Til c Fo/k-Tti/fs of Ihe Khvai Papuans. 513 



with his beheading knife and put it on the head-carrier. Nobod\' saw him, and he came back to 

 the beacii. 



Bådabåda said to Seréma, „I pay you now, you me marry," but she answered, „Oh, 

 Bàdabâda, my fathei wild aiong you." „No, lie no wild, I marry you. You take head, father 

 belong \'0U I give him head, I pay for you." He placed the old mans's head close to her, and 

 she put her leg över it to hide it from sight. Bådabåda gave her some tobacco and said, „Seréma, 

 you make him bamboo (pipe)." Seréma prepared the pipe and lighted it, and both of them smoked. 

 Nobody eise was there. Dawn came, Bådabåda took Seréma's basket, put the head in it, and 

 hid the basket in a canoë. 



There was a great fight in the village. The people eut off a number of heads and brought 

 them to the canoës; but Seréma's father had not killed anyone. AU returned to the beach, 

 launched the canoës, and departed. On their way they landed once to rest. The leaders counted 

 the heads putting them in a rovv, and on missing one they asked, „Who kill him old man?" 

 Bådabåda was playing on the beach a little distance off, and Seréma remained all the while in a 

 canoe. All the leaders said, „Where head belong old man.'' Who been take head?" and all looked 

 for it in vain. Bådabåda was silent. His father called him and told him to prépare a tobacco 

 pipe, and they smoked. The father said, ..Bådabåda, who kill old man? You kill him?" Båda- 

 båda answered, „Oh, I kill him old man, I eut him head." He sent his father to look, saying, 

 „You go along canoe, you look basket belong Seréma. Head belong old man 1 put him inside, 

 you take him." The father went and returning with the head called out to the people, „Oh, 

 Bådabåda, Bådabåda! He kill him old man!" He showed the head to all the leaders, and they 

 looked at Bådabåda and looked at the head: „You, Bådabåda, you no big man, you kill him old 

 man?" Seréma's father said, „Seréma, you got blood along you, who been make him that blood?" 

 Seréma said, „Oh, Bådabåda put him head underneath. Bådabåda tell me, 'You me two fellow 

 marry, I kill him old man, head belong old man I give him father belong you, I pa}' for you.'" 

 Seréma's father said, „All right, you two fellow marry," and he took the head. 



The next day all proceeded on their journey and reached Ki'wai. They removed the flesh 

 from the captured heads and collected plenty of food for a big feast. All the people said, „Båda- 

 båda you marry Seréma finisli, big kaikai (feast) to-day." (Kåku, Ipisi'a). 



A. An läsa boy named Bàdabâda wanted a girl, Uörii, and her father said to him, „Suppose 

 you want my girl, you go other place, kill him one man, take him head, bring me head." Bddabäda 

 did so and brought the head to the girl's father who said, „Oh, you strong man, you been go one 

 man (alone). You take girl belong me." (Audo, Mawäta). 



B. Ndeka, a Vi'maremûba boy, used to ramble about in the bush shooting birds. No girl in 

 ihat village liked him, and they toid him, „No good you come close to, plenty road there along bush 

 walk about." Nåeka vvanted one girl, Seréma. A big dance was heid in a neighbouring village, and 

 Nåeka took part dressed in all his finery. In the morning he brought many girls home with him, but 

 their parents came and took them back. Once the Vimaremiiba people went to fight ihe Äbo people. 

 In the night-attack Nåeka was sent by his father to kill an old man in one of the houses, and this 

 he did, securing the head. Nobody eise knew of it. Nåeka told Seréma that he wanted her, and when she 

 asked him whether he had killed anyone, he gave her the head. On the relurn of the others from the 



N:o 1. (i.-, 



