ornaments like an ordinary dead person. After attending to the remains the girls ornamented themselves carefully. No good, you me (we) cry all time, they said, more better you me go dead." The people thought that the girls were looking after something in the house or making mats indoors and therefore did not pay any attention to their absence. The girls rolled up the boy's bones in a mat, which they placed on the verandah. They tied the ends of two ropes to the rafters over the verandah and passed the other ends in a loop round their necks. Slackening the loops they called a little girl and said to her, What me two speak, you proper hear, by and by you learn (teach) him people. You speak like that, 'Two girl sing out that boy, that's why he no go Míbu. Night-time boy he come that empty house, útumu he kaikai him, me hear that noise.' You go learn people all same, 'Devil (spirit) been kaikai boy, people come see."" While the little girl was running away, the two women jumped off the verandah hanging themselves. The small girl ran and told the people, and all came to see: „Oh, two girl he hang now. Oh, man here along deta (verandah), all he dead now." The families of the girls and the boy had gone to Míbu, and those who had remained at home took care of the bodies. The tongue of a person who has hanged himself protrudes from the mouth, and people are anxious to cut off a piece of it which they administer to their dogs as a „medicine"; the dogs will then sieze the pigs fiercely by the throat, causing their tongues to hang out in the same way. This effect is also produced by a fragment of the rope with which a person has hanged himself. The girls and the boy were buried in the same grave, the latter lying between the former on their arms. A small hut was erected over the grave. Some of the people at Míbu, What name (what is) that white one? seeing the roof of the hut across the water, wondered, He all same house belong dead, I think somebody dead. Me no been leave somebody sick." They ran and asked the others, but none knew of anyone left at home ill. At night-fall the Iása people lighted a torch with which they signalled over to Míbu, and the people there answered by lighting a similar one. The torch on the Iása side was quickly lowered towards the ground, and then the Míbu people knew that someone was dead. They kept their own fire-brand burning for a moment and then threw it in the direction of Iása, thereby signalling that they would come over the next day. " The parents of the dead boy and girls were anxious to get home quickly, „To-morrow me go," they said, my throat he long (I am longing to) go back. No plenty man he stop along Iása, me want go quick." They started before daylight and on arriving at lása heard from the people there what had happened (abbrev.). The parents began to wail and everybody help him cry", and they went on to the burying ground and wailed there. At last they returned to the village, and summoning the child to whom the girls had entrusted their message, questioned her as to what had taken place. The child repeated what the two girls had said, "Me two fellow sing out (summon) boy he come, no tell him that proper house. Fault belong me fellow, (that) husband belong me he dead, that's why more better me fellow no more life, by and by mother, father he too much growl." When the matter was cleared up, the family of the two dead girls laid down a quantity of things by way of compensation for the death of the boy, and his family did the same in payment for the two dead girls („all he square all right"). (Námai, Mawáta). A. A very similar version, only shorter. All the soft parts of the boy's body were eaten by the útumu except the flesh and skin of his hands, feet, and head. The remains of the boy were put on a platform between those of the two girls, and when the bodies had decayed, the bones were buried together in the ground. (Nátai, Ipisía). B. The two girls did not hang themselves but were married to a brother of the dead boy. (Duábo, Oromosapúa). C. Another short version giving the principal points of the story. (Mánu, Ipisía). . ADVENTURES WITH ORIGORUSO (Kiwai), OR ORIOGORUHO (Mawáta). 135. A Másingára man, who went to fish in a swamp, asked his sister to look after his child in his absence. He caught a large number of fish, some of which he put aside for the woman who was taking care of his child. On returning home he gave her the fish, and she hid them away so that her husband should not know, for she wanted to eat them alone. One of the fish, however, was not dead when she put it on the fire, but floundered about, attracting the husband's attention. What's that, what name (what is it) he kick?" he asked. You fool," she exclaimed enraged, "what name you watch him kaikai all time? Nebáre (anus) belong you he fast along ground, all time you sit down watch kaikai. You go dárimo (the men's house)!“ Without answering a word the man picked up his bow, bundle of arrows, and small basket and went to the men's house. There he sat down with a friend, and they prepared gámoda (cf. p. 14) and drank, and when night came everybody went to sleep. 