Tlie Folk-Talcs o/ Ihc Kiivai Papxmns. ' 371 



301. Once when the Ipisia peuple vvere fishing in Abaüra a heavy wind prevented 

 them tVom returning home for a long lime. They ran short ot" food, and soon had nothing to 

 eat except fish and crabs. The vvomen asked their husbands to launch a canoë and try to sail 

 over to Ipisia, but the craft was driven back by the waves. One day tvvo women died of 

 hunger, and were buried. The next day three vvomen died, and then not one day passed 

 without a death. The survivors vvere all vvorn out and haggard. They swore at the wind 

 saying, „No good me humbug along wind, no good you me (we) finish here altogether." The 

 children all died. 



A new moon came up, and at length the wind abated. The people at Ipisia loaded four 

 canoës with provisions and sailed over to Abaüra. None came to meet them on their landing, 

 for the people on shore were too exhausted. „You fellow all right.'" the new-comers asked them. 

 „No, me no all right, some man he die." They were so weak that they could not go and fetch 

 food, but after eating they gathered more strength. Earlv the next morning they all sailed back 

 to Ipisia. The people there wailed saying, „Oh, no good some man he die there, I got plenty 

 kaikai; wind he humbug." They collected food for a great mourning feast, and some people 

 went to Abaüra to catch fish and crabs. On their journey home a canoe ran on to a sandbank 

 and was wrecked, and the people perished. The crevvs of the other canoës said, „Oh, that's 

 ohisarc (mythical beings in the water, ef. no. 131) he been catch that canoe," and no one dared 

 go near it. VVhen the people heard of this fresh disaster they said, „Nt) more you me (we) go 

 along Abaüra. First time some people he die along Abaüra, this Ume some man he lose 

 along water." 



The \Vi(')rubi people had causcd the strong wind in order to take revenge upon a 

 certain Ipisia man who had not paid sufficiently for a canoe which he had bought from them. 

 (Biri, Ipisia). 



302. Long ago the Ipisia people once went to Sagéro to make sago. When they were 

 ready to return a very high wind sprang up, and they had to vvait. After some days they 

 managed to sail over to Aibinfo, but in the night the wind increased again. Some evil man had 

 raised it. The people had to wait in Aibinfo several days, and once when making an attempt 

 to leave, a man named Dabi lost his canoe and was drowned. At last the wind abated, and 

 some people sailed over to Abaüra vvhile others went straight home to Jpisia. The people there 

 heard of Dâbi's death and learnt the name of the man who had caused the wind. The man 

 was still at Abaüra, but on his arrivai at Ipisia the people straightway shot their arrows at him. 

 He crept into the canoe and they called out to him, „Suppose you man, you come shore; sup- 

 pose you woman you no come!" The man thought to himself, „I man, no good you call me 

 woman," and he went on shore and defended himself. When the fight was over he gave pay- 

 ment for the men who had perished. (Biri, Ipisia). 



303. An Ipisia canoe was once sailing across the mouth of the Fly to Abaüra, but the 

 wind ceased, and as the crew had no means of anchoring, the current svvept the canoe on to the 

 open sea out of sight of land. It was no use trying to paddle against the tide. The men slept 



N:o 1. 



