The farmers who were friends were accustomed to helping one another in their fields. They cut rice side by side, felled trees, planted crops and shared them, and were as brothers. One morning when they went into their fields to work they saw wild hogs rooting among the crops.
One of the farmers ran towards the hogs to chase them away. He slipped and fell on a stake; the stake pierced his stomach and his bowels began to spill out of his skin.
His friend quickly caught them in an empty gourd, and the wounded man was able to hold his stomach in place and save his life.
“Lend me your spear,” said his friend, “and I will kill those hogs who have caused us such great mischief! He killed three hogs, but he broke the spear on the fourth and the beast fled into the forest with half the spear.
The farmer returned with the broken piece of spear.
“Friend, I killed three hogs but broke your spear on the fourth. Forgive me.”
“You broke my good spear? And you lost the iron head?”
“The iron head is lost.”
“Then you will pay for this! You will give me half your crop for this. Oh, I will make you pay for my good spear!”
“So?” asked his friend. “You would make me pay so much just because I broke your spear?”
“I will make you pay even more!” cried the other.
“Then I must ask now for my gourd which is holding in your stomach, for we are friends no longer.”
He took the gourd; and the wounded man, who had proved so ungrateful, lost his bowels and died.