The Fnik- Tales of Ihe Kiivai Papuans. 



365 



THE EPISODE OF THE ARM-SHELL IN WABODA. 



Arm-shells. 



295. (Continued from no. 294 A). The Wâboda man who had sold a canoë to Ébo- 

 gûbu and Dagûri for an arm-shell went to the bus.h with a Dâru man named Geréa. While 

 occupied with digging a ditch in his garden the Wâboda man stripped off the arm-shell and 

 passed it on to a small banana shoot close by. Without his noticing it the arm-shell and banana 

 shoot became huried under the earth cast up from the ditch. After a while he went to swim 

 and on his return he searched in vain for the arm-shell. „I think you been take him back that 

 arm-shell," he said to Geréa. „He was a great fool not to seek for it properly," interpolated the 

 narrator. Geréa said, „No, 1 no been take him, vshat's way (how should) I take him back?" 

 But the Wâboda man was enraged and killed Geréa with his digging stick after which he eut 

 off his head; („he fool, kill that man 

 for nothing"). He also eut off one 

 finger of the dead man, for he wanted 

 to induce the Wâboda people to kill 

 all the visitors. For this purpose he 

 went to the place where the people 

 were sitting together and pushed his 

 friends stealthily with the eut off finger 

 whispering to them, „I been kill my 

 friend, you kill him altogether them 

 people." „No, we no go kill friend 

 belong me fellow", they answered, 



„we no go catch yarn belong you fellow (no take up your cause). You go look good." They 

 all set out to loolc for the arm-shell, and in the meantime the rain had washed away the earth, 

 and there the shell was found in the same place where it had been put. „Oh, my friend!" moaned 

 the Wâboda man, „no good I kill my friend for nolhing. my fault!" and he smeared his face 

 with mud in his sorrow. Geréa's head was placed back on his Shoulders, and the body was 

 buried. Dagüri and Ébogiibu prepared to go home and were presented with food. They were 

 full of sorrow but did not want to fight, and the Wâboda man gave them payment for Geréa. 

 On their way home Dagûri and Ébogiibu called in Kiwai. By vvay of proving which of 

 the Kfwai canoës were heavy and which not, they lifted them up, and as their own canoës 

 were the heaviest they exchanged them for those of the Kiwais and gave the people some 

 presents. • 



On continuing their journey they sang the foUowing mourning song which is nowadays 

 sung in connection with the tåera ceremony: 



1. „Oh, IVdboda påwa, oh, Glbii päzva, oli, furâiiia pâwa, oh, Kiâsa påiva, oh Gehdrubi 

 ngita nâgo djâpunita pôidâna ivirinlpa, ch, tânamillii pâwa jcrekc måmurima käke liiinåna ngdi 

 blsilumâna bisinta kéida ütidja. — I leave him Wåboda, Gibu, Turäma, låsa, Gebarubi, I find him 

 bad thing. Oh, I been leave him my friend along burying ground. Island he go down (sinks 

 below the horizon). I been find him bad fashion." 



N:o 1. 



