Papuan Fairy Tales/The Jungle Boy

by Annie Ker

THE JUNGLE BOY.

There was once a woman whose name was Garawada, and it fell on a day that she went to the jungle with her mother-in-law to look for figs. When they came to a fig tree Garawada climbed into it, and began to eat the ripe fruit, and the green figs she threw down to her mother-in-law for her share. Now the old woman was a witch, and, being angered that Garawada ate the ripe fruit and gave her only green figs, she resolved to punish her. She therefore cried to her daughter-in-law, "Come down, now; we have enough."

Then Garawada began to climb down, and as she reached where the branches forked the witch caused them to come together until her daughter-in-law was firmly fixed so that she could neither go up nor come down. And there she left her, and went back to the village.

Garawada wept bitterly as she watched her mother-in-law going away, and watched for many days to see if she would return and have pity on her. But she never came, and there in the tree her little son was born. Now it so happened that on a day the child fell to the ground and lay there under the tree, and his mother could only look down upon him, and could in no way succour him, and she feared greatly lest the little one should die. But much dabedabe (wild ginger) grew in that place, and the child, as he turned, sucked the tender shoots which were close at hand. And so he waxed strong, and sucked continually the dabedabe which grew near him.

Now it chanced that the child looked up into the fig tree and saw there his mother. And from thenceforth they talked together, and the boy, when he was old enough, brought her berries and fruits from the jungle, and cared for her as well as he was able. But being grown he longed for companions, and one day he said to his mother, "Mother, teach me my pari that I may sing it when I find my people, and that so they may know me." And his mother, knowing that he must leave her, sang this spell, which was his pari:

"O Dabedabe kukuna lau Icuku;
Tinagu bo Garawada."
("I have sucked the shoots of dabedabe;
My mother is Garawada.")

"So must thou sing thy pari, my son," said she, and the child ran from her to seek his way out of the jungle. But on the way, being but a child, he forgot the words, and ran back to the fig tree. Garawada saw him running, and her heart was glad, for she thought that the boy was loth to leave her. But he stood beneath the tree, and called up to her, "Ah mother, teach me again my pari, for in truth it has passed from me." So she sang again,—

"O Dabedabe kukuna lau kuku;
Tinagu bo Garawada."

Then the child set forth once more, and was soon on the edge of the jungle. There, but a stone's cast away he saw children with little darts spearing a coconut which one of their number threw in such a manner that it rolled swiftly. The child stood behind the trunk of a big tree and peeped forth that he might watch the children in their play. Then his heart burned within him for longing to join in their sport. And making for himself a dart, he ran towards the children singing,

"O Dabedabe kukuna lau kuku;
Tinagu bo Garawada."

And he cast his dart at the coconut. But not being used to aim at a mark, his dart fell short and pierced the arm of the child nearest him. And all the children fearing an enemy (for they knew not what his pari might mean,) fled shrieking to their homes, and left the jungle boy alone. He therefore returned sadly enough to his mother.

But the next day the desire to play with the children being strong within him he set out once more, and peeped from behind a tree at the game as he had done before. Then coming boldly forth, he launched his dart at the coconut, singing,

"O Dabedabe kukuna lau kuku;
Tinagu bo Garawada."

The children turned and saw him, and fled from him as they had done the day before. But the jungle boy ran too, and followed them for a time, though they, having run first, were able to escape him, and he perforce went back alone to his mother again. But the children ran in fear to their homes, and cried to their people, "Ah who is it that throws spears at us and chases us as we play? We cannot play there again, for he will slay us."

Then said the father of one, (and it chanced that he was the uncle of the jungle boy,) "Ye shall play there to-morrow, and I will hide and watch for your enemy, and deliver you from him." So that was what they did. The man hid in the long grass, and they played as was their wont. Then came the jungle boy and tried to join their game. But as the little dart left his hand, the man who was hiding sprang out and held him tightly.

"Tell me, child," quoth he, "who art thou?"

Then said the jungle boy, "I am the son of Garawada, who is in the fig tree. She ate of the figs and a witch caused the boughs to hold her so that she cannot escape. There was I born, and afterwards I lay upon the ground and sucked the shoots of dabedabe which grew near, and waxed strong. But my mother is still in the tree. And this is my pari which she taught me."

Then he sang,

"O Dabedabe kukuna lau kuku;
Tinagu bo Garawada."

Then said the man, "Truly thou art my nephew. Come, let us go and set thy mother free." So they went together to the fig tree where Garawada sat, and the man tried to pull asunder the boughs which hindered the woman from coming down, but he could not. He therefore went back to the village and brought many men with him, who with their stone axes cut down the tree. But as it reached the ground, Garawada slipped from under the leaves, and ran swiftly, so that no man might follow her, to the beach, and there was turned into a gwagadogo, the crab which lives in a hole in the sand. And no man set eyes on her more. Her little son wept when he knew that his mother had left him, but his uncle led him back to the village, and cared for him in his own home, and the children no longer feared to have him as their playfellow.