322 Gunnar Landtman. 



sticks for that purpose, and that is wiiy even novv both methods of si<inning coconuts 

 are in use. 



When Wée and Dohdsi canne liome they wondered at all the coconuts. „Nue been plant 

 him," the others explained, „he sing out people. What name (vvhy) j^ou fellow no come, go 

 look out fish ?" „Me fellow hungry," said the two, „more better you give me two fellow. Me 

 give you fish." But the people replied, „Fault helong you. What for you no been come.'„ The 

 two men tried again and again to get some coconuts but nobody would give them anj-, and they 

 had to content Ihemselves with fish. 



The next day the people arranged a great feast, and Wée and Dobåsi planned how to take 

 revenge upon the others. They decided to make two rats which should ruin the coconuts. At 

 first they made them of a kind of soft wood, but the teeth vvere not strong enough and broke 

 off. Then they used the right kind of wood and succeeded better. They made two ngâlnge or 

 gage (rats), and afterwards mingled in the crowd so that nobody should knovv of their doings. 

 Everybody wanted to watch or take part in the dance, thosc who could not walk were carried 

 to the dancing ground by the others, and the women held burning torches in their hands 

 to light up the scene. 



While the people were dancing, Wée and Dobåsi stole away to the coconut grove and 

 pa.ssed into the two wooden rats. They gnawed a hole in every one of the coconuts which the 

 people had stored in the bush, and when all were finished they vvent into the houses and did 

 the same with the nuts which were kept there. Then they coUected ants and put them into the 

 holes, and the ants consumed all the meat which was left. 



Towards morning a little child began to cry and asked its mother, „Oh, mother, one 

 coconut I been leave him, I want kaikai." The mother fetched a coconut and handed it to the 

 child, and all the ants svvarmed out through the hole, and the nut had to be thrown away. 

 „What name been make (what has made) that hole, all ant he come?" the woman cried out. 

 She asked another woman, „You give me coconut," but to their astonishment they found that 

 there was a hole in all the nuts and every hole was full of ants. The people ceased dancing 

 and came to look, „Oh, somebody been spoil him all coconut !" they called out. One of them 

 said, „Where that two fellow? I think he been spoil my coconut." Wée and Dobdsi had placed 

 their wooden head-rests underneath their mats so as to make the people believe that they were 

 sleeping there, while really they had transformed themselves into the two rats. „Where that two 

 fellow he go?" everybody was asking. „Two fellow he stop there underneath mat," said some- 

 body, and thus the two men managed to avert suspicion. 



In the morning some boys were sent to examine the coconuts in the bush, and they 

 brought back word that all were ruined except the young ones which had no kernel. The 

 people flew into a rage, men and women seized their arms, surrounded Wée's and Dobâsi's house, 

 and forced the door open, meaning to attack the two men. But they had transformed themselves 

 into rats and were on the look-out. The people swarmed in and beat the two mats, thinking that 

 the culprits were underneath until they found out their mistake : „Oh, that wood, where two 

 fellow he go?" The two rats leaped upon the Shoulders and head of one man, and the others 

 shot their arrows at them but hit the man instead, and from him the rats sprang upon another 

 man, and he too was killed. The people had been made „cranky" by the two men and were 



Tom. XLVII. 



