The Folk-Tales of tlie Kizvni Papuans. 105 



,,NHbta liramuro Sicfo möro ntibia wödi sése tiratnuro iiiöro niibia. — My good husband, 

 all time he long (has been longing after) me, follow me all time, he dead now altogether." 

 Méuri provided a canoe, and they put the dead Sido in it to take him to his ovvn place. Sagâru 

 lay on his body, and in the canoe with her dead husband she left Méuri and went back to 

 läsa. (Nâmai, Mawâta). 



A. A very similar version, only somewhat shorter. (Amûra, Mawâta). 



B. Si'do made a hole lengthwise througii the trunk of a big sania and got inside, closing 

 up both ends so that it looked like an ordinary tree. He and Sagâru met as in the lirst version and 

 were seen liy a cripple. Méuri wondered why in the evening Sagâru had brought him only very 

 little food: „Ail time he cook him plenty kaikai along woman-house, bring me, 1 share out kaikai 

 along plenty people. Yesterday he bring me little bit kaikai, no much, I no can share out, people he 

 lose." He was told by the cripple about Sagâru and the stränge man, and wént out to fight Sîdo. 

 Shooting with his bow at the tree he called out, „Sido, you come out, suppose you man, suppose you 

 woman you stop! What name (why) you come hère, you want Sagâru. Sagâru been leave you along 

 lâsa, he wife belong me now." Sido came out, and they fought with their stone clubs, Sido was 

 knocked down first but got up again and lifting his club hit Méuri on the forehead. Méuri feil, and 

 his brother who believed him to be dead took his bow and arrov^'s and came running towards Sido, 

 whom he shot in the eye killing him. Afterwards Méuri got up and said, „Oh, what for you shoot 

 him that man? That friend belong me. He no hit me proper. He good fellow man, he good nose 

 (has a handsome face). Me two fellow row for Sagdru." (Duâni, Mawâta) 



C. Sido sent several birds to look for Sagdru, singing to each of them, 



„Ide bäbigo tiigo 7vi>dona iiigo nuiiamu ihnonira nigit iLuidoii-äe. — You go quick look mother 

 you savy mother." 



First he sent the kimdlo, sea-gull, but it returned without having found Sagâru, and then the iedéa, a 

 black, white and red wader, which also came back. Lastly he sent the khru-kirrura (in Klwai kiokid), 

 which „sing out name belong self, a quite small dark wading bird, and it found her. She sent it 

 back saying, „You teil him father, he no come see me, Méuri been take me." Sido hoUowed out a 

 tree and went to find Sagâru, and their meeting and the fight with Méuri took place as in the previous 

 versions. Méuri scolded his brother for having killed Sido, and Sagâru holding her dead husband in 

 her arms sang a dirge similar to that in the first version. She summoned the birds which had been 

 carrying messages between her and Sido, and they put the dead man in a canoe amidst wailing. 

 The canoe bore him away to Uiio, and Sagdru remained with Méuri. (Gibüma, Mawdta). 



D. Sido made three birds called tcrete're which found Sagdru and gave her his message, „Sido 

 want you, you go back along Sido, I go take you back." Sagdru answered, „What way me go? No 

 got road, no got canoe. You go back, speak Sido, 'Sagdru married along Méuri finish'." The three 

 birds came back and told Sido, „Place belong Méuri Sagdru he stop, Méuri he marry him finish." 

 Sido, however, went to Méuri's place in an ordinary canoe and outside his enemy's house challenged 

 him to come and fight. They fought, and Sido hit Méuri first. Méuri's people said, „Méuri, you no 

 fight that man, he good man," but Méuri Struck him twice with his stone club killing him. Sagdru 

 embraced the dead body crying bitterly, and put it in a canoe to take it back to Uüo. The fight 

 between Sido and Méuri was the first that ever happened, „every place no fight betöre; two fellow 

 fight for wonian." (Kdku, Ipisia). 



E. Sido came to Méuri's place inside the tree, and at high water made the trunk knock against 

 Méuri's house hoping to break it down, but Méuri lloated the tree away. He met Sagâru, and they 



N:o 1. 14 



