Page:The Melanesians Studies in their Anthropology and Folklore.djvu/407

] But his uncle said to him, What property have you got to give for us to buy your rank with, you a penniless fellow with nothing coming in? And he says, Lend me some money and a pig to make the first payments with; but this he said to try him. And his uncle said to him, I shall not consent to let you have any property of mine; why should I? you are an idle fellow. But he says, Tata, let us break up fire-wood the day after to-morrow, and to-morrow we will go into your gardens, and I will look for some taro there. So they went to the gardens, and he said to his uncle, Put up a palako as a warning against taking anything from these gardens. And his uncle said to him, You are putting a mark upon a great quantity; what have you got of your own to pay so great a price with? And he says, You will pay the great price. But he says, I shall not listen to you about my money and my food. So they went back again into the village, and all the people then heard of what had been done, and they laughed at Ganviviris, saying that he would never be able to eat his suqe rank. But next day they broke up fire-wood, and he bought taro with a great price, with ten coils of money for each garden. And his uncle said to him, You have bought food with a great price; you have succeeded in that, but you have to give money all round for your suqe, where have you got anything for that? And he says, That will be your doing of course. But his uncle had no wish to let him have his money; so he says, Let us bring the taro to-morrow, and crack almonds for the feast. And he said again to his uncle, Tata, let your children twist some cords. So his two children twisted, and his wives twisted; and the neighbours asked his uncle saying, They are twisting cords, but where is the pig there tied up by the house? And he says, Esi! we have never seen any belonging to him, he is a pauper. But in the evening he went and got four pigs, and tied them up near the village. And he ate on one day the avirik and the qatagiav. And in the night Ro Som said to him, You are to take all your ranks in the suqe here at Qakea; you are not to take any at Mota; if you disobey my word in this you will die.