ONCE THERE WAS a longhouse. There was someone who had just died
in that longhouse. After four days a young man went out hunting.
He called his dongs to follow him. They did not meet any wild
pig that day. Then he looked up at the sun and saw that it was
quite late. "Oh dear, those dogs are not going to scent any wild
pigs. I'll go home; it is going to rain and I will get wet," said
the young man.
He called his dogs, and went home, and continued calling them
as he went. It started to rain, and the light grew dim. He was
nearly past the burial ground when he heard a child cry. "Whose
child is it, crying in the graveyard?" the youth asked himself.
The child cried and cried. The youth kept on walking, calling
for his dogs.
The graveyard was near the edge of the path.
"Friend, was it you who went hunting?" called a youth form
the graveyard.
"Yes," answered the first youth,
"Are you going home now, Friend?" he asked.
"Yes," said the youth who had been hunting.
"Tell my wife to come home, won't you? Tell her our child
is crying," said the youth at the graveyard.
"I won't know who your wofe is, Friend," said the youth who
had been hunting.
"Yes, you will. You can't miss her. She has her hair wound
raound her head and fastened with one bead," said the other youth.
"Now, Friend, take this leaf and rub it on your eyes and you
will see my wife," continued the youth. So he took the leaf given
by the other youth, rubbed it on his eyes and immediately he could
see him and his child. The child was not very old, and had been
left behind when the mother had gone to see the dead man at the
house of the youth who had been hunting. The youth took the leaf
and wnent straight home.
He waled until he came to his house. He saw that the house
was full of ghosts. Even the dancing floor was full of them, and
they were jumping up and down. He went up into the house, and
into his room. He put his blowpipe on the wall, and stroed his
carrying basket. Then he went to the verandah and took with him,
the leaf given by the youth at graveyard.
The leaf was red on one side and green on the other. He took
the leaf and rubbed it on his eyes. he saw the wife of the youth
at the graveyard and she was dancing on the floor. He went over
and pulled her arm.
"Your husband said your are to go home. Your child has been
crying a long gime,: said youth. Then all the ghosts turned round,
"Help! Who showed him how to see us?" they said.
They all jumped off the dancing floor. They started to tickle
the youth, and he laughed. Out dropped thel leaf he had been given
by the youth at the graveyard to rub on his eyes. They picked
it up and took it home. They vanished. There were no more ghosts
in the house.
That was how our ancestors knew that people who died have
ghosts. They were frightened, and they made a place to leave them
food on the edge of the village, a distance of one chain form
the house. They did it for four days if it was woman, and a week
if it was a man. They cooked rice and prepared other dishes. They
took these out to the edge of the village and left it there. In
the old days they did not use lamps. They used resin from trees
in the jungle. They lit it and put it beside their offering. "That's
for the ghosts who have come to wake up the dead. This is the
time they will usually come," they said.
They were afraid for four days. They called all their children
home.
"Come home. It is getting dark. Your hearts will be punched
and you will die. Look out for the ghosts. it is the time for
them to come out now," said the old ones.
"Yes," said the children and obeyed.
They all gathered together in the inner room as they were
afraid of the ghosts. hat was how the children began to be afraid
- afraid of what the old ones had told them about.
They knew that dead people had ghosts. They stopped work if
someone died. The young ones belived in what they have been told,
and were afraid if someone died. "There are ghosts," they said.
It was not very long before the youth who went hunting, died.
He died four days after meeting the youth at graveyard. |
Ondo' kunu haitu sampahunan ra alanggoi. Pahun nilo tu binagkayan
bahu. Sintob ra apat orou luat nu ambulok hitu inuoi nahundal.
Panaati' no uku' no ratu inuoi nahundal. Lako-lakau io pana-panat
ra uku' nu uku' no ratu. Tingaano' nu orou no am amai' no io hua.
"Ii, kaando' hai narampa' nu uku ratu ra ulak" kono. "Muli' au
no solor. Anguluh no io nappa rakon." Panaati' no uku' no ratu.
Muli' nyoy. am panaati' no. anguluh. alaat orou li, amila-milah.
Lakou-lakou io, pana-panat ra uku' no ratu.
Maar io arambus ra lalabangan tu, lingoh no ra anak tu am
antangi'.
"Aun naku tangan ra anak hino antangi' ra lalabangan no?"
kono nu ambulok nahundal tu. Tangi-tangi' anak tu. Hino nu ambulok
nahundal tu lako-lakau io pana-panaat ra uku' no ratu muli! Paat
no ra lalabangan hitu maar raihih nu ralan tu.
