ROTH] INTRUSIVE BELIEFS AND TALES 373 



to tie him up against a tree, and shoot him at close range: but every arrow that was 

 shot either got broken or glanced off. The men thereupon put Koneso in a corial. 

 and tied him on to the benches, put up an ite sail, and let the vessel drift out to sea: 

 but Koneso soon released himself, sailed back again, and went to the nafudi and told 

 him that he had brought the boat safe into port. The men thereupon seized Koneso 

 a third time; they tied him hand and foot, fixed around his neck a long vine-rope 

 with a heavy stone attached, took him out to sea, and threw him overboard; but aa 

 soon as Koneso touched ground, he "loosed himself," and resting the heavy stone 

 on his shoulder walked along the bottom of the sea until he reached shore, when 

 he reported himself again to the nafudi; and told him that he had brought back the 

 stone quite safe. To make a long story short, the nafudi recognizing his helplessness, 

 gave Koneso his daughter. 



354. Koneso after a time got homesick, and came back to his own country. He 

 went one day deep into the forest and began to pull the big vine-ropes from off the 

 trees. Tiger heard him, and coming up, asked him what all the noise was about. 

 "Nothing," said Koneso, "except that there will be a big wind blowing the day 

 after tomorrow, and as I don't want to be blown away, I intend tying myself up to a 

 tree with one of these vines." Tiger became much frightened at hearing all this, and 

 begged Koneso to tie him up before he fixed himself in safety. After Koneso had 

 accordingly bound him up tight against a tree, he went away and started cutting down 

 some more vine-rope, making plenty of noise over it, just to make believe that he 

 was going to treat himself in the same manner. But instead of that, he just quietly 

 walked home again. In the meantime Tiger waited patiently for the three days to 

 pass, and no wind came at all, and he began to feel hungry, but tug and pull aw hard 

 as he could, he was unable to loose himself. Many animals passed by, and though 

 he begged each and every one to undo the ropes, they were all afraid lest, once freed, 

 Tiger might eat them after so long a fast. At last, on the fourth day, a carrion-crow 

 came hopping along, and Tiger promised him that if he untied him he would in 

 future always give him some meat to eat. Thereupon the bird released him, and 

 this is why, whenever Tiger kills game, he always leaves behind something for the 

 carrion-crow to peck at. 



355. Some time after. Tiger met Koneso and told him that he was going to kill 

 him for playing such a trick. But Koneso begged so hard, saying that he was only 

 skin and bones, and that even if he ate him, he would not satisfy his hunger, that 

 Tiger spared his life, but all the same was determined upon catching him again in 

 another manner. Now, Tiger knew the pond where Koneso used to bathe, so without 

 saying anjthing to anybody, he climbed up into the branches of an overhanging 

 tree, and patiently waited for his prey to come along, when he would jump upon 

 his back and kill him. But Koneso had been to a drink-party, and, decked with 

 flowers over his head, around his neck, his chest and waist, came saimtering leisurely 

 along. With all these flowers he looked like some other animal, and Tiger did not 

 recognize him. As Koneso came out of his bath, however, he happened to look up 

 and noticed Tiger crouching along one of the upper branches at the same time that 

 Tiger, seeing his face, recognized him. Tiger then made a spring, but not quite 

 fast enough, because Koneso was already off. For a long distance they thus ran, 

 one after the other, and just in the nick of time Koneso escaped into an armadillo 

 hole. This hole was too small for Tiger to chase him, so he made up his mind tq 

 close it altogether. Near liy there was a hawk: one of those hawks which cry tau-a 

 tau-a in the early morning before the sun shines. Tiger called to the bird and asked 

 her to watch at the armadillo hole while he went home to fetch a digging-stick. 

 While Tiger was gone, and the hawk was keeping watch, Koneso came up to the 

 mouth of the hole and started whispering sweet nothings to her, flattering her with 

 honeyed words, and among other things said: "You are indeed a pretty woman. 



