IX. VARIOUS CULTURE MYTHS 



(no. 272-278; cf. Index, Culture Myths). 

 HOW PIRE CAME i,no. 272-276; cf. Index, Pire). 



KAPIA, THE BLACK COCKATOO, BROUGHT FIRE TO KIWAI (cf. no. I and 3 A). 



272. A little boy living at Mandvete was once taken by a crocodile (cf. no. I and 2 C), 

 and his father, whose name was Dave, launched a canoë and set out to see whether he could 

 not find him or his spirit somewhere. Paddiing along, he came to Doröpo on Kiwai island which 

 at that time was a mère sandbank with no trees. Dave spent the night there and the next day 

 arrived at Sanôba on the same island, where lived a „long time man" named Méuri (or Meäuri). 

 He had no garden and no fire, and spent his time catching fish which ho dried in the sun. „You 

 got no fire?" Dave asked him, and vvhen Méuri said that he had none, the new-comer promised 

 to get him fire. Dave had in liis possession an extraordinary bird which knew many things and 

 could speak like a man. The name of the bird was Kapi'a, and he was the black cockatoo. Dave 

 sent the bird to fetch fire from Manåvete, whereupon he fiew away and after a time returned with 

 a glowing fire-stick in his beak. Kapîa was wont to carry fire in that way, and from the effect 

 of the fire the black cockatoo still has a red spot round the corners of his mouth. 



Méuri went and caught fish, and Dave lighted a big fire and prepared a meal. VVhen it 

 was ready, he called Méuri to come and eat, but the latter who had never before seen a fire was 

 afraid at first, thinking to himself, „By-and-by (if) me go close to fire me dead." i^ After a time, 

 however, he got used to the fire. 



Some time later Dave parted from Méuri telling him to expect his return. He went över 

 to Manåvete and said to the people there, „I find him good place, you me (we) altogether go that 

 place, make him big." The Manåvete people were living in two separate camps, and Dave said 

 to the people in the one camp, „You fellow stop," and to those in the other, „You me (we) go 

 altogether man, woman, giri, boy." So these latter put all their things and all kinds of fruit 

 together and set off in their canoës. On arriving at Méuri's place they went on shore, beached 

 the canoës, and built small huts to sleep in. In the evening they all sat together, Méuri 

 and the others. The place had no name, and they were thinking of what to name it. Kapia, the 

 cockatoo, was there too, flitting about and crying out, „M, id, id!" and the people understood 

 that he meant, „Oh, that läsa, I give good name." Since then the place is called läsa. 

 N:o 1. 



