Soon day darkened; and they all went to go to sleep. And soon another day began to break. At day-break, Tortoise started to go off to the place where was the Drum. Arrived there, he went to the tree, and said to the Drum, "Ngâmâ! do as they said!" The Drum came rapidly down to the ground, and put out the table all covered with food. Tortoise took a part, and ate, and was satisfied. Then he also filled the bag. Then said he to the Drum, "Do as you did!" And Drum took back the things, and went up the tree. On another day, at day-break, he went to the tree and did the same way.
On another day, as he was going, his eldest son, curious to find out where his father obtained so much food, secretly followed him. Tortoise went to where the Drum was. The child hid himself, and stood still. He heard his father say to the tree, "Bend!" And its top bent down. The child saw the whole process, as Tortoise took the Drum, stood it up, and with the palm of his hand, struck it, ve! saying, "Do as you have been told to do!" At once a table stood prepared, at which Tortoise sat down and ate. And then, when he had finished, saying, "Tree! bend down," it bent over for Drum to be tied to it. He returned Drum to the branch; and the tree stood erect.
On other days, Tortoise came to the tree, and did the same way, eating; and returning to his house; on all such occasions, bringing food for his family. One day, the son, who had seen how to do all those things, came to the tree, and said to it, "Bow down." It bowed; and he did as his father had done. So Drum spread the table. The child ate, and finished eating. Then said he to Drum, "Put them away!" And the table disappeared. Then he took up the Drum, instead of fastening it to the tree, and secretly carried it to town to his own house. He went to call privately his brothers, and his father's women, and other members of the family. When they had come together in his house, at his command, the Drum did as usual; and they ate. And when he said to the Drum, "Put away the things!" it put them away.
Tortoise came that day from the forest where he had been searching for the loved mushrooms for his family. He said to himself, "Before going into the town, I will first go to the tree to eat." As he approached the tree, when only a short distance from it, the tree was standing as usual, but the Drum was not there! He exclaimed, "Truly, now, what is this joke of the tree?" As he neared the foot of the tree, still there was no Drum to be seen! He said to the tree, "Bow down!" There was no response! He passed on to the town, took his axe, and returned at once to the tree, in anger saying, "Lest I cut you down, bend!" The tree stood still. Tortoise began at once with his axe chopping, Ko! ko! The tree fell, toppling to the ground, tomu! He said to it, "You! produce the Drum, lest I cut you in pieces!" He split the tree all into pieces; but he did not see the Drum. He returned to the town; and, as he went, he walked anxiously saying to himself, "Who has done this thing?" When he reached his house, he was so displeased that he declined to speak. Then his eldest son came to him, and said, "O! my father! why is it that you are silent and do not speak? What have you done in the forest? What is it?" He replied, "I don't want to talk." The son said, "Ah! my father! you were satisfied when you used to come and eat, and you brought us mushrooms. I am the one who took the Drum." Tortoise said to him, "My child, now bring out to us the Drum." He brought it out of an inner room. Then Tortoise and the son called together all their people privately, and assembled them in the house. They commanded the Drum. It did as it usually did. They ate. Their little children took their scraps of potatoes and meat of wild-animals, and, in their excitement, forgot orders, and went out eating their food in the open street. Other children saw them, and begged of them. They gave to them. Among them were children of Leopard, who went and showed the meat to their father.