An old woman whose son had died went with her four daughters to an abandoned house site in order to fish with timbo [narcotic liana, crushed and thrown into quiet waters to drug fish] in the igarape nearby. They placed their catch on a smoking grill; at dusk they slung their hammocks among some near-by bacabeira trees and fell asleep. Awakening after some time, they discovered with dread that their hammocks were hanging in a large ceremonial house where there were many people dancing. At first the old woman was embarrassed and remained seated with her daughters; finally, however, she took from the grill a package of leaves containing small fry and offered it to one of those present. He, however, answered: “Give it to that one!” She went with the gift to the person indicated, but he sent her to a third, who gave her the same answer. Then the old woman replaced the package on the grill, again sitting down next to her daughters, since she recognized that she was dealing with the shades of the dead.
Meanwhile, a nachii in a corner spoke to the shade of her son, who was also there: “It looks as if that is your mother!” The son went over, recognized her, and they conversed. She offered him the smoked flsh, but he explained: “We nachii no longer eat that kind of food!” Then he advised his mother that it would be better if she left; if not, the shades might want to “paint her with genipapo.” The old woman, however, objected, saying that she could not walk in the dark. The son then brought her a resin torch, but when the old woman reached out to take it, it moved; it was a snake, for snakes are the torches of the nachii. The old woman shrieked in fear and let fall the torch, whereupon all the shades gathered around, laughing at her. The son remained at her side until, at daybreak, the feast house disappeared and the nachii ran away, transformed into small animals.