460 GuNNAK Landtman. 



me." The man granted her wish and started to „make him pickaninny". 'J After a time the 

 child was born. 



Since this incident the people are anxious to have a child as soon as possible after they 

 are married, said the narrator. (Sàibu, Mawäta). 



416. Inside a well in Kivvai there lived a snake who was also a man, and one day he 

 dug some deep holes round the well covering them with leaves. A number of girls came to 

 draw water and tell into the holes, and the snake dragged them underneath the ground, and they 

 became his wives. The parents went to look for them but only found the water-vessels close to 

 the well. One girl alone had escaped, and she told the people what had happened. The next 

 day the people went to the water-hole and called out the names of the girls, and as the snake 

 was not on guard just then the girls came up. „Oh, good fellow man he stop inside along 

 water-hole," said they, „suppose you me (we) go altogether along village, by-and-by he come 

 behind." In the night the snake-man appeared outside the house and called the girls to come 

 out. One of them went out and said to him, „You no kaikai me. 'S'ou take out skin belong 

 snake, you stand up ail same man, father belong me want look you." The snake assumed his 

 human form and was taken inte the house, and the people said to him, „You leave him place 

 belong you, come stop this place," which the snake did. 



At night the snake used to kill pigs and cassowaries which he swallowed and brought 

 home, and there he gave them to the people and resumed his human shape. And when the 

 Dibiri or Wäboda people came to attack the Kiwais they were all killed by the snake who had 

 a mouth at both ends of the body and ten pairs of arms. One daj', however, when the snake- 

 man had „stolen" a number of Ki'wai women the men enticed him to go vvith them into the 

 bush, and there they killed him. The spirit of the snake passed into a kind of turtle called 

 käroro-gdmo, for it thought, „By-and-by people kaikai turtle, I kill him." And, in lact, when 

 some men låter caught and killed the turtle they died. 'The rest of the turtle was thrown away, 

 and one of the flippers turned into a bird called kuniüo. Some men once killed and ate a kunido 

 but they too died, and since then the people refrain from eating the kârara turtle and the kuiniio 

 bird. (Gabia, Ipisfa). 



417. A certain v\oman v\'ith a sucking child was once sleeping when a large snake 

 altracted by her smell made its way into her house. The reptile caught hold of her two breasts 

 and began to suck her. The woman gut up and cried out for her hushand, „You come, one 

 snake catch him åmo (breast)!" The men came and the snake was killed, and then the people 

 eut him in pièces and burnt it. (Käku, Ipisia). 



418. Once a snake who was also a man repeatedly tried to catch a very handsome 

 woman who used to paddle up a creek in her canoe. Finally he managed to carry her off into 

 a large free, and there he assumed his human form. They were afterwards married. 

 (Tâmetâme, Ipisi'a). 



*) This is différent from merely having connection with the wonian ; if a child is contenijilated, Üie 

 husband must cohabit with her regularly, tili the making of the child is completed. 



Tom. XLVU. 



