The Folk-Taks of the Kiivai Papuans. 525 



B SOCIAL PRACTICE (no 478-492). 



THE PUNISHMENT OF THE HUNTER WHO DID NOT SHARE THE PIGS KILLED BY 

 HIM WITH THE PEOPLE BUT ATE THEM HIMSELF. 



478. A certain Kubira man who had two wives went one day to the bush with one of 

 Iheni and constructed a di (trap for catching pigs). They set the trap ready to act, provided it 

 with bait, and went home. In the night the man dreamt of the trap and, on awaking he 

 thought, „My god, that di I been dream last night, one pig he been catch him." He paddled up 

 the creek till he neared the trap, landed and went hurriedly to look, and there, in fact was a 

 large pig in the trap. Then he returned home and called to his wives, „Oh, two wife belong me, 

 you give me sago, I want go make garden." „You me (we) go too?" they asked him, but he 

 said, „No, you fellow stop, I go one man (alone)." Thus provided with sago and a firestick the 

 man went to the place where the trap was. There he killed the pig and carried it to a small 

 garden-house near by. Nobody knew that he had caught a pig. He eut it up and cooked it, 

 and then started to eat. He made a hole in the floor of the house, and the whole time he ate 

 he defecated through the hole. At length all the pig and sago were consumed. 



In order to deceive his wives the man inflicted some slight u ounds all över his body with 

 an arrow, and he also shot some arrows at the canoe. Then he started on his way homé, and when 

 he came near he ceased paddling and let the canoe drift with the tide. He cried out to his wives, 

 „Oh, you come help me, bushman been shoot me fellow." *» ^^^ (hg two wives wept and said, 

 „No good you been go one man (alone), I been teil you finish." They carried him into the house, 

 and he lamented, „No good you catch him that place, he too much sore." He was placed clo.se 

 to the fire, and some of the other men said, „More better eut (bleed) him little bit." But he 

 objected to that, „No good you eut me, more better you give medicine." So they ga\e him medicine. 



He remained at home three days, and then he went alone in his canoe to the same 

 place and put the trap in working order after which he returned home. In the night he dreamt 

 that another pig had been caught in the trap. Then the same proceedings took place as on the 

 first occasion. Alleging that he had to wrap up the maturing bunchês of bananas he went to the 

 trap and found the pig there. Then he returned home to fetch sago from his .wives, declinlng 

 their offer to go with him, and once more betook himself to the bush where he eut up, prepared, 

 and ate the pig exactly as he had done the first time. He wounded himself as before, and on 

 his return home he let his wives carry him into the house. And after four daj's the same thing 

 was repcated, and again he ate a pig alone. (Abbrev.). 



At length his two wives began to conceive suspicions against him, and one of them asked 

 the other, „What name (what) you been make him along garden that time you two been go 

 together?" „Oh, my god!" the other woman exclaimed, „I been make him di. I think that man 

 been find him pig, kaikai pig all time." And the two women launched a canoe and went to see 

 what their husband was doing. They crept up to the small hut and saw him there: „Oh, you 

 devil, eat pig one man (alone), no give me fellow! You wait — by-and-by!" Then they hurried 

 back without letting him knovv that they had been there. They put on new grass petticoats and 

 N:o 1. 



