Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 1, 2025
When birds were men, and men were birds, Pivi and Kabo lived in an island far away, called New Claledonia. Pivi was a cheery little bird that chirps at sunset; Kabo was an ugly black fowl that croaks in the darkness. One day Pivi and Kabo thought that they would make slings, and practice slinging, as the people of the island still do.
Kabo laughed like a fiend, and then went home. 'Where is Pivi? asked the two pretty girls. Kabo pretended to cry, and told how Pivi had been swallowed. 'But dry your tears, my darlings, said Kabo, 'I will be your husband, and my wives shall be your slaves. Everything is for the best, in the best of all possible worlds. 'No, no! cried the girls, 'we love Pivi. We do not love anyone else.
So they went slinging, and Pivi broke Kabo's leg, and Kabo fell into the river, and floated into the bamboo, and the woman blew him out, just as before. Then she picked up Kabo, and put him in the shed, and told him what to do when the Black Ant came, and what to do when the Red Ant came. But he didn't!
Tell me, are you Pivi? 'Oh, yes! said Pivi. 'But I am much better looking, and there are my two wives, are they not beautiful? 'You are mocking me, Pivi! Your wives? How? Where did you get them? You, with wives! Then Pivi told Kabo about the kind woman, and all the wonderful things that had happened to him.
Pivi went, and deep in the clear water they saw a monstrous shell-fish, like an oyster, as big as a rock, with the shell wide open. 'We shall catch it, and dry it, and kipper it, said Pivi, 'and give a dinner to all our friends! 'I shall dive for it, and break it off the rock, said Kabo, 'and then you must help me to drag it up into the canoe.
And when he went back for them there he found two horrid old black hags, wrangling, and scolding, and scratching! So back he went to Pivi with his two beautiful wives, and Pivi was very sorry, but what could he do? Nothing, but sit and cry. So, one day, Kabo came and asked Pivi to sail in his canoe to a place where he knew of a great big shell-fish, enough to feed on for a week.
There the shell-fish lay and gaped, but Kabo, though he dived in, kept well out of the way of the beast. Up he came, puffing and blowing: 'Oh, Pivi, he cried, 'I cannot move it. Jump in and try yourself! Pivi dived, with his spear, and the shell-fish opened its shell wider yet, and sucked, and Pivi disappeared into its mouth, and the shell shut up with a snap!
And she blew in at one end, and blew little Pivi out at the other, like a pea from a pea-shooter. 'Oh! cried the woman, 'what a state you are in! What have you been doing? 'It was Kabo who broke my leg at the slinging game, said Pivi. 'Well, I am sorry for you, said the woman; 'will you come with me, and do what I tell you? 'I will! said Pivi, for the woman was very kind and pretty.
He waved his hand, and five and twenty of his friends came trooping down the hill. They cut up Kabo into little pieces. Pivi turned round, and there was the good woman of the river. 'Pivi, she said, 'how did you get out of the living tomb into which Kabo sent you? 'I had my spear with me, said Pivi.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking