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diff --git a/341-0.txt b/341-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..172285e --- /dev/null +++ b/341-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5002 @@ +Project Gutenberg’s Myths and Legends of the Sioux, by Marie L. McLaughlin + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Myths and Legends of the Sioux + +Author: Marie L. McLaughlin + +Posting Date: July 11, 2008 [EBook #341] +Release Date: October, 1995 +Last Updated: November 11, 2016 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE SIOUX *** + + + + +Produced by Judith Boss + + + + + +MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE SIOUX + +By Mrs. Marie L. Mclaughlin + + + In loving memory of my mother, + MARY GRAHAM BUISSON, + at whose knee most of the stories + contained in this little volume + were told to me, this book is + affectionately dedicated + + + + + TABLE OF CONTENTS + + Dedication + Foreword + The Forgotten Ear of Corn + The Little Mice + The Pet Rabbit + The Pet Donkey + The Rabbit and the Elk + The Rabbit and the Grouse Girls + The Faithful Lovers + The Artichoke and the Muskrat + The Rabbit, and the Bear with the Flint Body + Story of the Lost Wife + The Raccoon and the Crawfish + Legend of Standing Rock + Story of the Peace Pipe + A Bashful Courtship + The Simpleton’s Wisdom + Little Brave and the Medicine Woman + The Bound Children + The Signs of Corn + Story of the Rabbits + How the Rabbit Lost His Tail + Unktomi and the Arrowheads + The Bear and the Rabbit Hunt Buffalo + The Brave Who Went on the Warpath Alone and + Won the Name of the Lone Warrior + The Sioux Who Married the Crow Chief’s + Daughter + The Boy and the Turtles + The Hermit, or the Gift of Corn + The Mysterious Butte + The Wonderful Turtle + The Man and the Oak + Story of the Two Young Friends + The Story of the Pet Crow + The “Wasna” (Pemmican Man) and the Unktomi (Spider) + The Resuscitation of the Only Daughter + The Story of the Pet Crane + White Plume + Story of Pretty Feathered Forehead + The Four Brothers or Inyanhoksila (Stone Boy) + The Unktomi (Spider), Two Widows and the Red Plums + + + + +FOREWORD + +In publishing these “Myths of the Sioux,” I deem it proper to state that +I am of one-fourth Sioux blood. My maternal grandfather, Captain Duncan +Graham, a Scotchman by birth, who had seen service in the British Army, +was one of a party of Scotch Highlanders who in 1811 arrived in the +British Northwest by way of York Factory, Hudson Bay, to found what was +known as the Selkirk Colony, near Lake Winnipeg, now within the +province of Manitoba, Canada. Soon after his arrival at Lake Winnipeg he +proceeded up the Red River of the North and the western fork thereof +to its source, and thence down the Minnesota River to Mendota, the +confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, where he located. My +grandmother, Ha-za-ho-ta-win, was a full-blood of the Medawakanton Band +of the Sioux Tribe of Indians. My father, Joseph Buisson, born near +Montreal, Canada, was connected with the American Fur Company, with +headquarters at Mendota, Minnesota, which point was for many years the +chief distributing depot of the American Fur Company, from which the +Indian trade conducted by that company on the upper Mississippi was +directed. + +I was born December 8, 1842, at Wabasha, Minnesota, then Indian country, +and resided thereat until fourteen years of age, when I was sent to +school at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. + +I was married to Major James McLaughlin at Mendota, Minnesota, +January 28, 1864, and resided in Minnesota until July 1, 1871, when I +accompanied my husband to Devils Lake Agency, North Dakota, then Dakota +Territory, where I remained ten years in most friendly relations with +the Indians of that agency. My husband was Indian agent at Devils Lake +Agency, and in 1881 was transferred to Standing Rock, on the Missouri +River, then a very important agency, to take charge of the Sioux who +had then but recently surrendered to the military authorities, and been +brought by steamboat from various points on the upper Missouri, to be +permanently located on the Standing Rock reservation. + +Having been born and reared in an Indian community, I at an early age +acquired a thorough knowledge of the Sioux language, and having lived on +Indian reservations for the past forty years in a position which brought +me very near to the Indians, whose confidence I possessed, I have, +therefore, had exceptional opportunities of learning the legends and +folk-lore of the Sioux. + +The stories contained in this little volume were told me by the older +men and women of the Sioux, of which I made careful notes as related, +knowing that, if not recorded, these fairy tales would be lost to +posterity by the passing of the primitive Indian. + +The notes of a song or a strain of music coming to us through the night +not only give us pleasure by the melody they bring, but also give us +knowledge of the character of the singer or of the instrument from which +they proceed. There is something in the music which unerringly tells us +of its source. I believe musicians call it the “timbre” of the sound. It +is independent of, and different from, both pitch and rhythm; it is the +texture of the music itself. + +The “timbre” of a people’s stories tells of the qualities of that +people’s heart. It is the texture of the thought, independent of its +form or fashioning, which tells the quality of the mind from which it +springs. + +In the “timbre” of these stories of the Sioux, told in the lodges and +at the camp fires of the past, and by the firesides of the Dakotas of +today, we recognize the very texture of the thought of a simple, grave, +and sincere people, living in intimate contact and friendship with the +big out-of-doors that we call Nature; a race not yet understanding all +things, not proud and boastful, but honest and childlike and fair; a +simple, sincere, and gravely thoughtful people, willing to believe that +there may be in even the everyday things of life something not yet fully +understood; a race that can, without any loss of native dignity, gravely +consider the simplest things, seeking to fathom their meaning and to +learn their lesson--equally without vain-glorious boasting and trifling +cynicism; an earnest, thoughtful, dignified, but simple and primitive +people. + +To the children of any race these stories can not fail to give pleasure +by their vivid imaging of the simple things and creatures of the great +out-of-doors and the epics of their doings. They will also give an +intimate insight into the mentality of an interesting race at a most +interesting stage of development, which is now fast receding into the +mists of the past. + + +MARIE L. McLAUGHLIN (Mrs. James McLaughlin). + +McLaughlin, S. D., May 1, 1913. + + + + +THE FORGOTTEN EAR OF CORN + +An Arikara woman was once gathering corn from the field to store away +for winter use. She passed from stalk to stalk, tearing off the ears and +dropping them into her folded robe. When all was gathered she started to +go, when she heard a faint voice, like a child’s, weeping and calling: + +“Oh, do not leave me! Do not go away without me.” + +The woman was astonished. “What child can that be?” she asked herself. +“What babe can be lost in the cornfield?” + +She set down her robe in which she had tied up her corn, and went back +to search; but she found nothing. + +As she started away she heard the voice again: + +“Oh, do not leave me. Do not go away without me.” + +She searched for a long time. At last in one corner of the field, hidden +under the leaves of the stalks, she found one little ear of corn. This +it was that had been crying, and this is why all Indian women have since +garnered their corn crop very carefully, so that the succulent food +product should not even to the last small nubbin be neglected or wasted, +and thus displease the Great Mystery. + + + + + +THE LITTLE MICE + +Once upon a time a prairie mouse busied herself all fall storing away a +cache of beans. Every morning she was out early with her empty cast-off +snake skin, which she filled with ground beans and dragged home with her +teeth. + +The little mouse had a cousin who was fond of dancing and talk, but who +did not like to work. She was not careful to get her cache of beans and +the season was already well gone before she thought to bestir herself. +When she came to realize her need, she found she had no packing bag. So +she went to her hardworking cousin and said: + +“Cousin, I have no beans stored for winter and the season is nearly +gone. But I have no snake skin to gather the beans in. Will you lend me +one?” + +“But why have you no packing bag? Where were you in the moon when the +snakes cast off their skins?” + +“I was here.” + +“What were you doing?” + +“I was busy talking and dancing.” + +“And now you are punished,” said the other. “It is always so with lazy, +careless people. But I will let you have the snake skin. And now go, and +by hard work and industry, try to recover your wasted time.” + + + + + + +THE PET RABBIT + +A little girl owned a pet rabbit which she loved dearly. She carried it +on her back like a babe, made for it a little pair of moccasins, and at +night shared with it her own robe. + +Now the little girl had a cousin who loved her very dearly and wished to +do her honor; so her cousin said to herself: + +“I love my little cousin well and will ask her to let me carry her pet +rabbit around;” (for thus do Indian women when they wish to honor a +friend; they ask permission to carry about the friend’s babe). + +She then went to the little girl and said: + +“Cousin, let me carry your pet rabbit about on my back. Thus shall I +show you how I love you.” + +Her mother, too, said to her: “Oh no, do not let our little grandchild +go away from our tepee.” + +But the cousin answered: “Oh, do let me carry it. I do so want to show +my cousin honor.” At last they let her go away with the pet rabbit on +her back. + +When the little girl’s cousin came home to her tepee, some rough boys +who were playing about began to make sport of her. To tease the little +girl they threw stones and sticks at the pet rabbit. At last a stick +struck the little rabbit upon the head and killed it. + +When her pet was brought home dead, the little rabbit’s adopted mother +wept bitterly. She cut off her hair for mourning and all her little girl +friends wailed with her. Her mother, too, mourned with them. + +“Alas!” they cried, “alas, for the little rabbit. He was always kind and +gentle. Now your child is dead and you will be lonesome.” + +The little girl’s mother called in her little friends and made a great +mourning feast for the little rabbit. As he lay in the tepee his adopted +mother’s little friends brought many precious things and covered his +body. At the feast were given away robes and kettles and blankets and +knives and great wealth in honor of the little rabbit. Him they wrapped +in a robe with his little moccasins on and buried him in a high place +upon a scaffold. + + + + + + +THE PET DONKEY + +There was a chief’s daughter once who had a great many relations so that +everybody knew she belonged to a great family. + +When she grew up she married and there were born to her twin sons. This +caused great rejoicing in her father’s camp, and all the