502 GuNNAK Lanutman. 



grass (skirt) he been roll up, he good de (x'ulva)" He transt'ormed himsell' into a snake and 

 swimming under water to the girl had connection with her without her knowing it, for she was 

 Standing up to her ehest in water. When Uame had filled her basket with fish she went to her 

 mother who was working in a garden near by. Tibüri resumed his human form. He went everj' 

 day to the swamp and in the shape of a snake had connection with the girl (abbrev.). 



Noticing that her daughter was pregnant Uame wondered hovv it had come about and 

 accused hei' of meeting someone at the swamp. But the girl said, „Oh, I never see une 

 man. I catch him fish along that swamp, that's all. High water he come, he float me." After 

 -a time One gave birth to a son whom she named Nivia. 



One night Tibüri was told in a dream of the birth of his son. He transformed himself 

 into a snake, swallowed a great quantity of vegetable food and betook himsef to Uame's place. 

 On seeing the snake Öne first fled, but the reptile passed its tongue quickly out and in and beat 

 the ground with its tail as if to sa^-. „You no fright, that man (husband) belong you, me here." 

 The snake licked the little baby, and on seeing this, üne understood that he was her husband; 

 „Oh, that man belong me here," she thought. „That thing been make him pickaninny." Still a 

 little frightened she gave him food, and he ate and drank, after which he coiled himself up in a 

 ring with the head on the top. The next morning he licked (')ne with his tongue, beating the 

 ground with his tail, and then went away home. 



Nivia grew up and was given a small bow and arrovvs. He asked who his father was, 

 and Öne told him how she had conceived him (abbrev.). Tibüri again dreamt of his child and 

 came to see him in his human shape wearing man\' beautiful ornaments. On seeing him his 

 little son fulfiiled his wants in sheer terror. But when Tibüri let his tongue play out and in as 

 the snake had done, Une understood who he was and was very glad, and they stayed together 

 for a time (abbrev.). Tibüri wanted to fetch One and Nivia to his place at Ûlivâle, and they 

 went there together, but Uame, the oid woman, remained alone in the bush. The Ulivdle people 

 wondered who One and the bov were, and Tibüri told them their story (abbrev.). 



After a time One again hecame pregnant, and just then the people decided to flee away 

 from the wild boar which had killed many of them. They made a kind of canoës from the 

 trunks of banana trees and sailed away, but as < >ne could not go with the rest, Tibüri built a 

 house for her in a däm' tree and providing her with food and water left her there alone. ^^ One 

 vvailed in the tree. „I been come for you, my God, I think I stop along you. What name (why) 

 you leave me? I think I stop good, that's why I leave my place along mother." 



The people sailed över to Yam Island. Tibüri feit very ill at ease thinking of his wife 

 whom he had left behind. One bore a bov in the tree and called him Omebali. Her blood 

 which ran down the trunk of the tree attracted the wild pig, and it came to the place wearing 

 its crest of bushes. The beast rooted up the burying ground and ate the dead bodies. 



The new-born child grew up very quickly. ' After a time the mother and child had 

 consumed all their food, and them One climbed down and fetched some more from a garden in 

 great terror of the pig. Omebåli wanted a certain root called duhi which is associated with 

 fighting. After eating it he feil asleep and was visited in a dream by some elengena (mythical 

 beings) and some dead people, and they told him how to kill the ferocious pig. They al.so taught 

 him hovv to build a canoe. 



Tom. XL VII. 



