CH. X MYTHOLOGY OF THE MINAHA8SEB8 265 



but warned him to be careful of a single white hair which 

 grew on the crown of her head. Kasimbaha seems to have 

 paid but little attention to this warning, for after a time, 

 either accidentally or purposely, he pulled it out. Sud- 

 denly a great storm arose with thunder and lightning, and, 

 when it had cleared away, Utahagi had disappeared.' 



The above is but a brief resume of the story of Utahagi, 

 as told by Graafland (22). 



The following is another form of the same taken from 

 the writings of Yan Doren (13) : 



' A certain man named Walasindouw, who dwelt at Ajer 

 Madidi in the Tonsea district, nine miles from Kema, was 

 the owner of a field there which he had planted with yams. 

 One day, when he came to work as usual, he was very 

 much astonished to find that a number of his yams had 

 been stolen, and, as he could not imagine who it was that 

 could have done the deed, he determined to keep watch by 

 night to discover the thief. Whilst he was watching, there 

 came nine women down from heaven, and these he en- 

 deavoured to retain. But eight of them returned im- 

 mediately on high ; one only he managed to capture by her 

 clothes. It happened that this one was the youngest, and 

 when she was in his power she asked forgiveness of him 

 (for the theft), pleading that she was a child of heaven. 



' Walasindouw, being unmarried, immediately made her 

 his wife under the following conditions : That he was never 

 to open a rice pot she had brought with her nor measure 

 its capacity, and that she was never to clean his head, for 

 as soon as the rice-pot was opened, or if, in the cleaning of 

 his head, a single hair fell upon the ground, then would 

 she return immediately to heaven. 



■' Some time after this, when coming from the bath, 

 Walasindouw pressed her to clean his head, and whilst 

 doing this a hair of his head must have fallen to the ground, 



