both] the spirits of the sky. 263 



210. The Stoky of Nohi-abassi (W) ' 



There were on':e two brothers: the elder, a celebrated himter, was called Nohi- 

 abassi; I do not know the name of the younger one. Every day Nohi-abassi went 

 farther and farther afield in the pursuit of game, and at length he reai'hed a creek, 

 where he climbed a tree, watcliing for the animals to come and quencTi their thirst. 

 While waiting among the liranchcs, he saw a woman wading up the creek toward 

 the tree and noticed that every time she put her hand into tne water she drew out 

 two fish: one of these fish she put into her mouth; the other slie put into her 

 basket. Slie was a very big woman, Nahakoboni by name.-' She was carrying a 

 calabash upside down, like a cap, upon her head, and would every now and again 

 toss it into tlie water; as she jerked it in, slie made it swirl round and round iike a 

 top, and there slie would stand a few minutes watching it spinning on the surface. 

 Then she would proceed on her way, put her hand into the water, draw out two fish 

 again, devour one, and place the other in her quake. And so she proceeded on her 

 way, passed the tree where Nohi-abassi was in hiding, and still catching two fish at 

 a time, went on her way to the creek-head. Night caught the hunter, and so he 

 had to sleep up the tree. Next morning he reached home, and told his brother what 

 he had seen. The latter said, "1 shoidd like to see such a woman, who can catch so 

 many fish, and can eat them as well," But Nohi-abassi answered him: "No! I 

 don't care to take you with me to show her to you: you are always laughing at every- 

 thing, and you might laugh at her." And it was only when his liroiher faithfully 

 promised not to laugh at unjlhing that ho might show him, that Nolii-abassi agreed 

 to take him. So they started on their jouniey and reached the creek where 

 the adventure with the big woman had taken place the day before. Nohi-abac«i 

 climbed the identical tree whence he had originally .seen Nahakoboni, this tree being 

 situated a few yards away from the creek bank. His brother, however, who wanted to 

 get a good look at the wonderful woman, insisted upon climbing a tree close to the 

 water's edge, and made his way up and along a branch which overhung the stream. 

 Both brothers sat quiet, and by and by Nahakoboni came along as before, doing 

 just the same thing, spinning her calabash, putting her hand into the water, drawing 

 out two fish at a time, one of which .she put into her mouth, the other into her ba.-ket. 

 At length she came along right underneath where the younger brother was in hiding, 

 and recognized his shadow in the water. This shadow she tried again and again to 

 catch; she put her hand in quickly, first this .side and then that, but of course she 

 did not succeed, and what with all her queer gesticulations and funny capers 

 made so ridiculous an appearatice that the brother up above could not resist 

 laughing at her vain attempts to seize the substance for the shadow. He laughed 

 again and again and could not stop laughing. Unfortimately for him, Nahakoboni, 

 hearing the sotmd and looking up. recognized not only him who was just over her head, 

 but also Nohi-aba.ssi. who was on the other tree some few yards distant. Furious 

 at being ridiculed [see Sects. 5,9, IJ.')], she ordered the former to come down, but he 

 would not. So she sent the "yackman " ants [/sr/Zon sp.] up the tree; and when they 

 reached him, they bit him, and stung him so hard that he had to pitch himself into 

 the water, where she caught and ate him. She then ordered Nohi-abassi to come 

 down, but he would not either, and so she played him the same trick by sending the 

 yackman ants again in pursuit. These forced him to come down, and so soon as he 

 reached the ground Nahakoboni caught him, put him into her basket, which she 

 lied up tight, and carried him home. Arrived there, she placed the quake in a comer 

 of her house, covering it with leaves and bushes, at the same time giving her two 



1 This name (lit. *' Leg-half" ) is Warrau; its signification here will be seon below. 



2 This female was really a Rush Spirit, or Hebu, and though of the same name has nothing whatever 

 to do with the old man mentioned in tlie story in Sect. Sa. 



