they used to go out hunting leaving their wives and sister at home.  One very hot day they had been hunting since dawn and began to feel very thirsty; so they searched for water but could find none.  Then one of them climbed a tree and from its summit saw a beautiful pool of water close by:  so he came down and they all went in the direction in which he had seen the water; but they could not find it anywhere; so another of the brothers climbed a tree and he called out that he could see the pool close by, but when he came down and led them in what he thought was the right direction he was equally unable to find the water; and so it went on; whenever they climbed a tree they could see the water close by, but when on the ground they could not find it; and all the time they were suffering tortures from thirst.

Then they saw that some bonga was deluding them and that they must offer some sacrifice to appease him.

At first they proposed to devote one of their wives to the bonga; but not one of the brothers was willing that his wife should be the victim; and they had no children to offer so at last they decided to dedicate their only sister as the sacrifice.  Then they prayed “Ye who are keeping the water from us, listen; we dedicate to you our only sister; show us where the water is.”  No sooner had they said this than they saw a pool of water close beside them and hastened to it and quenched their thirst.  Then they rested and began to discuss how they should sacrifice their sister; and at last they decided that as they had devoted her to the bonga because they wanted water, it would be best to cast her into the water; and they planned to go and work one day near a pond of theirs and make their sister bring their breakfast out to them and then drown her.

So they went home and two or three days later the eldest brother said that the time had come for the sacrifice; but the two youngest loved their sister very much and begged for a little delay.  Out of pity the others agreed; but almost at once one of the brothers fell ill and was like to die.  Medicines were tried but had no effect; then they called in an ojha and he told them that the bonga to whom they had made the vow while out hunting had caused the illness and that if they did not fulfil the vow their brother would die.  Then they all went to the sick man’s bedside and poured out water on the ground and swore that they would fulfil their vow; no sooner had they done so than the sick man was restored to health.