Papuan Fairy Tales/The Man with the Open Throat
THE MAN WITH THE OPEN THROAT.
In the old days there lived in a certain village a man in whose neck was a hole, so that when he ate his food passed not down his throat, but came forth at the hole. Now it came to pass that his two grandsons saw him eating in this manner, and could not forbear to laugh. Therefore he resolved to punish them for mocking him. So with gentle voice he said to them, "I am about to go a journey in my canoe, and if ye desire it ye shall also come." Then said the elder, "Truly we would fain go with thee. But let me first get a water bottle to put on board, for my little brother will perchance be thirsty while we are on the sea."
"Nay, trouble not," said their grandfather. "It is already on board." This he said to deceive them.
"Ah," said the child, "but I must get some young coconuts for us to drink."
"I have already heaped young coconuts on the canoe," lied the man.
Then the child spake of fetching taro and sugarcane, but the man gave ever the same answer, and all being ready they went on board.
Now as they paddled the sun grew hot and the children weary. Therefore the elder said to his grandfather, "We are athirst. Give us, I pray thee, a coconut that we may drink."
"Why didst thou not bring thy coconut with thee?" said the man. "There are here none for thee."
"May we not have then a stick of sugarcane to suck?" said the child.
"Where is sugarcane for thee?" asked his grandfather. "Thou shouldst have brought it with thee."
Once more spake the child. "Grandfather, my little brother is very thirsty. Give us, I pray thee, the stopper of the water bottle that he may suck it and be refreshed."
"Nay," said the man fiercely. "If ye want water ye should have brought it with you."
Then the children were silent, and paddled on once more. At last they came to a dreary place where no house was, and where food grew not. Then the man bade the children help him pull the canoe up on the beach, and they did so, and then ran to a pandanus tree which grew near and began sucking its fruit. Now as they thus did, they saw not that their grandfather had launched the canoe and was setting out for home. When the canoe was some distance from the shore the younger child looked up and saw it, and cried to his brother to look also. Then both called loudly to their grandfather to take them on board. He heard their cries, and turned round saying, "Yea, verily, I will return, but not until six days are past. Wait ye here for me." Then he paddled swiftly, and was soon out of sight.
The children wept bitterly, for they were much afraid to be alone in this strange place where no people were. But being hungry, they climbed into the pandanus tree, and sucked many of the fruit which they found. Now it came to pass that while they were thus doing, an old woman who was a witch dreamed that she saw two children in a lonely place sucking pandanus fruit. Therefore she arose and journeyed until she came to the place of which she had dreamed. There indeed she found them, but they knowing her to be a witch, feared to come down. Then said she to them, "What do ye in the pandanus?"
They said, "Our grandfather brought us to this desolate land and left us here, saying that he would return in six days."
The witch hearing their tale, pitied them and said, "Come down now to me, and let us see what may be done."
"Nay," said they, "for if we do thou mayest kill us."
"I will not harm you," said the witch. "Come down and fear not."
Then came they down even as she had said, and she harmed them not, but rather pitied them for the sore plight they were in. And she cared for them, and with them abode the coming of the old man. Now it came to pass on the sixth day, that the witch saw he was drawing nigh, and she bade the Sun burn him with its rays. And the Sun shone forth, and the old man was burned and thirsty. Then said the witch to the Rain, "Rain upon this man." And the Rain rained until the man was like to be drowned. Then the witch bade that the Sun should scorch him once more, and again the Rain that it should ram upon him, and then once more the Sun, that it should burn the man. Now he was close to the land, and he was very thirsty. Therefore he hasted to a little stream hard by, and stooped to drink. But the witch with her pearl shell had stopped the water from flowing, and only a few drops trickled. Therefore the man stooped low to drink what little was there, and at that moment the witch took away her pearl shell, and the water rushed mightily forward and down the man's throat, and choked him. So were the children delivered from their enemy who had wrought them much ill. But because of the manner of his death, it is a saying amongst us, "Eat first and afterwards drink, else will thy liver be pierced by the water which shall be swallowed."