99 When the wild fowl began to call in the early morning, the man got up and went out alone. He felt ashamed at having been abused, and thought to himself, „Plenty man, plenty woman been hear wife belong me he swear me." He was one of the leaders and for this reason felt humiliated before the people. He did not punish the woman but wanted to kill himself. Walking into the bush he came to a large tree, in which there lived an óriogorúho. The creature had been catching fish in the night and on seeing the man exclaimed, "Who you?" „Me there from Másingára place. I run away, woman belong me he swear all time." "You mate belong me," the óriogorúho said, „fish, half belong you, me half. You me two fellow stop." The óriogorúho, who had no fire, ate the fish raw after drying it in the sun, but the man thought to himself, Every time I been cook him kaikai along fire, I no want kaikai he raw." "What's the matter you no kaikai?" the óriogorúho cried. The man wept, but the monster compelled him to eat the fish raw. At sundown they went into the tree, and the man asked his companion, Where bed?" The óriogorúho had very large ears, which he kept rolled up during the day, but at night he spread them out, using the one for a mat and covering himself with the other, and the man slept with him between the ears. 25 In the middle of the night the oriogorúho got up and pulled away his ears, leaving the man to sleep on the ground. He went to catch fish, and on returning at dawn gave some to the man. While resting during they day the óriogorúho sent the man to fetch bananas from the garden. The man brought him good, ripe bananas, but the oriogoruho did not like these and sent him after young, green bananas, which he and his comrade ate. The man's ears began to grow as large as those of the oriogorúho.54 You all right now," the monster said, "I been learn (teach) you. I very glad now you got bed, I got bed, you got mat, I got mat." One day when the óriogorúho went fishing, the man ran away home. All his friends had thought him dead, there had been a death-feast, and his wife had made a "gammon-grave" for him. He was received with great joy, and the people asked him, "You all right?" "You no talk," the man replied hurriedly, for he knew that the oriogorúho would follow him in pursuit, You take down altogether house, make him new house on top post, no man make him house along ground." They obeyed him and erected new houses on very tall posts, so that they could not be reached from the ground, and some built their houses in trees. 23 The dogs and pigs, too, were brought from the ground into the houses. The oriogorúho summoned all his friends to come and fight the people, and many óriogorúho, útumu, úere-bóro (the ghosts of people whose heads have been cut off), and other spirits arrived at the place, and the people could hear the noise (,,all same wind he come"). The man threw out a dog for the oriogorúho, who, however, did not care for it. He then threw his eldest child to the óriogorúho, but the monster said, "No, I no want him pickaninny." Then all the people caught hold of the man and hurled him out, and the óriogorúho caught him, for he wanted him alone. 24 The evil creature killed the man and divided his body among his companions, one receiving the head and the others the arms, legs, intestines, and other parts. When the man was devoured the evil beings left the place, and the people came down and built houses on the ground as before. (Námai, Mawáta). 136. At Gáima a certain unmarried boy named Náeka used to run after the women everywhere, harassing them even at their place of retirement. One day he was severely punished by the husband of one of the offended women, and in a state of rage he went away to another place, saying to himself, "That good, I no got no mother, no got no father, no got no brother, I stop one man (alone)." At length he came to a large tree which was inhabited by a man who properly speaking was an origorúso, and his wife. The two were away, and the boy hid in the tree awaiting their return. After a while the origorúso put in an appearance carrying a pig, and on scenting the boy he thought to himself, "Who that man along my house?" The two met, and the origorúso who was quite friendly disposed kept the boy with him. One day the origorúso carried off a woman who was working in her garden, and he and the boy killed and ate her. Another time the boy asked him to bring home a woman alive, which he did, threatening to kill her if she tried to run away. She and the boy were married. Once walking together in the bush the boy and origorúso saw from a distance the former's parents who were crying in their garden, and the boy understood that they were crying for his sake. He felt sorry for them and in their absence went and worked in their garden in order to help them. The next day the old folks wondered, who their unknown helpmate could be, and believing that it was their son they wept. The following night four men were set to watch the garden, and when the boy came back they caught hold of him. But the origorúso came to his rescue and killed one of the men, and the rest flew home. They told their fellow villagers that they had seen the boy and that he lived with an origorúso. The next day the people went to the bush to search for the boy, and his wife heard their voices as they called out to each other. The origorúso commanded the two to remain silent, and they all listened and waited, and after a fruitless search the people returned to the village. One day the boy secretly went home to his father and was received by him with great joy. An ambush was laid for the origorúso and the next day the monster and his wife were killed by the people. The boy and his wife went and lived with the people in the village. (Bíri, Ipisía). 137. A Doumóri man was making a canoe in the bush with the help of some friends. They took two months to finish it and then they asked the rest of the people to come and help them haul it to the village. There it was decorated and provided with an outrigger. When the canoe was ready, people went in it to an island to catch crabs and fish. They did not know that an origorúso lived there inside a large tree. At night, when everybody was asleep, the origorúso came to the people's camp. The monster caught a man who was sleeping close to the door of the hut, and strangled and ate him without anybody knowing. He then went to each man in turn till it had devoured all the people in that hut, only leaving their heads, hands, feet, genital parts, and bones behind. 