Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 1, 1890.djvu/55

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One day Maiwasa of Dauan went along the reef looking for the feeding ground of a dugong (1); with him walked his wife, Bukari, a fine, well-favoured woman, possessing a notable pair of large ear-pendants (muti) ornamented with seeds (kusa). Now it happened that a Dorgai (2) named Gidzö had perched in a large tree (Dani) near by, and she cast longing glances at Maiwasa, saying to herself, “Why, that woman go along my man—that man belong to me.”

Maiwasa was successful in his search, and erected a dugong platform or neĕt on that part of the reef where he found the grass eaten by a dugong; he spent that night on his neĕt, but speared nothing.

The next day Maiwasa went a long way on the reef at low water to look for marks of the dugong, and Bukari took a pat, or short simple spear, to do a little fishing.

Gidzö, taking a large drum, wurup (4), and going to a dry place on the rocks, transformed herself into an octopus (sugu), and waited in this form for the coming of Bukari. Meanwhile Maiwasa wandered a long way off, and was so engrossed in his own business that he paid no attention to his wife’s movements.

Bukari, looking in crevices and under stones in her search for fish, came at length upon the octopus and attempted to spear it, whereupon the Dorgai resumed her usual form, put her big drum completely over Bukari, and, after changing faces with her, set the unlucky woman adrift on the sea in the drum.

Gidzö then went to look for Maiwasa, who called out on seeing her, “Come on, we must go home now, the tide is rising”, and Gidzö followed; when she moved or bent down she broke the wind. “Hulloa!” cried Maiwasa,