To clarify, the failure wasn't exactly the same. Here is where it failed:

cd ../smtp && mk rfc822.tab.7
mk: 'rfc822.tab.7' is up to date
7c -FTVw -I../common ml.c
7c -FTVw -I../common common.c
dat.h:4 ml.c:2 7c: '../smtp/rfc822.tab.h' does not exist: ../smtp/rfc822.tab.h
mk: 7c -FTVw -I../common ml.c  : exit status=rc 12259: 7c 12261: error
dat.h:4 common.c:2 7c: '../smtp/rfc822.tab.h' does not exist: ../smtp/rfc822.tab.h
mk: for (i in ...  : exit status=rc 12253: mk 12255: error
mk: for (i in ...  : exit status=rc 12167: rc 12251: mk 12252: error
mk: for(i in 1a ...  : exit status=rc 9974: rc 12164: mk 12166: error
mk: test -e 7._cp ...  : exit status=rc 9442: mk 9957: error
mk: date for (i ...  : exit status=rc 7740: rc 9424: mk 9425: error