304 A NATUBALIST IN CELEBES ch. xii 



Oh ! turn back again that we may see one another. 



If a man could rush Hke the wind, I would wrap up the betel in 



my mouth, and send it to him. 

 If I were a bird, I would settle on the house of the object of my 



thoughts. 

 Oh that he could see hia beloved playmate ! I am too sorely 



distressed that I cannot see him. 

 I go weeping into the middle of the road, but can see him not. 

 I can sleep no more. Even in the middle of the night I think 



of our (former) happiness (61). 



The following are some examples of Minahassa stories : — 



RiMBAH AND KoiNQOTAN (41). 



Once upon a time there lived a woman called Eimhah. Her 

 husband's name was Eumimpunu. They had no children. 



Every day Eimbah went down to the mouth of the river to fetch 

 water. One day she saw in the river a crocodUe, who, when he 

 saw her, came ashore to speak to her. When he approached she 

 saw that he was a man. 



The crocodile then asked her to marry him ; but she replied 

 that she was unable to do so as she was already married. But 

 he besought her with much flattery, so that at last she con- 

 sented to live with him as his wife. They lived for some time 

 like this, and then he was obliged to leave her. Before going, 

 however, he said, ' If you have a son, you must caU him 

 Eumambi.' He then went back to the sea, and became a croco- 

 dile again. 



Eimbah then returned to her husband, and ten months 

 afterwards she bore a son. Now, according to the custom of the 

 country, the child must not go out of the room in which it is 

 born until a certain time has elapsed, which is fixed by the old 

 people. When this time has passed, a great feast is held, and 

 the relations come to fix upon a name for the child. To this 

 feast came the crocodile, and with him a number of other croco- 

 diles all in the form of men, and they claimed relationship. 

 A friendship was then struck between Eumimpunu and the 

 crocodile, who said he was called Koingotan. Before Koingotan 

 departed he said, ' Eumimpmni, my friend, when the child is 

 grown up, tell him this, and let him tell his children and grand- 



