360 Gunnar Landtman. 



292. A certain îmiôro man in Dûdi was looking round for a suitable tree on which to 

 travel about on the river. He found a large tree which had floated down vvith the current. „Oh, 

 that good feliow canoe belong me," he thought. Holding his basket, spear, and a rope in his 

 hand he jumped on to the tree and was carried away by the ebbing tide. He sang to himself, 



„Négebäro yiinorüdo wåuro nâlikôro. — That wood, tide he take him out, I go along." 

 Finally the tree was washed on to a reef near Pärama. He got down, caught some 

 fish and went back to the tree. After a while the rising tide floated the tree back to Imiôro, 

 and he sang the same song. On reaching his nati\'e place he went on shore, and his dogs 

 came running towards him crying out, „Father he come, father he come! He got plenty fish!" 

 ,,You no talk, you stop quiet," said the man, and cooked some fish for himself and the dogs. 



In the night when the tide was going out the man set off on the same journey on the 

 tree, and again he sang his song. He was heard hy a shark and a sting-ray. After catching 

 fish on the reef off Pdräma he returned with the rising tide, placed his spear, rope, and basket 

 on the tree and stood up singing the same song again. The large shark came swimming towards 

 him and started to eut off the branches of the tree and split the trunk. The man sought refuge 

 at the end of the tree but there was the sting-ray, who turned him back. When only a little 

 part of the tree remained, the man feil into the water and was swallowed up by the sting-ray 

 excepting his head which was eut off by the shark. The man was dead, and his spirit returned 

 home. „Oh, father he come, father he come!" his dogs called out. But on noticing that it was 

 his spirit they went in, closed the door, and set fire to the house, burning themselves to deatli. 

 (Abai, Mawäta). 



293. Wàwui lived at NocJradämera, a little wa\- up the Bi'natüri, and Idamäri lived in 

 the bush at the mouth of the river. 



Wåwui and another man named Sasa used to work in their garden. One day a strong 

 tide was running down the Binatüri. Wäwui wanted to get to the mouth of the river. „VVhat's 

 way I swim?" he thought. „Suppose I swim, alligator catch me. More better I take one thing." 

 And he took a large bamboo, placed it on the water and passed into it. The tide carried him 

 away, and he sang inside the bamboo, „Oh, Wåwui Såsa Wâwui Sâsa." Finally, the bamboo 

 was washed up on the beach. 



idamâri who had been v\-orking in his garden went to the shore to swim. He found the 

 bamboo without knowing that a man was inside it. Wàwui saw him and thought, „Oh, man 

 there he walk about, he go swim. I been think he no got no people hère." After swimming in 

 the water idamâri went back to his abode, and the rising tide carried Wâwui upstream. He sang 

 inside the bamboo, 



yph, Idamâri Sdsa, o/i, Idaiiulri ngôde rôroiaâme, oh, irevo irevo. — You come close to 

 me, I see you, you no see me." 



On reaching his native place Wâwui passed out of the bamboo and went on shore. „Oh, 

 I find him good play now," he said, „what I make him to-day, to-moirow I make him all same. 

 I watch that tide; what time he go down passage (the creek) I go too." 



Both the men slept in the night, and the next morning Wàwui brought home food which 

 he cooked, and so did fdamàri also. When the tide was going out Wàwui travelled in his bam- 



Toni. XLVII. 



