The Folk-Taks of tlie Kiwai Papitans. 215 



AN ADVENTURE WITH AN UTUMU (Spirit of a beheaded person ; ef. Index). 



134. At läsa there lived a handsome boy whom all the giiis vvere fond of. Once vvhen 

 some of the people vvent över to Mibu to catch crabs, he stayed behind in the village, for two 

 girls, who also remained at home, had said to him, „Night-time you come along me two fellow." 

 But as all their people had gone away, the two girls did not want to sleep in their empty house, 

 so they shut the door and went to stav with friends in another house. They forgot to teil the 

 boy about the change. 



In the night two lUmnit, a man and woman, went into the deserted house although the 

 door was closed, („fashion belong devil, he go small hole"). Some time afterwards the boy came. 

 The two titumu shone like fire, and the boy thought, „Oh, two fellow (the girls) make fire inside, 

 light he come out along small hole." He opened the door and went in, and on seeing the lights 

 of the two titumu more distinctly thought, „That flreplace belong one giri, that fireplace belong 

 one (the other) girl." After closing the door he went up to the ûlumu, and the two evil beings 

 sprang up like two fiâmes („what place he been eut him head, blood he come out all same fire"). 

 The ntuntu roared out, „Bin-bm!-'- like a drum, vvhich is the „yarn" of those who have no head. 

 The boy made a rush for the door, but while he was trying to open it they feil över him. 



One of the girls hearing the tumult thought to herself, „Oh, I think devil (spirit) been find 

 him boy now, thats him make noise." 



The boy was trying to wrench himself free, and the two iitumu were struggling with 

 him. The first girl woke up her companion: „You hear," she cried, „make noise — that's him, 

 devil he run behind." The girls could not sleep that night, „Ui!" they were thinking, „me two 

 been sing out (summon) that boy, that's why he been go house belong me fellow." As they 

 felt ashamed they did not teil anybody. The noise of the fight could be heard for a good while 

 from the empt\- house. At last the boy became exhausted, breathing heavily, and the two räumu 

 caught hold of his ankles and knocked him över. They bored a hole through his temples with 

 their tusks, and when he was dead, each of them set to gnaw at one of his legs which they ate 

 except the bones. They picked out his eyes and swallowed them, and also devoured the flesh, 

 intestines, skin, and hair of the body, only leaving the bones („all same hawk he kaikai fish, 

 bone he leave him"). The hands and feet only vvere left intact up to the wrists and ankles. ^» 



When daylight came the two girls ran to look for the boy. „Uéi!" they cried on seeing 

 the footmarks near the ladder, for they had smoothed the ground carefuUy outside the empty 

 house, so that anybody unlawfuUy entering the hou.se should leave his tracks behind. „Oh," they 

 exclaimed, looking at the ground, „that track belong boy that time he come. That other track 

 belong ütumu." The footprints of the latter are very short but otherwise like those of men. 

 Opening the door they shouted, „Ui! blood inside!" for there lay all the bones. ,,0i'!" the girls 

 cried, „that devil (spirit) been kaikai husband belong me!" The one girl began to wail, but was 

 stopped by the other who said, „Ei, what name (why) you cry, make him people he come, more 

 better you keep quiet. That boy he no come self, that fault belong you me (us)." The two 

 girls sat down in the house and wept quietly so that nobody should hear. At last the elder girl. 

 said, „More better you me leave cry, you follow what name (what) I make him." They fastened 

 the boy's bones together, placed them on a mat, and decorated them with rings and feather 

 N:o 1. 



