49
A man and his wife were living in the field where they planted corn and rice. When they were there, the man died. The woman did not want to go to the town, because there was no one to watch the dead man. She could not bury him. The Ībwa[49] noticed that there was a dead man in the house. He sent one of his sons to get the dead man. When the Ībwa came in the house, the woman took the headaxes and cut him in the doorway. The Ībwa went under the house. His father could not wait for him; he sent his second son and his third son. The boys could not take the body, because they were afraid of the headaxes, for the woman had one in each hand. The Ībwa went there. He said to his sons, “Why do you not take the dead man?” His sons said, “We could not take him, because if we go up in the house the woman takes the two headaxes and tries to kill us.” Ībwa went up into the house; he broke the door of the house. He said to the woman, “Now I am your husband.” The Ībwa took the two ears of the dead man; he ate one and gave the other to the woman to chew, like betel-nut, to see the sign. The sign of the saliva was good. He made the woman's two breasts into one in the center of her chest. He took her to his house.