To one wise chieftain timely warning came from the "Great Our Father" (Ifilici W'acinavi) who said "Fire shall sweep the land, give heed to my words and seek a reef of sand." Here a little band guided by the chieftain, provided a refuge. First a deep and wide pit was made, next trees were felled. Some were fashioned into upright beams and placed inside the pit, while others formed a roof, resting on the beams, and strong enough to hold much sand. Then all shrubs and grass around the pit were burned. Nothing was left in the wide clearing on which flames could fasten.

And it came to pass that they had scarcely finished their task, when clouds of smoke came rolling nigh, and the trees on the edge of the clearing were soon wrapped in fire.

The men took refuge in the pit, and were soon followed by birds and beasts, and creeping things fleeing from the blazing forest. The chieftain looked forth towards the forest after while, and lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

At last the flames expired and the smoke ceased. The little band came forth, and wandered in the ruins of what had been a fair forest, now a waste of ashes; and blackened skeletons lay there men and beasts had met their awful doom.

And it came to pass, after many generations had passed away, that the remembrance of the all-destroying fire grew dim, and wickedness again waxed strong upon the earth, and day by day, violence and wrong increased, until at last evil seemed good, and good evil, and every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

And Aiomuh Kondi saw that the wickedness of man was great, yet because he was the Mighty Maker of all things, he was loth to curse man a second time, so he gave warning that unless their evil ways ended, all flesh would be destroyed by water.

Marerewana was a just man whose ears were open to the heavenly warning, and so he made bim a great corrial. His neighbours mocked at his pains saying, " Will Aiomun Kondi indeed destroy us ? Make the corrial large, Marerewana, so that it will float even over the forest trees when the great waters come." Thus his neighbours mocked him, but Marerewana heeded them not, but worked from morning light till sunset to prepare the boat of refuge, even as the Great Our Father had warned him.

After many days the corrial was finished, and it was large and firm, with a strong roof tatched with palm leaves. Still Marerewana feared, and in his sorrow called upon Aiomun Kondi and said, "Peradventure when this flood shall come we may drift across the salt-sea." And Aiomun Kondi answered and said "Moor thy craft to the great kumaka tree, and thou shall be kept safely near thy home."

So with long bush-ropes he fastened his boat as he was bid and during the flood it safely weathered the storm and tempest.

And after many days the rain from heaven was restrained, and the waters decreased continually : and Marerewana looked forth, and behold, the corrial rested upon the dry ground near his former habitation.

After many months the fruit grew and ripened, and then one fell from the tree, and Arawanili saw that it was large, round, and heavy. So at the time appointed, Arawanili carried the calabash to the water's edge, and there he saw awaiting him - Orehu, who taught him to make holes in the rind and through these to withdraw the inner parts of this strange fruit. For the now hollow calabash she made him a handle gleaming bright with feathers, and put into the calabash as few small white stones, made smooth and shining by the water. Then the great Orehu gave to Arawanili the sacred plant, tobacco, which none then knew. These with other charms, made all the evil spirits flee before the face of Arawanili.

When Arawanili was full of years he was gathered to his fathers, and from on high with Aiomun Kondi he looked down upon the Piaimen who use his charms to fight against the spirits who cause pain and sickness, while to this day may be seen in quiet places on the river's bank, Orehu, the good spirit of the Waters.

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xxxxxxxx In those days Arawidi, the sun-spirit, came down upon the earth in fashion like unto a man. And it came to pass that after fishing in his favorite creek, he made a dam, and said, "This creek must not run dry lest when I come again I find no fishes here." The otters heard his words and broke his dam and let the water flow forth. When Arawidi returned and saw the destruction, he called to him the wood-pecker and made him guardian of the waters, and to this day, the wood-pecker flies low over the little creeks, fulfilling the charge of Arawidi, that there be always water for the fishes.

Now it fell on a day, that Arawidi, while passing through the sky heard loud tapping. Hastening to the spot he saw the fierce alligator, and seizing him with his mighty hand, he smote the reptile with a hard club upon the head ad tail. The alligator cried out, "O Arawidi, slay me not, if thou wilt spare me, I will give thee a damsel fair to look upon, to be thy bride.". So Arawidi left off from beating the alligator, who forthwith called to him his friends the water-spirits, who sought and found a comely maiden of wondrous charms, who was placed in Arawidi's arms to be his bride.