village women +came to see the babes. She was very happy. + +As the babes grew older, their grandmother made for them two saddle bags +and brought out a donkey. + +“My two grandchildren,” said the old lady, “shall ride as is becoming +to children having so many relations. Here is this donkey. He is patient +and surefooted. He shall carry the babes in the saddle bags, one on +either side of his back.” + +It happened one day that the chief’s daughter and her husband were +making ready to go on a camping journey. The father, who was quite proud +of his children, brought out his finest pony, and put the saddle bags on +the pony’s back. + +“There,” he said, “my sons shall ride on the pony, not on a donkey; let +the donkey carry the pots and kettles.” + +So his wife loaded the donkey with the household things. She tied the +tepee poles into two great bundles, one on either side of the donkey’s +back; across them she put the travois net and threw into it the pots and +kettles and laid the skin tent across the donkey’s back. + +But no sooner done than the donkey began to rear and bray and kick. He +broke the tent poles and kicked the pots and kettles into bits and tore +the skin tent. The more he was beaten the more he kicked. + +At last they told the grandmother. She laughed. “Did I not tell you the +donkey was for the children,” she cried. “He knows the babies are +the chief’s children. Think you he will be dishonored with pots and +kettles?” and she fetched the children and slung them over the donkey’s +back, when he became at once quiet again. + +The camping party left the village and went on their journey. But the +next day as they passed by a place overgrown with bushes, a band of +enemies rushed out, lashing their ponies and sounding their war whoop. +All was excitement. The men bent their bows and seized their lances. +After a long battle the enemy fled. But when the camping party came +together again--where were the donkey and the two babes? No one knew. +For a long time they searched, but in vain. At last they turned to go +back to the village, the father mournful, the mother wailing. When they +came to the grandmother’s tepee, there stood the good donkey with the +two babes in the saddle bags. + + + + + + +THE RABBIT AND THE ELK + +The little rabbit lived with his old grandmother, who needed a new +dress. “I will go out and trap a deer or an elk for you,” he said. “Then +you shall have a new dress.” + +When he went out hunting he laid down his bow in the path while he +looked at his snares. An elk coming by saw the bow. + +“I will play a joke on the rabbit,” said the elk to himself. “I will +make him think I have been caught in his bow string.” He then put one +foot on the string and lay down as if dead. + +By and by the rabbit returned. When he saw the elk he was filled with +joy and ran home crying: “Grandmother, I have trapped a fine elk. You +shall have a new dress from his skin. Throw the old one in the fire!” + +This the old grandmother did. + +The elk now sprang to his feet laughing. “Ho, friend rabbit,” he called, +“You thought to trap me; now I have mocked you.” And he ran away into +the thicket. + +The rabbit who had come back to skin the elk now ran home again. +“Grandmother, don’t throw your dress in the fire,” he cried. But it was +too late. The old dress was burned. + + + + + +THE RABBIT AND THE GROUSE GIRLS + +The rabbit once went out on the prairie in winter time. On the side of a +hill away from the wind he found a great company of girls all with grey +and speckled blankets over their backs. They were the grouse girls and +they were coasting down hill on a board. When the rabbit saw them, he +called out: + +“Oh, maidens, that is not a good way to coast down hill. Let me get you +a fine skin with bangles on it that tinkle as you slide.” And away he +ran to the tepee and brought a skin bag. It had red stripes on it and +bangles that tinkled. “Come and get inside,” he said to the grouse +girls. “Oh, no, we are afraid,” they answered. “Don’t be afraid, I can’t +hurt you. Come, one of you,” said the rabbit. Then as each hung back he +added coaxingly: “If each is afraid alone, come all together. I can’t +hurt you _all_.” And so he coaxed the whole flock into the bag. This +done, the rabbit closed the mouth of the bag, slung it over his back and +came home. “Grandmother,” said he, as he came to the tepee, “here is a +bag full of game. Watch it while I go for willow sticks to make spits.” + +But as soon as the rabbit had gone out of the tent, the grouse girls +began to cry out: + +“Grandmother, let us out.” + +“Who are you?” asked the old woman. + +“Your dear grandchildren,” they answered. + +“But how came you in the bag?” asked the old woman. + +“Oh, our cousin was jesting with us. He coaxed us in the bag for a joke. +Please let us out.” + +“Certainly, dear grandchildren, I will let you out,” said the old +woman as she untied the bag: and lo, the grouse flock with +achuck-a-chuck-achuck flew up, knocking over the old grandmother and +flew out of the square smoke opening of the winter lodge. The old woman +caught only one grouse as it flew up and held it, grasping a leg with +each hand. + +When the rabbit came home with the spits she called out to him: + +“Grandson, come quick. They got out but I have caught two.” + +When he saw what had happened he was quite angry, yet could not keep +from laughing. + +“Grandmother, you have but one grouse,” he cried, “and it is a very +skinny one at that.” + + + + + + +THE FAITHFUL LOVERS + +There once lived a chief’s daughter who had many relations. All the +young men in the village wanted to have her for wife, and were all eager +to fill her skin bucket when she went to the brook for water. + +There was a young man in the village who was industrious and a good +hunter; but he was poor and of a mean family. He loved the maiden +and when she went for water, he threw his robe over her head while he +whispered in her ear: + +“Be my wife. I have little but I am young and strong. I will treat you +well, for I love you.” + +For a long time the maiden did not answer, but one day she whispered +back. + +“Yes, you may ask my father’s leave to marry me. But first you must do +something noble. I belong to a great family and have many relations. You +must go on a war party and bring back the scalp of an enemy.” + +The young man answered modestly, “I will try to do as you bid me. I am +only a hunter, not a warrior. Whether I shall be brave or not I do not +know. But I will try to take a scalp for your sake.” + +So he made a war party of seven, himself and six other young men. They +wandered through the enemy’s country, hoping to get a chance to strike a +blow. But none came, for they found no one of the enemy. + +“Our medicine is unfavorable,” said their leader at last. “We shall have +to return home.” + +Before they started they sat down to smoke and rest beside a beautiful +lake at the foot of a green knoll that rose from its shore. The knoll +was covered with green grass and somehow as they looked at it they had +a feeling that there was something about it that was mysterious or +uncanny. + +But there was a young man in the party named the jester, for he was +venturesome and full of fun. Gazing at the knoll he said: “Let’s run and +jump on its top.” + +“No,” said the young lover, “it looks mysterious. Sit still and finish +your smoke.” + +“Oh, come on, who’s afraid,” said the jester, laughing. “Come on +you--come on!” and springing to his feet he ran up the side of the +knoll. + +Four of the young men followed. Having reached the top of the knoll all +five began to jump and stamp about in sport, calling, “Come on, come +on,” to the others. Suddenly they stopped--the knoll had begun to move +toward the water. It was a gigantic turtle. The five men cried out in +alarm and tried to run--too late! Their feet by some power were held +fast to the monster’s back. + +“Help us--drag us away,” they cried; but the others could do nothing. In +a few moments the waves had closed over them. + +The other two men, the lover and his friend, went on, but with heavy +hearts, for they had forebodings of evil. After some days, they came to +a river. Worn with fatigue the lover threw himself down on the bank. + +“I will sleep awhile,” he said, “for I am wearied and worn out.” + +“And I will go down to the water and see if I can chance upon a dead +fish. At this time of the year the high water may have left one stranded +on the seashore,” said his friend. + +And as he had said, he found a fish which he cleaned, and then called to +the lover. + +“Come and eat the fish with me. I have cleaned it and made a fire and it +is now cooking.” + +“No, you eat it; let me rest,” said the lover. + +“Oh, come on.” + +“No, let me rest.” + +“But you are my friend. I will not eat unless you share it with me.” + +“Very well,” said the lover, “I will eat the fish with you, but you must +first make me a promise. If I eat the fish, you must promise, pledge +yourself, to fetch me all the water that I can drink.” + +“I promise,” said the other, and the two ate the fish out of their +war-kettle. For there had been but one kettle for the party. + +When they had eaten, the kettle was rinsed out and the lover’s friend +brought it back full of water. This the lover drank at a draught. + +“Bring me more,” he said. + +Again his friend filled the kettle at the river and again the lover +drank it dry. + +“More!” he cried. + +“Oh, I am tired. Cannot you go to the river and drink your fill from the +stream?” asked his friend. + +“Remember your promise.” + +“Yes, but I am weary. Go now and drink.” + +“Ek-hey, I feared it would be so. Now trouble is coming upon us,” said +the lover sadly. He walked to the river, sprang in, and lying down in +the water with his head toward land, drank greedily. By and by he called +to his friend. + +“Come hither, you who have been my sworn friend. See what comes of your +broken promise.” + +The friend came and was amazed to see that the lover was now a fish from +his feet to his middle. + +Sick at heart he ran off a little way and threw himself upon the ground +in grief. By and by he returned. The lover was now a fish to his neck. + +“Cannot I cut off the part and restore you by a sweat bath?” the friend +asked. + +“No, it is too late. But tell the chief’s daughter that I loved her to +the last and that I die for her sake. Take this belt and give it to her. +She gave it to me as a pledge of her love for me,” and he being then +turned to a great fish, swam to the middle of the river and there +remained, only his great fin remaining above the water. + +The friend went home and told his story. There was great mourning over +the death of the five young men, and for the lost lover. In the river +the great fish remained, its fin just above the surface, and was called +by the Indians “Fish that Bars,” because it bar’d navigation. Canoes had +to be portaged at great labor around the obstruction. + +The chief’s daughter mourned for her lover as for a husband, nor would +she be comforted. “He was lost for love of me, and I shall remain as his +widow,” she wailed. + +In her mother’s tepee she sat, with her head covered with her robe, +silent, working, working. “What is my daughter doing,” her mother asked. +But the maiden did not reply. + +The days lengthened into moons until a year had passed. And then the +maiden arose. In her hands were