The Folk-Tales of thc Khvai Papuans. 189 



men speared many of the animais. After that the Tiidu people sailed away; the dugong were 

 eut up, and the meat was put on hot stonas and covered with earth to get cooked. Two Mawåta 

 men named Garibu and Pai dressed up to represent spirits and danced before the people. They 

 held long sticks in their hands, and to find out vvhen the meat was done they thrust the sticks 

 into it and then removed and smelt them. When the meal was ready, all the people began to eat. 

 On awakening Gaméa was delighted at this happy dream, and he taught his boy this 

 new method of spearing dugong. 



95. (By Gaméa, Mawäta). Once when he and some other people were working in their 

 gardens they saw two pigs approaching. All of a sudden the pigs changed into men except their 

 heads which remained those of pigs, and the sight of them frightened the people. „What name 

 (what is) that?" thej' shouted, „I think devil-thing." The two créatures pushed their pig-heads 

 back like hoods, and underneath there were human heads, and the people recognized the faces of two 

 Mawåta men named Garfhu and Pai, who had died long before. The two men said, „Vou fellow 

 think pig he kaikai garden. That no pig, that devil (spirits) he kaikai. Sometime me two fellow 

 come too, plenty devil he come." The people said, „Me no can speak along devil, more better 

 you fellow ask him, he no come kaikai my garden. Suppose he kaikai, what name (what) we 

 eat?'' Then the two men drew on their pig-heads and went away. 



96. (By Sàibu, Mawåta). He saw some spirits of dead people who were clearing the 

 burying ground. Among the rest there was the spirit of his dead father, who on seeing Säibu 

 thought that he too was dead. And he asked Såibu, ,What thins kill you that time you come 

 dead?" „No, no, father," Säibu answered, „I no dead." But the father insisted that Säibu was 

 dead. The spirits held a dance and sang, 



„Oh, iitére ivére mere mcreciia méreäta." 

 Säibu understood that they were calling upon him, for iiicre in the Mawåta language means son. 

 Again they sang, 



„Oh, bdba kiiniiiciàni ngônu kâdji wilidàni (this is said to be Sàibai language). — Who 

 belong tha4 pickaninny (Sâibu), who go cook kaikai for him?" 



,,A blir H biirûia biiru nibi biiru rubia (Mawåta language). — Outside people (somebody 

 who is not dead) he been come." 



The narrator said that he had never heard any of thèse texts or tunes except in that dream. 

 Certain other men too when dreaming hâve heard songs of the spirits. 



97. (By Marisi, Ipisia). Six men came into the house where Marisi was sleeping, they 

 were spirits ot dead people. The light from their skin shone ail over the house. Marisi saw his 

 dead brothei among them and thought, „Oh, true brother belong me sit down, he smoke pipe." 

 He went up to him and said, „Oh, Sôido, what name (what) you make him?" „Oh, Marisi, you 

 stop hère, I been come back." After a while Sôido said, „By and by to-morrow I give you 

 mabiio (arm-shell)" The spirits ail went away, and Marfsi woke up. He looked round for the 

 arms-hell promised him by the spirit, but could not find the place where it ought to hâve been 



N:o 1. 



