The Tabu Tale by Rudyard Kipling. Short summary

5 seconds

A story about the caveman Tegumaya Bopsulai, his beloved daughter Tuffy, and the taboo of the Tegumaya tribe. In this tale, Tuffy learns what a taboo is and how to use it.

1 minute

One day a Tegumai hunter came to the Big Chief of the Tegumai tribe asking him to wean his daughter Tuffy from making noise while hunting. The chief decided to think about it. He also noticed that there were few fish in the Wagay River. He consulted with Tegumai, and they decided to put a taboo on the river. They put up a Pillar of Taboo with the whole tribe, which forbade fishing in the river for six months.

Tuffy, who had been a bit friendly with the Big Chief, asked for a personal taboo for herself as well. The chief gave her a taboo necklace forbidding her to touch her personal belongings. He said the necklace would work if the girl began to observe her father’s adult taboos. At home, Tuffy asked what the adult taboos were. Tegumai showed her the signs she should follow when hunting. A raised palm meant «freeze,» a wave of the hand near her nose meant «flee.»

In the evening, Tegumai and Taffy went hunting. Taffy unquestioningly followed her father’s signs, froze at the right time, and they caught two rabbits. The father was very proud of his daughter.