522 Gunnar Landtman. 



THE QUARREL ÖVER THE BROKEN CROTON AT lASA. 



473. At the time vvhen låsa was situated in the bush a fine croton was growing close 

 to one of the liouses. One niglnt before a great dance sliould be lield a certain bad man went 

 and nearly eut tlirough tlie stem of the croton with a sheil, ieaving it apparently intact. The 

 next morning the people came out of the house and one of the men while talklng to the rest 

 happened to lean against the croton, and the stem suddenly broke off. „Oh, good fellow saglda 

 (croton) he broke!" exclaimed the people. The man examined the break and said, „Oh, man he 

 been eut him Ihis sag/da night-time along ipa (shell)!" The owner of the croton seized his bow 

 and arrows and shot the man who had broken the wood, and the arrow went right into his 

 ehest. A general fight ensued, which lasted all day and was resumed the next morning. A 

 certain great man named 16 was shot, and his friends took revenge and shot one of his antago- 

 nists named Ikiiri (ef. no 5). Then the fight ceased, the dead were buried, and the people held 

 a mourning feast. (Kåku, Ipisfa.) 



THE PEOPLE WHO SUFFERED FROM THIRST. (no 474—476). 



474. At Wiörubi there livad a man who could not climh a coconut tree. Once there 

 was a great drought and as all the water-holes di-ied up the people depended upon coconuts for 

 drink. Since that man could not get any coconuts for himself he had to employ somebody eise 

 to procure him some. One day when he and his wife v\-ent to the bush he said to his son, „I 

 no savy climb up coconut tree; more better you come too, you me (we) go make garden." The 

 boy did not care to go with his parents, and the latter would have suffered from thirst if they 

 had not brought three coconuts with them. When they returned home in the evening the man 

 said to the bo}', „No good you walk about any way; I no savy climb up coconut, more better 

 you come along me." Whereupon the false-hearted boy replied, „All right, to-morrow you me 

 go make garden." 



In the morning the father and mother went to their garden saying to their son, „More 

 better you come." They did not take any coconuts with them, and the wicked boy let them go 

 alone. It was a very hot day with no wind. When it was time to eat the man and woman 

 felt very thirsty („throat he tired insidc"). ' „You been take him coconut?" the man asked his 

 wife. „No, no take him coconut." The man started to call out, in case somebody should be in 

 the neighbourhood, but no one heard him. He sat dovvn on the ground exhausted, and the 

 woman went to search for some people. The man shouted till at length something.burst in his 

 throat and blood began to flow. „Whafs the matter along you?" the woman asked him when 

 she returned without having found anybody. „That time I sing out, he broke him throat hère," 

 replied he. 



Finally, they betook themselves home, and the man said, „Where boy belong me?" He 

 thought, „What do along that boy? Plenty time I speak, 'You give coconut,' and he no come. 

 To-day close up I die." And he said to the boy, „Come, you come close to me." When the 



Tom. XLVIl. 