No more did Arawidi smite the alligator in his wrath, but to this day can be seen the marks of that first beating indented on his head and notched along his tail.

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THE ROYAL VULTURES

xxxxxxxx Once upon a time a bold young Arawak hunter captured a beautiful vulture. She was the daughter of Anuanima, king of the vultures, living above the sky.

In their far off country the vultures take the body and customs of man. And Anuanima's daughter fell in love with her captor, for he was comely and well favored, and she laid aside her feathers and stood before him as a beautiful maiden. So the young Arawak took her to wife. After many days she bore him above the clouds, and after much talk, prevailed upon Anuanima and her brethren to receive him.

After he had sojourned amongst the vultures for many years, he said, 'I will arise and go unto my mother who bore me, for she is now well stricken in years." And Anuanima's anger waxed hot against the young man, and he cast him forth out of his country, and set him on top of a very high tree, the trunk of which was covered with sharp thorns. And the man called upon the living creatures to help him. Then the spiders spun cords, and the birds bore him upon their pinions, so that at last he reached the ground in safety.

For many a long year he sought to regain his wife whom he dearly loved, but the more he tried, so much the more Anuanima and his army of vultures tried to destroy him. However, by his strength and wisdom he won the victory in every combat.

At length the birds espoused his cause and assembled their forces, and bore him as their leader above the sky. The Arawak and the birds fought against Anuanima and the vultures. In the midst of the battle the Arawak was slain by a valiant young warrior, who looked strangely like himself. It was indeed his own son, born after he had been cast out of Anuanima's country. And brought up there in ignorance of his father

the birds fought so valiantly that those of the vultures who were not slain, were forced to take refuge in the royal house, to which the birds then set fire. Thereupon the vultures put on their wings to fly away. It was to no avail. The hostile birds hemmed them in, and they perished miserably in the flames.

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THE SORCERER'S DAUGHTER

xxxxxxxx Now it came to pass in those days, that the chief sorcerer in the land had a daughter, and she was very beautiful. And her father said to her, "Why do you look so sad? If you lack anything, ask and I shall give it to you." The damsel answered, " I am sick of love for the young hunter who lives alone in the forest. Make me look like his dog, so that I may venture near to him." At these words the sorcerer's countenance fell, for he greatly loved his daughter, and in addition, she was the only child of his old age, but because of his promise he said, "take this skin and draw it over your shoulders, and in the eyes pf your beloved you will be changed (ebesotu) into a dog, and go and be cured of your madness and return to me."

On the following morning, the young man departed from his house with four dogs. But when they came up with their prey, one ran away. And when evening fell the hunter returned to his house, and behold - the house was swept clean, and cassava bread was baked ready for his supper, and he said, "Doubtless some god neighbor has done this for me." And when they all denied it he said, "then it must be some good spirit."

the next day the young man again went hunting, and again the same dog ran away, and the young man said to himself, "I shall find out what this means."

So forthwith he tied the other dogs to a tree and returned to his house, and looking through a hole in the wall, he saw the young damsel baking bread on the fire, and on the wall hung the magic skin. And he was filled with joy, and he loved the maiden with all his heart.

And entering into the house he seized the skin and thrust it into the fire, lest she should again be changed (ebesotu) before his eyes. And he embraced her and he said, "Let us return to your father, and I shall claim you as my bride."

And because of these things, they were called Ebesoana, and their descendants are so called to this day.

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THE DEMARENA

xxxxxxxx Now there was a young man of the family of Korobohana, who was mighty in valor and goodly to look upon. And it fell on a day that this young man saw the Demarena spirits who dwell beneath the earth and the water, dancing beneath the trees. And he joined in their revels, and returned with them and wooed a spirit maiden.

And her father said, "You can have her for a wife, but you must join our family." And although their children always lived above the ground, yet they still called Demarens, and to this day, a Demarena maiden will only marry a Korobohana, and not any other family, and their children bear the mother's name.