Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/106

98 The girls were then called back, and again engaged in dancing until the meat had been divided.

When each party had received their share of the meat, it was carried away to the hut of the girls. Then the girls ordered the man who had come with them to go and cook their share. He did so, cooking it in two pots, outside the hut. Meantime all the young women and girls were in the hut.

Then the man feigned illness, and lay down. One of the girls went out, and seeing him lying down, inquired, "What is it?"

He replied, saying, "My head is very painful."

But he did this merely feigning sickness; he told lies.

The girl entered the hut where the others were, and the man got up and uncovered the pots in which the meat was being cooked, and ate it all, until only the bones remained uneaten. Then he lay down again.

Afterwards three of the girls went out and asked him saying, "Is the meat now prepared?" To this he replied, "I do not know; I have not seen it,"

The girls then went and uncovered the pots which contained the meat, and behold! there were only bones to be seen. They all wondered greatly, and cried out, "The meat is all eaten—there remain only the bones."

Thereupon they inquired of the man, "Where is the meat?"

He replied, "I do not know. I was lying down, and I fell asleep."

The girls went and told the others who were in the hut, saying, "Come out, the meat is all eaten."

They came out, and bade good-bye to the men and women and the young men of the village. They said, "Remain well. They have eaten all our meat."

The people wondered greatly, and replied, "Good-bye: go well. Salute your people at home."

So the girls went out of the village, and went on their way home, singing as they went. The man also went with them.