beautiful articles of clothing, enough +for three men. There were three pairs of moccasins, three pairs of +leggings, three belts, three shirts, three head dresses with beautiful +feathers, and sweet smelling tobacco. + +“Make a new canoe of bark,” she said, which was made for her. + +Into the canoe she stepped and floated slowly down the river toward the +great fish. + +“Come back my daughter,” her mother cried in agony. “Come back. The +great fish will eat you.” + +She answered nothing. Her canoe came to the place where the great fin +arose and stopped, its prow grating on the monster’s back. The maiden +stepped out boldly. One by one she laid her presents on the fish’s back, +scattering the feathers and tobacco over his broad spine. + +“Oh, fish,” she cried, “Oh, fish, you who were my lover, I shall not +forget you. Because you were lost for love of me, I shall never marry. +All my life I shall remain a widow. Take these presents. And now leave +the river, and let the waters run free, so my people may once more +descend in their canoes.” + +She stepped into her canoe and waited. Slowly the great fish sank, his +broad fin disappeared, and the waters of the St. Croix (Stillwater) were +free. + + + + + + +THE ARTICHOKE AND THE MUSKRAT + +On the shore of a lake stood an artichoke with its green leaves waving +in the sun. Very proud of itself it was, and well satisfied with the +world. In the lake below lived a muskrat in his tepee, and in the +evening as the sun set he would come out upon the shore and wander over +the bank. One evening he came near the place where the artichoke stood. + +“Ho, friend,” he said, “you seem rather proud of yourself. Who are you?” + “I am the artichoke,” answered the other, “and I have many handsome +cousins. But who are you?” + +“I am the muskrat, and I, too, belong to a large family. I live in the +water. I don’t stand all day in one place like a stone.” + +“If I stand in one place all day,” retorted the artichoke, “at least I +don’t swim around in stagnant water, and build my lodge in the mud.” + +“You are jealous of my fine fur,” sneered the muskrat. “I may build +my lodge in the mud, but I always have a clean coat. But you are half +buried in the ground, and when men dig you up, you are never clean.” + +“And your fine coat always smells of musk,” jeered the artichoke. + +“That is true,” said the muskrat. “But men think well of me, +nevertheless. They trap me for the fine sinew in my tail; and handsome +young women bite off my tail with their white teeth and make it into +thread.” + +“That’s nothing,” laughed the artichoke. “Handsome young warriors, +painted and splendid with feathers, dig me up, brush me off with their +shapely hands and eat me without even taking the trouble to wash me +off.” + + + + + +THE RABBIT AND THE BEAR WITH THE FLINT BODY + +The Rabbit and his grandmother were in dire straits, because the rabbit +was out of arrows. The fall hunt would soon be on and his quiver was all +but empty. Arrow sticks he could cut in plenty, but he had nothing with +which to make arrowheads. + +“You must make some flint arrowheads,” said his grandmother. “Then you +will be able to kill game.” + +“Where shall I get the flint?” asked the rabbit. + +“From the old bear chief,” said his old grandmother. For at that time +all the flint in the world was in the bear’s body. + +So the rabbit set out for the village of the Bears. It was winter time +and the lodges of the bears were set under the shelter of a hill where +the cold wind would not blow on them and where they had shelter among +the trees and bushes. + +He came at one end of the village to a hut where lived an old woman. He +pushed open the door and entered. Everybody who came for flint always +stopped there because it was the first lodge on the edge of the village. +Strangers were therefore not unusual in the old woman’s hut, and she +welcomed the rabbit. She gave him a seat and at night he lay with his +feet to the fire. + +The next morning the rabbit went to the lodge of the bear chief. They +sat together awhile and smoked. At last the bear chief spoke. + +“What do you want, my grandson?” + +“I have come for some flint to make arrows,” answered the rabbit. + +The bear chief grunted, and laid aside his pipe. Leaning back he pulled +off his robe and, sure enough, one half of his body was flesh and the +other half hard flint. + +“Bring a stone hammer and give it to our guest,” he bade his wife. Then +as the rabbit took the hammer he said: “Do not strike too hard.” + +“Grandfather, I shall be careful,” said the rabbit. With a stroke he +struck off a little flake of flint from the bear’s body. + +“Ni-sko-ke-cha? So big?” he asked. + +“Harder, grandson; strike off bigger pieces,” said the bear. + +The rabbit struck a little harder. + +“Ni-sko-ke-cha? So big?” he asked. + +The bear grew impatient. “No, no, strike off bigger pieces. I can’t be +here all day. Tanka kaksa wo! Break off a big piece.” + +The rabbit struck again--hard! “Ni-sko-ke-cha?” he cried, as the hammer +fell. But even as he spoke the bear’s body broke in two, the flesh part +fell away and only the flint part remained. Like a flash the rabbit +darted out of the hut. + +There was a great outcry in the village. Openmouthed, all the bears +gave chase. But as he ran the rabbit cried: “Wa-hin-han-yo (snow, snow) +Ota-po, Ota-po--lots more, lots more,” and a great storm of snow swept +down from the sky. + +The rabbit, light of foot, bounded over the top of the snow. The bears +sunk in and floundered about helpless. Seeing this, the rabbit turned +back and killed them one by one with his club. That is why we now have +so few bears. + + + + + + +STORY OF THE LOST WIFE + +A Dakota girl married a man who promised to treat her kindly, but he did +not keep his word. He was unreasonable, fault-finding, and often beat +her. Frantic with his cruelty, she ran away. The whole village turned +out to search for her, but no trace of the missing wife was to be found. + +Meanwhile, the fleeing woman had wandered about all that day and the +next night. The next day she met a man, who asked her who she was. +She did not know it, but he was not really a man, but the chief of the +wolves. + +“Come with me,” he said, and he led her to a large village. She was +amazed to see here many wolves--gray and black, timber wolves and +coyotes. It seemed as if all the wolves in the world were there. + +The wolf chief led the young woman to a great tepee and invited her in. +He asked her what she ate for food. + +“Buffalo meat,” she answered. + +He called two coyotes and bade them bring what the young woman wanted. +They bounded away and soon returned with the shoulder of a fresh-killed +buffalo calf. + +“How do you prepare it for eating?” asked the wolf chief. + +“By boiling,” answered the young woman. + +Again he called the two coyotes. Away they bounded and soon brought into +the tent a small bundle. In it were punk, flint and steel--stolen, it +may be, from some camp of men. + +“How do you make the meat ready?” asked the wolf chief. + +“I cut it into slices,” answered the young woman. + +The coyotes were called and in a short time fetched in a knife in its +sheath. The young woman cut up the calf’s shoulder into slices and ate +it. + +Thus she lived for a year, all the wolves being very kind to her. At the +end of that time the wolf chief said to her: + +“Your people are going off on a buffalo hunt. Tomorrow at noon they will +be here. You must then go out and meet them or they will fall on us and +kill us.” + +The next day at about noon the young woman went to the top of a +neighboring knoll. Coming toward her were some young men riding on their +ponies. She stood up and held her hands so that they could see her. They +wondered who she was, and when they were close by gazed at her closely. + +“A year ago we lost a young woman; if you are she, where have you been,” + they asked. + +“I have been in the wolves’ village. Do not harm them,” she answered. + +“We will ride back and tell the people,” they said. “Tomorrow again at +noon, we shall meet you.” + +The young woman went back to the wolf village, and the next day went +again to a neighboring knoll, though to a different one. Soon she +saw the camp coming in a long line over the prairie. First were the +warriors, then the women and tents. + +The young woman’s father and mother were overjoyed to see her. But when +they came near her the young woman fainted, for she could not now bear +the smell of human kind. When she came to herself she said: + +“You must go on a buffalo hunt, my father and all the hunters. Tomorrow +you must come again, bringing with you the tongues and choice pieces of +the kill.” + +This he promised to do; and all the men of the camp mounted their ponies +and they had a great hunt. The next day they returned with their ponies +laden with the buffalo meat. The young woman bade them pile the meat in +a great heap between two hills which she pointed out to them. There was +so much meat that the tops of the two hills were bridged level between +by the meat pile. In the center of the pile the young woman planted a +pole with a red flag. She then began to howl like a wolf, loudly. + +In a moment the earth seemed covered with wolves. They fell greedily on +the meat pile and in a short time had eaten the last scrap. + +The young woman then joined her own people. + +Her husband wanted her to come and live with him again. For a long time +she refused. However, at last they became reconciled. + + + + + + +THE RACCOON AND THE CRAWFISH + +Sharp and cunning is the raccoon, say the Indians, by whom he is named +Spotted Face. + +A crawfish one evening wandered along a river bank, looking for +something dead to feast upon. A raccoon was also out looking for +something to eat. He spied the crawfish and formed a plan to catch him. + +He lay down on the bank and feigned to be dead. By and by the crawfish +came near by. “Ho,” he thought, “here is a feast indeed; but is he +really dead. I will go near and pinch him with my claws and find out.” + +So he went near and pinched the raccoon on the nose and then on his soft +paws. The raccoon never moved. The crawfish then pinched him on the ribs +and tickled him so that the raccoon could hardly keep from laughing. The +crawfish at last left him. “The raccoon is surely dead,” he thought. +And he hurried back to the crawfish village and reported his find to the +chief. + +All the villagers were called to go down to the feast. The chief bade +the warriors and young men to paint their faces and dress in their +gayest for a dance. + +So they marched in a long line--first the warriors, with their weapons +in hand, then the women with their babies and children--to the place +where the raccoon lay. They formed a great circle about him and danced, +singing: + +“We shall have a great feast + +“On the spotted-faced beast, with soft smooth paws: + +“He is dead! + +“He is dead! + +“We shall dance! + +“We shall have a good time! + +“We shall feast on his flesh.” + +But as they danced, the raccoon suddenly sprang to his feet. + +“Who is that you say you are going to eat? He has a spotted face, has +he? He has soft, smooth paws, has he? I’ll break your ugly backs. I’ll +break your rough bones. I’ll crunch your ugly, rough paws.” And he +rushed among the crawfish, killing them by scores. The crawfish warriors +fought bravely and the women ran screaming, all to no purpose. They did +not feast on the raccoon; the raccoon feasted _on them!