Page:Papuan Fairy Tales.djvu/152

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PAPUAN FAIRY TALES

nothing. And he rose up and took his little son in his arms, and went out of the potuma. Then the fierce man was glad, and he said, "So will I deal with all strangers," and he lay down to sleep.

It came to pass not many days after that all the people of the village were fishing at the river, and none saw the hill man return and creep into the empty potuma. Now when he entered he had some what in his hand, but when he came forth his hands were empty. And he made haste back to the hills.

At even the men of the village came back, and, after they had eaten, they went into the potuma and made ready to sleep, for they were weary after fishing. And it befell that the violent man saw before him a head-rest carved of wood, and he desired that it should be his. (But he knew not that it was the hill man who had placed it there.) Therefore, as was his custom, he laid hold of it, saying, "This is now my pillow. If any wish for it let him take it from me if he can." Then he lay down and rested his neck on the wooden pillow, and was soon asleep, for none of the men were willing to wrestle with him as he had said.

Now in the morning the men woke and one by one came forth from the potuma into the village. But the violent man came not forth, and the others marvelled for what cause he tarried so long, such not being his custom. Therefore, after a time, one of them made bold to go once more into the potuma and to draw near to the violent man to waken him.