BOTH] CREATION OF MAN, PLANTS, AND ANIMALS 147 



these people exactly what had happened to their young sister, how she had laughed 

 at the Tukuyuha, and how she had been killed (Sect. 125) and eaten by him. The 

 piai told them to collect plenty of firewood, and to bring it to the hollow tree, which 

 the sisters were able to show them. This wood they piled up in plenty around the 

 tree, and then started to fire it. It burned right merrily, and in amidst the din of the 

 cracking timber, enveloped in smoke and flame, you could hear the whole Tukuyuha 

 family screaming, and the old grandmother reviling her wicked grandson for having 

 brought 80 much trouble on them. It did not take very long for the hollow tree 

 and the whole family of spirits to be reduced to ashes. From the ashes grew the 

 first fruit trees of our forefathers — the plantain, the pineapple, and the cocoanut, 

 with all the others. But the piai had to taste the fruit before the others were allowed 

 to touch it. 



60. The statement has been ah-eady made, on Carib authority 

 (Sect. 51), that nianlcind learneil from the beasts and birds what 

 wild fruits to devour. But it was the Bunia bird w^hich taught the 

 Carib folk all about the cultivated plants, which originally grew upon 

 a certain wonderful tree, and it lui|)pened in this way: 



Time was when the Indians had no cassava to eat; they all starved. Animals and 

 birds also had nothing to eat; they likewise starv'ed. It was the Maipxiri alone who, 

 gomg out regularly every morning and returning home of an evening, always appeared 

 sleek and fat. The others, noticing his droppings — banana-skins, cane strips, etc., 

 talked to one another after this manner: "Maipuri must have foimd a good place to 

 get food. Let us watch liim." So next morning they sent the bush-rat to dog his 

 footsteps, and find out how he managed to keep in such good condition. The bush-rat 

 did what he was told and followed Maipuri a long, long way into the bush, when he 

 saw him pause under the shade of an immense tree and gather the fruit that had fallen. 

 This tree w:is the AUepdntepo, and very wonderful, in that everj-thing you could wish 

 for grew upon its branches — plantains, c;issava, yams, plums, pines, and all the other 

 fruits tliat Caribs love. As soon as Maijiuri had had liis fill the bush-rat chmbed the 

 tree, and picked upon the com to satisfy his hunger; when he could eat no more, he 

 came down and brought with him a grain in order to show the others what he had suc- 

 ceeded in finding. The Indians thereupon followed the rat who led the way back to 

 the tree, and by the time they reached it, many plantiuns, pines, and other things had 

 fallen on the ground. After they had cleaned up everything, they tried to climb 

 the tree to get more, but it was too big and smooth, so they all agreed to cut it down. 

 They made a staging around the trunk, and began hacking ^vith their stone axes, 

 and they cut away there for ten days, but it would not fall — so big was AUepdntepo. 

 They cut away for another ten days and still it would not fall. By this time their 

 work had made them thirsty, so the Indians gave calabashes to all the animals except 

 the Maipuri, to go fetch water; to the Maipuri they gave a sifter. ^Mien they all 

 reached the waterside, they of course drank out of their vessels, except Maipuri out 

 of whose sifter the water poured as fast as it was poured in: this was part of his 

 pimishment for being so greedy in keeping the secret of the boiintiful tree all to himself. 

 At the expiration of another ten days, cutting continuously, the tree at last fell. The 

 Indians took away as their share all the cassava, cane, yams, plantains, potatoes, 

 banan;»s, pumpkins, and watermelons, wlule the acouri (Dasyptcata), labba {C<xlo- 

 getujs), and other creatures crept in among the branches to pick out all they wanted. 

 By the time the Maipuri had got back to the tree from the waterside only the plums 

 were left for him, and with these he has had to remain content even to the present 

 day. ^\^lat the Indians took they brought home with them and planted in their 

 pro\'ision fields. But it was the Bunia bird who spoke to them and explained how 

 each was to be propagated and cooked, and how some, like the bitter cassava juice, 

 had to be boiled before drinking, while others could be eaten raw. 