_ + + + + + + +LEGEND OF STANDING ROCK + +A Dakota had married an Arikara woman, and by her had one child. By and +by he took another wife. The first wife was jealous and pouted. When +time came for the village to break camp she refused to move from her +place on the tent floor. The tent was taken down but she sat on the +ground with her babe on her back The rest of the camp with her husband +went on. + +At noon her husband halted the line. “Go back to your sister-in-law,” + he said to his two brothers. “Tell her to come on and we will await you +here. But hasten, for I fear she may grow desperate and kill herself.” + +The two rode off and arrived at their former camping place in the +evening. The woman still sat on the ground. The elder spoke: + +“Sister-in-law, get up. We have come for you. The camp awaits you.” + +She did not answer, and he put out his hand and touched her head. She +had turned to stone! + +The two brothers lashed their ponies and came back to camp. They told +their story, but were not believed. “The woman has killed herself and my +brothers will not tell me,” said the husband. However, the whole village +broke camp and came back to the place where they had left the woman. +Sure enough, she sat there still, a block of stone. + +The Indians were greatly excited. They chose out a handsome pony, made +a new travois and placed the stone in the carrying net. Pony and travois +were both beautifully painted and decorated with streamers and colors. +The stone was thought _“wakan”_ (holy), and was given a place of honor +in the center of the camp. Whenever the camp moved the stone and travois +were taken along. Thus the stone woman was carried for years, and +finally brought to Standing Rock Agency, and now rests upon a brick +pedestal in front of the Agency office. From this stone Standing Rock +Agency derives its name. + + + + + + +STORY OF THE PEACE PIPE + +Two young men were out strolling one night talking of love affairs. They +passed around a hill and came to a little ravine or coulee. Suddenly +they saw coming up from the ravine a beautiful woman. She was painted +and her dress was of the very finest material. + +“What a beautiful girl!” said one of the young men. “Already I love her. +I will steal her and make her my wife.” + +“No,” said the other. “Don’t harm her. She may be holy.” + +The young woman approached and held out a pipe which she first offered +to the sky, then to the earth and then advanced, holding it out in her +extended hands. + +“I know what you young men have been saying; one of you is good; the +other is wicked,” she said. + +She laid down the pipe on the ground and at once became a buffalo cow. +The cow pawed the ground, stuck her tail straight out behind her and +then lifted the pipe from the ground again in her hoofs; immediately she +became a young woman again. + +“I am come to give you this gift,” she said. “It is the peace pipe. +Hereafter all treaties and ceremonies shall be performed after smoking +it. It shall bring peaceful thoughts into your minds. You shall offer it +to the Great Mystery and to mother earth.” + +The two young men ran to the village and told what they had seen and +heard. All the village came out where the young woman was. + +She repeated to them what she had already told the young men and added: + +“When you set free the ghost (the spirit of deceased persons) you must +have a white buffalo cow skin.” + +She gave the pipe to the medicine men of the village, turned again to a +buffalo cow and fled away to the land of buffaloes. + + + + + + +A BASHFUL COURTSHIP + +A young man lived with his grandmother. He was a good hunter and wished +to marry. He knew a girl who was a good moccasin maker, but she belonged +to a great family. He wondered how he could win her. + +One day she passed the tent on her way to get water at the river. His +grandmother was at work in the tepee with a pair of old worn-out sloppy +moccasins. The young man sprang to his feet. “Quick, grandmother--let me +have those old sloppy moccasins you have on your feet!” he cried. + +“My old moccasins, what do you want of them?” cried the astonished +woman. + +“Never mind! Quick! I can’t stop to talk,” answered the grandson as he +caught up the old moccasins the old lady had doffed, and put them on. He +threw a robe over his shoulders, slipped through the door, and hastened +to the watering place. The girl had just arrived with her bucket. + +“Let me fill your bucket for you,” said the young man. + +“Oh, no, I can do it.” + +“Oh, let me, I can go in the mud. You surely don’t want to soil your +moccasins,” and taking the bucket he slipped in the mud, taking care +to push his sloppy old moccasins out so the girl could see them. She +giggled outright. + +“My, what old moccasins you have,” she cried. + +“Yes, I have nobody to make me a new pair,” he answered. + +“Why don’t you get your grandmother to make you a new pair?” + +“She’s old and blind and can’t make them any longer. That’s why I want +you,” he answered. + +“Oh, you’re fooling me. You aren’t speaking the truth.” + +“Yes, I am. If you don’t believe--come with me _now!_” + +The girl looked down; so did the youth. At last he said softly: + +“Well, which is it? Shall I take up your bucket, or will you go with +me?” + +And she answered, still more softly: “I guess I’ll go with you!” + +The girl’s aunt came down to the river, wondering what kept her niece so +long. In the mud she found two pairs of moccasin tracks close together; +at the edge of the water stood an empty keg. + + + + + + +THE SIMPLETON’S WISDOM + +There was a man and his wife who had one daughter. Mother and daughter +were deeply attached to one another, and when the latter died the mother +was disconsolate. She cut off her hair, cut gashes in her cheeks and sat +before the corpse with her robe drawn over her head, mourning for her +dead. Nor would she let them touch the body to take it to a burying +scaffold. She had a knife in her hand, and if anyone offered to come +near the body the mother would wail: + +“I am weary of life. I do not care to live. I will stab myself with this +knife and join my daughter in the land of spirits.” + +Her husband and relatives tried to get the knife from her, but could +not. They feared to use force lest she kill herself. They came together +to see what they could do. + +“We must get the knife away from her,” they said. + +At last they called a boy, a kind of simpleton, yet with a good deal of +natural shrewdness. He was an orphan and very poor. His moccasins were +out at the sole and he was dressed in wei-zi (coarse buffalo skin, +smoked). + +“Go to the tepee of the mourning mother,” they told the simpleton, “and +in some way contrive to make her laugh and forget her grief. Then try to +get the knife away from her.” + +The boy went to the tent and sat down at the door as if waiting to be +given something. The corpse lay in the place of honor where the dead +girl had slept in life. The body was wrapped in a rich robe and wrapped +about with ropes. Friends had covered it with rich offerings out of +respect to the dead. + +As the mother sat on the ground with her head covered she did not at +first see the boy, who sat silent. But when his reserve had worn away +a little he began at first lightly, then more heavily, to drum on the +floor with his hands. After a while he began to sing a comic song. +Louder and louder he sang until carried away with his own singing he +sprang up and began to dance, at the same time gesturing and making all +manner of contortions with his body, still singing the comic song. As he +approached the corpse he waved his hands over it in blessing. The mother +put her head out of the blanket and when she saw the poor simpleton +with his strange grimaces trying to do honor to the corpse by his solemn +waving, and at the same time keeping up his comic song, she burst out +laughing. Then she reached over and handed her knife to the simpleton. + +“Take this knife,” she said. “You have taught me to forget my grief. If +while I mourn for the dead I can still be mirthful, there is no reason +for me to despair. I no longer care to die. I will live for my husband.” + +The simpleton left the tepee and brought the knife to the astonished +husband and relatives. + +“How did you get it? Did you force it away from her, or did you steal +it?” they said. + +“She gave it to me. How could I force it from her or steal it when she +held it in her hand, blade uppermost? I sang and danced for her and she +burst out laughing. Then she gave it to me,” he answered. + +When the old men of the village heard the orphan’s story they were very +silent. It was a strange thing for a lad to dance in a tepee where there +was mourning. It was stranger that a mother should laugh in a tepee +before the corpse of her dead daughter. The old men gathered at last in +a council. They sat a long time without saying anything, for they did +not want to decide hastily. The pipe was filled and passed many times. +At last an old man spoke. + +“We have a hard question. A mother has laughed before the corpse of her +daughter, and many think she has done foolishly, but I think the woman +did wisely. The lad was simple and of no training, and we cannot expect +him to know how to do as well as one with good home and parents to teach +him. Besides, he did the best that he knew. He danced to make the mother +forget her grief, and he tried to honor the corpse by waving over it his +hands.” + +“The mother did right to laugh, for when one does try to do us good, +even if what he does causes us discomfort, we should always remember +rather the motive than the deed. And besides, the simpleton’s dancing +saved the woman’s life, for she gave up her knife. In this, too, she did +well, for it is always better to live for the living than to die for the +dead.” + + + + + +A LITTLE BRAVE AND THE MEDICINE WOMAN + +A village of Indians moved out of winter camp and pitched their tents +in a circle on high land overlooking a lake. A little way down the +declivity was a grave. Choke cherries had grown up, hiding the grave +from view. But as the ground had sunk somewhat, the grave was marked by +a slight hollow. + +One of the villagers going out to hunt took a short cut through the +choke cherry bushes. As he pushed them aside he saw the hollow grave, +but thought it was a washout made by the rains. But as he essayed to +step over it, to his great surprise he stumbled and fell. Made curious +by his mishap, he drew back and tried again; but again he fell. When he +came back to the village he told the old men what had happened to him. +They remembered then that a long time before there had been buried there +a medicine woman or conjurer. Doubtless it was her medicine that made +him stumble. + +The story of the villager’s adventure spread thru the camp and made many +curious to see the grave. Among others were six little boys who were, +however, rather timid, for they were in great awe of the dead medicine +woman. But they had a little playmate named Brave, a mischievous little +rogue, whose hair was always unkempt and tossed about and who was never +quiet for a moment. + +“Let us ask Brave to go with us,” they said; and they went in a body to +see him. + +“All right,” said Brave; “I will go with you. But I have something to +do first. You