KELLY SALUME
IN the big forest of Bulolo in Morobe Province there lived seven brothers. Their parents had passed on when the last born was just six years old. But they lived happily enough.
Early one morning the first born woke up from his bed and said to his brothers: “We will take our tools, go to the top of the mountain, clear the bush and make a garden.”
They all agreed and took their tools up the mountain. They worked tirelessly until sunset then walked back home.
On the way they hunted animals. They killed a cassowary and some cuscus and took them home to eat.
After some weeks the brothers returned to the mountain. They burned the piled up grass and trees they had cut and cleared.
Then planting began. It took them several days to complete. They planted bananas, taro, yams, sugar cane, kaukau and other crops. Then they rested.
After the planting they visited their garden only once in a while to clear the weeds.
One day the brothers went to harvest some of their crops to sell at the market and make some money.
The next morning, they took the bags of food to the beach, loaded everything onto their canoe and sailed off to market.
They were still travelling when the sun started to set so they pulled up on an island and rested for the night.
Early next morning they paddled the rest of the way, hauled the bags out of their canoe and carried them to the market.
By noon they had sold all their crops. They were happy and used the money they had earned to buy everything they needed.
They went to their canoe, loaded everything into it and set off for home.
While they were travelling, the last born spotted a piece of bamboo floating on the water. It had seven notches in it.
The young fellow grabbed the bamboo and hid it in his bag without showing it to his brothers.
When they reached home he took the bamboo out of his bag and hid it in his room.
From then on strange things began to happen in the house. When the brothers went out their meals were nicely prepared and ready when they returned.
Every day the interior of their house and all around was thoroughly swept clean.
All their dirty clothes were washed, dried and folded.
The brothers wondered who was doing these things.
One day they left the younger brother behind to secretly keep watch. They then took their tools and went to their garden.
As soon as the brothers were out of sight, talking and giggling came from the house. The young fellow heard this and was scared. Seven pretty sisters had come out of the bamboo and were discussing what to do before the brothers came home.
The young man watched until the sisters were out of sight. He then left his hiding place, went into the house, took the bamboo and chopped it into pieces and threw them away.
Then he ran to his brothers and told them everything. It was those girls who had been doing the strange things.
They were happy with what their small brother told them. They rushed back home to meet the girls.
But the magical girls had returned to the house and discovered their secret dwelling place was gone. There was no way for them to escape. So they went into the house and prepared dinner and waited for the boys.
When the seven brothers arrived home, they heard giggling and laughter inside the house.
They rushed in and found the seven pretty girls busy with the household chores. The seven brothers were so excited. They hugged the sisters and welcomed them.
The seven beautiful sisters married the seven brothers and this was how the seven tribes living in Bulolo today came to be.