DABEDABE THE GOOD.
This is a tale of the men of Bou, which is in the hill country to the south of Wamira.
A certain man had a pig, which left him and gave birth to her young in the bush. Now five of them were pigs like their mother, but the sixth was a man child, and him his mother loved best of all. Day by day did the six follow her as she sought their food in the bush, and after a time, their footprints being many, the men of Bou knew where they were hiding. So they took pig nets and set out to catch them. Now the owner of the old pig looked at the footprints, and seeing the footprints of a child among them said, "Ye may keep the young pigs when they are caught, save only the one whose marks are these." Then he climbed a tree to look for the pig and her young ones, and in a little he cried "They come, and the brown one is mine. Get ready the nets."
So the nets were made ready, and the five little pigs were soon caught. But the old mother, fearing danger, had hidden the man child, and he was not therefore caught in the net. Then said the owner of the pigs, "Come and help me look for the brown one," and the men went with him and they searched until he was found under a bush where his mother had hidden him. Then said the owner, "This is my pig," and took the little one in his arms and carried him home. And the old pig, being now alone, followed to the village, and cared for her young as she had done in the bush.
Now it came to pass when the boy was now grown that on a day he heard his mother crying for food, and he resolved to make a garden that he might grow food to give her when she was hungry. So he called to the men of the village, and asked them to help him make his garden. And the lad, whose name was Dabedabe, set out with many men for the plantation. Soon had they cleared the ground, and then they made a fence about it. Now while they were fencing the garden, the owner of the pigs, who was there also, went back to the village, and made ready food, that the men who had helped Dabedabe might eat in the evening when they returned. And as he desired that they should eat and be full he killed the old pig whose son was Dabedabe, and cooked her flesh with the taro. Then when the men returned from the garden he said, "Sit ye down and eat, for supper is ready." And he laid a portion of flesh and taro on the green leaves which were spread before each man.
Now Dabedabe watched while the man did this, and he said, "What is the flesh in the pot?"
"It is pig's flesh, my son," said the man. "Is it my mother thou hast killed?" asked Dabedabe.
"Yea truly, it was thy mother, my son," answered the man.
Then Dabedabe went into the house and brought forth a mat, and spread it in the sight of all, saying, "When ye eat throw no bone away, but lay all upon the mat which I have spread before you." And they did even as he had said. Then when all had eaten Dabedabe wrapped up the bones of the pig, and slung the bundle on his shoulder, and said, "Friends, we were to-day making a garden that I might have wherewithal to give my mother to eat when she hungered, but she hath been slain, and ye have eaten her, therefore I can no longer stay here, but must leave you. Farewell."
Thus he left the village, and journeyed until he came to Peubua. There he sat down, and would fain have remained there, but, turning himself, he saw his mother's village behind him, and his heart burned. Therefore he rose up, and journeyed until he came to Reborebo. And in like manner, on looking behind him, he could see his mother's village in the distance, and for grief at the sight he tarried not, but went on until he came to Doula. But, even at Doula, when he turned he still saw the same sight, and set out once more, resting not until he reached Qamana. And there, turning whither he would, he no longer saw his mother's village, and he said in his heart, "At Qamana I will remain." But the men of Qamana would not suffer him to abide in their village, because his body was covered with noisome sores. Therefore, as the rain was heavy, he sought shelter in a cave, where he dwelt alone. And after not many days he called a child to him, who abode with him in the cave and dressed his sores, and cooked his food. So it was that his sores were healed and strength came back to him.
Now it came to pass that, as he and the boy sat together in the cave, they heard the voice of a drum in the village. Then said Dabedabe to the child, "What meaneth the voice of the drum which I hear?"
"The men of Qamana are dancing because of the feast they are about to make," answered the child.
Then said Dabedabe, "On what are they going to feast?"
"On men," quoth the boy, "and the name of the feast is 'Walaga'."
Dabedabe's heart grew hot within him at this word, and he rose up, and bade the lad guard his bag while he was gone. Then he went into the village and sought for the giver of the feast. Not at once did he see him, but at last he found him standing by a long row of poles on which burdens were strapped. Dabedabe looked down upon the poles which lay upon the earth, and he said to the giver of the feast, "Friend, what burdens are these which I see strapped upon the poles?"
The man answered, "These are men which we are about to cut up for the feast." "Do not this thing, I pray thee," besought Dabedabe, "but tarry a little while I go to the river. I shall return."
Then he hasted and returned to the cave, and took his bag in his hand, and went down to the river. There he opened the bag, and took from it some of his mother's bones which he had placed within it on the day that he took leave of his people at Bou. And he flung the bones violently upon a stone, and they became men, and stood before him to hear what he would say. Then said he to them, "Go ye into the bush and cut many poles, and fetch them hither."
So they went and cut many poles, as he had said, but lo, when they brought them to Dabedabe he said, "These are too few. Go ye and cut more." Then they came again carrying more poles, but not yet were they enough, and he sent them forth a third time to fetch more, and now were there as many as he wanted.
He therefore took the rest of his mother's bones out of his bag and threw them violently upon the stones by the river's bank, and they became pigs, a great number. Then he bade the men who stood near bind the pigs to the poles they had cut, and he himself returned swiftly to the giver of the feast and cried,
"Cook now my gwada of plantains, and anoint it with coconut, for I and my men will soon be here."
When he had said this he returned to the river and bade the men carry the pigs, which had been bound to the poles, upon their shoulders to the feast. Thus did they, and many marvelled as they saw the long line of men, each bearing the end of a pole upon his shoulder, a pig being bound to each pole.
Now when they reached the place set apart for the feast, Dabedabe said to his men, "Set your burdens upon the ground," and they did so. Then said he to the giver of the feast, "Set free the men whom ye have bound, and I will give thee these pigs which thou seest." And the giver of the feast, greatly desiring the pigs, did as Dabedabe had said, and unloosed the bonds of the men which lay upon the ground waiting to be slain. Then did all make merry, and tired their hair, and hung many ornaments of shell and feathers upon themselves, and did eat of the pigs which Dabedabe had given them.
And in truth if Dabedabe had not done this thing, we of Papua, yea, even I who tell the tale, would have been bound upon poles and eaten at the feasts of our enemies. But from that day even until now are men spared and pigs slain when a feast is made, and at Qamana as also at Bou are abundance of pigs to this day.