29 One of the leading men, who was staying in another hut, could not sleep that night but kept on waking up. Who you?" he exclaimed when the origorúso, having finished all the people in one house, entered the house where he was. The origorúso did not answer but came close to him and caught hold of his arm, and the man again called out, "Who you?" "That's me órigorúso." "Oh!" the man shrieked to the others, „órigorúso been catch me, you come!" The men seized their weapons, and the women ran away. The men all rushed to the rescue and shot the origorúso with their bows and arrows, and when they had killed him they cut up the body and burnt it on a large fire. They then went to look for the creature's lair, and at last found it in the tree. A man climbed the tree and found the monster's wife and children there. The woman asked him, „Where man belong me?" and when she heard that he was dead she began to wail. The man called to the others, „Wife belong órigorúso he stop," and they urged him, „More better you kill him." The man caught hold of her and the children and dragged them out. They were killed, and the people burnt their bodies and the tree as well. They returned to the camp, where they buried the bones of those killed by the órigorúso. On their return to Doumóri the people informed those remaining in the village of what had happened. "You been kill him finish, that órigorúso?" the others asked them, and they answered, "Yes, I kill him finish." There was a great wailing over the people who had been killed and the survivors held a festival in their honour. (Cf. no. 252; Bíri, Ipisía). 138. The Ipisía people once went to Abaúra island to catch crabs and fish, and while they were there, some sailed back to Ipisía to let those who had remained behind have a share in the spoil. On their return to Abaúra a feast was arranged, and the men drank gámoda (cf. p. 14). While it was in progress two girls went to look for the eggs of „,bush-fowl“, not knowing that an origorúso lived underneath the mound where these laid. Suddenly the beast's head emerged from the mound, and one of the girls was caught. The other ran away, calling out, You fellow come, one origorúso been catch that girl!" The people all went to see: „Oh," they cried, "him he stop there, morning I kill him." As it was very late, they returned to the camp, wailing over the girl. " The next morning they went to the place, armed with bows and arrows and wooden spears, and when the origorúso reared up its grim head from the mound, some men ran away but the others shot their arrows at the beast and at last killed it, and the head was cut off. The parents of the girl, who had been taken by the origorúso, had remained at Ipisia, and some people were sent in a canoe to inform them of their loss. The mother and father began to wail over their daughter and launching a canoe sailed over to Abaúra. „What's the matter," they asked the people, "you no been look out (after) good my girl?" "Me fellow, been look out (were occupied with) gámoda, „,the people explained," me no been see that time he go." When the father and mother had finished wailing, the former seized his weapons and challenged the man in whose care the girl had been to come and fight. Father," the other man answered, „I no want give row, I sorry along that girl." And the people all said, „Oh, father, more better you come sit down. I been kill that origorúso finish." So they all wailed again, and the father was given the skull of the origorúso. They all collected a large amount of food and the next day returned to Ipisía. The dead girl's father gave her name to her triend, who had escaped from the origoruso. „No good," he said, "you go along proper father, more better you go along me.“ Her father acquiesced, „He good, I no want talk," he said, and the girl was adopted by the other man and after a time she was married to his son. The girl's own father said to her and her husband, „Another (some) time you help that man he been give name, another time you help me." (Bíri, Ipisía). 139. A man once sent his wife back to her parents, because she was good for nothing and could not make sago. He wanted to find another woman. One day he was seen by the daughter of an origorúso, who wondered, "What name (how) he come here, this my place?" She told the origorúso what she had seen, and he asked his two daughters, „You want take him that man? You want marry?" "Yes," the girls answered, „we want take him." The origorúso went and captured the man and brought him home. You stop here, house belong me," he told him, "you man belong my girl" (cf. no. 161). The man stayed there and married the elder girl, and the younger, who gave him up to her sister, said to him, You my father." A boy was born to the man and his wife. ท The origorúso, who used to eat people, after some time took a fancy to that man too. In order that he should not run away, he one day suddenly rolled him up in the mat on which he was sleeping and hoisted him up into a large tree, where he fastened him to a branch. The man's wife wept and asked her father, „What for you put him along tree?" and the origorúso answered, "I want kaikai." He put the two women in charge of the man, while he went to make sago for the forthcoming meal. The man's wife said to her father, "You go cut sago long way, no close to," and the origorúso did as he was told. In his absence the two girls climbed |