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Overview
A wagtail lands above a woman roasting taro and sings words Ker translates as a warning that she will be eaten with the food. Her husband dismisses the warning as referring only to taro, then kills and eats her. The same bird warns a second wife, with the same result. Four wives perish before the fifth explains the danger to her children.
The last mother’s liver reaches her children after her death. Holding it, they command successive hills to bury their pursuing father; the final mountain kills him. They later die in a boar attack. The wagtail’s truthful speech and the mother’s protective remains belong to different actions in the tale; neither rescues the children from every danger.
Origins & earliest records
Annie Ker, Papuan Fairy Tales (London: Macmillan, 1910), The Wise Wagtail, pp. 45–51. Individual narrator unnamed.
Records & interpretation
Complete narrative directly read, including final boar attack.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
The Wise Wagtail, pp. 45–51
Full tale inspected.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary collected textKer 1910: The Wise WagtailResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.