go on around the hill _that_ way, and I will hasten around +_this_ way, and meet you a little later near the grave.” + +So the six little boys went on as bidden until they came to a place near +the grave. There they halted. + +“Where is Brave?” they asked. + +Now Brave, full of mischief, had thought to play a jest on his little +friends. As soon as they were well out of sight he had sped around the +hill to the shore of the lake and sticking his hands in the mud had +rubbed it over his face, plastered it in his hair, and soiled his hands +until he looked like a new risen corpse with the flesh rotting from his +bones. He then went and lay down in the grave and awaited the boys. + +When the six little boys came they were more timid than ever when they +did not find Brave; but they feared to go back to the village without +seeing the grave, for fear the old men would call them cowards. + +So they slowly approached the grave and one of them timidly called out: + +“Please, grandmother, we won’t disturb your grave. We only want to see +where you lie. Don’t be angry.” + +At once a thin quavering voice, like an old woman’s, called out: + +“Han, han, takoja, hechetuya, hechetuya! Yes, yes, that’s right, that’s +right.” + +The boys were frightened out of their senses, believing the old woman +had come to life. + +“Oh, grandmother,” they gasped, “don’t hurt us; please don’t, we’ll go.” + +Just then Brave raised his muddy face and hands up thru the choke cherry +bushes. With the oozy mud dripping from his features he looked like some +very witch just raised from the grave. The boys screamed outright. One +fainted. The rest ran yelling up the hill to the village, where each +broke at once for his mother’s tepee. + +As all the tents in a Dakota camping circle face the center, the boys as +they came tearing into camp were in plain view from the tepees. Hearing +the screaming, every woman in camp ran to her tepee door to see what +had happened. Just then little Brave, as badly scared as the rest, came +rushing in after them, his hair on end and covered with mud and crying +out, all forgetful of his appearance: + +“It’s me, it’s me!” + +The women yelped and bolted in terror from the village. Brave dashed +into his mother’s tepee, scaring her out of her wits. Dropping pots and +kettles, she tumbled out of the tent to run screaming with the rest. Nor +would a single villager come near poor little Brave until he had gone +down to the lake and washed himself. + + + + + + +THE BOUND CHILDREN + +There once lived a widow with two children--the elder a daughter and the +younger a son. The widow went in mourning for her husband a long time. +She cut off her hair, let her dress lie untidy on her body and kept her +face unpainted and unwashed. + +There lived in the same village a great chief. He had one son just come +old enough to marry. The chief had it known that he wished his son to +take a wife, and all of the young women in the village were eager to +marry the young man. However, he was pleased with none of them. + +Now the widow thought, “I am tired of mourning for my husband and caring +for my children. Perhaps if I lay aside my mourning and paint myself +red, the chief’s son may marry me.” + +So she slipped away from her two children, stole down to the river and +made a bathing place thru the ice. When she had washed away all signs of +mourning, she painted and decked herself and went to the chief’s tepee. +When his son saw her, he loved her, and a feast was made in honor of her +wedding. + +When the widow’s daughter found herself forsaken, she wept bitterly. +After a day or two she took her little brother in her arms and went to +the tepee of an old woman who lived at one end of the village. The old +woman’s tumble down tepee was of bark and her dress and clothing was of +old smoke-dried tent cover. But she was kind to the two waifs and took +them in willingly. + +The little girl was eager to find her mother. The old woman said to her: +“I suspect your mother has painted her face red. Do not try to find her. +If the chief’s son marries her she will not want to be burdened with +you.” + +The old woman was right. The girl went down to the river, and sure +enough found a hole cut in the ice and about it lay the filth that the +mother had washed from her body. The girl gathered up the filth and went +on. By and by she came to a second hole in the ice. Here too was filth, +but not so much as at the previous place. At the third hole the ice was +clean. + +The girl knew now that her mother had painted her face red. She went at +once to the chief’s tepee, raised the door flap and went in. There sat +her mother with the chief’s son at their wedding feast. + +The girl walked up to her mother and hurled the filth in her mother’s +face. + +“There,” she cried, “you who forsake your helpless children and forget +your husband, take that!” + +And at once her mother became a hideous old woman. + +The girl then went back to the lodge of the old woman, leaving the camp +in an uproar. The chief soon sent some young warriors to seize the girl +and her brother, and they were brought to his tent. He was furious with +anger. + +“Let the children be bound with lariats wrapped about their bodies and +let them be left to starve. Our camp will move on,” he said. The chief’s +son did not put away his wife, hoping she might be cured in some way and +grow young again. + +Everybody in camp now got ready to move; but the old woman came close to +the girl and said: + +“In my old tepee I have dug a hole and buried a pot with punk and steel +and flint and packs of dried meat. They will tie you up like a corpse. +But before we go I will come with a knife and pretend to stab you, but +I will really cut the rope that binds you so that you can unwind it from +your body as soon as the camp is out of sight and hearing.” + +And so, before the camp started, the old woman came to the place where +the two children were bound. She had in her hand a knife bound to the +end of a stick which she used as a lance. She stood over the children +and cried aloud: + +“You wicked girl, who have shamed your own mother, you deserve all the +punishment that is given you. But after all I do not want to let you lie +and starve. Far better kill you at once and have done with it!” and +with her stick she stabbed many times, as if to kill, but she was really +cutting the rope. + +The camp moved on; but the children lay on the ground until noon the +next day. Then they began to squirm about. Soon the girl was free, and +she then set loose her little brother. They went at once to the old +woman’s hut where they found the flint and steel and the packs of dried +meat. + +The girl made her brother a bow and arrows and with these he killed +birds and other small game. + +The boy grew up a great hunter. They became rich. They built three great +tepees, in one of which were stored rows upon rows of parfleche bags of +dried meat. + +One day as the brother went out to hunt, he met a handsome young +stranger who greeted him and said to him: + +“I know you are a good hunter, for I have been watching you; your +sister, too, is industrious. Let me have her for a wife. Then you and I +will be brothers and hunt together.” + +The girl’s brother went home and told her what the young stranger had +said. + +“Brother, I do not care to marry,” she answered. “I am now happy with +you.” + +“But you will be yet happier married,” he answered, “and the young +stranger is of no mean family, as one can see by his dress and manners.” + +“Very well, I will do as you wish,” she said. So the stranger came into +the tepee and was the girl’s husband. + +One day as they were in their tent, a crow flew overhead, calling out +loudly, + + “Kaw, Kaw, + +“They who forsook the children have no meat.” + +The girl and her husband and brother looked up at one another. + +“What can it mean?” they asked. “Let us send for Unktomi (the spider). +He is a good judge and he will know.” + +“And I will get ready a good dinner for him, for Unktomi is always +hungry,” added the young wife. + +When Unktomi came, his yellow mouth opened with delight at the fine +feast spread for him. After he had eaten he was told what the crow had +said. + +“The crow means,” said Unktomi, “that the villagers and chief who bound +and deserted you are in sad plight. They have hardly anything to eat and +are starving.” + +When the girl heard this she made a bundle of choicest meat and called +the crow. + +“Take this to the starving villagers,” she bade him. + +He took the bundle in his beak, flew away to the starving village and +dropped the bundle before the chief’s tepee. The chief came out and the +crow called loudly: + +“Kaw, Kaw! + +“The children who were forsaken have much meat; those who forsook them +have none.” + +“What can he mean,” cried the astonished villagers. + +“Let us send for Unktomi,” said one, “he is a great judge; he will tell +us.” + +They divided the bundle of meat among the starving people, saving the +biggest piece for Unktomi. + +When Unktomi had come and eaten, the villagers told him of the crow and +asked what the bird’s words meant. + +“He means,” said Unktomi, “that the two children whom you forsook have +tepees full of dried meat enough for all the village.” + +The villagers were filled with astonishment at this news. To find +whether or not it was true, the chief called seven young men and sent +them out to see. They came to the three tepees and there met the girl’s +brother and husband just going out to hunt (which they did now only for +sport). + +The girl’s brother invited the seven young men into the third or sacred +lodge, and after they had smoked a pipe and knocked out the ashes on a +buffalo bone the brother gave them meat to eat, which the seven devoured +greedily. The next day he loaded all seven with packs of meat, saying: + +“Take this meat to the villagers and lead them hither.” + +While they awaited the return of the young men with the villagers, the +girl made two bundles of meat, one of the best and choicest pieces, and +the other of liver, very dry and hard to eat. After a few days the camp +arrived. The young woman’s mother opened the door and ran in crying: +“Oh, my dear daughter, how glad I am to see you.” But the daughter +received her coldly and gave her the bundle of dried liver to eat. But +when the old woman who had saved the children’s lives came in, the +young girl received her gladly, called her grandmother, and gave her the +package of choice meat with marrow. + +Then the whole village camped and ate of the stores of meat all the +winter until spring came; and withal they were so many, there was such +abundance of stores that there was still much left. + + + + + + +THE SIGNS OF CORN + +When corn is to be planted by the Indians, it is the work of the women +folk to see to the sorting and cleaning of the best seed. It is also the +women’s work to see to the planting. (This was in olden times.) + +After the best seed has been selected, the planter measures the corn, +lays down a layer of hay, then a layer of corn. Over this corn they +sprinkle warm water and cover it with another layer of hay, then bind +hay about the bundle and hang it up in a spot where the warm rays of the +sun can strike it. + +While the corn is hanging in the sun, the ground is being prepared to +receive it. Having finished the task of preparing the ground, the woman +takes