392 THROUGH CENTRAL BORNEO 



and returned to the kampong. "Now that antoh is dead 

 we can no more eat raw meat nor much fruit," said Iyu. 

 Long ago it was the custom to eat the meat raw and 

 much of it, as well as much fruit, and one man alone 

 would eat one pig and a whole garden. Now people eat 

 little. With the death of antoh the strong medicine of 

 the food is gone, and the Saputans do not eat much. 



Note. — Laid is the Malay word for man or male, adopted by many of 

 the tribes. The native word for woman, however, is always maintained. 

 Keladi is a caladium, which furnishes the principal edible root in Borneo. 



11. THE WONDERFUL TREE 

 (From the Saputans; kampong Data Laong) 



Tanipoi bore a female infant, and when the child had 

 been washed with water on the same day, the father 

 gave her the name Aneitjing (cat). Years passed, and 

 the girl had learned to bring water in the bamboo and to 

 crush paddi. And the mother again became pregnant, 

 and in due time had another little girl which was called 

 Inu (a kind of fruit). 



Now, among the Saputans the custom long ago was 

 that the woman who had a child should do no work 

 during forty days. She must not bring water, nor husk 

 paddi, nor cook. She remained in the house and took 

 her bath in the river daily. She slept much and ate pork 

 cooked in bamboo, and rice, if there was any, and she 

 was free to eat anything else that she liked. Her hus- 

 band, Tanuuloi, who during this time had to do all the 

 work, became tired of it, and he said to his wife: "I can- 

 not endure this any longer. I would rather die." 



