412 Gunnar Landtman. 



parties gave payment for those killed by them, The beheading-knives vvere bruken off in token 

 of peace, and the Ipisfa people presented their former antagonists with coconuts and received sage 

 in return. (Tàmetâme, Ipisfa). 



THE QUARREL BETWEEN lASA AND PARAMA. 



353. Once vvhen the Pârâma people came to kisa to make sago, a certain kisa girl took 

 a fancy to a Pàrâma boy named Såbai. It had been arranged that she should marry a certain 

 Msa man, but she had a very changeable mind and one day wanted to marry one boy and 

 another day another. A dance was held in honour of the Pârâma visitors, and vvhen hearing 

 that they intended to leave on the morrow the girl thought, „Oh, he go to morrovv — I go away 

 too." In the night she collected her things and put them in a basket, and lighting a torch she 

 looked round (or Såbai and woke him up. „Who that you? what nanie (why) you come?" 

 said he. „I come wake you up. I vvant you, that's why I come." Såbai heard that she was 

 not married yet and arranged to take her with him to Pârâma, and they went and slept in the 

 girl's bed. In the morning she hid herself and her things under the platform in the canoe, and 

 the Pârâma people who were told by Såbai that she was there hurried away. 



After their departure the girl was missed, and a cripple who had seen her going away 

 with the Pârâma boy informed her kinsfolk. * The läsa people were very angr}' and detei'mined 

 to kill the Pârâma people the next time they came. After some time the Pârâma people again 

 came to buy canoës, and the läsa girl was with them. Nobody came to welcome them on their 

 landing. They remained in their canoës and sent the läsa girl ashore first, and she went to her 

 parents weeping. They scolded her for having run away with the Pârâma boy and asked her 

 to bring him ashore, and vvhen he came into the housi they killed him. His canoe was destroyed, 

 and the rest of the Pârâma peopL' ran away into the bush. But they were brought back 

 from there and entertained by the läsa people who only wanted to take revenge upon the one 

 Pârâma boy. 



After a time .some Pârâma people came to läsa in search of their missing friends, and 

 when they heard of Sâbai's death they were very frightened and angry and left immediately, 

 taking with them the Pârâma people who had stayed at läsa. But Sâbai's wife was kept at lâsa. 

 The people at Pârâma wailed at the news of Sâbai's death and held a mourning feast. They 

 waited for the lâsa people to come to Pârâma, but as none of them came, some messengers 

 were sent to invite them. The lâsa people, however, did not want to go and sent the messengers 

 back saying, „You go b:ick, no good you come here." After that neither of the two peoples 

 went to visit the other, and their mutual relations remained broken for a long time. 



Finally they made friends again. The lâsa people went first to Pârâma and were well 

 received, and after a time the Pârâma people returned the visit. The two people agreed never to 

 flght again and exchanged presents, and the Pârâma people bought some canoës at lâsa as the>- 

 were wont to do. (Bi'ri, Ipisia). 



Tulu. XLVII. 



