The Folk-Tnles of Ihr Kia'ùi f'aptiaiis. 497 



except one man who had not been able to go because of his bad sores. After tribu they reached 

 Yârubo (Darnley), whence they could see More, and again they asked, „Where altogether man?" 

 „Ali he go along More, find him (to see) one girl." 



At last they arrived at More. The ground had been cleared for a dance, and the open 

 Space was full of people. Morévanogére said, „You fellovv share him out (divide yourselves into 

 groups), altogether people no make him dance one place. One Island man (the people from one 

 island) make dance one time, one island man make him dance one time, try him that girl. .■\nother 

 island one side, another island one side." Moré\'anogére was the ,. master" of that place. 



Pöniponi was seated on a mat, and she was indeed a beautiful giil. The men danced 

 in front of her, desirous of finding out whom she preferred. Each one wanted to make her 

 smile at him: „1 go along that man.-' M All the sisters went över to the place where the men 

 were dancing, and they took the heron with them and wanted him to dance too. 



Morévanogére said, „You start now." At first two Amardva, rävens, danced, „he nd 

 pigeon, he proper man inside.-' They danced, but P(')nip(ini did not say anything neither did she 

 smile, and they had to stop. The men from every island tried their best in tum, and those 

 who had finished went and stood up on one side. But Pöniponi nevei- moved or smiled. 



The girls pulled out the white heron. without the people's seeing it, and said to him, „^'ou 

 go dance, make (beat) drum." .And he replied, „I no go dance along body belong man (in 

 the shape of an man), I.go dance skin belong white pigeon, I Kiwai man." He only knew the 

 Kiwai dances and was ashamed of his ignorance of the dances of the „outside island", therefore 

 he appeared in the shape of a bird. So he danced („go like that, leg like that").-) The girl tlashed 

 her smile at him and said, „Suppose you proper man, I like you, one thing you got long neck, 

 long nose, two leg belong you got no meat, like pièce wood. Close up I go along you, I like 

 \-ery bad for you, one thing I no like you sometimes." That man was a fool to nide his body 

 when the others had real human bodies. 



Båiiiamii, the big shark, jumping out of the water came right up to the dancing ground 

 and turned back again. P(Jnip6ni liked him, („that good jump-up"), and flashed her smile three or 

 four times, saying, ,,That man belong me." All the people ceased dancing and began to fight 

 among themselves. Some men said, ..W'hat's the matter he no like me.-" others. .,\\'hat"s the 

 matter he like Bùidamiû-' and a big affray ensued. Hània, the sting-ray, and Kômuhàru, the 

 ..cranky shark", ^) answered back, for they .belonged to Bâi'damu's side. .W\ fought and fought, 

 and when they had tinished, all Haivias (the heron's) people became birds, and Båidaunts people 

 went into the water. They had fought on différent sides and thus they are still fighting, as can 

 be seen from the fact that birds catch fish. 



M Pöniponi's smile, and also a flash of lightning, is symbolized by the foUowing gesturc; Witli thc 

 fingei'S poiuting upwards the right haud is raised to the level of the face, paltn outwards, twisted verv quicklv 

 and at the same time clenched. Sometimes the same gesture is performed with both hauds simultaneously, 

 and the eyes are closed at the same time as if blinded by the glare. This gesture invariably acconipanied the 

 mention of Pöniponi's smile, in this and all the following versions 



-) The niovenients illustrating the boy's dance were ,in admirable representation of those of a wading bird. 



') It is called „cranky shark" because it has „.got no sense, no fright; man he take him along tail, 

 chnck him along shore." 



No 1. 6:i -. '^r^ 



tv. 



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