Page:Papuan Fairy Tales.djvu/178

136 nor drop of rain might pierce the roof or walls of his house. But the other looking upon it saw that it was better than his own, and set about to decry it, that it might be worthless in the eyes of him who had built it.

"This then is thy shelter, brother," quoth he. "It were better for thee and thine to dwell therein than for me and mine. For I should fear greatly lest perchance the sharp rei should enter my eye, and so blind me. Moreover, it must needs be that it will prick thy skin and cause a rash to rise upon it. But come now," he said, turning away, "and I will show thee mine."

So they went together to see the other house. Now it was, in truth, but a sorry place, for its builder had taken handfuls and plastered it over the light sticks he had placed in the ground. And the man who had built his house of rei spake thus, saying, "What wilt thou do, brother, when the rains come?"

"I fear no rain," quoth the other proudly, and bade his family enter the mud house and dwell therein. Then did the other man depart unto his own house, for he was vexed that his words had borne no fruit. And he sat therein and pondered much what he might do in order that the other might know he had spoken wisely. And as much thought is the mother of deeds, in the morning he set out for the mountain where the great lake spirit dwelt. And there, using his spells, he besought Apogi to send forth his waters and to cause rain to fall upon the