The Folk-Talcs of thc Kiivai Papuaiis. 53 



THE SNAKES WHO COILED THEMSELVES ROUND PEOPLE AND CRUSHED 



THEM (423—427). 



VARIOUS INCIDENTS WITH SNAKES. 



428. A snake killed two women and was itseif killed h\- the peuple. Alter much hésita- 

 tion they determined to eat it. 



429. A snake carried off a new-horn baby and afterwards the parents as well. 



430. A snake came one night and frightened the people in a camp. 



STORIES ABOUT MYTHICAL CROCODILES. 



431. A crocodile vvhich was also a man carried off a woman, taking her underneath the 

 ground. After a time the place was found b\- the people, who killed the beast. 



432. A man made a model crocodile which came tu life, and he warned the people of 

 the beast, for the\- did not know of crocodiles befoie. One man, however, was taken by the 

 crocodile. 



433. A crocodile brought some people to Dibiri to populate the country. Unce the rep- 

 tile was caught by a monstrous bird. 



THE REVENGE OF THE SLAIN OLD CROCODILE IN BINATURI RIVER. 



434. In Binaturi ri\er there lived a famous old crocodile which used to come to people 

 in dreams. Once a man killed it, and in revenge the animal sent a great sickness over the 

 country. Many places were depopulated, as the inhabitants either died or moved. elsewhere. 



HOW THE OPOSSUMS WERE FOOLED BY THE DOGS. 



435. The dogs and opossums lived together, but after the former fooled the latter into 

 cutting off their ears they became enemies and separated. They tried to do each other harm, 

 and while the opossum made friends with the other animais in the bush the dog associated itseif 

 with the men. 



HOW THE DOGS LOST THEIR FACULTY OF SPEECH. 



436. The dogs saw how their master had connection with his wife in the bush and 

 afterwards they spoke about it. Then their master deprived theni of their faculty of speech. 



THE MAN AND DOG WHO LIVED TOGETHER. 



437. A man and his dogs lived in the same house. He wanted to send them to live 

 elsewhere, but they refused to go. Then he set fire to the house, and he and the dogs perished. 



N:o 1. 



