Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 1 1883.djvu/218

210 henceforth, then let me have no heirs to inherit!" And this was the origin of the enmity between dogs and crocodiles.—(Translated from a contribution by Rev. W. C. Pickersgill to the Publications of the Malagasy Folk-Lore Society.)

Here is a story which professes to give the origin of the native Malagasy custom of chewing tobacco, although the story has, doubtless, been made to account for the custom. It should be remembered that the native name for tobacco is paràky, substantially the same as that of the hero of this story, Ra being the particle which makes any word a personal name. The Malagasy take tobacco in the form of snuff, which is mixed with ashes and salt, and taken, not in the nostrils, but in the mouth, where it is retained for a short time under the tongue.

There was once a man called Andriamitàndrina, who, with his wife, very greatly desired that they might have a child. After a long time they had a son, an only child, whom they named Raràky. They loved him extremely, for he was their only son, and although imperfectly formed, intense was their affection, for he was the "fat of their life;" all the relatives loved him too, and Andriamitàndrina and his wife were rich.

After some time, when Raràky had grown, he fell ill; and his father and mother, and all the family, were full of sorrow. Great was their tribulation on account of the child's illness. So they talked together in their sorrow for his affliction, and they all agreed together, and said, "If Raràky should die, we will not bury him in the earth, but we, the family, will swallow him as food, for we won't suffer him to rest in the ground."

After some time Raràky died. So they all considered about each of them swallowing a little portion of him for their love of him. But as they were about to cut up the corpse for division, that they might each eat a little portion of it according to their agreement, just as they were on the point of cutting it up, Andriamitàndrina's sister spoke and said, "Don't let us eat Raràky, for it will cause us to be ill. But let us bury him as usual. At the same time let us do this with regard to Raràky: let us eat whatever may grow upon his grave. No matter