The Folk-Taks of Ihe Kiwai Papuans. 175 



vvhere it disappeared into the ground exactly where Arüba's grave was. The people concluded 

 that it was Ariiba wiio had come to keep his promise to Duäne and teil him about the abode 

 of tiie dead. If there had not been so man\- people who frightened him away he would have 

 spöken to Duäne. (Nâmai, Mawäta). 



ANOTHER SPIRIT WHO CAME TO LOOK FOR A FRIEND. 



74. A Türitüri boy named .Sde and a Mawäta boy named Adâgi wäre great friends and 

 used to play together whenever they were visiting each other. One day Adâgi said to Säe in 

 fun, ,.A11 time you play along me fellow. That time you die, suppose devil (ghost) helong you 

 come here, I kill you." Sde answered, „When I die, I come, I shoot you along road (on his 

 way to the land of the dead)." Adâgi forgot all about this joke of theirs but Säe remembered it. 



Not long ago Sâe died, and on the same day Addgi went to eut a digging-stick in the 

 bush at the Haemiiba point. He had heard shortly before that Sde was dying. There were some 

 girls, too, collecting shell-fish on the beach, and some boys shooting fish. Sâe 's spirit appeared 

 painted, armed, and decked with leaves and feathers, as is the habit of spirits. He had not for- 

 gotten his promise to Adâgi to come and seek him out. The latter was not at first aware that 

 the figure approaching him was a spirit, but all at once he realized that this was the case. 

 „Uéi!" he cried out, „that de\il fghost) belong Sâe he been come, he want shoot me." He threw 

 down his axe and other things and ran for dear life. His loincloth caught on a bush and came 

 off, but he did not stop to pick it up. In a panic he pushed his way throuch the thicket, and 

 the spirit following him in pursuit thrust aside the same branches and twigs. Adâgi shouted out, 

 „Father, brother! devil belong Sâe close up he kill me!" When they came to the beach Sde 

 gave up the pursuit and set out on his wandering towards the land of the dead, while Adâgi 

 joined the rest of the people. He was out of breath and had to rest („he short wind, let him 

 heart he stop (quiet down)"), After composing himself somewhat Adâgi began to feel ashamed of 

 his panic. The people asked themselves wonderingh', „What thing he run behind himPsnake — 

 what ? devil (ghostj, bushman — what?" .Adâgi's father asked him, „Tomahawk belong you, he 

 where.'" Adâgi was ashamed, for the girl whom he liked was there with the others ^nd heard 

 of his flight. He said, „You no talk, by and by I go pick him up tomahawk and altogether thing. 

 Devil belong Sâe he been come, I run." His body was torn and bleeding from the thorns. 



A ghost had also been seen by some people at ürahapüa, and Addgi found out that it 

 was the dead Sde. Another day Addgi and his father went and found the axe and other things, 

 which the former had left behind him when he tled. (Nâmai, Mawäta). 



THE MAN WHO WAS VISITED BY THE SPIRIT OF HIS DEAD BROTHER. 



75. The narrator of this story was a Mawdta man named Gibüma. His father Äua 

 having died, the brother of the dead man, named Mfruu, was wailing for him in the garden, 

 when suddenly Äua's spirit appeared there and knocked at the fence in order to attract Mi'ruu's 

 attention. Mi'ruu turned round and on seeing the dead man was so terrified that he teil down 

 in a faintis) and involuntarily fulfilled his wants. Aua came up to him, brought him to himself, 

 N:o 1. 



