Masilo himself was hardly ever home. He wandered through the hills searching for his beloved Soyane. He let his hair grow as a sign of mourning, spoke little, and looked gloomy and grim. Pechakana took pity on her brother and invited him to stay with her for a day rather than roaming around the plains. "Come and have a quiet day with me, Masilo, and you will see a flock of birds alighting who will actually do women’s work, sweeping the floor, chopping wood, brewing beer, fetching water, and grinding millet. Among them there is one very pretty bird that I especially want you to see.

“It somehow reminds me of your wife and always comes in here to caress my baby.” Masilo, tired of running through the bush, was soon persuaded and stayed the next day with his sister Pechakana.

No sooner had the other people left the village than the birds arrived and began their daily work. Pechakana hid her brother behind the bed, hoping the birds would not notice his presence and be frightened away. Yet it seemed that the beautiful bird did have suspicions, for it refused to go into the hut even when the other birds did. When Pechakana invited, it the bird answered: “No, there is someone hiding behind your bed.” But the other birds begged her to go in and share the meat dish that Pechakana had prepared for them. Finally she entered but did not partake of the food. While she was busy caressing Pechakana’s baby, Masilo jumped up from his hiding place and seized the sad bird by the wings. Feathers flew in all directions, but Masilo held onto the bird, grasping whatever part he could. More feathers flew, hundreds of them, and then, quite suddenly, there stood Soyane, as beautiful as ever.

At last Masilo held his wife in his arms, but she spoke quietly: “Let me go, I must depart. You were warned not to pursue the limping gazelle, but you did. While you were away, your own men came back as helotomies and devoured all my oxen and my body as well. Only my heart escaped into the freedom of flight. Let me go back to my mother now. Your men have stolen all I owned.”

“No!” replied Masilo. “No and no again! I will not let you go now that I have at last recovered you. I love you, and will not make the same mistake twice. I will not let you out of my sight.”