One of the rules of the Lali religion was to kill screech owls when the moon was quarter full, because it was at this period that Shoozoo had killed the owls of Cocoanut Hill, and all owl hunts were in commemoration of his great exploit. Another was to hide their darts for six days after this festival, because during this time Shoozoo rested from his hunt and needed no more owls. Another observance was to present snakes to one another at a certain period in honor of the great serpent which Shoozoo killed and presented to Simlee. For days before this festival the young monkeys were kept busy hunting snakes in the great Swamp. Another requirement was that on the day before Owl-hunt the Lali should walk upright as a preparation for the great festival, since on this day Shoozoo walked upright to aim at the moon. They were forbidden to take fish from the great Swamp on Snake Day, though they might then take them from other waters. No monkey must kill another during these festivals, as this right was reserved to the priests alone, who must, however, use their victims only in sacrifice.
Departure from these rules was punished by being plunged in the Great Swamp to wash away the guilt. The sinner was kept under as long as the celebrant deemed fit; and if he survived he was said to be reconciled to Shoozoo, and if not he was deemed incapable of purification and deservedly dead. There were other penalties for small offenders. Most of the offences among the Lali were religious violations, and the punishment was in the hands of the priests, which had much to do with the preservation of the unity of religion. Sin was recognized before wrong, nonconformity before crime, and ecclesiastical penalties before civil. Frequent attempts were made to throw off the tyranny of the priesthood, but the leaders of the revolt were quickly apprehended, and usually put to death with great tortures. Heresies were not infrequent among the Apes, who soon learned, however, that it was not policy to make them known. In general there was a remarkable unanimity among them—a greater degree than has since been known in religious affairs.
Among the maxims of the Lali, which were also current among the Ammi, (for, notwithstanding their religious differences, their morality was substantially the same), were the following:
Keep your snout in your own cocoanut.
Never bite off an ear in sport.
Stick to the tree you are climbing.
Don’t fight over what you don’t want.
Save what you can’t eat, remembering that you must eat again.
Don’t crack your cocoanuts on each other’s heads.