Tlic Folk -Tales of t/ie Kiivai Papuans. 297 



It is a rule among the people that a woman shall not take coconuts from any place where 

 her husband has put them, nor shall he take any of her nuts. Husband and wife each take their 

 coconuts from the place where they themselves have stored them. (Sâibu, Mawåta). 



A. The incident happened in Dârii. While the man was away on the Fly river, his wife was 

 speared as in the tirsl version, and on his return he found her dead. (Médi, Mawâta). 



234. The wife of Old Gaméa was named Dadâia. One day she stole half a bunch of 

 bananas from her husband's garden and hid them. Gaméa did not know whom to suspect for 

 the theft, and accused the people in general. One day he hid in his garden in order to find out 

 who the thief was, and presently Dadâia came. She took out the first half bunch of bananas 

 from the place where she had hidden it and put another half bunch there instead. 



Gaméa rushed up and shouted, „Dadâia!" and she got a fright. „What for you make 

 him like that?"* he cried. „Vou my wife, you ine (we) make that garden. What name (why) 

 you steal him ? I been swear people for nothiug. That time I growl along people, what for you 

 no teil me?" Dadâia was ashamed and did not say anything, but Gaméa scolded her in a loud 

 voice and nearly killed her. „Suppose you other woman — I kill you. You my wife; no good 

 you steal." 



The woman kept on crying. At length she took a rope, climbed a tree and hanged her- 

 seif. Some girls heard her death-rattling and went to find out. They saw her hanging and 

 brought the news to the people, and Gaméa too was fetched to the place. Dadäia's body was 

 brought down and buried. Gaméa explained to the people why she had killed herseif (abbrev.). 

 Then he said, „You fellow make garden belong me, I got no wife. I watch you fellow." And 

 as Gaméa was a great leader, the people did as he told them and made his garden. (Gaméa, 

 Mawäta). 



235. In Puriitu there lived a man who did not look after his wife properly and never 

 brought her food nor anything eise. „What's the matter you stop all time along house?" she 

 said to him. „You no work, no bring him banana, no bring him coconut, no bring him firewood? 

 Me stop nothing. Where fire? where you put him?" The man got up and cried out, „What's 

 the matter you all time talk along me, ei!" He seized a stick and Struck her, and she ceased 

 talking and wept. 



In the night when everybody was asleep the woman got up. She took her little children 

 and placed them silently by the side of her sleeping husband. Then she provided herself with a 

 rope, went out in the dark and climbed a tree in the bush. There she tied the rope to a branch, 

 passed a loop round her head, and let go her foot-hold. Her neck broke, and after a while she 

 hung there stiff with protuding longue. 



In the morning the children began to cry, and the man woke up. „You sleep? you get 

 up!" he called out, meaning his wife, but as there was no answer he lighted a torch and looked 

 round, and found that she had gone. „Oh, my woman, where he go?" he wondered. „He go 

 catch crab? He go walk about, I t hink." As she did not tum up he went out to search for 

 her, asking everybody if they had seen her. „What's the matter you (your) wife?" the people 

 N:o 1. 38 



