The Folk-Tales of the Kiwai Papuans. 299 



fishing. For the other vvomen received food from their hushands, hut she was given none 

 by heis. 



According to the custom of the people, if some men go out fishing, all the men are to go; 

 if some men go to Kiwai to fetch sago, no man shall stay at home. All shall do the same thing 

 together. „No good one man he no go, no good pienty man he ist^i one man all time." (Säibu, 

 Mawäta). 



A. The Mawäta people went to the Fly to fetch sago. The children playing on the beach 

 rejoiced on seeing the canoës returning, and silenced one boy whose father had stayed at home. He 

 complained to his mother, and she scolded the father as in the first version. The man felt ashamed 

 and went to fetch some sago from Kiwai of his own accord. On his return journey, he tied a large 

 pièce of sago to his body with his belt and jumped overboard, and the heavy lump draggad him under 

 the water, and he was drowned. Thus in mortification he took his own life. (Médi, Mawåta). 



238. Biiruhåmu, a certain Mawâta man, quarrrelled with his wife, for he wanted to seil 

 some fish to the bushmen, while she wanted to eat them. In his anger he lett her and went 

 away, roaming all över the country and sleeping in the bush. Once he met a kangaroo which 

 said to him, „Where you go?" ,.I go this way, walk about." ..You me two go, you my bro- 

 ther," said the kangaroo, and they went together. At first they went to Iwo and stayed there 

 for a time, and then they proceeded to Tätiriie, T(Jgo, and Badu, the kangaroo foUowing him all 

 the way. 



In the meantime Büruhämu's wife married another man. Bt'iruhâmu heard of this from 

 the Masingära people and only said, „He all right." He settled down at Buruhåmu, married there 

 and had many children. The kangaroo went back home. (Dagüri, Mawàta). 



239. A certain old man and his wife lived quite alone in Di'biri. One day he caught a 

 large fish called bnta, and his wife cooked it with sago, but he ate it alone, leaving nothing for 

 her. She was very angry, and they quarrelled. '* The man felt mortified because of his wife's 

 bitter words. The next morning he put on his fine feather ornaments, seized his drum, and began 

 to dance inside the house. By and by he came out and went avvay from the place, dancing ail the 

 while over the sea till he came near Dâru Island. There he sank into the water and was drowned. 

 The woman who had been away in the bush did not find him on her return, so she set fire 

 to the house and perished in the fiâmes. (Mokâne, Mawâta). 



240. The Sâibai people were once cutting up a dugong. A certain man named übia 

 and his wife Wöiwoi began to quarrel about the meat, and she swore at him. Ûbia felt morfified 

 and did not accept any food from his wife in the evening. He went for a walk by himself, but 

 on returning home he slept with his wife. In the morning the\' went to their garden, and while 

 the woman was working there he hit her with his stone club killing her. Then he stuck some 

 branches of croton inside his belt, smeared himself with mud, and went and said to his wife's 

 brother, „Éi, you fellow go bush, pig belong you he sleep, I been kiU him." Her people found 

 her and carried har home wailing, and she was buried. Then they said to Ubia, „You pay for 

 that woman." And he said, „Yes, I pay that woman, he (she) been make pickaninny." 



N:o 1. 



