216 ANIMISM AND FOl.K-LOKE OF (iUIANA INDIANS Iicin. anx. 30 



tlui clouds, but from some spot on tliu uartli. The liorrilde sound approacliod closer, 

 and he now knew it was the voice of Tobe-horoanna, the Black-skin Tiger. "I must 

 got away from here," he said, and with this he fell into the water and hid under a 

 tree-root alongside the creek bank. Tiger now reached the spot, sniffed away, and 

 felt right round the root. As he crept along one side the man shifted liis position 

 to the other. It was time now for the man to say. "I shall die if I stay here; I 

 must get away." Suitbig his actions to the words, he dived from under the tree-root 

 deep into the water. After a wliile he put just his nose above the surface U> catch 

 his breath and then went down again. He repeated this performance a second time, 

 and again a third time, when he landed on shore. Here he started running as hard 

 as he could go. By and by he stopped to listen whether anything was coming up 

 behind, but he heard nothing. Nevertheless he rushed on again, and after a while 

 stopped to listen as before, when he distinctly heard the Tiger following him. Running 

 as fast now as possible, he managed to reach home in safety, and told his wife and the 

 other people in tlie settlement to clear out at once, as Tobe-horoanna was coming 

 along. He and his family accordingly got intt) their corial and paddled away down 

 the creek, but all the other occupants of the settlement paid no heed to the warning — 

 they said the man was lying. The corial went gaily along the stream and after two 

 days' paddling the man said, "I wonder what has happened to my friends at the settle- 

 ment," and thereupon returned to find out. When he got back, there was not a single 

 person to be seen : he saw only blood all over the place as well as scattered beads from 

 necklaces, bracelets, and garters, but no bodies anywhere. He then said, "I must 

 see where this Tobe-horoanna has gone. I will collect the remnants of my people and 

 kill him in payment for my friends." So he traveled far and wide and gathered 

 together the remnants of liis people. Ha\'ing made plenty of arrows and lances, 

 they all proceeded to where Tobe-horoanna had his lair, and at last reached a lai^e 

 open space in front of which was an immense tree. Up this they clambered and then 

 one of them blew liis shell. Tiger heard the noise and, replying with a terrible roar, 

 advanced toward the tree, where he was met with a volley of lances and arrows, but 

 these had no effect on him. Tiger drew nearer, and, as he reached the spot exactly 

 below tlie liiding-place of the people, they all jumped upon the immense brute's back. 

 This contained a large cavity, so they were able to work with their axes from the inside, 

 and soon Tobe-horoanna fell dead. After they had thus killed and cut him up, they 

 blew their shell again, but getting no answer, knew that there were no more tigers 

 about. They then said, "Let us go see where Tobe-horoanna lived," and altera while 

 they discovered the spot: it was a rocky cavern as big as this house. Looking care- 

 fully around, they found a number of human heads at the cave-mouth, and searching 

 further they came across Tiger's baby. Although tliis creature was as big as a Maipuri, 

 it could not walk yet; nevertheless all helped to kill it, and when they had beaten 

 the carcass out of shape, they returned home. 



147. Bravery Rewarded with a Wife (W)' 



Some men were out hunting, when they came across a dead mora tree that had a 

 daiha creeper - growing over it. Sa soon as they reached home they told their wives, 

 who were very glad to hear of the find, and arranged among themselves to go next 

 day to gather the bark. They took a little boy with them for company, and, having 

 reached the spot indicated , started removing the bark. Each pounded a piece to make 

 it pliable, and while they were thus engaged, the child amused himself by climbing 

 into a manicole tree. The noise made by their wooden staves drowned the roar of 

 an immense Tiger, which, before they were aware of its presence, suddenly appeared 



1 For another Warrau version of this story, see Sect. 221£. 



2 The daiha is the tree [Lecyihis), the cortex of which is used, after pounding and other preparation, 

 for making apron-belts, chemises, and cloaks. 



