Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-07
The Bees Home Magazine page
A Lost Paradise

headdrcssca etc, OF home-wovcn cloth.
intertvined with the bright-colored feath-
ers OF Gorgeous niacaw BIRDS which ex-
cite tho admiration Of the civilized visitor
by their novelty and beauty. The women
are described a. resembling statues Of
polished bronne OF magnifioent proper
tions. while tho mon are well made and
Intelligent lookina.
n. as DIR. FSrabec thinks, these Wal
Wal Indians. with the surrounding
tribes. who resemble them In manners
and appearance, represent union OF the
remains OF the ancient Carlbs and
Arowaks. thon the peaoeahle character
OF tho latter, who. before the coming OF
ths Spaniards. had been sadly harNssed
by tho war-like Carihs, has prevailed In
the blending. There are no wars among
them now. They live on vegetablea fruit
and game; grind oassavR with roughly
hewed granite bolders and obtain fire
with sparks from stricken stones.
Spring In their mating time. a. with
birds. and then they put on their bril-
liant garments, cleaning with the most
exquisite hues Of scarlet, yellow and
blue, and dance the ''masheka,' or pea
nut vine dance" An imitation OF this
dance was long ago produced in Brasil.
being picked up from the Indian tribeE
and carried down the Amason. and this
was the origin OF the Maxine" a dance
which came 10 America through Paris.
In the place where II was Invented this
dance is a rite Of the mating season, ss
symbolical a. the bacchio dances Of the
ancient Greeks.
| Those great mystery stories OF uni-
ersal humanity. the legends OF a pare
disc and a deluge. have been found again
by Or. Fsrabee In this almost inacces-
slble part OF the world. The paradise
story, as told by the Wai-Wsis is IN
| some respects moro pleasing than the
Hebrew account used by Milton In hts
| Paradise Lost" In the beginning. it
says, the god Duwid. having made men
and women. continued to feed them with
| his own hands, bringing them every day
| abundance OF fruit and vegetables
In their idleness, the men and women
found nothing more interesting to do
than TO watch the other animals. Thus
4 they discovered that these animals went
off somewhere every morning and re-
turned at night Led by curiosity, they
followed, and found a great tree which
shed every day from its branches both
fruits and vegetables, on which the ami
! mails fed
Here" they said, 'qs where Duwid
gets our food. Henceforth let us come
and help ourselves. Then we shall not
have TO thank him for IT,
Accordingly. they told Duwid that he
need not take the trouble to bring them
food any longer. for they had found
out where to get Il for themselves.
VERY WE'LL" said the god. but here
after you will have 90 work for It. To-
morrow tha tree shall be cut down. but.
90 save you from starvation, will give
YOU hint. Break off branches bearing
each kind OF fruit and plant them IN the
ground. Water and tend them carefully
and they will flourish and continue 20
bear abundantly as long as you continue
TO labor"
They began TO obey Duw1d's instruc-
tions, but, becoming wearied left off be-
fore they had taken from the tree more
than a small number OF the infinite va
riety OF fruits that Il bore. Fortunately
they got the cassava, but they have TO
work hard. not only to raise Il. but TO fit
II for eating. The enormous stump OF
the great tree. they say. stili exists IN the
midst OF their country. in the form OF a
huge steep-aided rock, rising high above
the roof OF the forest.
The wai-wais arc described as very
childlike race. but this legend Of theirs
Is full OF adult wisdom and keen knowi-
edge OF human nature. II depicts the
consequence Of idleness and too indul-
gent paternalism far more polntedly thar
the story In Genesis does. while alto
gether avoiding the unnecessary inven-
tion Of the serpent IN tempter The
absence OF vindictiveness in the god
Duwid's sentence Is also notable
feature.