The Folk-Taks of the Kiwai Papuans. 



535 



wood and after loading the canoe he had a swim in the creek, but there he was taken by a 

 crocodile. Part of his body was found afterwards, and the people wailed and buried him. (Biri, 

 Ipisi'a). 



THE MAN WHO WAS PUT TO SHAIVIE AND COMMITTED SUICIDE (no 491-492). 



491. A certain låsa woman was in the habit every day of looking after her j'ounger 

 sister's baby, while the other woman was working in the bush. ^ In the evening the younger 

 sister brought her a little food, but at the same time she used to ask her for some nipa palm leaves 

 which the elder woman's husband had brought home. At length the elder sister got angry and 

 smeared the leaves with some of the baby's excréments before giving them to her sister. Not 

 suspecting that anything was wrong the younger woman used the leaves for wrapping up some 

 bundles of sago. But when the men ate the sago, they noticed the bad smell and spät out the 

 food. The sago was taken back to the woman who had prepared it, and as she went to her 

 sister to enquire, the latter confessed what she had done. „No fault belong me — fault belong 

 you," .she said; „everj' time you ask me give you sôko (nipa leaves). I look out you (your) 

 pickaninny. What name (why) you no take sôko self?" 



The people all heard what the elder woman had done. Her husband felt greatly ashamed, 

 for he was one of the leading men. He sat up all night and did not want to go near his wife. 

 The next day the people went to fight another tribe, and this man hastened to the hostile village 

 first. Without waiting for anj'body to follow he entered one of the houses alone and after killing 

 two men he was overpowered. „That thing I want him," he said, „I no come for fight, I no 

 want go back, I shame. That's enough two man I kill him; on top them 1 fall down. Fault 

 belong my woman, 1 shame." 



He was killed, and the enemy eut off his head. When the fight was över, his friend 

 went back. (Nämai, Mawata). 



492. One night a little Mawata 

 child relieved itself into a kind of mat 

 called höboro with which the people cover 

 themselves in rain. Ignorant of what had 

 taken place the child's mother in the 

 morning rolled up the mat and put it in 

 a canoe, for her father, Oisüra, her hus- 

 band, Gimâda, and some other people 

 who were just leaving for Kiwai. .At 

 Mfbu they were caught by a heavy rain, 

 and Gimâda put on the hôboro, with 

 the resuit that the contents ran out över 

 his hair and Shoulders. Gimâda feit much 

 ashamed on account of the présence of 

 his father-in-law and tried to wash him- 

 N:o 1. 



Hohoro, cover iu raiu. 



