The Folk-Tales of theKiwai Papuans. 97 



asleep the same noise was heard. Si'do's father sat up in bed aud said to himself, „Idsa bårar i 

 gdiiia rdrugömuro. — At läsa they beat the drum for bdrari (a dance)." Sido heard what his 

 father said and concluded, „Oh, that no sea he make noise, that drum." 



In the morning Sfdo asked his father, „Father, you make my drum (a drum for me)." 

 His father made him a drum and glued the skin över the end of it vvith the juice of a certain 

 tree. Both parents went into the bush to prépare „medicine" for Sido, so that the girls might 

 like him. The mother taking off her grass skirt sat dovvn vvith her legs apart, and when a fly 

 settled on her \ulva she caught it. Sido wore in front of his head-dress of cassowary feathers 

 a sagdta, long fluttering feather, under which the mother fastened the fly. That is „medicine 

 belong girl". For the same purpose she took some fluid from her \ulva and smeared it on the 

 s.bo möro on Sido's drum, the central one of the small balls of beeswax (moro) which are attached 

 to the membrane and are supposed to improve the sound. 



Sido wanted to go to låsa, vvhere dvvelt a beautiful girl named Sagäru; at that time, 

 however, they did not know of each other. Four young men of läsa wanted Sagäru, their names 

 vvere Keaburo, Esarfburo, Hovvio and Demagoburo. Sido did not teil his parents of his intention 

 of going to the dance. At night when his mother and father were asleep, he got up on again 

 hearing the sound of the drums. He took his upiiru, navel-cord, which his mother had kept since 

 his birth, and tying one end uf it to the corner-post of the house he threw the other end out. The 

 navel-cord went right oui and extended itself until it reached the ddrimo, men's house, at läsa 

 where it tied itselt on to the post corresponding to that at the other end. .Sido had thus found 

 the way, he took his drum and all his ornaments and gay leaves to decorate himself with, and 

 set out for läsa along the navel-cord. 



A cripple at läsa saw Sido: „Oh, good fellow boy he come," and asked him, „Where 

 you belong?"^ .Sfdo said, „Me belong Uiio." Sido went into the cripple's house and was given 

 a tobacco-pipe, which he prepared, smoking himself first and the cripple after him. The cripple 

 bade him, „You go dance now inside ddrimo, what place (where) friend belong you, you go 

 dance." Sido took his drum and went into the ddrimo; when he beat the drum, it called out 

 Sagàru's name: „Sagäru, .Sagäru!" ^^ All the people said, „Who fool hit him drum like that sing 

 out, drum he no make noise all same?" While Sido was dancing and beating the drum, the 

 beeswax ball flew off the membrane and hit Säguru's ini, nose-stick, which was knocked out and 

 feil underneath the house through a hole in the floor. Sfdo, noticing what had happened, went 

 out saying that he wanted to make water. '* The girl said, „Mother, that my ini he fall down 

 along hole," and lighting a torch of dry coconut leaves she went out to look for the ornament. 

 Sfdo, having picked it up, waited for her, and when she came caught hold of her „straight where 

 grass (her shirt) he stop". Sagäru started: „Who catch him?" „Me there, Sfdo, I find him ini.'' 

 He took off the pièce of beeswax, which was still sticking to the ini, and gave her the ornament, 

 after which they had connection underneath the house. Sagàru's mother called out to her from 

 inside the house, „What name (why) you take him long time.-" Sagäru still in the act answered, „1 

 no find him yet." When they had finished, Sagäru went in again and Sfdo took his drum and en- 

 tered by another door. Wherever Sfdo beat his drum, Sagäru went and danced beside him. 



In the morning Sfdo unfastened the navel-cord tied to the post and returned to IJiio. 

 Just before dawn he reached the house, and the string came whizzing back, through the air — 

 N:o 1. ' 13 



