MEN OF THE TREES 



The keeper of the crocodile acted as intermediary be- 

 tween the people and their deity, and when an offering 

 had been made, would stand on the bank of the lake 

 and call to its sacred occupant to come and eat. 



It was a long and arduous experience crossing the 

 swamp on flimsy bamboos, exposed to the risk of slipping 

 into the engulfing mire, but at length solid ground was 

 again reached on the banks of the lake, and I questioned 

 the custodian of the crocodile, "Why do you call this 

 lake sacred?" And he replied, "Because the sacred croco- 

 dile lives there." I then asked, "Tell me, why is the croco- 

 dile sacred?" And he said, "Because the lake is sacred," 

 and that was as far as I could get. I thought he sensed 

 my disappointment, for he now quickly volunteered to 

 summon the crocodile and said, "If I call the crocodile, 

 he will come and eat"; so I agreed that I should like him 

 to call his charge for my inspection and, looking out 

 across the water, he exclaimed in a loud voice, "Isamore, 

 Isamore, Isamore, je-je," meaning, "Come and eat, come 

 and eat, come and eat quick!" I watched this serious 

 looking fellow intently calling on their deity for my 

 entertainment, and as nothing apparently happened, 

 urged him to call louder, and yet again. I then began to 

 chide him, but he assured me that the crocodile was now 

 looking, and pointed to a distant speck on the water, 

 which might have been anything. He then continued to 

 call, and after a long while I said to him, "Why does not 

 the crocodile come?" He thereupon turned to me quite 

 solemnly and said something like this, which was trans- 



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