Page:Papuan Fairy Tales.djvu/170

128 Then the child spake of fetching taro and sugarcane, but the man gave ever the same answer, and all being ready they went on board.

Now as they paddled the sun grew hot and the children weary. Therefore the elder said to his grandfather, "We are athirst. Give us, I pray thee, a coconut that we may drink."

"Why didst thou not bring thy coconut with thee?" said the man. "There are here none for thee."

"May we not have then a stick of sugarcane to suck?" said the child.

"Where is sugarcane for thee?" asked his grandfather. "Thou shouldst have brought it with thee."

Once more spake the child. "Grandfather, my little brother is very thirsty. Give us, I pray thee, the stopper of the water bottle that he may suck it and be refreshed."

"Nay," said the man fiercely. "If ye want water ye should have brought it with you."

Then the children were silent, and paddled on once more. At last they came to a dreary place where no house was, and where food grew not. Then the man bade the children help him pull the canoe up on the beach, and they did so, and then ran to a pandanus tree which grew near and began sucking its fruit. Now as they thus did, they saw not that their grandfather had launched the canoe and was setting out for home. When the canoe was some distance from the shore the younger child looked up and saw