The Folk-Tales of the Kiivai Papnans. 225 



in the ground and lived there. „You go look out (after) garden, ,he said to Naråto," make sago, 

 I look out pickaninny, I catch him what people he want come fight, swallow him down." 



Many people, my informant among them, said that they had seen the large hole in which 

 the sugiinta still lives. Duàne, Mavvåta). 



A. At Wfmarimiiba, not far from Sümai, a sngiima (in the same tale also called hkvai-dbrre 

 and öriogoniho) used to live underneath the ground, and dug a passage which opened at the refuse heap 

 of the people. This monster carried off and ate many children. At last the people ran away, leaving 

 a man behind whom they disliked because he did not give the others any meat, although he was a 

 great hunter. His family too was deserted, and they were found by the sugiima, whom they tried to 

 appease by giving the monster plenly to eat and drink At last the beast feil asleep, and the man, 

 in order to make quite sure, shook him, alleging that the house was burning. ^^ The people made off 

 in a „half canoe" and after a while were pursued by the sugiima. Just as the créature was about to 

 reach them, the man knocked him on the head with his paddle, so that he sank. Arriving at the 

 place where the others had settled down, the man and his family refused to go and live with them 

 and built their house apart from the others. (Säle, Mawâta). 



B. There are no less than 8 additional versions of this tale, all more or less alike. The 

 name of the place varies, and so (as in the previous versions) does the name of the malignant lieing; 

 of names nol mentioned betöre the monster is in one version called mamagiirena and in anoiher he is 

 identified with the dreaded elerari, ferocious lizard of Kubira (ef. no. 2). Varions instances are given 

 of his extraordinary appetite when fed by the people. Some of the versions contain the épisode about 

 the lice which delayed the pursuit of the people. In some versions the monster is killed, in others he 

 joins the fugitives and makes friends with them. (Gabia, Ibia, Käku, Manu, and Såe, Ipisia; Bäira and 

 Mamatiia, Siimai; Gaméa, Mawâta). 



A HIWAI-ABERE (MALIGNANT FEMALE BEING) SPIRITS AWAY THE WIFE OF A 



MAN AND TAKES HER PLACE. 



148. The hi'wai-abére hâve the body of a vvoman, but are very fat, vvith a large head, 

 bulky stomach, and quite short legs. Their finger-nails are like spears, and with them they catch 

 and kill wild pigs when hunting. 



A man Koudàbo and his wife Bokâri lived at a place called Büli, on one of the hills of 

 Davâne. They were working one day in their garden, pulling up the weeds and planting taro. 

 Koudâbo had tied a band round his forehead to keep his long hair tidy, and underneath it he had 

 inserted some sweet-smelling herbs of which girls are fond. As they were returning to their house, 

 Koudâbo and Bokâri were seen by a hiwai-abére, who lived in a stone close to the path. She 

 thought to herself, „That good man, Koudâbo (K. is a handsome man). No good that vvoman 

 keep him, more better he take me." On reaching home Bokâri prepared food and they ate. Just 

 as they were going to sleep Koudâbo said, „Morning, fowl he sing out, you go kill him sûgu 

 along swamp" (an octopus?; said to squirt out a jet of 'blood' when it is being speared). 



The hiwai-abére had heard what Koudâbo said, for they hear even a whisper a long 

 distance oft". The e\-il woman thought to herself, „More better I go inside along sûgu, Bokâri 

 K:o 1. 29 



