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MAGIC 667
man, AZ, had at one time done him an injury, and Tivliis
desired vengeance. For this reason he wanted to get hold 0f_
some of A—-’s excrement that he might perform over it a variety
of sickness magic called nimbangsei. It happened, however, that
Tivliis had another enemy, M——, who in his turn wanted to
avenge himself upon Tivliis. MT realized that Tivliis was so
great a magician that there was no possibility of injuring him
through the ordinary channels of magic and he therefore laid
a cunning plan whereby he might hoist him with his ovm petard.
He knew that Tivliis was wanting to work magic over Ai’s
excrement and he therefore went, one day, to watch by the men's
village latrine whither Tivliis retired to evacuate. When he had
ï¬Ånished and departed, MT came forth, gathered up Tivliis's
excreta, and took them to the latter saying that he had succeeded
in obtaining for him some of A» —— ’s dirt. Tivliis was at ï¬Årst
suspicious, but Mi reassured him, so he took the excrement
and performed his magic over it. About a month later, ulcers
began to develop on Tivliis's legs. It happened that at this time
one of his friends, who was a clairvoyant, and diagnoser of
disease, came to visit him and, being shocked at his condition,
asked him what he had been doing with himself. Tivliis at ï¬Årst
denied having done anything, but, on his friend's persisting,
he admitted that he had performed nimbangsai magic over
A—’s excreta. At this his friend, using his clairvoyant powers,
said: " No, Tivliis, you made a mistake ; it was over your own
excrement that you worked nimban,I;sn'." Tivliis was horriï¬Åed.
lt was too late now for him to try to counteract the effect. Had
he heard within two or three days of performing the magic he
might have prevented it by countenmagie, but now “ his blood
was no good " and there was nothing to be done. So the ulcers
grew until they extended the length of his leg, and Tivliis became
a conï¬Årmed invalid. From this we may see what scrupulous
care must be taken by a man who is working malevolent magic
and how essential it is for him to know the counter-magic. It is
not uncommon for a man to purchase knowledge of the latter,
even when he cannot obtain the power of working that to which
it is an antidote ; indeed, most men, even if they know no death-
magic, know one or two counter-magics. The converse would
be unthinkable, for it would expose the pertunner to unheard-
oi risks.
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