The Fol k -Tales of I lie Khvai Pnpuans. 407 



to wait, v\ent on alone to ask a number of Djibäru men to come to Kiiru promising to give them 

 coconuts and shell-fish. The Mawdta men waited on the beach, but the rest of the varriors lay 

 hidden in the bush, for otherwise they vv(juld have frightened the Djibàru people prematurely. 



The Djibåru men arrived and sat dovvn with the Mawata people on the shore. All of a 

 sudden the bushmen were attacked by their hidden enemy, and everyone of them were slain. 

 Their heads were eut off and given to the Kiwais in payment for Gaméa's wife. (Gaméa, 

 Mawåta). 



A. Mdinou summoned ihe Mawdta, Kiwai, and Såibai people to Kiira and there laid an 

 ambush for the Djibåru people. He went himself and brought the Djibàru men ihilher promising them 

 coconuts. The canoës had been hidden out of sight excepling Mdinou's. Without suspecting danger 

 the Djibdru men were surrounded and Mdinou gave the signal to attack by rising and holding up his 

 hands, and the sound of the fight was like that of a strong wind. The captured heads were given to 

 the Kiwais, who presented the Mawdta and Sdibai people with canoës and received sago in return. 

 (Sdibu, Mawdta). 



When Såibu, the narrator, was a small boy, he and his father Dägai, his mother Idàbe, 

 and two sisters Ôibu and Süruka were once returning in a canoe irom Mâbudavâne to Mawåta, 

 paddling close to the shore. At Rämedji they were attacked by a party of bushmen who ran 

 towards them and caught hold of their outrigger. The canoe capsized, and all the things inside 

 were lost, before Dägai had time to save them. The people on board sought shelter under the 

 canoe which was floating bottom up, keeping their heads 'above the surface inside the dug-out 

 craft. Dägai pushed the canoe further and further away from the shore. The bushmen shot at 

 them, and many of the arrows stuck in the bottom of the canoe but did not hit the people in 

 the water. At length the canoe came out on deep water, and Dägai got up and looked round. 

 The bushmen could not swim and went away. Then Dägai managed to tum the canoe upon an 

 even keel, he was obliged to tie up the children to the cross-poles, for they were half dead and 

 could not keep upright. The canoe was full of water, and they had nothing to empty it with. 

 The man and woman paddled it ashore at Kura with their hands and left it there. At Wadäia 

 they met some of their fellow-villagers, and a fire was lighted, and the fugitives were given food. 

 Dågai related their adventure. and the canoe was brought home. 



Some time afterwards the Mawäta people went to take revenge upon the bushmen, Dågai 

 leading the way. They saw two bushmen in a garden and formed a cordon round them. Dågai 

 caught the one bushman by the hand saying, „Here, you fellow play along me; I go pay back 

 along you fellow now !" The people rushed into the garden, and Dågai killed the two men with 

 his stone club, and their heads were eut off. The outrigger of the canoe was stuck in the ground 

 close to the two bodies to show why the men had been killed. After a time the two dead 

 men were found by their friends who understood their history from the outrigger. The bringing 

 home of the two heads to Mawäta was celebrated with a pipi dance. fSåibu, Mawåta). 



348. Once a Mawäta boy named Gagåre went alone in the direction of the Gésôvamtiba 

 point to shoot fish, using a five-pronged arrow. Presently he was seen by a Bädu bushman who 

 thought to himself, „Oh, one man he corne (he cornes alone)!" The bushman laid himselt down 

 in wait on the beach and covered himself with sea-vveed so as not to be seen. Without suspecting 

 N:o 1. 



