TIte Folh-Talca of Ihc A'iwni Paf>iiaiis. 437 



play along water." The waves tossed him about, and he said, „You no oome play along me; I 

 play self." On returning home he said to bis mother whose name was Kàbusi, „I been play along 

 water, plenty people he play," meaning the waves. One day he was swallowed by a large shark, and 

 his spirit came rolling about on the ground to his mother who at first thoiight that it was her son alive. 

 The apparition did not say anything; and after a short while it disappeared in a gust of wind, and 

 then the mother understood that it was his spirit. Kàbusi wanted to go and live with Meréva (ef. no. 

 59) who was her brother but he did not like her to come. Then shc went to live in the bush and 

 became an ant-hill.*' (Gaméa, Mawäta). 



THE MAN WHO FIRST WORKED AND THEN SLEPT INCESSANTLY. 



379. A certain man was digging a long ditcli and never went home to sleep but woikcd 

 on day and night. His wite who did not know where he was went out to search for him asking 

 the people, ,My man he stop along this place.'" „No, he no come." „And the woman wept. 



A new moon came up, and still the man went on with his work, and he neither slept 

 nor ate nor smoked. His wife thought him dead and put on a mourning necklace. 



At length the man became hungry. He put down his digging stick, went to swim, lighted 

 a fire, and cooked some bananas. Then he ate and drank some coconut milk, and after finishing 

 his meal he smoked. After a while he put down his head on his bamboo pipe and feil asleep. 

 He did not awake that day nor the foUowing one but slept on for the same length of time as he 

 worked before. The grass grew up over him, penetrating into his ears and anus and passing 

 through the hole which was bored in the septum of his nose, but still he continued to sleep. 



One day he was found by his wife and brother. „I think he dead," said his brother. 

 „That's no dead," said the woman, ,.he sleep." They pushed him a little saying, „Eh, get up," 

 and he opened his eyes and awoke. „What's the matter you fellow wake me up?" he asked 

 them, „I no sleep long tiine, I sleep just now." His brother answered, „You look, that grass he 

 go inside along nose. You been sleep long time, more better you fellow wake up now." Oh, 

 you fellow been eut him grass, put him on top me." „I no put him grass on top \ou," said his 

 brother, „you been sleep long, long." The man thought, „Oh, brother he right," and he got up, 

 stretched out his limbs and went home. 



The people wondered at the sight of him, „Oh, he come up now! VVhere you been now?" 

 His brother told them, „He been make a creek long time, behind (afterwardsj he sleep." „I too 

 much (very) hungry now," said the man, and a pig was killed, and his wife prepared a great 

 kaikai to w^hich the people too were invited. A dance was held, the first night a inacfo dance 

 and the next a niadia dance. The inan went to the bush to provide himself with gay leaves for 

 the madia. As he was Walking his head began to droop, and he lay down and feil asleep. The 

 day passed and the sun went down, and he did not wake up till the next morning. „Oh no 

 good me sleep hère, me want make madia,'-' he thought. When he came to the village, the 

 dance was over, and ail the people were sleeping. „What's the matter you fellow sleep?" he 

 asked them. „Me been make madia last night." „Oh, you gatnmon, by-and-by me make madia 

 to-night," said he, but they insisted that the dance had been held already. The man thought 

 the matter over and said, „Oh, true them fellow been make madia. Me fellov\ been sleep." (Ibi'a, 

 Ipisi'a). 



N:o 1. 