down her seed corn which has by this time sprouted. Then she +proceeds to plant the corn. + +Before she plants the first hill, she extends her hoe heavenwards and +asks the Great Spirit to bless her work, that she may have a good yield. +After her prayer she takes four kernels and plants one at the north, +one at the south, one at the east and one at the west sides of the first +hill. This is asking the Great Spirit to give summer rain and sunshine +to bring forth a good crop. + +For different growths of the corn, the women have an interpretation as +to the character of the one who planted it. + +1st. Where the corn grows in straight rows and the cob is full of +kernels to the end, this signifies that the planter of this corn is of +an exemplary character, and is very truthful and thoughtful. + +2nd. If the rows on the ears of corn are irregular and broken, the +planter is considered careless and unthoughtful. Also disorderly and +slovenly about her house and person. + +3rd. When an ear of corn bears a few scattering kernels with spaces +producing no corn, it is said that is a good sign that the planter will +live to a ripe old age. So old will they be that like the corn, their +teeth will be few and far between. + +4th. When a stalk bears a great many nubbins, or small ears growing +around the large one, it is a sign that the planter is from a large and +respectable family. + +After the corn is gathered, it is boiled into sweet corn and made into +hominy; parched and mixed with buffalo tallow and rolled into round +balls, and used at feasts, or carried by the warriors on the warpath as +food. + +When there has been a good crop of corn, an ear is always tied at the +top of the medicine pole, of the sun dance, in thanks to the Great +Spirit for his goodness to them in sending a bountiful crop. + + + + + + +STORY OF THE RABBITS + +The Rabbit nation were very much depressed in spirits on account of +being run over by all other nations. They, being very obedient to their +chief, obeyed all his orders to the letter. One of his orders was, +that upon the approach of any other nation that they should follow the +example of their chief and run up among the rocks and down into their +burrows, and not show themselves until the strangers had passed. + +This they always did. Even the chirp of a little cricket would send them +all scampering to their dens. + +One day they held a great council, and after talking over everything for +some time, finally left it to their medicine man to decide. The medicine +man arose and said: + +“My friends, we are of no use on this earth. There isn’t a nation +on earth that fears us, and we are so timid that we cannot defend +ourselves, so the best thing for us to do is to rid the earth of our +nation, by all going over to the big lake and drowning ourselves.” + +This they decided to do; so going to the lake they were about to jump +in, when they heard a splashing in the water. Looking, they saw a lot of +frogs jumping into the lake. + +“We will not drown ourselves,” said the medicine man, “we have found a +nation who are afraid of us. It is the frog nation.” Had it not been for +the frogs we would have had no rabbits, as the whole nation would have +drowned themselves and the rabbit race would have been extinct. + + + + + + +HOW THE RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL + +Once upon a time there were two brothers, one a great Genie and the +other a rabbit. Like all genie, the older could change himself into any +kind of an animal, bird, fish, cloud, thunder and lightning, or in fact +anything that he desired. + +The younger brother (the rabbit) was very mischievous and was +continually getting into all kinds of trouble. His older brother was +kept busy getting Rabbit out of all kinds of scrapes. + +When Rabbit had attained his full growth he wanted to travel around and +see something of the world. When he told his brother what he intended to +do, the brother said: “Now, Rabbit, you are Witkotko (mischievous), so +be very careful, and keep out of trouble as much as possible. In case +you get into any serious trouble, and can’t get out by yourself, just +call on me for assistance, and no matter where you are, I will come to +you.” + +Rabbit started out and the first day he came to a very high house, +outside of which stood a very high pine tree. So high was the tree that +Rabbit could hardly see the top. Outside the door, on an enormous stool, +sat a very large giant fast asleep. Rabbit (having his bow and arrows +with him) strung up his bow, and, taking an arrow from his quiver, said: + +“I want to see how big this man is, so I guess I will wake him up.” So +saying he moved over to one side and took good aim, and shot the giant +upon the nose. This stung like fire and awoke the giant, who jumped up, +crying: “Who had the audacity to shoot me on the nose?” “I did,” said +Rabbit. + +The giant, hearing a voice, looked all around, but saw nothing, until he +looked down at the corner of the house, and there sat a rabbit. + +“I had hiccoughs this morning and thought that I was going to have a +good big meal, and here is nothing but a toothful.” + +“I guess you won’t make a toothful of me,” said Rabbit, “I am as strong +as you, though I am little.” “We will see,” said the giant. He went into +the house and came out, bringing a hammer that weighed many tons. + +“Now, Mr. Rabbit, we will see who can throw this hammer over the top of +that tree.” “Get something harder to do,” said Rabbit. + +“Well, we will try this first,” said the giant. With that he grasped the +hammer in both hands, swung it three times around his head and sent it +spinning thru the air. Up, up, it went, skimming the top of the tree, +and came down, shaking the ground and burying itself deep into the +earth. + +“Now,” said the giant, “if you don’t accomplish this same feat, I am +going to swallow you at one mouthful.” Rabbit said, “I always sing to my +brother before I attempt things like this.” So he commenced singing and +calling his brother. “Cinye! Cinye!” (brother, brother) he sang. The +giant grew nervous, and said: “Boy, why do you call your brother?” + +Pointing to a small black cloud that was approaching very swiftly, +Rabbit said: “That is my brother; he can destroy you, your house, and +pine tree in one breath.” + +“Stop him and you can go free,” said the giant. Rabbit waved his paws +and the cloud disappeared. + +From this place Rabbit continued on his trip towards the west. The next +day, while passing thru a deep forest, he thought he heard some one +moaning, as though in pain. He stopped and listened; soon the wind blew +and the moaning grew louder. Following the direction from whence came +the sound, he soon discovered a man stripped of his clothing, and caught +between two limbs of a tall elm tree. When the wind blew the limbs would +rub together and squeeze the man, who would give forth the mournful +groans. + +“My, you have a fine place up there. Let us change. You can come down +and I will take your place.” (Now this man had been placed up there for +punishment, by Rabbit’s brother, and he could not get down unless some +one came along and proposed to take his place on the tree). “Very well,” + said the man. “Take off your clothes and come up. I will fasten you in +the limbs and you can have all the fun you want.” + +Rabbit disrobed and climbed up. The man placed him between the limbs and +slid down the tree. He hurriedly got into Rabbit’s clothes, and just as +he had completed his toilet, the wind blew very hard. Rabbit was nearly +crazy with pain, and screamed and cried. Then he began to cry “Cinye, +Cinye” (brother, brother). “Call your brother as much as you like, he +can never find me.” So saying the man disappeared in the forest. + +Scarcely had he disappeared, when the brother arrived, and seeing Rabbit +in the tree, said: “Which way did he go?” Rabbit pointed the direction +taken by the man. The brother flew over the top of the trees, soon found +the man and brought him back, making him take his old place between the +limbs, and causing a heavy wind to blow and continue all afternoon and +night, for punishment to the man for having placed his brother up there. + +After Rabbit got his clothes back on, his brother gave him a good +scolding, and wound up by saying: “I want you to be more careful in the +future. I have plenty of work to keep me as busy as I want to be, and I +can’t be stopping every little while to be making trips to get you out +of some foolish scrape. It was only yesterday that I came five hundred +miles to help you from the giant, and today I have had to come a +thousand miles, so be more careful from this on.” + +Several days after this the Rabbit was traveling along the banks of a +small river, when he came to a small clearing in the woods, and in the +center of the clearing stood a nice little log hut. Rabbit was wondering +who could be living here when the door slowly opened and an old man +appeared in the doorway, bearing a tripe water pail in his right hand. +In his left hand he held a string which was fastened to the inside of +the house. He kept hold of the string and came slowly down to the river. +When he got to the water he stooped down and dipped the pail into it and +returned to the house, still holding the string for guidance. + +Soon he reappeared holding on to another string, and, following this +one, went to a large pile of wood and returned to the house with it. +Rabbit wanted to see if the old man would come out again, but he came +out no more. Seeing smoke ascending from the mud chimney, he thought +he would go over and see what the old man was doing. He knocked at the +door, and a weak voice bade him enter. He noticed that the old man was +cooking dinner. + +“Hello Tunkasina (grandfather), you must have a nice time, living here +alone. I see that you have everything handy. You can get wood and water, +and that is all you have to do. How do you get your provisions?” + +“The wolves bring my meat, the mice my rice and ground beans, and the +birds bring me the cherry leaves for my tea. Yet it is a hard life, as I +am all alone most of the time and have no one to talk to, and besides, I +am blind.” + +“Say, grandfather,” said Rabbit, “let us change places. I think I would +like to live here.” + +“If we exchange clothes,” said the other, “you will become old and +blind, while I will assume your youth and good looks.” (Now, this old +man was placed here for punishment by Rabbit’s brother. He had killed +his wife, so the genie made him old and blind, and he would remain so +until some one came who would exchange places with him). + +“I don’t care for youth and good looks,” said Rabbit, “let us make the +change.” + +They changed clothes, and Rabbit became old and blind, whilst the old +man became young and handsome. + +“Well, I must go,” said the man. He went out and cutting the strings +close to the door, ran off laughing. “You will get enough of your living +alone, you crazy boy,” and saying this he ran into the woods. + +Rabbit thought he would like to get some fresh water and try the string +paths so that he would get accustomed to it. He bumped around the room +and finally found the tripe water bucket. He took hold of the string and +started out. When he had gotten a short distance from the door he came +to the end of the string so suddenly, that he lost the end which he +had in his