The Folk-Tales of tlie Kiwai Papuans. 177 



said, „Oh, one man he make fright three place, Tabîo, îrago, and Koàbu. We kill him there 

 aiong Ipidàrimo." Then they all went home, and Nâdere returned to Davdre. (Adâgi, Mawâta). 



THE MAN WHO CAPTURED A SPIRIT. 



77. A Kfwai man and his wife once vvoiked together in their plantation. When they 

 ariived home in the evening, she prepared food for him and sent a boy with it to her husband 

 who was in the men's house. After Ihe meal the man went to the house where the woman was 

 and wanted to cohabit with her. But she was not inclined and asked him to wait till another 

 time, and he was dismissed in the same way several nights in succession. At last the man 

 became angry, fetched his bow and arrow, and shot her without another word. After she was 

 dead the man began to wail, and the people who heard him sent a boy to inquire. The boy 

 returned saying, „Oh, that man he been spear him woman, he (she) dead finish." On hearing 

 this the father of the dead woman went and shot his son-in-law with his bow and arrow, killing 

 him. The dead husband and wife were placed side by side and låter on buried in the same 

 grave. A small hut was erected on the grave, and the mother of the woman lighted a flre there. 

 A man watched the place in the night, sitting beside the fire. 



During the night two spirits (nuinakai, urio), a male and a female, appeared in order to 

 steal something from the dead man and woman. The spirits said, „Who that man sit down 

 close to fire?" „Me here sit down," the man answered, „You two fellow carry something, more 

 better you giva me." „All right, you turn you (your) back along me fellow, put you hand behind." 

 The man did so, and first the male spirit and then the female came and put something into his 

 hand, after which they quickly withdrevv, and the man saw that they had given him a black 

 feather and a ring made of a pièce of string. 



In the morning the man returned home. He planned to capture the two spirits and bade 

 his wife and son, „Small daylight to-morrovv you come quick along bush, I want catch that two 

 mdnakai-man, màiiakaï-woman." At sunset the man went back to the grave. He called out to 

 the spirits, „Ooh, ooh!" and after a while the3' answered, „Uu-ä, uu-ä.'-^ The woman came first 

 and said, „What for you sing out?" „I want something. Where man belong you?" „Man belong 

 me he come behind," and just then the spirit-man called out, „Uu-â, uu-d," and joined them. 

 The man was sitting on the ground with his head resting on his arms. But when the woman, 

 without suspecting any treachery, came close to him, he got up and captured her in his arms. 

 He tied her up to a tree with a pièce of string, and she called out, „Oh, what for you make 

 fast me? „Oh, all time you been steal my garden, banana, sugar-cane, potato, yam." „Oh, more 

 better you take out rope belong hand." „You wait, that time daylight he come, I take him out 

 ropa." „Close up daylight now, more better you take him out. I want give you something." 

 The man said, „No, more better I go take him self, you show me where that something he stop." 

 „You go look underneath that big tree, something he stop." The man went there and found 

 something which looked like sago. Again the woman begged, „More b,2tter you take out that 

 rope now." But the man would not unfasten the ropes, for he wanted to keep her till 

 the morning. 



It was dawn, and the birds were beginning to call. The woman v\ept and said, „Daj'light 

 now, fovvl he sing out, more better j'ou take out rope.' „No daylight proper yet, by and by I 

 N:o 1. 23 



