Page:Papuan Fairy Tales.djvu/78

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PAPUAN FAIRY TALES

for them. In a little space he saw them as they mounted a hill in front. So he made haste and drew near to them. But the children, turning as they reached the top of the hill, espied him below, and holding the liver in their hands, cried, "O hill, fall upon the man who pursues us!" This did the hill, obeying the word of the children who held the liver in their hands. And the man was buried under much earth, and was like to be killed. Nevertheless, he strove valiantly until he had dug for himself a way of escape. But when he was standing on his feet once more the children were scaling another hill, higher than the first, and as they stood upon the top they cried, "O hill, fall upon the man who pursues us!" And the hill did as they had asked, and so the man had again to dig a way out before he could follow the children. But he was strong and in a little time he had come forth from the earth which covered him, and when he was free he ran quickly up the hill and was soon in sight of them once more. But this time they had climbed a great mountain, and standing on the top they called to it to fall upon the man and to let them escape. And the great mountain did even as they asked and fell mightily upon the man, and this time the earth which fell was so heavy that the man strove in vain, and perished miserably in the heart of the mountain.

The children, when they saw that their father no longer pursued them, were glad, and their hearts cooled. But alas, they were in a perilous land. It