The Folk-Tales of tlie Kiwai Papuans. 353 



she thought, „foUow smell belong me. What name (why) that old wotnan been sleep close to 

 me? That my devil (spirit) been catch him now." The old vvoman kept on dancing for a good 

 while, then she lay down to sleep. She dreamt that Wafmee came to her and said, „You take 

 all people go make him clean place along tho (a locality in Dåru), make nice; you make dance." 

 That place belonged to Waimee, and it was there that the woman had found the crab. 



In the morning the old vvoman told the others what she had dreamt and they went to 

 clear the ground at iho, and after painting and decorating themselves the men and women held 

 a great dance there. The bovs and girls were left at home, and in the absence of their parents 

 one of them said, „All father mother make him dance one place. You me (we) find him other 

 fashion." They dressed themselves up to represent spirits of the dead and invented a new dance. 

 The spririts announced their arrivai with a whistling and assembled at a place partitioned off by 

 a screen called horiomn. When the pantomime was ended, the chilJren threw away their accoutre- 

 ments, and the parents on their return did not know what had taken place. 



The next day the men went to spear dugong and the w;omen and children to catch fish and 

 crabs. But the grown-up people did not manage to catch anything at all whereas the children 

 brought home a lot of fish and crabs. „VVhat's the matter you me (vve) no find him no dugong, 

 no crab? Pickaninny, plenty fish and crab he find him." „I think,"' some of them suggested, 

 ,.that dance we been make him he no good thing, more better you me (we) leave him." 



A certain old woman who had stayed at home all the time* said to one of the men, 

 „Next time you me no go, you me go watch all boy girl. I think good fashion pickaninny he 

 find him." And while the rest of the adults went and held the same dance, that man and woman 

 hid and set themselves to watch the children. They saw how the youngsters decorated them- 

 selves with young coconut-leaves, and as they looked on at the dance they said to each other, 

 „Oh, good thing pickaninnj' been find him, by-and-by you me ( we) go catch him (copy the dance)." 



When the parents returned home, the children quickly threw awqy their décorations. The next 

 day they all again went to fish, and again the adults did not get anything whereas the children 

 were very successful. The man and woman who had watched the children said to the people, 

 „More better j'ou me (we) leave that thing me been make him. Altogether boy and girl, good 

 fashion he been find him, that's why he catch him plenty fish." Then the men all hid in the 

 bush close to the horiomu shrine so as to watch what the children were doing. Firsta whistling was 

 heard and immediately afterwards the spirits put in an appearance and began to dance. They 

 were completely masked with leaves and held some ivårakara branches in one hand and a rattle 

 in the other (abbrev.). 



When the dance was ended, the girls went home, and at the same time the men came 

 out of their hiding-pjace and caught hold of all the boys. „Oh!" the latter exclaimed, „what 

 name (why) you fellow come watch me? Me fellow got good thing." The men sent the little 

 boys away but kept the elder boys there, saying to them, „This thing belong you me (us), good 

 dance. No learn (teach) him mother, no learn him girl, you keep him quiet. Belong you me 

 fashion." In the night the men and elder boys held the spirit dance över again. One of the men 

 said, „My broiher he dead, you go dance along öboro (you act as his spirit in the dance)." ,And 

 another men said, „My wife and pickaninny he been die, you go dance along öboro.^' They also 

 held a great feast in the Itôriômu shrine. 

 N:o 1. 45 



