The Folk-Taks of tlie Kiwai Papuans. 229 



In the meantime Madära was hunting in the bush, but he did not get a single pig in consé- 

 quence of the vvrong happening to his wife, („that's bad luck from that woman"), and he had to 

 return empty-handed. The hrwai-abére threw away Si'ne's basket and fishing net, but kept the 

 fish vvhich she had caught and also provided herselt with some food from the garden. She appeared 

 before Madåra, carrying these things and pretended to be his wife — she had wrapped her 

 head up in a mat alleging to be ill. She cooked Madâra's evening meal, and he did not know 

 that she was a kiwai- aber e but took her for Sfne. In the morning he said to her, „Corne, you 

 me (we) go bush." „I no can go," the vvoman answered in a moaning voice, „I sick, more better 

 you go bring me some kaikai. Some bad thing been catch me." „I want go look for pig," the 

 man said, „who go take kaikai from garden?" „Never mind pig, you go bring kaikai from garden." 

 So the man vvent. On his return he said to the woman, „Basket hère, you 'kopamauri' (bake in 

 an earth-oven)." 1) „Oh, j'ou kopamauri! I can do nothing, I very sick." The man complained 

 to himself, „I don't know what I do. I look out ail kaikai, that woman he do nothing." 



Meanwhile Sine remained in the tree and built there a small shelter of branches and 

 leaves. She thought to herself, „Oh, that hiwai-abére rnake me no good. I been stop along my 

 man, that woman make me cranky altogether." After a time she bore a child in the tree. Her 

 blood ran down the trunk till it reached the root, and it attracted Màigidùbu who was in the 

 neighbourhood in his snake form. He raised his head and sniffed in every direction, trying to 

 locate the smell. He then began to crawl towards the tree, scenting out the way. On looking 

 up he saw the won. an: „Oh, something there, 1 think one woman there on top." Mâigidûbu 

 began to ascend the tree, drawing himself higher and higher up. The woman saw him and cried 

 out, „Oh, my life, one snake there come take me, I lose my life! That devil, that h.wai-abere 

 been humbug me! I no been humbug that woman." And she wept and wailed in the tree. 



„You go kill me?" she called out to Mâigidûbu, and the snake answered, „No, I no kill 

 you." „Oh, my father, you save my life. How you take me down?" The snake said, „I open 

 him mouth, take you and pickaninny inside." He opened his mouth, and the woman put her 

 baby inside. „You come too," he said, and the woman entered the snake's mouth. Then Mâi- 

 gidûbu crawled down and betook himself to his own place. There he opened his mouth and the 

 woman came out first. „You ready?" he asked her and she stretched out her hands and received 

 the baby. „Oh, my father," the woman said, „true my father, you save me from long way. 

 I no think I go life, I think I die along on top tree." „How you go along that tree?" Mâigi- 

 dûbu asked her, „what thing he humbug you there?" „Oh, father, one hitvai-abe're been humbug 

 me. He teil me, 'You go along that tree.' He make him long that tree. That's why I bom 

 that pickaninny on top" (abbrev.). 



Sine and her child remained with Mâigidûbu. He tokl her, ,.A11 kaikai there, what you 

 want you take him, any kind. Coconut-leaf there, you make him basket. I stop self (alone), no 

 got people belong me." Sine thought to herself, „What fashion he make him that garden, he 

 snake?" She prepared food, gave her child some, and called to Mâigidûbu, „Father, you come 

 kaikai." But he said, „Oh, you kaikai, I no want." They went to sleep, but in the night when 

 a bright moon was shining Mâigidûbu got up, assumed his human form, and went into the bush. 



') The food is placed on hot stones in a hole iu the grouud and is covered with bark and soil. 

 K:o 1. 



