Now in those days human beings still lived in an undivided world, and life on earth was still like paradise.  It was at this time that Mahatara decided to separate heaven and earth, to divide the terrestrial paradise from the lower valley of tears.  He told Bunu, “For your punishment, you shall stay below on earth forever.”

There was Bunu, totally alone in a hostile world.  Fortunately, his brother Sangen had sown all his seeds, many of which had grown and become fruit-bearing trees, so Bunu was never hungry.  However, he hankered for something else—a woman.  Out of clay he fashioned the woman of his dreams.  She was so beautiful that he prayed to Mahatara to give her life.  While he was praying there appeared on a branch Angoi the chameleon, an animal that possessed the power to change color and disappear into its surroundings, only to reappear later, somewhere else.  Angoi said to Bunu, “I can make this woman live now, so you do not have to wait for God to come all the way down from heaven.”  Bunu agreed, and Angoi made the clay statue live.  She became a real woman named Petak (Earth).  When Mahatara arrived, it was too late.  Petak was a mortal woman because she had been given life by a mortal being.  Mahatara’s water of life would have made her immortal.  Bunu and Petak lived on earth and had many children, but they were all mortals.

The girl yelled at the snake (which understood her language) that she was afraid of it ["The Talking Snake"]

Bwaidoga tales of Goodenough Island

Northeast of Australia is a region of islands known as Melanesia.  Each of its numerous archipelagoes possesses its own mythology.  Off the eastern end of New Guinea lies forest-covered Goodenough Island, land of the Bwaidogas, a people with many stories to tell.

The Origin of the Moon. A certain woman peeled a large, round vilaga, a tuber that is the people’s staple food.  It shone in the light of the setting sun, for a peeled vilaga is white and shiny like teeth.  Then the woman had to go into the woods to collect firewood for cooking her supper.  When she came back, her nice big vilaga had gone.  She searched everywhere, and finally, when she looked up, she saw it shining in the sky.  It had run away to heaven and become the moon.

The Two Boys. Once upon a time two brothers went for a walk in the forest.  There they met a spirit man, whose name was Vidovenovenogala (Speaking Flesh).  The spirit man spoke friendly words to them and offered them food: “Here, my good boys, have some meat.