Page:Papuan Fairy Tales.djvu/161

Rh and held him, but he threw me down in the mud. Look now at my wings!"

Now this Pheasant was very deceitful, for he had lied even to his friend.

The Ant did not reproach him. He said, "Come, let us try another place with our net, and thou shalt hunt the game whilst I watch." They did so, and it came to pass that a pig ran into the net and was killed at once by the Ant. By and by the Pheasant came back and said, "Where is our pig?"

Then answered his friend the Ant, "Thou wilt find it over yonder by the tree."

The Pheasant looked by the tree, and there in truth was a pig lying. Then the two friends bound it tightly to a pole, and carried it home upon their shoulders.

When they came to the house they cut up the pig, and the Ant said to the Pheasant, "Take the entrails of the pig to the river and wash them." The Pheasant went to do what the Ant bade him, and the Ant stayed alone in the house.

Now as he was thus alone, a great hornbill stood in the doorway and said, in a terrible voice, "Ga-a-a-a-a!" Yet did the Ant not fear, but his heart grew hot within him for anger, and he leapt up and killed the hornbill, and hid him in a mat.

Then the Pheasant returned, but bearing nought.

"Friend," said the Ant, "where are the entrails of the pig?"