both] the spirits of the bush 223 



The Country of the Stone Adzes 



158. At last they arrived at the country of tlie stone adzes, where all the people were 

 really stones,' and some of these they brought away with them. The party finally 

 reached home again, and the old man warned them [ut abstinerent de copulatione 

 cum uxoribus suis per tantas noctes]. One of tlie men. however, di.sobeying the 

 instructions, was punished in a very peculiar fashion by being immovably fixed in 

 [positione copulationis]. 



159. How TuiiTLE Fooled the Yawarri (W, C) 



It was a time of scarcity and drought, and the Bush-rat [yawarri] in the course of 

 his search for food came upon Turtle, also on the lookout for a bite. After saying 

 "How day?" to each other and inquiring after their respective businesses — whence 

 they had come, and whither they were going — they began to discuss the hardness of 

 the times, and thus from one thing to another, the question finally arose as to which 

 of them in case of necessity could fast the longer. .Each one's assurance of his own 

 superiority in this respect led them to arrange a competition, it being agreed that 

 the one party should choose any tree, and the other party abstain from food until this 

 tree should bear fruit. Yawarri accordingly chose a plum tree and, fencing it all 

 round, put Turtle inside the inclosure. Every month did Yawarri visit his willing 

 captive and ask whether he were still alive. "Still alive! Why not? No harm can 

 befall mo," was the reply he received. This conversation was repeated once a month 

 for six montlis, at the end of which time, the plum-tree bu<ls had opened, the flowerB 

 had bloomed, and the ripe fruit had fallen. So the fence was broken down and the 

 Turtle let out. It was now Yawarri's turn to show what he could do, so Turtle built 

 him a fence around a wild cashew tree, shut him in, and went away. At the end of a 

 month Turtle came up to the fence and shouted out to Yawarri, asking him if he were 

 etill alive. "Yes! alive!" was the answer. After the lapse of another month Turtle 

 visited him again with the same question, "Yes! alive! but a bit exhausted," was the 

 reply on this i>ccasion. On completion of the third month. Turtle came again, but 

 this time he received no reply at all. Yawarri w'as no longer alive: only the flies on 

 his dead body were ali\e. Yawarri did not know that the wild cashew bears fruit 

 only once in every three or four years. 



160. I low THE Tuktle Tricked the Tiger (W) 



Tiger really wanted to eat the Tun le, but was a bit of a coward and none too sure 

 whether his intended victim was the stronger or not. Wishing therefore to find out, 

 he approached the Turtle and pretended to make friends. The latter, however, was 

 no fool, and knowing (|uile well what reliance could be i)la<'ed on such a pretended 

 friendship, saw that he iimst exercise every craft and cunning to save himself. Tiger 

 began telling him what a big strong man he was, that he ate only meat, with such and 

 such results, thinking thereby to impress Turtle with his physical superiority. But 

 nothing daunted. Turtle said he could do the same, and suggested that their respective 

 statements be put to the proof. This was agreed on, Turtle stipulating only that during 

 the test they should both keep their eyes shut, an arrangement to which Tiger agreed. ^ 

 "Now, didn't I tell you?" said Turtle, "that I could do exactly the same as you and 

 even go one better? " Tiger was loth to admit this, and therefore maintained: "Well, 

 even if you are stronger than I, I am faster than you; I can run more quickly. Let 



' For the Indian belief that all mankind were derived oripnally trora rocks and stones, see Sect. 68. 

 ' The details of what now takes place are identical with those given in the next story, in which the 

 Ant-eater replaces the Turtle. 



