Papuan Fairy Tales/Where the Coconut came from
WHERE THE COCONUT CAME FROM.
There was a time, so our fathers have told us, when no coconut grew throughout the land, and in those evil days men drank water to quench their thirst, and ate taro upon which no coconut milk had been poured. Yet not knowing how good is the coconut, they were content that it should be so.
Now in those days there was a certain village, and the men who dwelt there were for ever fishing. They went forth in the morning, and came back in the evening with the fish they had caught in long strings. And when the taro was cooked they sat round the pots and ate until none was left for the morrow. But one man, when he went to fish, went always alone, and in the evening he ever returned with a basket full of fish, for they were too many to thread upon grass.
The men of the village wondered that this man should never return without many fish, and also that he always forbade any to follow him, and when he was not with them they talked much of it and took counsel together how they might discover what he did to capture so many fish. And it so chanced that a boy who listened to their talk thought of a plan. "When he sets out to-morrow," said the lad, "1 will creep behind him, and will watch from the long grass what he will do."
"Verily, that is well said," cried the men, and all were content that it should be so.
So it came to pass that on the morrow the boy did even as he had said. The man set out along the path, and the boy followed through the grass. And sometimes, in his desire to see what would come to pass, the boy crept too near, and the rustling of his body made the man look round, and even cast a spear into the grass to kill the beast which he thought made the rustling sound. But the lad, seeing the spear coming, moved to one side, and went warily until the man reached the sea shore. Then the boy hid behind a corkwood tree (which is the tioba whereon Nagara the lizard sat and played the duraio and drew many women to him), and from thence he saw this strange thing. The man laid down his basket and, putting both hands to his head, he pulled, and the head came off in his two hands. Then the man laid his head beside the basket on the beach, and walked into the sea, until the waters were about his middle. There he stood, and the boy's heart trembled for fear of what might next befall. And it came to pass that the man bowed himself, and a multitude of fishes rushed down the man's throat, which was open to the water, his head being upon the beach. After a short space the man turned and walked slowly to the shore. There he shook out the fish, and feeling for his head he placed it upon his neck and it was a part of him once more. Then he sat down and sorted out the fish he had thus caught, filling his basket with the largest, and throwing away those which were poor.
All this the boy saw from behind the tioba tree, where he lay hidden. And having seen he fled the place, for he feared the man who did such things as these.
Now it came to pass that at supper that night all ate of the fish which had been caught, save only the boy. And though many asked him, "Why eatest thou not? Art fasting?" he refused even to touch with his fingers the fish which the man had caught.
After supper, therefore, certain of the men went apart with the boy and inquired of him for what cause he had not eaten the fish that night. Then the boy told them truly all that he had seen that day, and they in their turn were filled with loathing for the food which had been thus caught. They said, therefore, "Let us all go on the morrow and punish the man who hath done us this wrong," and to this all agreed.
Now it came to pass on the morrow that they did even as they had said, and as the man laid his head upon the beach, not one, but many, were watching from their hiding-place. And when he had bowed himself in the water and the watchers had seen the fishes which swam towards him that they might enter his throat, a man rose up and ran to where the head lay, and seizing it, flung it far from him into the bush. Then all waited to see what would happen.
In a little the man, having fish enough, turned and came slowly back to the shore. There he shook out the fish as was his custom, and then he felt for his head with both hands. But lo, it was not there! The watchers saw that he crawled over the pebbles with his two hands outstretched, if haply he might so lay hold of his head. But it was in vain that he sought it, and suddenly he rose, and rushed into the sea again, and there, before their eyes, became a huge fish and dived out of their sight. Then the men, having taken vengeance, went back to the village.
After many days the boy who had first spied upon the man bethought him of the head which had been thrown into the bush. And he went to seek it that he might know what had befallen it. But when he reached the spot where it had been thrown it was no longer there, and in its stead had grown up a slender palm, with spreading leaves. None knew what manner of plant it might be, and when it bore fruit men feared to eat of it lest perchance it might harm them. But at last a woman made bold to eat of the nuts and to anoint herself with the milky juice, and all saw that she was none the worse, but rather the better. Thus did all men come to know of the coconut, and from that time even until now is it our food and drink, and in many other ways doth it serve us. And that thou mayest know that the tale is true, look now upon a coconut from which the husk hath been taken away, and thou shalt see the face of the man whose head became the first coconut.