down into a hole at the roots of a large tree. The two widows not
being able to follow Unktomi down into the hole, had to give up
trying to get him out, and passed the rest of the day and night
crying for their beloved babies. In the meantime Unktomi had
gotten out by another opening, and fixing himself up in an entirely
different style, and painting his face in a manner that they would
not recognize him, he cautiously approached the weeping women and
inquired the cause of their tears.

Thus they answered him: "Unktomi came here and fooled us about some
plums, and while we were absent killed our babies and made soup out
of their bodies. Then he gave us the soup to eat, which we did,
and when we found out what he had done we tried to kill him, but he
crawled down into that hole and we could not get him out."

"I will get him out," said the mock stranger, and with that he
crawled down into the hole and scratched his own face all over to
make the widows believe he had been fighting with Unktomi. "I have
killed him, and that you may see him I have enlarged the hole so
you can crawl in and see for yourselves, also to take some revenge
on his dead body." The two foolish widows, believing him, crawled
into the hole, only to be blocked up by Unktomi, who at once
gathered great piles of wood and stuffing it into the hole, set it
on fire, and thus ended the last of the family who were foolish
enough to let Unktomi tempt them with a few red plums.