# Papuan Fairy Tales/How the Turtle got his Shell

HOW THE TURTLE GOT HIS SHELL.
Long ago, our fathers have told us, the Turtle and the Wallaby were friends. Now on a certain day, the Turtle was hungry, and asked his friend to go with him to the beach and from thence to the hornbill's garden, where was much sugarcane and where bananas also were plentiful. This they did, and fed plentifully on all that was there. The Wallaby trod upon the stalks of the bananas and bowed them to the ground that his friend might eat. Thus did he ​also to the tall sugarcane and the orabu, the flowering rush. And they both did eat and their hunger was stayed.
Now while they were eating the birds were at work in their gardens, tilling the ground. When the work was finished they dug up much taro and returned to the village to cook their food. They peeled the roots and cut them up and placed them in the pots for cooking. Then said Binama the hornbill, "Let one of you go down to the beach and bring sea water that our food may be salted."
But his word bare no fruit, for one by one the birds made excuse, fearing lest an enemy lay in wait. At last the wagtail arose, and ran into the house to make ready to go to the beach. He hung his kada (shell breastplate) round his neck, tied waving feathers round his head, and took his spear and went forth. And as he went he leapt from side to side the better to avoid the foe, if foe there were. In a little he came to Binama's garden and saw the Turtle and Wallaby feeding. Their hearts trembled; nevertheless the Turtle made bold and said to the wagtail, "Thy master has bidden us eat of his bananas that our hunger may be stayed."
Now the wagtail knew in his heart that they lied, but he answered never a word, but filled his bottles with sea water and ran back to the village by another way. When he reached the village he cried aloud, "Friends, the Turtle and the Wallaby are eating in our master's garden!" At this word, all arose and ​ran for their spears, and surrounded the garden. The Wallaby lifted up his head and seeing nought but enemies round about him, tarried not but leaped mightily and escaped. The Turtle could not jump, as he well knew, so he crawled with haste into a yam patch and hid himself under the leaves.
But the birds knew he was still there, and they hunted for him diligently and at last found him and dragged him forth. The Turtle feared greatly, and cried, "Take not vengeance on me, for truly the Wallaby bade me come hither and with his feet he broke the stalks, while I only ate of the fruit." The birds cared little for his words, and tied him to a pole and thus carried him to Binama's house, where they laid him upon a shelf till the morrow.
The next day Binama called his servants together and all went to dig food to make a feast when they should slay the Turtle. None were in the house but the children whom Binama had set to guard the captive. Then the Turtle made his voice soft, and called the children unto him. "Loosen my bonds. O children," quoth he, "that we may play together." Now the children knew not what was in the Turtle's mind, and they did as he bade them. He crawled down from the shelf, and stretched himself, for he was stiff and sore. Then he said to the children, "Where are your ornaments? Leave the poor ones in the basket, and bring forth only the good ones, that I may see them."
The children ran to the place where Binama kept ​his ornaments, and brought forth a long necklace of shell money, also two shell armlets and a wooden bowl, and laid them before the Turtle. He forthwith wound the necklace many times round his neck, and put on both the shell armlets. Moreover the bowl he fastened upon his back. Then he said to the children, "Ye behold me now richly attired. Watch while I run a little and back again and tell me if the sight is a good one or no."
The children watched him crawl a few paces and called to him to return. This the Turtle did and all sat together in the shade of a tree. Then the Turtle crawled once more, and the children laughed to watch his ungainly form decorated with their father's ornaments. Again the Turtle returned to the children, but this time he did not sit with them. For on a sudden he heard voices and knew the men were drawing near. Then he saw them as they came forth, and ran swiftly to the sea. The children cried aloud to their father, "Come, for the Turtle is running away!"
When Binama heard this cry, he and the birds with him, threw the sheaves of taro aside and gave chase to the runaway. But the Turtle had already reached the sea, and he hasted to dive. The birds called, "Show thyself now. Lift up thine head." This did the Turtle, and the angry birds cast great stones into the sea, and the left armlet which the Turtle wore was shattered. So he dived, but they called again, "Show thyself. Lift up thine head," and a ​stone fell upon the right armlet and brake it into small pieces. Again they called, and again the Turtle raised himself in the water, and this time the stones cut in twain the string on which the necklace of shell money was threaded.
And now for the last time came the call, "Show thyself. Lift up thine head." The Turtle once more raised himself and the birds flung after him all the great stones they could find. They fell in scores upon the wooden bowl which had been carried away from Binama's home, but it was not destroyed, nay, nor was it harmed at all. And the Turtle fled far over the sea, nor was he seen again of Binama or his followers. But since that day even until now, so our fathers have told us, all turtles carry upon their back the bowl which in the old days was in the house of Binama.