An Eloko is a dwarf who lives in hollow trees in the forest and eats only human meat. He is an expert in bewitching people. He wears a beard of grass and clothes made of leaves. He carries a bell which he rings while travelling. It has the power to put people under a spell.

One day a man and his wife went into the forest to build an enclosure and a temporary hut for the purpose of catching game. The man left his wife behind there, and went back to the village to attend to some other business. On leaving, he told his wife: "Remember that, when you hear a little bell ringing, do not answer, for you will die!"

All that day the wife was alone in the enclosure, surrounded by the deep silence of the forest. As the hours wore past, she heard the charming sound of a little bell, gradually coming closer. At last she responded, and called out cheerfully: "I am here! Come to me!" At once he appeared, the Eloko, smelling of the forest. "You asked me to come? Here I am! I have come to you". The woman felt joy at the arrival of her little guest. She cooked an excellent meal for him, fried bananas and fish in palm oil, enough for two people. The dwarf however said that he did not like it. "Then what do you eat?" "I eat only human flesh... I am very hungry. I have not eaten since many days. You are a delicious woman. Give me a piece of your flesh". "All right", said the woman, "Have a piece of my arm". The Eloko came close, took a knife, and flayed a part of the woman's arm. Then he dug in and carved out a large portion of the feminine flesh. This he held over the fire until it was roasted, after which he devoured it with relish. A moment later, he was gone.

The woman suffered terrible pains. She went and found some leaves in the forest which she put on the wound to soothe the pain. When the husband came home, he found his wife in bed, suffering and moaning. "Why are you in bed? Why are you complaining?" "I have a sore". "Take the bandage off, I gave a medicine for sores". "I don't want your medicine, it will be cured without that". The husband shrugged: "If you deceive me, it is your affair". The wife served him his evening meal but she worked very clumsily as she was in severe pain. After that they went to sleep. The next morning, the man went back to the village and left his wife in the forest.

After the hot and tedious hours of noon-time, the woman was glad to hear the bell ringing as it came closer and closer. Indeed she had refused to go back with her husband, as she hoped in secret that the Eloko would come back. She called him, he appeared, and she felt a strange happiness. She said: "Shall I cook you some fish?" He said: "Have you forgotten that I eat only human flesh? I want one of your buttocks". Obediently, the woman lay down. The Eloko took his knife, carved out one of her buttocks, roasted it and ate it. Then he disappeared.

The woman cried bitterly, for the pain was unendurable. When her husband came home he insisted on seeing her 'sores', but she refused. The husband grew suspicious: "If you stay here, your sores will get worse every day, and you will die", he warned. "You are not a man, you will die yourself", she blurted out. "We shall see who is right", he said, and left it at that. The woman could not get up to serve him his meal. The next morning the husband said: "Take some food, we will go out together". She said: "I want to stay here". He said: "If you die here, it will be on your own head. You are a fool". He took his bow and arrows, his spear and his hunting knives, and went out into the forest, as usual. But he did not hunt nor did he go to the village. He hid near the hut.

After some time the Eloko appeared. The woman wanted to get up and prepare some food for him, but he seemed nervous. "Quick, I want to be away again as soon as possible". He smelled danger, as all Biloko have a fine sense of smell. How right he was! The husband crept closer to a place where he could see the ugly dwarf, laid an arrow on his bow and let fly. The Eloko had taken his knife and dug it into the woman's side, saying: "This time I want to eat your liver". At that moment, the arrow hit him and he fell over the woman, digging his knife into the woman's side so that she died. "I told you there was danger", he snarled, "you have betrayed me". The husband threw his spear at him and hit him in the back. The heavy blade went clean through the dwarf's tiny body. Then the man threw himself on the Eloko and cut off his head. The man went back to the village and told the people what had happened. They all went to the forest to see the corpse of an Eloko.

Whoever loves danger will perish in it (1497: p.139-142).