when does a teenager become an adult ?
In many countries,it happens on your 18th birthday, but in some parts of the world, you have to do something special to enter the world of adults.
on the island of Papua New Guinea , the Niowra tribe lives near th Sepik River , Which is full of crocodiles. Thepeople beleive that crocodiles made the earth and it people .
When it is time for teenage boys to become men , a "crocodile ceremony" take place.
the boy are taken to a hut called the "Crocodile Nest" . The hut is full of crocodile teeth and skulls. The boys are told to think of their crocodile "fathers and mothers" This help them to be strong and
brave during the ceremony . They stay in the hut for six weeks. As part of the ceremony, bamboo is used to make small cuts on their backs and chests. The Niowra say that if the boy think of their
crocodile mothers and even tell jokes during their time in the hut to take their minds of the pain . Amazingly , some boy sleep during the most painful part of the ceremony.
The Niowra beleive that this ceremony makes the boys stronger and braver. After the ceremony , the boys will have the marks of the cuts on their back and chests for the rest of their lives . The marks are symbol of the teeth of the crocodile.
The boys are now crocodile men and can survive living in the dangerous forest. When the boys finally leave the crocodile hut, there is singing and dancing , ang the new crocodile men are given adult responsibilities in the village.