Many years ago a dry season occurred in a certain part of Sabah. It did not rain for about two years so that all the streams dried up. Many people who never bothered to store food when the season was favourable for growth, suffered from starvation. All the green leaves of the trees turned brown and most of the grass withered. In spite of the absence of food, except for a certain fruit and some poor root-crops like tapioca and sweet potatoes, the foolish people, especially the men, still continued to waste their energy in fighting. They did not work, but they were mostly occupied in fighting, cutting off the heads of members of others tribes. This was how the people showed their strength and bravery many years ago. The women had to carry the burden of keeping their children and to see to it that their food supplies were sufficient. After many months without even a shower of rain the women began to complain that they could no longer keep sufficient food because all their vegetables had withered. All their other crops refused to grow because of the lack of water. The stream where they were able to catch fish before was only a mass of rocks. Their stores of rice were finished. Only then the men began to concentrate on their work. They busied themselves setting traps and some went to the jungle huntwild animals. But it was in vain, because even the animals were scared of the prolonged drought. The people began to perish because of hunger and thrist. In the course of time there were only twenty or so left, and even these could not endure their suffering any longer, so they decided to kill themselves. They had just finished sharpening their knives when they heard a voice, saying: " If you wish to live, you may eat us." They were astounded when they heard it and began to searched for where the voice came from. Then they saw a group of plants which possed the only green leaves at the time. The plants were still saying the same words when they discovered them. The people began to eat the stems of these plants and thus they survived until the rains came and they were able to grow crops again. These plants are called komburiyong, but their existence here these days is in doubt.
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