Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/181

Rh He took the trunk of a tree and made a pestle and mortar and put his brother in and pounded him up. Then he went away.

The rain came and it washed the remains of the boy into the lake. The Crocodile who lived in the lake took the parts and put them together again and put a panda (an ivory arm ring) on the boy's head and said, "You must never take that off." The boy lived in the water, swimming like a fish. One day a Picanin was fishing. He went and told his brother, "The boy who was killed is still alive." The brother went and caught him like a fish, and took him home. When the Crocodile found he was gone he went up on the land and listened to the men talking. He heard them say the boy was with them. Next day he called all the birds together and said, "I want to hear all the birds singing; the one that sings best can take my message." They all sang. The only one he liked was the Wood-pigeon. He told it to go and sing:

It went and sang this song to the brothers. They tried to take the panda from the boy's head; but he screamed and said, "You are killing me"; so they sent his clothes. The Crocodile said, "No, I wanted the panda."

Next day the Crocodile sent the Wood-pigeon again to the brothers. It sang, "Ku ku," etc. They tried to take the ring from the boy's head; but he screamed and said, "You are killing me"; so they sent the clothes. The Crocodile said, "No, I wanted the panda."

Next day the Wood-pigeon came again and sang, asking for the panda. They tried to take it from the boy's head; but he screamed and said, "You are killing me." They took it at last and he died. The Wood-pigeon took the ring back to the Crocodile.