Tlic Folh-Tales u/ Ihv Kiwai Papuam. 459 



ask Usàri to shoot the tame pig vvhich was to supply méat for the feast, and he killed it with one 

 shot. When the pig was eut up, Karoso brought one leg to Ubiri and said, „Suppose you want me 

 and you stop hère, you take ihat leg belong pig." But Ubiri was still angry and said, „No, belong 

 you, you take him go back." He was the first man to Icave when the least was över and went to 

 Tugågoro, from where he never came back again. His people are very numerous, they are the Tugére 

 tribes who come and tight the Biidji people. (Gibiima, Mawdta). 



11. One version of Màigidùbu, the woman, and the hinun-dhnr is told in no. 140. 



OTHER TALES ABOUT SNAKES AND WOMEN (no. 415—41«). 



415. Once when the women of Vam Island were fishing, one of them found a „rock- 

 lish", and iinderneath a .stone close by there was a snake. The woman speared the fish and 

 brought it home in her basket with the rest of her catch. When the fish were cooked, everybody 

 came to eat and then they went to sleep. 



In the night the snake crawled along thinking to himself, „Where 1 go find him my 

 woman (the „rock-fish"), somebody been kil! my woman. I wait for her, he no come along 

 house. Oh, blood here, more better I go look that blood." The snake followed the smell of 

 blood and scenting his way about came into the house where the woman who had killed the 

 „lock-fish" slept. Without her knowing it he had connection with her, for he v.as also a man, 

 and then he returned into his stone. The same thing was repeated the foUowing nights (abbrev.). 

 „VVhat's the matter you got big belly?" the woman's husband asked her. „I no been do bad 

 along you." „Yes, true," she admitted, „who been make that pickaninny? You no been make 

 nim along me, somebody no been catch me, I no savy where I get him." „All right, we look 

 that time you born that pickanin^^^" 



After a time the woman prepared to give birth to lier child, and the old women assembled 

 to assist her. But instead of a child she bore two snakes, and the women were so frightened 

 that they all ran away. In the night the large snake who was the father of the new-born two came 

 to the woman and said, „That two pickaninny, you look out (after) him good, you give amo 

 (breast). Suppose you kill him, you dead self." 



The husband of the woman in child-bed wanted to kill the snakes, saying, „Ah, you kill 

 that pickaninny, that no proper pickaninny!" „By-and-by you kill him, by-and-by I dead," 

 answered she, but he did not believe her. While she suckled the snakes, one at each breast, 

 her husband seized his stone axe, and although she appealed to him and wailed he killed both the 

 snakes, and at the same time the woman died without anybody touching her. She was buried, 

 and her husband wailed över her. „Oh, you leave him that cry," some women said, „by-and-by 

 you find him another woman. Snake he been make him no good that woman." „All right," 

 said he, „you fellow make yarn (décide among yourselves), who like me, come my house." 

 They all .said to each other, „You!" „Oh, you!" but at last one of them made up her mind and 

 said, „All right, I go." The twii were married, and the woman said to her husband, „You no 

 keep me all same you been keep that woman before. You make him something quick along 



X:o 1. 