hand, and he wandered about, bumping against the trees, and +tangling himself up in plum bushes and thorns, scratching his face +and hands so badly that the blood ran from them. Then it was that he +commenced again to cry, “Cinye! Cinye!” (brother, brother). Soon his +brother arrived, and asked which way the old man had gone. + +“I don’t know,” said Rabbit, “I couldn’t see which path he took, as I +was blind.” + +The genie called the birds, and they came flying from every direction. +As fast as they arrived the brother asked them if they had seen the man +whom he had placed here for punishment, but none had seen him. The owl +came last, and when asked if he had seen the man, he said “hoo-hoo.” + “The man who lived here,” said the brother. “Last night I was hunting +mice in the woods south of here and I saw a man sleeping beneath a plum +tree. I thought it was your brother, Rabbit, so I didn’t awaken him,” + said the owl. + +“Good for you, owl,” said the brother, “for this good news, you shall +hereafter roam around only at night, and I will fix your eyes, so the +darker the night the better you will be able to see. You will always +have the fine cool nights to hunt your food. You other birds can hunt +your food during the hot daylight.” (Since then the owl has been the +night bird). + +The brother flew to the woods and brought the man back and cut the +strings short, and said to him: “Now you can get a taste of what you +gave my brother.” + +To Rabbit he said: “I ought not to have helped you this time. Any one +who is so crazy as to change places with a blind man should be left +without help, so be careful, as I am getting tired of your foolishness, +and will not help you again if you do anything as foolish as you did +this time.” + +Rabbit started to return to his home. When he had nearly completed his +journey he came to a little creek, and being thirsty took a good long +drink. While he was drinking he heard a noise as though a wolf or cat +was scratching the earth. Looking up to a hill which overhung the creek, +he saw four wolves, with their tails intertwined, pulling with all their +might. As Rabbit came up to them one pulled loose, and Rabbit saw that +his tail was broken. + +“Let me pull tails with you. My tail is long and strong,” said Rabbit, +and the wolves assenting, Rabbit interlocked his long tail with those +of the three wolves and commenced pulling and the wolves pulled so +hard that they pulled Rabbit’s tail off at the second joint. The wolves +disappeared. + +“Cinye! Cinye! (Brother, brother.) I have lost my tail,” cried Rabbit. +The genie came and seeing his brother Rabbit’s tail missing, said: “You +look better without a tail anyway.” + +From that time on rabbits have had no tails. + + + + + + +UNKTOMI AND THE ARROWHEADS + +There were once upon a time two young men who were very great friends, +and were constantly together. One was a very thoughtful young man, the +other very impulsive, who never stopped to think before he committed an +act. + +One day these two friends were walking along, telling each other of +their experiences in love making. They ascended a high hill, and on +reaching the top, heard a ticking noise as if small stones or pebbles +were being struck together. + +Looking around they discovered a large spider sitting in the midst of +a great many flint arrowheads. The spider was busily engaged making the +flint rocks into arrow heads. They looked at the spider, but he never +moved, but continued hammering away on a piece of flint which he had +nearly completed into another arrowhead. + +“Let’s hit him,” said the thoughtless one. “No,” said the other, “he is +not harming any one; in fact, he is doing a great good, as he is making +the flint arrowheads which we use to point our arrows.” + +“Oh, you are afraid,” said the first young man. “He can’t harm you, just +watch me hit him.” So saying, he picked up an arrowhead and throwing it +at “Unktomi,” hit him on the side. As Unktomi rolled over on his side, +got up and stood looking at them, the young man laughed and said: “Well, +let us be going, as your grandfather, “Unktomi,” doesn’t seem to like +our company.” They started down the hill, when suddenly the one who had +hit Unktomi took a severe fit of coughing. He coughed and coughed, and +finally small particles of blood came from his mouth. The blood kept +coming thicker and in great gushes. Finally it came so thick and fast +that the man could not get his breath and fell upon the ground dead. + +The thoughtful young man, seeing that his friend was no more, hurried +to the village and reported what had happened. The relatives and friends +hurried to the hill, and sure enough, there lay the thoughtless young +man still and cold in death. They held a council and sent for the chief +of the Unktomi tribe. When he heard what had happened, he told the +council that he could do nothing to his Unktomi, as it had only defended +itself. + +Said he: “My friends, seeing that your tribe was running short of +arrowheads, I set a great many of my tribe to work making flint +arrowheads for you. When my men are thus engaged they do not wish to +be disturbed, and your young man not only disturbed my man, but grossly +insulted him by striking him with one of the arrowheads which he had +worked so hard to make. My man could not sit and take this insult, so +as the young man walked away the Unktomi shot him with a very tiny +arrowhead. This produced a hemorrhage, which caused his death. So now, +my friends, if you will fill and pass the peace pipe, we will part +good friends and my tribe shall always furnish you with plenty of flint +arrowheads.” So saying, Unktomi Tanka finished his peace smoke and +returned to his tribe. + +Ever after that, when the Indians heard a ticking in the grass, they +would go out of their way to get around the sound, saying, Unktomi is +making arrowheads; we must not disturb him. + +Thus it was that Unktomi Tanka (Big Spider) had the respect of this +tribe, and was never after disturbed in his work of making arrowheads. + + + + + +THE BEAR AND THE RABBIT HUNT BUFFALO + +Once upon a time there lived as neighbors, a bear and a rabbit. The +rabbit was a good shot, and the bear being very clumsy could not use the +arrow to good advantage. The bear was very unkind to the rabbit. Every +morning, the bear would call over to the rabbit and say: “Take your bow +and arrows and come with me to the other side of the hill. A large herd +of buffalo are grazing there, and I want you to shoot some of them for +me, as my children are crying for meat.” + +The rabbit, fearing to arouse the bear’s anger by refusing, consented, +and went with the bear, and shot enough buffalo to satisfy the hungry +family. Indeed, he shot and killed so many that there was lots of meat +left after the bear and his family had loaded themselves, and packed all +they could carry home. The bear being very gluttonous, and not wanting +the rabbit to get any of the meat, said: “Rabbit, you come along home +with us and we will return and get the remainder of the meat.” + +The poor rabbit could not even taste the blood from the butchering, as +the bear would throw earth on the blood and dry it up. Poor Rabbit would +have to go home hungry after his hard day’s work. + +The bear was the father of five children. The youngest boy was very kind +to the rabbit. The mother bear, knowing that her youngest was a very +hearty eater, always gave him an extra large piece of meat. What the +baby bear did not eat, he would take outside with him and pretend to +play ball with it, kicking it toward the rabbit’s house, and when he +got close to the door he would give the meat such a great kick, that it +would fly into the rabbit’s house, and in this way poor Rabbit would get +his meal unknown to the papa bear. + +Baby bear never forgot his friend Rabbit. Papa bear often wondered why +his baby would go outside after each meal. He grew suspicious and asked +the baby where he had been. “Oh, I always play ball outside, around the +house, and when I get tired playing I eat up my meat ball and then come +in.” + +The baby bear was too cunning to let papa bear know that he was keeping +his friend rabbit from starving to death. Nevertheless, papa bear +suspected baby and said: “Baby, I think you go over to the rabbit’s +after every meal.” + +The four older brothers were very handsome, but baby bear was a little +puny fellow, whose coat couldn’t keep out much cold, as it was short and +shaggy, and of a dirty brown color. The three older brothers were very +unkind to baby bear, but the fourth one always took baby’s part, and was +always kind to his baby brother. + +Rabbit was getting tired of being ordered and bullied around by papa +bear. He puzzled his brain to scheme some way of getting even with Mr. +Bear for abusing him so much. He studied all night long, but no scheme +worth trying presented itself. Early one morning Mr. Bear presented +himself at Rabbit’s door. + +“Say, Rabbit, my meat is all used up, and there is a fine herd of +buffalo grazing on the hillside. Get your bow and arrows and come with +me. I want you to shoot some of them for me.” + +“Very well,” said Rabbit, and he went and killed six buffalo for Bear. +Bear got busy butchering and poor Rabbit, thinking he would get a chance +to lick up one mouthful of blood, stayed very close to the bear while he +was cutting up the meat. The bear was very watchful lest the rabbit get +something to eat. Despite bear’s watchfulness, a small clot of blood +rolled past and behind the bear’s feet. At once Rabbit seized the clot +and hid it in his bosom. By the time Rabbit got home, the blood clot +was hardened from the warmth of his body, so, being hungry, it put Mr. +Rabbit out of sorts to think that after all his trouble he could not eat +the blood. + +Very badly disappointed, he lay down on his floor and gazed up into the +chimney hole. Disgusted with the way things had turned out, he grabbed +up the blood clot and threw it up through the hole. Scarcely had it +hit the ground when he heard the voice of a baby crying, “Ate! Ate!” + (father, father). He went outside and there he found a big baby boy. He +took the baby into his house and threw him out through the hole again. +This time the boy was large enough to say “Ate, Ate, he-cun-sin-lo.” + (Father, father, don’t do that). But nevertheless, he threw him up and +out again. On going out the third time, there stood a handsome youth +smiling at him. Rabbit at once adopted the youth and took him into his +house, seating him in the seat of honor (which is directly opposite +the entrance), and saying: “My son, I want you to be a good, honest, +straightforward man. Now, I have in my possession a fine outfit, and +you, my son, shall wear it.” + +Suiting his action to his words, he drew out a bag from a hollow tree +and on opening it, drew out a fine buckskin shirt (tanned white as +snow), worked with porcupine quills. Also a pair of red leggings worked +with beads. Moccasins worked with colored hair. A fine otter skin robe. +White weasel skins to intertwine with his beautiful long black locks. A +magnificent center eagle feather. A rawhide covered bow, accompanied by +a quiver full of flint arrowheads. + +The rabbit, having dressed his son in all the latest finery, sat back +and gazed long and lovingly at his handsome son. Instinctively +Rabbit felt that his son had been sent him