A Man and a Bed

This is a Torres Straits figure collected by Dr. Haddon and heretofore unpublished. The native name is Le Sik.

1

First: Opening A.

2

Second: Pass each thumb away from you under the index loop; pick up on the back of the thumb the near little finger string, and return the thumb to its former position (Fig. 441).

Fig. 441
3

Third: Pass each little finger toward you and, from above, through the index loop, and pick up on the back of the little finger the far thumb string (not the palmar string) (Fig. 442), and return the little finger to its position (Fig. 443).

Fig. 442
Fig. 443
4

Fourth: Release the loops from the index fingers, and sing, "Le sikge, le sikge, uteidi, uteidi, sik erapei" (Man on a bed, man on a bed, lies sleep, lies sleep, bed breaks). At the word "erapei," release the loops from the little fingers, and the figure will disappear.

String Figure Notation (SFN)

  1. OA: T mu FS pu nLS
  2. LR mo-th FN ht-pt fTS tr L: re F