Sebgugugu was a poor man whose only wealth was a white cow and her calf.
One day, while his wife was working in her garden, Sebgugugu sat outside his hut when a bird perched on the gate-post and began to sing. As he listened, the words seemed clear:
“Sebgugugu, kill the White One. Kill the White One and get a hundred!”
When his wife returned, the bird was still singing. Excited, Sebgugugu said, “Do you hear it, wife? Imana is telling me if I kill Whitey, I will gain a hundred cows.”
His wife protested: “Nonsense! It is only a bird. Our children live on her milk—if you kill her, they will starve.”
But Sebgugugu ignored her. He killed the cow, and though the family ate meat for a while, no new cows appeared. Later the bird returned and urged him to kill the calf. Again, despite his wife’s warnings, he did so. When the meat was gone, the children starved.
In despair, Sebgugugu and his wife gathered their children and set out to seek food. Along the road, Sebgugugu cried out in misery. Then Imana, the Creator, appeared and asked what troubled him. After hearing his story, Imana pointed to a distant hill.
“There is a kraal filled with cattle, herded by a crow. Drink their milk and feed your family. But always share with the crow, and never strike or curse him.”
Sebgugugu obeyed. He and his wife drank the milk, fed the children, and shared with the crow. For a while, all went well. But Sebgugugu grew discontented. “Why should we need this crow? Our children are old enough to herd cattle. I shall kill him.”
His wife begged him not to, but he lay in wait with his bow. Twice he shot, missing each time, and the crow flew away. At once the cattle vanished, and the family was left destitute again.
Once more Sebgugugu cried out, and once more Imana pitied him. This time, he showed him a wondrous vine that bore melons, gourds, and many fruits. “Take only what you need each day,” Imana warned.
For a while they thrived, but Sebgugugu’s greed returned. He thought, “If I prune this vine, it will yield even more.” He cut its branches, and immediately it withered and died.
In despair, he stumbled into the forest, where he found a rock with small cracks. From these trickled milk, grain, and beans. Patiently, he gathered food each day. But impatience grew. “Why does it trickle so slowly? I will widen the cracks!”
Despite his wife’s pleas, he forced stout poles into the rock. With a crash like thunder, the cracks closed forever. When Sebgugugu returned to camp, his wife and children were gone—vanished without a trace. Alone in the forest, his greed had finally destroyed him.