Tlic Folk Tale» of tlic Kiivai I'apitaus. 517 



was so little accustomed to the heat that he feil down „dead''.^^ ßut he was soon restored to 

 consciousness by the girl who acting on her mother's advice rubbed his eyes with the string of 

 her grass-skirt. „Long time I no been stop alongside fire," said he on awaking, „I no savy 

 tire." His longue and mouth were sore since he had eaten raw food. Sitting by his side his 

 wite asked him where he came from, and he told her his story and how he and the girl had 

 been sent away from home and arrived on the Island (abbrev.). „More better I stop hère," said 

 the boy. „Nq, you go place belong you," said the elder woman, „you take wife too. I stop 

 one man (alone). By-and-by I go see place belong you, come back again my house." Then the 

 three went together to the boy's camp. 



The girl had been watching the boy and thought to herself, „Every time he go he been 

 come quick; what's the matter he take long time.'" On seeing the three coming the girl thought, 

 „Oh, three man (persons) he come, two he carry woman-thing, one man he stand up close to." 

 And she picked up all her things and went into the boy's house where she sat down close to 

 his bed and lighted a fire. „Who make him fire inside my house?" the boy wondered, „before 

 no fire he stop." He went into the house and said to the girl, „Plenty time you no want me, 

 no give me fire, all time I kaikai raw. What name (why) you come inside? Nobody want me 

 before." The girl got up, seized her digging stick and hit the two other women with it, and 

 the three fought. When they had finished, the old woman said, „No more row now. You two 

 girl belong me (you are my daughters), that my émapora, you two woman belong that man. 

 One woman he stop one end belong house, one (other) woman he stop one (other) end. Man 

 he stop middle. I go back place belong me." The man and his wife acted as they had been 

 advised by the old woman. 



One day thej' went to her place. She had a pig which was ready to be killed, and the 

 man shot it and eut up the meat. The old woman asked him to divide the meat but wanted 

 only a little pièce for herself. She gave the others her plantations, only keeping a few coconut 

 trees and a small plot of garden for herself. The three wanted her to come and live with them, 

 but she said, „No, I stop mj' place. What's the matter you sorry me? My place I stop, nobody 

 come kill me. You stop other end; other end I stop." 



Thus it is that the Origiri islanders are of tne same blood as the Mawdta peuple. (Nåmai 

 Mawäta). 



A. The Üld Mawdta people were playing kokäJi previous to holding the hiern ceremony. A 

 certain boy saw how a girl feil in a bad fa.shion, and he began to cry asking for a certain red thing. 

 The people did not know what it was, and ofïered him all sorts of red things, hut he kepl on crying. 

 At length his désire was found out, and the people felt ashamed. They sent the two away as in the 

 first version, and they drifted to Origiri Island which is said to be Port Moresby. The girl refused to 

 give him fire. He met the two women and brought them to his camp. The girl saw them coming and 

 went and sat down in the boy's house, and there was a quarrel. In the end the boy married the two 

 girls, and the old woman lived with them also. (Gågu, Mawdta). 



B. Once two Idsa girls put on new grass petticoats previous to taking part in o. päni or kokiidi 

 play, and a little boy saw them naked. He began to cry for a certain red thing, and al length the 

 people guessed why he was crying. In the night he was put to sleep on the same bed as the two 



N:o 1. 



