Papuan Fairy Tales/Gelaruru

by Annie Ker

GELARURU.

There was once a man who had two wives, and one was very dear to him, but the other he loved not. So it came to pass that when he brought home gelaruru, which is the spawn of the flying fish, he fed with it the wife whom he loved, and laid by none for the other who had not taken his heart. When therefore she came home from the gardens and found that her portion of gelaruru had not been placed for her she became very angry, and her heart grew hot within her. And when upon another day her husband treated her so again, she fell upon the wife whom he loved, and would have slain her had not the man come between and parted them.

Now after a time the woman whom her husband held not dear gave birth to a son, and she said in her heart, "When my son is grown he will bring me gelaruru." And the child grew, and each year the woman thought, 'He will soon be big enough to bring me gelaruru." And many times she said to the little lad, "Soon thou mayest go over the sea and search for gelaruru that thy mother may eat."

Now it fell upon a day that the child sat alone in the house, and as he sat he bethought him of the gelaruru of which his mother had spoken. And he arose, and sought for a canoe, that he might go in search of some to make glad her heart. When therefore he had found one he set forth, taking with him a paddle, but forgetting a niutepo wherewith to bail out the water if the waves should grow big.

Not to the east or the west did he steer, but far away to the north, where no land is. And as he paddled he gazed over the water seeking for gelaruru, and he found much and heaped it upon the canoe. Then he would have made for home, but Kariwabu, the strong east wind, blew upon the water, and caused great waves to beat against the canoe. The child looked at his feet for a niutepo that he might bail out the water, but found none. Then he cast the gelaruru into the sea; yet though the canoe was thus lightened, the waves filled it, and it sank. Then was the boy in the water, and he swam and swam until both arms were weary. Then being worn out he sank below the waves and was dead.

In the evening the man and his two wives came home from the gardens and called to the child, but he gave no answer. Then with fear in their hearts they searched in many places, but found him not, and his mother sat upon the ground and wept till morning. Then, for she knew what was in the child's mind, she took a canoe and paddled swiftly over the sea in search of her son. Long was the search, and at noon she found the canoe in which the lad had started. She wept much at the sight, and forbore to paddle. Then Lagina, the gentle sea breeze, pitying her, blew on her canoe and carried her to where her son's body lay upon the waters. The woman raised it and kissed the face of her dead son. Then she lifted him into the canoe and covered him with her skirt, and paddled until she reached the shore. Her husband was told what she was bringing, and he rushed down to the beach with his spears that he might kill her. "Thou hast sent my son to his death!" he cried. But her father caught her in his arms, and took her home with him after that the lad's body had been buried.

And that night all slept but the woman whose child was dead. In the early morning, ere the first bird cried to its mate, she arose and went silently

THE THREE SISTERS.

To face p. 147.

out of the house. Under a chestnut tree she halted, and then climbed high into it. For a moment she tarried, and then cast herself down and her spirit fled from her. Then in her father's house great was the mourning and loud were the cries that arose as she was laid in the earth, which had but on the day before swallowed up her son. But the woman's heart was glad, for at the gate of the under world her child tarried for her to greet her as she travelled the long and weary path that leadeth to Ioloa.