76 Gunnar Landtman. 



it before the making of the child is completed. It was only when her pregnancy was far ad- 

 vanced that he gave it up. He did all the work for her, brought har firewood, water, and food, 

 and the woman remained at home all the time. The people said, „My God, that woman got big 

 belly, I think some people been give poison. You no stop close to woman." „No," said he, 

 „that's no poison, that's pickaninny he stop along belly." 



Just before the woman expected her child Simirobe went to Kubira and told his friend 

 there, „My wife he close up bf)rn pickaninny, I come sing out (summon) you and you wife." 

 The three went together to Lisa. Next morning the delivery was close at hand, and the woman 

 was skrieking with pain. The Kubira woman took her out of the house, and the child was born 

 in the open, and it was a boy. On hearing the baby's wail the läsa people said, „What name 

 (what is) that he cry?" „What name that he cry?" mockingly repeated the two Simärobe, 

 „That pickaninny he crj'." The people all went to look. „Oh," they exclaimed, „that no poison, 

 that pickaninny." 



It was then that the läsa men ceased to sleep in the men's house and went to sleep with 

 their wives. Removing the women's petticoats they called out, „My God, what name (why) you 

 me (we) been speak first time, 'Woman he got ùmar Good thing me been find him ! Inside 

 belong me fellow come very glad!" And they all kissed their wives {ohöme, which properly 

 means „taste"). After a time the women all became pregnant and gave birth to children. 



The old fear of the women had disappeared, and it was from Kubira that the läsa people 

 had obtained their knowledge of these things. (Gibüma, Mawäta). 



A. A very similar version to the first ene. When Simàrobe of Idsa was afraid lest the Kubira 

 people would kill him, his friend said, „You no fright, you my friend, you been kobori (have had 

 connection with) my wife, they no can kill you." And when the Kubira man and his wife visited läsa, 

 the two friends exchanged wives for the time. (Duäne, Mawäta). 



B. Another similar version. The läsa Simàrobe saw how the Kubira man and wife cohabited, 

 but he did not do so himself with the wife of the latter, only with his own wife. 



Formerly the läsa women wore no petticoats but only a short wooden stick which they kept 

 in their vulva. The Kubira women wore grass petticoats, and one of them taught the läsa women how 

 to make them and tie them on. The latler were also taught to carry their babies in baskets. (Mama- 

 tüa, Paåra). 



C. The läsa people thought that the female genitals were ulcerated sores, but the Kubfra people 

 knew better. The läsa men were very afraid of their women and did not even allow them to cook 

 their food. The women tried to explain but to no purpose. One day a certain Kubira man named 

 Keréme instructed an låsa friend of his named Diburi in sexual matters, and the latter imparted his 

 knowledge to his people. After that a great number of children were born at låsa. (Gaméa, Mawäta). 



D. The läsa people were taught the sexual matters and their wives to wear petticoats as in 

 previous versions. (Käku, Ipisfa). 



E. The narrator knew of the tale in which the läsa people are taught sexual intercourse. He 

 told rather a similar story in which an läsa and a Kubfra man met in the bush and the former was 

 taught by the latter to smoke, which the läsa people did not know before. The läsa man was at first 



Tom. XLVII. 



