The Folk-Tales of I he Kiwai Papnans. 



529 



the matter (why) that sago he empty now, vvho kaikai (has eaten)?" And he asked his wife, 

 „What's the matter you stow avvay, no teil me that time you kaikai that sago?" But she said, 

 „No, I no savy that time you put him that sago, I no savy that sago. Somebody there stop 

 along that sago." Looking about the man found some crumbs on the bed of the sick woman 

 and said, „True, that no other man (person) been take him. This woman been take him that 

 one." But the woman in child-bed protested, „No, who speak I take him? I no strong yet, I no 

 can Sit down (up) good, my body too soft altogether, I no kaikai good yet, what's way (how 

 should I) find him? Every morning, afternoon I wash, 1 find him that small pièce (crumbs) 

 along my bed; who chuck him here?" The man did not believe her. „No, that no from other 

 place, that you (who) stop alongside that sago," he said. „Yes, I stop alongside that sago," she 

 replied, „one thing I no savy that sago. Other man (person) chuck that sago here, I think 

 m3'self — who?" The woman did her utmost to convince the man but he did not believe her. „Poor 

 fellovv, that woman, blood belong him he shake novv, come wild, he no long time (not long ago) 

 born pickaninny, he cry," interpolated the narrator. Her husband was „shame"; he thought, „I 

 no stop here that time — I think him." The woman vvho had taken the sago managed to 

 conceal the truth entirely and everybody believed her. 



The family of the accused woman took an ilere (bamboo knife) and eut open her stomach 

 to See whether there was any sago in it, but they found the whole stomach empty except for 

 some blood and water. The people now turned round and killed the woman -who had stolen 

 the sago. Thej' ripped her up and looked: „Oh, sago he come out now, he no long time 

 (not long ago) kaikai, no make (become) ne (exerements) yet. True that." And they all said, 

 „I been believe that woman; all time he kaikai sago, what name (vvhy) he no give me?" 



The two women were buried, the people of the „steal-woman" taking charge of her, 

 and the people of the other woman looking after her. „No wild, no pay, that's all shame." 

 Another man, the friend of the father, adopted the new-born child and gave it his wife. 



This is why a man on bringing home a bündle of sago does not keep it close to anybody 

 eise, particularly a woman in child-bed („foUow all time that story"). While a man is absent, his 

 wife does not begin eating sago but awaits his return. (Ndmai, Mawäta). 



A. A very similar story, although rather différent in ils wording, is told of a woman at Old 

 Mawdta, who stole some of the bananas which her husband had hung up to ripen, and made another 

 woman, who was in child-bed, suspected of the theft. She threw the skins on the ground underneath 

 the other woman's place, making the people believe that the sick woman had pushed them out through 

 a hole in the lloor. The innocent woman was first killed and her stomach examined, and after her the 

 thief. The father of the new-born child could not find any woman to take care of the baby, which 

 a woman may not do without the consent of her husband, and uitimateiy killed it by swinging it 

 round by the feet and dashing its head against the ladder of his house. He buried the baby alongside 

 its mother. (Nämai, Mawäta). 



THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCIDENTAL DEATHS (no. 483-484) 



483. Long ago the lasa people were building a new house. They eut down the posts 

 in the bush, floated them to the village, and constructed the frame-work of the house. Shortly 



N:o 1. 67 



