In former days, on the leeward side of Badu, lay the village of Ergan, and Wakaid was situated to windward, that is to say, on the south-eastern side of the island.
The men of Wakaid told their women to go to Ergan to sell biiu (a mangrove-derived food preparation) for turtle meat, but Goba volunteered, saying, "Give me. I go to Ergan and sell for you," and they permitted him. Halfway across the island are two hills; arriving between them, he sat down and ate all the biiu; when he had finished he proceeded on his way to Ergan. The inhabitants of this village had just caught a considerable number of turtle, and they gave him a large supply to sell to the Wakaid folk.
Having slept that night at Ergan, Goba set off in the early morning, and when he came to the spot between the two hills he again rested and ate up all the turtle. When he arrived at the camp the Wakaid men asked him where the turtle was, and he replied that they had none at the other village. He slept.
The first thing in the morning the Wakaid men said, "Who will go to Ergan?" Goba said, "I will go again," and they filled up a basket with biiu. Again he rested halfway and ate as much of the biiu as he could. On arriving at Ergan the men there asked him where the biiu was, and Goba told a lie, and said none was sent. As they had been fortunate in their turtle-fishing they gave him a load of the meat to carry back to Wakaid. He made a good supper off turtle and slept there.
At "small daylight" he marched off to windward with his turtle-meat, but once more he ate it all up, and then concluded his repast with a mixture of turtle-oil and the mangrove he had left over on the previous occasion. The old lie of the bad luck of the Ergan people was told on his return home.
Next morning he again started with biiu for Ergan. When he had satisfied his hunger at his usual halting-place he hid what remained over. The Ergan men once more inquired after the biiu which Goba should have brought in payment of the turtle they had previously given to him, but they were put off with the ordinary excuse. On this occasion they gave him a segment of bamboo filled with turtle-oil, but this was utilised by Goba on his way home as a relish to the biiu he had hidden in the bush. He arrived home empty-handed as usual.
The first thing next morning the men in the men's quarters (or kwod) said, "Which man want to go to Ergan?" Goba said, "Me, I go"; and the old story was repeated. In the meantime the Ergan men yarned, "We send some turtle, he no sell biiu, we think he eat it all." Turtle-meat was again given to Goba, and on the following morning two men were sent after him to play the spy. When Goba sat down in his accustomed halting-place the two men hid themselves in the bush and watched. When Goba left the two men examined the remains of the feast, and made their report on their return to Ergan. Goba returned to Wakaid and slept, all unknowing that his trick had been found out.
Once more Goba was commissioned to trade, but toll was again taken, and he went down empty-handed to Ergan. Although the men knew all about his goings-on they gave him some turtle-meat.
Next morning, "when wild fowl he sing out", a number of Ergan men went to Goba's resting-place and hid themselves. When he was ready to start the women gave Goba his turtle, and he set out for home with his burden. Arriving halfway he sat down and feasted on the turtle and on the biiu which he had previously put on one side. The Ergan men stealthily came close to him, and having no weapons, they armed themselves with sticks and stones. Goba kept on eating, and, when gorged, fell asleep. Seizing this favourable opportunity, they attacked him. Goba called out, "You, no good you kill me," and he did not know how to fight. After explaining the reason for their conduct they killed him. Then they erected a cairn of sticks and stones over his corpse.
The Ergan men commissioned two young men to go to Wakaid to tell the people there all about it. The Wakaid men said, "Very good job you kill him."
