The Weeding 131


 -I can imagine you're thirsty, the way you are sweat-
ing.*
 Each drunk from his calabash; and they continued to
sing as they worked.
 A while later when it was about eleven o'clock, past
the time when every man who worked in the sun is supposed
to stop, Bouqui began to feel weak. eMalice, if we don't
stop for a bite to eat and a few minutes rest, we'll die with
hunger and sunstroke.,
 eMe, I don't feel the sun and I'm not hungry. The only
thing I want is a drink. But you may go and eat; I'll work
on..
 ,Ha, don't joke Malice. I'll stand by and work. I was
just joking. I don't want to stop; a drink is all that I want.,
 Each drank from his calabash. It was hot but Malice
was as strong as ever. Bouqui was weak but he pretended
that he was all right. He didn't know that Malice was stand-
ing the work so well because he was drinking a strengthen-
ing calves' foot broth with which he had filled his calabash,
while he filled Bouqui's with plain water.
 Malice knew that Bouqui couldn't stand up long in the
hot sun unless he ate.
 When it was about noon, the sun became unbearable.
Bouqui stopped again. <Malice, let's stop to eat. We can
start again when the tacko-bird sings two o'clock.,
 ,I see I'm a harder worker than you are. You may go
ahead and eat, none Bouqui. You may even go home for a
while. As for myself I'll stop when I'm through weeding
my piece., He kept on drinking his calves' foot broth.