210 Gunnar Landtman. 



Nàmai met an old man who gave him a croton branch and said, „Suppose you want 

 alligator catch man, you put him hdniera (croton) alongside creek, you call name belong that man, 

 say, 'You (the alligator) go catch that man.' That hdmera come alligator, go kill that man." 

 Another being showed Nàmai a certain wood and said, „That time you plant him garden you 

 put that thing inside. That yellow ground you been take him, that belong make 'man hungry : 

 suppose you want spoil garden bejong some man you put that thing along ground. That white 

 ground, that good thing: suppose you plant yam, you put that thing close to yam." A third 

 being came and advised him to put a pièce of the skin and flesh of a crocodile into his garden 

 in order to improve the growth. He was given many other useful „medicines". 



At last Nàmai awoke from his dream much frightened. He followed the varions directions 

 given him by the spirits. Among other things they had tuld him what foods to avoid, but once 

 at a feast Nàmai unwittinglj' ate a certain fish vvhich was forbidden. While he was sleeping the 

 next night the fish jumped out of his mouth and before his eyes underwent various peculiar 

 transformations, finally changing into a sugar-cane vvhich grevv out of the roof of the house and 

 disappeared into the air. In the morning Nâmai found out that he had eaten of the forbidden food. 

 Shortl}' afterwards his hair turned grey from the effect of eating the fish. (Nàmai, Mawàta). 



124. One night when some Mawàta men were beating their drums a man named Gibùma, 

 who had a tooth-ache was much disturbed bj' the noise and went with his wife to sleep in a 

 small hut in his garden. He dreamt that a stränge thing looking like a cuscus came and vvalked 

 across his body, but he could not catch or even touch it. Next a frog came jumping and landed 

 on his forehead, and he caught it and threw it away. After a while he was visited by an 

 étengena in the shape af an old man, who said to him, „Me savy you got teeth sore. You catch 

 him frog, put him close to teeth; that good medicine." Next day Gibùma caught a frog and held 

 it for a while to his aching tooth. The same étengena came to him again the foUowing night 

 carrying a frog in his hand and said, „I been make you fool, that's no good medicine. You see 

 that frog, he no got no teeth, you been put him one side along mouth, by and by no teeth he 

 stop that side." These words came true. „You look my mouth," the narrator said, „that side he 

 got no teeth." (Gibùma, Mawàta). 



125. One night a man who was also a snake came to a Mawàta man named Gibùma, 

 and said, „I sleep alongside bûni (a tree). Suppose you catch me, put me round you (your) head, 

 I stand up along (in the shape of a) man." The next morning Gibùma went to the tree and 

 found a snake there. He put down his bovv and arrows and wanted to place it round his head 

 as he had been told (cf. no. 106). Again and again he tried to make himself take hold of the 

 reptile, but shrank back every time. The snake encouraged him by making signs to him with 

 its head, but Gibùma could not summon up courage to touch it. At last he went home and 

 told his father of his plight. They returned together to the place, but the snake was no 

 longer there. 



In the night the same being came to Gibùma in the shape of a man armed with a bow 

 and arrow. He said to Gibùma, „What's the matter you no been catch me yesterday.' I been 

 tell you, you catch me, and I stand up ail same man." He drevv his bow, meaning to shoot 



Tom. XLVII. 



