The Folk-Tales of the Khvai Papttans. 481 



garden and heard the bananas crying there. Then he wrapped up the fruit, and when he had 

 finished he smeared his lace with inud and wailed, „Oh, I been plant him, I no look out good." 

 This is why we wrap up all the bunches of banana, the narrator said, for if we do not 

 do so the bananas will cry. (Amiira, Mawàta). 



HOW TREES CAME TO GROW IN KIWAI. 



450. At first there were neither trees nor bushes in Kiwai. Once the people became 

 angry with a certain man named Kumabiri, vvho had killed many of them. They had no bows 

 and arrows, their only weapons were spears roughly made of sticks with the bark still, on. One 

 day when Kumabiri was swimming the others speared him, and left his body on the beach. 

 Kumâbiri's son, whose name was üruma, came and took care of the body and puUed out the 

 spears which he threw away, calling out to each of them, „You go stop along bush." The spears 

 all Struck root and soon grew into dense bush. Uriima said of the people, „You been kill father 

 belong me, I make plenty tree along bush, make you härd work along garden." He smeared 

 the trees with his father's blood, causing them to grow rapidly. There is still blood in the trees, 

 and the sap which will flow from a eut in a tree is really blood. Uriima made his father's tongue, 

 ears, nose, and penis into différent species of bright-coloured crotons, and the hair was turned 

 into grass. 



Before trees grew in Kiwai the people used to live in holes in the ground which they 

 covered with leaves, but after they had timber they built houses on piles. (Gabi'a, Ipisia). 



N:o 1. • 61 



