342 ANIMISM AND FOLK-LORE OF GUIANA INDIANS [eth. ANN. 30 



might have been expected, considering the powers he possessed over 

 other people's Spirits (Sect. 299), and dreams are really but people's 

 Spirits (Sect. 86). 



Saved by a Dream (W)^ 



A certain man had two wives, but unfortunately they did not agree, the elder being 

 jealous of the younger. At last there was so mufh contention, that the husband was 

 obliged to send the younger one away, and she took her bab)- with her. He had no 

 bad mind toward her, but he could not stand the continual quarreling. WTien taking 

 her departure, he gave her a sharp knife with which to protect herself on the road. 

 The poor woman wandered on until nightfall, when she came upon a fine ite [Mauritial 

 palm; cutting a forked stick, sheplanted it against the tree, and climbed on it. Taking 

 the youngest as-yet-unopened leaf, she spread it out and made a sort of temporary 

 basket of it, into which she coiled herself together with her baby, and there she tried 

 to sleep. Now, upon this particular palm, the fruit was plentiful — some seven or 

 eight bunches — and around the stalk of each bunch she had taken the precaution of 

 cutting a little ring, so that with the slightest touch, any bunch would fall to the 

 ground. Somehow or other, the unhappy mother could not sleep, and late in the 

 night she heard the growling of the tigers who had been attracted by her scent. One 

 of these brutes climbed the palm and jumped on one of the fruits, but no sooner had 

 he touched it than it gave way and he fell with a crash into the very midst of his 

 fellows below who, believing him to be the woman they were in search of, promptly 

 tore him to pieces. Another tiger made a similar attempt, climbed the tree, jumped 

 on the fruit, and ended in the same disastrous manner. And so with a third, fourth, 

 fifth, and sixth tiger — all were similarly destroyed. By this time the dawn had broken, 

 and the carcasses were left rotting at the bottom of the tree. ^Vhat a sight for the terrified 

 mother nestling up above! She could see all the tigers lying still and quiet, but was 

 afraid to come down lest they might still be alive. She therefore waited a little and 

 when, after the rising of the sun, she recognized a wasp settling on each of their pro- 

 truded tongues, she knew that the tigers must all be dead and could now do her no 

 harm. As soon as she got down she continued her journey, and wandering along all 

 day, she arrived about nightfall at a big manicole tree, which she climbed, with the 

 baby fastened on her back. Tigers were likewise very prevalent here, and scenting 

 her presence, they started digging around the roots with the result that by and by, 

 the tree fell with a crash, but fortunately into an immense spider-web, where its living 

 freight became stuck. Now the woman's father was a celebrated piai, and while the 

 first night's occurrences were taking place, he was dreaming all about her and the 

 tigers. Next morning he started to search and came upon her while resting in the 

 spider-web. It was owing to the baby making water that he had cause to look up 

 and discover his daughter. By daylight he had shot the tigers that were prowling 

 around, and then helped down the woman and his grandchild. Both daughter and 

 father cried; the former had been so strongly punished, the latter was so glad to have 

 her home again. 



301. Among other duties that the medicine-men might be called 

 on to perform was to fix the time most propitious for the people to 

 attack their enemies (HWB, 244). They were supposed to be gifted 

 with the power of prophecy: they foretold the issue of battles (BBR, 

 234), whether there would be war or peace; similarly, they could 

 prophesy as to the crops — whether these would j^rove scanty or 

 abundant (FD, 51). 



• For another Warrau version of this story, see Sect. 136 A. 



