The Folk-Tales of I he Kiwai Papuans. 121 



fused him a wife and therefore bade Pékai keep one leg flat on the ground in a certain direction 

 so as to block the way to the various Islands, and hend her other knee so as to leave the vvay open 

 to M(5re, and thus he bestovved all his store of vegetable food upon that Island. Söido's penis was 

 so large that Pékai was killed. He shook out the semen all over the Island, and all sorts of plants 

 and fruit which he had carried in his genitals began to grovv there, yams, bananas, coconuts, 

 sago, taro, and other kinds. '-' Söido bent down and touched Pékai's palms, soles, knees, elbows, 

 and eye-brovvs with his penis, and then drew up her eye-lids, and Pékai was restored to life. 

 „What name (what is it) I been do?" cried she. „You been dead, 1 make you get up," said 

 Soido. Pékai put on her grass-skirt, went into the house, and lay down close to Sôido's bed, 

 she did not sleep near her father any more. S(Jido summoned the différent winds and went in 

 to slcep. The winds came hovvling, „Bu-btt-Zni-bu!" and Hu-uttuf" and there was a heavy 

 rainstorm. The coconut-leaves rustled in the wind (which sound is mimicked by quickly brushing 

 the fingertips against each other), and the large banana-leaves were flapping (mimicked by slowly 

 beating the left palm with the right fingers). Morévanogére on hearing the stränge noise thought, 

 „I no been hear that before, what name (what is) that he make fast (catches the) wind?" ^ When 

 he went out tor a natural want>* he saw all the trees and plants and exclaimed, „Oh, I no been 

 see that before! I think that man been make him, good thing that man been come." Morévano- 

 gére went in and looked at ScJido, whose genitals had shrunk to their natural size after they had 

 been emptied. And he lay down again to sleep. 



In the morning they all three got up. Morévanogére concluded that the transformation 

 must have happened through Söido and Pékai, but he did not say anything. He went out to look 

 at the garden, and „he look one side, he look one (the other) side, he laugh." Some fruit had 

 fallen down, and he picked it up and ate it. Söido said to him, ,,^'ou no fright, that kaikai 

 belong you altogether. I pay girl belong you. Me too belong you (your) Island, me and wife." 

 Morévanogére did not say anything but gave Suido many arm-shells, trumpet-shells, hreast-shells, 

 and other shells as well as stone axes, meaning, „That belong you." 



VVhen Pékai died, she became a stone shaped like a woman. It was kept a long time 

 at More, but was hroken later on, and now onlj- sonie fragments remain. ^- Some small pièces 

 of the stone have been taken as far as Mawata and Ki'vvai to be used as garden „medicines". 

 When making their gardens those Mawâta men who possess a pièce of the stone bury a small 

 morsel of it with the fîrst banana, yam, sweet potato, or whatever it is they are planting, while 

 thej' sing at the same time. 



„Soûfo (iogi Binatôie ino dogo démtdimoro. — Sôido, altogether kaikai you bring along 

 Bina (the Bi'natûri river)." 



„Pékai ro ki péito awàia péUo ro Binaloic. — Pékai, you bring altogether kaikai along 

 Bina, ki (sea-gull) and awàia (pélican) he canoë belong you." 



Sôido took ail the shells and other presents which Morévanogére had given him and 

 distributed them among the people of Kiwai and Dibiri. Then he returned to More. His spirit 

 and Morévanogére's dwell there still beneath the ground, while Pékai remains above in the 

 shape of the stone. Soinetimes Söido and Morévanogére are seen moving about on the Island 

 in the form of a snake, bird, or man. 



Söido is also called .Söidonogére, nogére meaning „old man". He and Pékai are alvvays 

 ^■.o 1. 16 



