Seventeen years among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo; a ... - Sabrizain.org

170 'MANANG/' OH WITCH-DOCTOR
soul.' and you only pretend to do so, and get paid
for it."
The manang was no doubt disgusted at being thus
reproved by a little boy, and replied :
'
I am able to catch the soul and restore it. I will
catch your soul if you like."
" "
Do so," said the boy. I would like you very much
to do it."
The foolish manang pretended to faint ;
then he woke
up in the orthodox manner with one hand clenched, and
when he opened it, lo and behold ! there was something
there which he declared was the boy's soul.
The boy sat and looked on while all this went on.
" Here is your soul," the manang said, " which I have
succeeded in catching after much trouble. Let me
restore it to you, so that you may be in good health."
"Call that my soul?" said the boy. "I make a
present of it to you. I do not want it. You can keep it.
I have a soul which you cannot touch."
The manang was puzzled. He had never known such
a thing as anyone daring to refuse to have his own soul.
He spoke to the parents, and said that something terrible
would happen to the boy if he persisted in not having his
soul returned to his body. The parents wished the boy
to do what the manang desired, but he was determined,
and did what all Dyak boys do when they are disobedient
— ran off into the jungle, where he knew he would not
easily be found.
When this boy came back to my school, he told me all
about it, and later on, when he and I went to his people,
they spoke about it. As the boy was in very good health,
they all had a laugh at the manang's expense. If,
however, anything had happened to the boy, no