Page:Papuan Fairy Tales.djvu/23

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
THE TWO LIZARDS
3

women came in sight. He was alarmed for the safety of his frail platform, when he saw these many people advancing, and he cried, "Come not up into the tree. Remain below, I beseech you. O women!"

But the women were consumed with eagerness to be close to the music which had taken their hearts, and they climbed, all of them, until they were upon the platform of Webubu.

Then straightway what he had feared came to pass, and Webubu, and his duraio, and the multitude of women fell crashing through the branches of the tioba to the ground beneath.

And from that hour until now, all tioba trees lean towards the earth, as I will show thee, if thou wilt go with me to the beach where they grow.


HOW THE TURTLE GOT HIS SHELL.

Long ago, our fathers have told us, the Turtle and the Wallaby were friends. Now on a certain day, the Turtle was hungry, and asked his friend to go with him to the beach and from thence to the hornbill's garden, where was much sugarcane and where bananas also were plentiful. This they did, and fed plentifully on all that was there. The Wallaby trod upon the stalks of the bananas and bowed them to the ground that his friend might eat. Thus did he