534 Gunnar Landtman. 



seizing his drum smashed it against a post, made a fire of the broken pièces, and cooked food 

 for his friend. 



The Gémeidai people gave their hösts a great number of presents consisting of stone axes, 

 various Shells, and in exchange they received canoës and all sorts of food. Then the Gémeidai 

 people returned home. 



Some time afterwards the Âgidai people set out to flght the Téterato people. Awåido still 

 felt ashamed on account of the incident vvith the drum. He went in the canoe belonging to his 

 wife's' people and wanted to he killed in the forthcoming battle, thinking to himself, „I been 

 break drum, I shamQ, I no can go back." Preparing for death he said to his wife's brother, „You 

 look out (after) pickaninny and vvife belong me, take back you (your) sister." When the fight 

 was in progress, he threw away his bow aud arrows and rushed into the midst of the enemy, 

 and there he perished. After the fight his friends returned home. His wife's relatives said, „He 

 been shame that time he no got firewood, no pida (torch), that time he break him drum. That's 

 why he pick up shame." And they took back his wife and adopted his children. 



Since that time the Kiwai people look cärefuUy after the supply of firewood which they 

 keep in their houses. The large pièces of firewood on the top shelf över the hearth form a ré- 

 serve which is used only in case öf necessity, for instance when visitors come unexpectedly. No 

 man wants to give firewood to anyone eise. If the people neglect to provide themselves with 

 firewood, the old fathers remind them of Awâido's story. (Nätai, Ipisia). 



A. A Dibiri man named Awåido had forgotten to bring home firewood. Some visitors came, 

 and he wanted to light a flre, but none of his friends gave him any firewood, although he offered them 

 a drum in exchange. Then he broke the drum to pièces and kindled a flre. The next morning he went 

 to the bush and eut firewood there for two days incessantly. (Biri. Ipisia). 



THE MÄN WHO HAD LEFT HIMSELF WITHOUT FIREWOOD AND SUBSEQUENTLY MADE 

 UP FOR HIS NEGLECT BY CUTTING A GREAT QUANTITY OF IT. 



490. A certain Doröpo man never brought home any firewood, and his place in the 

 house was always dark except for the light from the fires of his neighbours. „Suppose you get 

 sick, who give you firewood?" the other people said; „that time rain he come, you get cold." 

 But he did not mind. 



One day the man worked on in his garden in pouring rain, and when he came home he 

 felt cold and asked his friends to give him firewood. But they refused, reminding him of their 

 earlier warning. At last his wife obtained some firewood from her parents. 



The next day the man and his wife set out in a „half canoe" (ef. p. 9) and poled up 

 the Doröpo creek. They eut down a dead free in the bush and started to split it into firewood. 

 When the canoe was full, the woman went home with the firewood and then returned for an- 

 other load. The man paid back the firewood which his father-in-law had given him. He eut wood 

 incessantly for many days in succession. „Oh, you everybody been give shame," he said to the 

 people, „I no want do work, every day I eut him firewood." He eut a great quantity of firewood 

 for his father-in-law too, leaving it in the bush. One day the old man went to fetch the fire- 



Tom. XL VU. 