"U Kayam" kono nu ambulok nahundal hitu.
Am, "muli' ko ra pahun mino raino Kayam?" kono.
"Ua" kono nu ambulok nanundal hitu.
"Am balin nu naapo andu' muno Kayam" kono nu ambulok nahundal
tu.
"Ikaa Kayam! Ikaa kaimunian andu' kuno. Sapulu liha' ralimpuraon
am santiis iak," kono nu ambulok nu lalabangan tu. "Ikaa kakito
au. Lai' liha' au raino riun, alingoh ku rahu muno Kayam, am ikaa
kakito au riun," kono nu ambulok nahundal tu. "Ikaa Kayam. Unton
mu raun soro am piiran mu mato muno hili oko kaito ra andu' kuno,"
kono nu ambulok no lalabangan tu.
Lapo' no raun, tinaakan nu ambulok lalabangan tu. Piiri' nu
ambulok nahundal hitu mato natu. Parambus io nakakito ra ambulok
nu lalabangan tu am anak nilo tu. Ikaa po oi kula' maayo, lumaub
iak nahi', niruanan nu ina' natu inuoi namalibas ra ulun inatoi
intor ra pahun nu ambulok nahundal hitu. "Ua" kono nu ambulok
nahundal tu. Ibito' no raun hitu rahili inakou.
Lako-lakou io rahili am suki' ra pahun nilo tu. Ilong no ra
pahun nilo tu napanu' ra antu. Papan li pono napanu'. Lumansar
ilo panikot nu ambulok nahundal tu. Sop no ra sulap nilo tu. Sippi'
no hahng natu. Bulii' no banso' natu. Bii no sinumamput. Baya-baya'
no raum hino tinaak nu ambulok nu lalabangan raitu. Ali' raun
hitu am nangkibab, tu. Unto' no raun hitu am piiri' mato natu.
Ilong no ra andu' no ambulok nu lalabangan tu, am lumansar.
Iyon no kamalo'.
"Muli' oko kunu' kuun ri Kayam raitu. Antangi' anak mino kunu.
alaasan no io liha', " kono nu ambulok nahundal hitu.
Buir nu antu, rangan no ratu. "Arui. Aun nanilu ra hiti io
ra akakito ritaka? kanilo. Sasakasak ilo intor ra papan li. Kiisiko'
nilo ambulok nahundal tu. Pangkurit ambulok nahundal hitu. Samput
nu tinaakan nu ambulok nu lalabangan hitu pinamiir no ra mato
natu. Alapo' nilo rahili, ibito' inuli'. Laawo. Amansi' nu pahun
nilo li ra antu. Nuli' no antu rali nahihiru'.
Hino no puun matuo rali akpandai ra ulun matio sino antu.
Angkalaa' ilo, puun nu hili ilo amaal nilo ra pamuliin ra kanon
ra lusar no, taniggan nilo. Sa rantai nahi' tawoi no intor ra
pahun tu. Sintob ra kapaatan kono ruandu', ungkuyon po io katuluan
kanilo hua. angansak ilo am apaya' ra kana' no. Iyon nilo taningi',
bulii'. ikaa ilo ampakai ra lampung, antaran iak intor ra katanaan
tu. Maan nilo sikiti'am pasarango'. "Kanon nu muoi amalibas ratu.
Raino libas no, kaapatan raino," kanilo. alaa' ilo sintob ra kaapatan,
ipahan ilo kawi' nu anak nilo ratu, paulio'. "Muli' akau. amai'
noyo. Mintuhon pusu'. Ikaa buoi matoi. alaa' ra antu. Raino ilo
muoi amalibas," kono nu matuo ratu.
"Ua" kono nu anak ratu kababaayan muli'. Am ampatan nilo ra
sulap tu. "Alaa' taka ra antu" kanilo. "Ua" kono nu anak ratu
kababaayan, alaa' ra rahu nu matuo rali. Puun rahili ilo angkalla'.
Ilo nakapandai ra sino antu ra ulun matoi. Ilo angulir ra ondo'
mato. Raino pono luur akai anak bahu, maya' pa ra rahu nu matuo
rali, alaa' ra ondo' ulun matoi. "Akaantu" knailo.
Ambulok pono rahili inuoi nahundal li, ikaano nabuoi kunu',
sintob iak kaapatan, matio noyo.
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