Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/66

54 be either dead or have swum off to some other country. So the woman went off to fish, passing down through the green where were the two heaps of bones. On seeing them she stood, and exclaimed in astonishment, "My word, these bones belonged to two little beauties." Of the dog, however, she found no trace, and quite unaware of its fate she stepped over the bones, for they were lying in her way, went on down to the beach, and out on to the reef to gather shell-fish, keeping a watchful eye about for signs of the great beast. Having gathered sufficient shell-fish, but without discovering anything concerning the dog, she returned to her brothers, and told them of the bones of two tremendous men lying on the green. On the next day Sinailele again went down to the sea, stepping over the bones as before, collected her shell-fish, and returned home. Shortly afterwards Sinailele discovered that she was pregnant, but she said nothing about it to her brothers. When at length her condition became evident to them each imputed it to his brother. They said nothing, but each in silence nursed his suspicion against the other. Sinailele noticing their mutual distrust and resentment, reconciled them, saying, "Brothers, bear each other no ill-will because of my pregnancy, for you are both entirely blameless. I think I am pregnant to the heaps of bones on the green, which I have been accustomed to step over on my way to the sea. Do you live in amity, for there has nothing occurred which should mar our happy relations." And so the two brothers were comforted by her words. In course of time Sinailele gave birth to her child, a son, who, however, was nothing but bones and sinews, being quite devoid of flesh. His body was all full of hollows, and loose, and thus the paternity of the Mauis' bones was established. The mother took her child down to the sea, and bathed and massaged his body in the water. Then she went and gathered shell-fish on the reef. On the following day she again massaged the child in the sea, and as she was doing so the flesh came on the bones, and the body filled out and was covered with skin. On the next day Sinailele again took her child to the beach and massaged him in the sea, and then placed him in a little pool, lying on his back on a leaf of kape (arum costatum), with his head resting