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WHERE THE COCONUT CAME FROM
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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