From that day on, Nol-bu’s thoughts were filled with images of swallows and magic gourd seeds. Another spring arrived, and he and his wife anxiously waited for a pair of swallows to build a nest under the eaves of their house. They even scattered grain in their yard and on their rooftop in hopes of attracting a pair. At long last a pair of swallows did build a nest, and in a short time it was home to several baby birds.

Nol-bu watched for a snake to raid the nest but grew impatient. He took one of the chicks from the nest and injured its leg with his bare hands. Then he bound up the leg with some cord and, saying, “Go, you little bird, I fixed your broken leg so next spring bring me a magic gourd seed,” placed it back in its nest. The bird recovered and flew southward in the autumn.

The next spring Nol-bu watched for the swallow to return. Finally he spotted a lone swallow. It circled the air, then dropped a seed at Nol-bu’s feet and flew away. Nol-bu was ecstatic. He shouted to his wife to come out and together they planted the seed. All summer they watched the seed grow into a vine and three of the biggest gourds they had ever seen ripen on it.

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