41'0 Gunnar Landtman. 



night I go pick him up that thing." The next night he found the same house and stole some more 

 mdbtisi, and bringing it home and smelling at it he said, „First time I härd \vorl< for find that 

 kaikai, this time I pick him up quick." 



The elder sister who found her mubusi missing accused her younger sister of taking it, 

 but the latter said, „What's way (how) I been take him? I got garden, you got garden, you 

 make mcibusi, I make iiiobusir^ But the elder sister saw from the finger-marks that somebody 

 iiad taken the indbnst, and they quarrelied. 



The next niglit the elder sister did not sleep but kept vvatch, meaning to find out who 

 the thief was. In the middle of the night she heard how Dâgi's arm came crawling along, 

 slapping the ground with the hand nearer and nearer each time, and she thought that it was a 

 frog hopping along. After a while the hand groped its way into the house and seized the basin 

 of mdbusi, returning with it the same way. The woman kindled a light and looked at the hand, 

 exclaiming, „Oh, that no man conie inside, that hand come inside." In the morning she called 

 her younger sister and said, „You me (we) growl for nothing. I been find hand he take mdbusi. 

 You leave house belong you, come stay my house; you me watch what thing take that kaikai." 

 The next day while the two women were working in their garden they provided themselves with 

 two long „bush-ropes" (creepers), and al night the younger sister shut up her house and joined 

 the elder sister. They kept watch and split the creeper into pliable ropes. The elder sister said, 

 „Another (the one) end you make him big ring; you watch that ring, that time hand he come 

 inside you make him tight, make fast hand." 



In the middle of the night the hand came jumping along, and the elder sister whispered, 

 „Him he come now." After a while the hand entered the hut ready to seize the basin, and at 

 the same moment the younger sister puUed the loop tight round the wrist, and both the sisters secured 

 the other end of the rope round a post. Dagi tried to draw in his arm but could not and though t, 

 ,.0h, something he catch me now, who make fast.?" The two women lighted a torch and looked 

 at the hand: „Oh, full up hair along hand!" Next to the ground the hair had worn off from 

 the arm. The two women wanted to find out vvhere the arm led to and foUowed it some 

 distance, but as it was too dark they returned and awaited daylight in the hut. Dågi kept on 

 pujling at his arm, but could not get it free. 



In the morning the two sisters loosened the rope from the post and the elder sister said, 

 „Leave him rope along hand, you catch hold that rope, I catch hold proper hand. What road 

 he go, you me (we) foUow. Suppose middle road he kick, you make fast along free." The hand 

 pulled them gently nearei- and nearer to Dägi. The younger sister said, „I think that man sing 

 out, v\-ant me fellow come; he no kick." Drawing in his hand Dâgl thought, „He heavy, man 

 he come now, foUow." He coiled up the arm in the corner of the house like a snake, and when 

 that corner was füll he coiled it up in another. „House he here!" the elder sister said. At first 

 they were frightened, and looking into the house thgy said, „What name (what is) that, house he 

 full all same rope?" They said to Dägi, „Who you? you man?" „I man, that my name Dägi. 

 Where you come?" „Me stop along bush, two woman, no got no man. Kaikai belong me, you 

 fellow been pick him up, that's why me come." Dägi said, „I got garden, I no look, that's all I 

 plant him along hand. You go find him, that's kaikai belong you." The two women went and 

 fetched iood, and they were very glad. The garden had been very irregularly planted with wide empty 



Tom. ALVII. 



