530 Gunnar Landtman. 



after that they set out in their canoës to collect leaves from the nipa palm for thatching the roof. 

 Lastly they went to eut down a number of te palms for the flooring. Just as they were about 

 to feil one of the palms a certain man passed by the tree on the wrong side, and the rest called out 

 to him, „You no go that side, palm tree go that way!" „Oh, suppose palm tree he fall down, 

 I run away," the man replied, but in the same moment the tree feil över him and smashed his 

 head. The other people lifted up the tree and pulled out the dead body. Some of them wailed, 

 but the others were angry and blamed the people to whom the new house belonged, saying. „No 

 good you sing out (summon) everybody come eut palm tree. You been finish him this man now, 

 more better you pay him." The man was carried home and buried, and in the evening the 

 masters of the new house gave many things in pay ment for him to his relatives. After an 

 agreement was made the people prepared a great mourning feast. (Biri, Ipisia). 



484. A certain Ipisi'a man and his wife went one morning to work in their garden and 

 left their little boy in the charge of an old woman who remained at home. In the course of the 

 day the old woman became very drowsy, and she lay down and feil asleep. In the meantime 

 the little boy opened the door and went out on the verandah, and from there he jumped down, 

 falling on a stick which pierced his body and killed him. ^ 



After a while the old woman woke up and looked round for the boy. She did not see 

 him anywhere and asked another boy, „You no been see small boy?" „No, I no been see." She 

 received the same reply from all the boys who were in the house. Then she went out to search 

 for him. A great number of ants were swarming över his body, and on perceiving him she 

 exclaimed, „Oh, that boy, he dead!" And she carried him in. 



The parents returned in the evening. „Where boy belong me?" the mother asked. „Boy 

 belong you dead," some men answered. „What name (how) he dead?" ,,He walk about, jump 

 along stick." Beside herself with anger the mother turned to the old woman crying, „You no 

 been look out good boy belong me!" and she Struck the old woman with a digging stick till she 

 was nearly killed. The father of the dead boy arrived home a little låter, and when he was told 

 of the accident he went into the house, and he and his wife wailed together till late in the night. 

 The next morning the boy was buried, and the people held a mourning feast. (Gabfro, Ipisia). 



MURDER AND REVENGE. 



485. A certain Ki'wai boy was once asked by his married sister to accompany her and 

 her people on a journey to Päråma. His parents did not approve of his going, but at length they 

 gave their permission. The Pârâma people were holding the nioguru ceremony, (ef. Introduction 

 to no 279), and at the request of the Kiwais they initiated the „new boy" into the secret. The 

 Kfwais exchanged their sago for various kinds of shell. For some reason the Kfwai man got 

 angry with the boy, and on their return journey he put some sorcerj' medicine on the bed of the 

 latter, from the effect of which the boy died. The man alleged that the Päråma people had 

 „poisoned" the boy, but his wife had seen what he had done. On their return home there vvas 



Tom. XLVII. 



