The Folk- Tales of the Khvai Papuans. 505 



night, and next morning Bébi went out to shoot birds. He shot many birds, tying thetn up into 

 two bundles, and on reaching home gave thein to his sister. She said to him warningly, „Bébi, 

 you no go far, he got two pigeon there, ivüea (hornbill), wild pigeon, kaikai man." But he said, 

 „Oh, sister, that nothing, suppose I look that two pigeon I shoot." The boy and girl cooked the 

 birds and ate them. 



The next morning the boy started out again. He walked and walked and shot many 

 birds which he tied up into a bündle and left hehind, going further into the bush. He saw the 

 two birds sitting in a large tree, nâbea. Bébi went near and shot at them but did not hit them, 

 the arrow passing right between them. They came down, and catching Bébi took him up to the 

 top of the tree where they hung him up. They did not kill him, but kept him at the top of the 

 tree. The two birds sat on a branch of the tree with Bébi between them. 



The girl waited and waited, but no Bébi came. She thought, „That two pigeon been 

 catch him Bébi." Taking her digging stick she came running, and wailed, 



„Bébi, o/i, giri Bébi, oh, riibla rubia remåro." — „Oh, Bébi, I lose my brother, he 

 finish now." 



She came, and saw her brother at the top of the tree: „Oh, brother he there, two pigeon 

 he stop, brother he middle." And Bébi said, „Sister, you go take etnda (stone axe), corne eut that 

 tree." She put down her digging stick at the foot of the tree, ran home, and hurried back into 

 the bush bringing a stone axe. The girl eut down the tree, and she caught up her brother in 

 her arms. She picked up the digging .stick to strike the two birds, but missed them, and they 

 flew away. The hmther and sister rcturned to their house. (Amiira, Mawäta). 



TUBO OF MASINGARA WHO WAS CARRIED TO A REEF ON THE TOP OF A 



BENDING TREE. 



462. Long ago a man named Dubo and his mother whose name was Bibi lived at Mä- 

 singära. They spent their time cutting down and burning the bush and making gardens. One 

 day Bibi said to Tùbo, „My God, all time. you me (we) make garden, no kaikai no fish." Then 

 Tubo went to a large kdith(iro-\.\-e.c and caused it to become quite small. He sat down on the 

 tree and said, „You go on top!" The tree extended itself high into the air, lifting Tubo up near 

 to heaven. " He saw far around him, the reefs in the sea and the country where the people 

 were making gardens. „I been think no people there — plenty people make garden," he thought. 

 After a while he said to the tree, „Come down!" And the tree sank down, and Tubo went into 

 his house. His mother returned from the garden and asked him, „Tubo, what name (what) you 

 make him?" „Mother, I stop inside house," he lied, „I no walk about." 



The next morning when Bibi went to the garden Tiibo provided himself with a wooden 

 spear and a rope and said to the kdti/iäro-tree as before, „Come down!" He sat on the tree 

 and it lifted him up to the sky. „You fall down, catch that reef!" Tubo ordered the tree, and 

 it bent down till the top reached the Otamabu reef. Tubo descended and started to spear fish 

 and small turtles. He strung up his catch and hung it up on the tree, and then he sat down on 

 the top and said, ,,Go on, you take me go back along home!" The tree lifted him through the 

 air, and Tubo sang, 

 N:o 1. 64 



