330 STRING FIGURES [CH. XV 



He looks down the back of the hand, sees the yams collected for 

 removal, notices that the dorsal string holds them tight, and 

 looks about for the thief. The thief, who may be represented 

 by a loop on the pendant palmar string, coming back for his 

 booty, sees the owner, whereupon (pulling that string) he dis- 

 appears with all the yams. 



Other places, other tales. Among some tribes the result is 

 said to represent the flight of a row of birds sitting on a rail 

 and suddenly disturbed ; among others it is used to illustrate a 

 story about a cat and a mouse. In Lifu, the strings on the hand 

 are said to represent the root of an alou tree and the palmar 

 string a branch of it. Someone, representing a strong stupid 

 man, takes hold of the branch, and though he pulls for all he 

 is worth and is encouraged by the shouts of the onlookers, he 

 cannot move the root: then someone else, representing the 

 traditional cunning village clown, takes hold of the branch and 

 (the thumb loop being released) the root comes up easily, to the 

 ostensible astonishment of the spectators. 



The Caterpillar. This design has been found in North 

 Australia, and various places in Southern Oceania. The result 

 shows the outline of a caterpillar which can be made to loop 

 itself up and so crawl forward. 



This figure may be made thus : (1) Put the tips of the left 

 thumb and little finger together, then put them from below into 

 the loop of string, and separate them; do the same with the 

 right hand. (2) Put a loop round the left thumb. (3) With the 

 back of the right index pick up the left thumb loop ; pass the 

 left index through the right index loop and, with its back, pick 

 up the right palmar string ; pass the right index through the 

 left index loop, and with its back pick up the left palmar string. 

 (4) Release the left hand ; hold the right hand horizontal and 

 palm downwards, and put the loop which is nearer the tip of 

 the right index over the loop which is nearer the base of the 

 finger. (5) Put the left little-finger and thumb towards you 

 between the two loops on the right index and resting on the 

 joint of the finger; and, with the back of the left little-finger, 

 pick up the adjacent loop now nearer the base of the right index, 