for the purpose of being +instrumental in the downfall of Mr. Bear. Events will show. + +The morning following the arrival of Rabbit’s son, Mr. Bear again +presents himself at the door, crying out: “You lazy, ugly rabbit, get up +and come out here. I want you to shoot some more buffalo for me.” + +“Who is this, who speaks so insultingly to you, father?” asked the son. + +“It is a bear who lives near here, and makes me kill buffalo for his +family, and he won’t let me take even one little drop of blood from the +killing, and consequently, my son, I have nothing in my house for you to +eat.” + +The young man was anxious to meet Mr. Bear but Rabbit advised him to +wait a little until he and Bear had gone to the hunt. So the son obeyed, +and when he thought it time that the killing was done, he started out +and arrived on the scene just as Mr. Bear was about to proceed with his +butchering. + +Seeing a strange shadow on the ground beside him, Mr. Bear looked up and +gazed into the fearless eyes of rabbit’s handsome son. + +“Who is this?” asked Mr. Bear of poor little Rabbit. + +“I don’t know,” answered Rabbit. + +“Who are you?” asked the bear of Rabbit’s son. “Where did you come +from?” + +The rabbit’s son not replying, the bear spoke thus to him: “Get out of +here, and get out quick, too.” + +At this speech the rabbit’s son became angered, and fastened an arrow to +his bow and drove the arrow through the bear’s heart. Then he turned on +Mrs. Bear and served her likewise. During the melee, Rabbit shouted: +“My son, my son, don’t kill the two youngest. The baby has kept me from +starving and the other one is good and kind to his baby brother.” + +So the three older brothers who were unkind to their baby brother met a +similar fate to that of their selfish parents. + +This (the story goes) is the reason that bears travel only in pairs. + + + + + + +THE BRAVE WHO WENT ON THE WARPATH ALONE AND WON THE NAME OF THE LONE +WARRIOR + +There was once a young man whose parents were not overburdened with the +riches of this world, and consequently could not dress their only son in +as rich a costume as the other young men of the tribe, and on account of +not being so richly clad as they, he was looked down upon and shunned by +them. He was never invited to take part in any of their sports; nor was +he ever asked to join any of the war parties. + +In the village lived an old man with an only daughter. Like the other +family, they were poor, but the daughter was the belle of the tribe. She +was the most sought after by the young men of the village, and warriors +from tribes far distant came to press their suit at winning her for +their bride. All to no purpose; she had the same answer for them as she +had for the young men of the village. + +The poor young man was also very handsome despite his poor clothes, but +having never killed an enemy nor brought home any enemies’ horses he was +not (according to Indian rules) allowed to make love to any young or old +woman. He tried in vain to join some of the war parties, that he might +get the chance to win his spurs as a warrior. To all his pleadings, +came the same answer: “You are not fit to join a war party. You have no +horses, and if you should get killed our tribe would be laughed at and +be made fun of as you have such poor clothes, and we don’t want the +enemy to know that we have any one of our tribe who dresses so poorly as +you do.” + +Again, and again, he tried different parties, only to be made fun of and +insulted. + +One night he sat in the poor tepee of his parents. He was in deep study +and had nothing to say. His father, noticing his melancholy mood, asked +him what had happened to cause him to be so quiet, as he was always of a +jolly disposition. The son answered and said: + +“Father, I am going on the warpath alone. In vain I have tried to be +a member of one of the war parties. To all of my pleadings I have got +nothing but insults in return.” + +“But my son, you have no gun nor ammunition. Where can you get any and +how can you get it? We have nothing to buy one for you with,” said the +father. + +“I don’t need any weapons. I am going to bring back some of the enemies’ +horses, and I don’t need a gun for that.” + +Early the next morning (regardless of the old couple’s pleadings not +to go unarmed) the young man left the village and headed northwest, the +direction always taken by the war parties. + +For ten days he traveled without seeing any signs of a camp. The evening +of the tenth day, he reached a very high butte, thickly wooded at the +summit. He ascended this butte, and as he sat there between two large +boulders, watching the beautiful rays of the setting sun, he was +suddenly startled to hear the neigh of a horse. Looking down into the +beautiful valley which was threaded by a beautiful creek fringed with +timber, he noticed close to the base of the butte upon which he sat, a +large drove of horses grazing peacefully and quietly. Looking closer, he +noticed at a little distance from the main drove, a horse with a saddle +on his back. This was the one that had neighed, as the drove drifted +further away from him. He was tied by a long lariat to a large sage +bush. + +Where could the rider be, he said to himself. As if in answer to his +question, there appeared not more than twenty paces from him a middle +aged man coming up through a deep ravine. The man was evidently in +search of some kind of game, as he held his gun in readiness for instant +use, and kept his eyes directed at every crevice and clump of bush. +So intent was he on locating the game he was trailing, that he never +noticed the young man who sat like a statue not twenty paces away. +Slowly and cautiously the man approached, and when he had advanced to +within a few paces of the young man he stopped and turning around, stood +looking down into the valley. This was the only chance that our brave +young friend had. Being unarmed, he would stand no show if the enemy +ever got a glimpse of him. Slowly and noiselessly he drew his hunting +knife (which his father had given him on his departure from home) and +holding it securely in his right hand, gathered himself and gave a leap +which landed him upon the unsuspecting enemy’s shoulders. The force with +which he landed on the enemy caused him (the enemy) to lose his hold on +his gun, and it went rattling down into the chasm, forty feet below. + +Down they came together, the young man on top. No sooner had they struck +the ground than the enemy had out his knife, and then commenced a hand +to hand duel. The enemy, having more experience, was getting the best of +our young friend. Already our young friend had two ugly cuts, one across +his chest and the other through his forearm. + +He was becoming weak from the loss of blood, and could not stand the +killing pace much longer. Summoning all his strength for one more trial +to overcome his antagonist, he rushed him toward the chasm, and in his +hurry to get away from this fierce attack, the enemy stepped back one +step too far, and down they both went into the chasm. Interlocked in +each other’s arms, the young man drove his knife into the enemy’s +side and when they struck the bottom the enemy relaxed his hold and +straightened out stiff and dead. + +Securing his scalp and gun, the young man proceeded down to where the +horse was tied to the sage bush, and then gathering the drove of horses +proceeded on his return to his own village. Being wounded severely he +had to ride very slowly. All the long hours of the night he drove the +horses towards his home village. + +In the meantime, those at the enemies’ camp wondered at the long absence +of the herder who was watching their drove of horses, and finally seven +young men went to search for the missing herder. All night long they +searched the hillsides for the horses and herder, and when it had grown +light enough in the morning they saw by the ground where there had been +a fierce struggle. + +Following the tracks in the sand and leaves, they came to the chasm +where the combatants had fallen over, and there, lying on his back +staring up at them in death, was their herder. They hastened to the camp +and told what they had found. Immediately the warriors mounted their war +ponies (these ponies are never turned loose, but kept tied close to the +tepee of the owner), and striking the trail of the herd driven off by +our young friend, they urged forth their ponies and were soon far from +their camp on the trail of our young friend. All day long they traveled +on his trail, and just as the sun was sinking they caught sight of him +driving the drove ahead over a high hill. Again they urged forth their +tired ponies. The young man, looking back along the trail, saw some dark +objects coming along, and, catching a fresh horse, drove the rest ahead +at a great rate. Again all night he drove them, and when daylight came +he looked back (from a high butte) over his trail and saw coming over a +distant raise, two horsemen. These two undoubtedly rode the best ponies, +as he saw nothing of the others. Driving the horses into a thick belt +of timber, he concealed himself close to the trail made by the drove of +horses, and lay in ambush for the two daring horsemen who had followed +him so far. Finally they appeared on the butte from where he had looked +back and saw them following him. For a long time they sat there scouring +the country before them in hopes that they might see some signs of their +stolen horses. Nothing could they see. Had they but known, their horses +were but a few hundred yards from them, but the thick timber securely +hid them from view. Finally one of them arose and pointed to the timber. +Then leaving his horse in charge of his friend, he descended the butte +and followed the trail of the drove to where they had entered the +timber. Little did he think that he was standing on the brink of +eternity. The young man hiding not more than a hundred yards from him +could have shot him there where he stood, but wanting to play fair, he +stepped into sight. When he did, the enemy took quick aim and fired. He +was too hasty. Had he taken more careful aim he might have killed our +young friend, but his bullet whizzed harmlessly over the young man’s +head and buried itself in a tree. The young man took good aim and fired. +The enemy threw up both hands and fell forward on his face. The other +one on the hill, seeing his friend killed, hastily mounted his horse +and leading his friend’s horse, made rapidly off down the butte in the +direction from whence he had come. Waiting for some time to be sure the +one who was alive did not come up and take a shot at him, he finally +advanced upon the fallen enemy and securing his gun, ammunition and +scalp, went to his horse and drove the herd on through the woods and +crossing a long flat prairie, ascended a long chain of hills and sat +looking back along his trail in search of any of the enemy who might +continue to follow him. + +Thus he sat until the long shadows of the hills reminded him that it +would soon be sunset, and as he must get some sleep, he wanted to find +some creek bend where he could drive the bunch of ponies and feel safe +as to their not straying off during the night. He found a good place for +the herd, and catching a fresh horse, he picketed him close to where he +was going to sleep, and wrapping himself in his blanket, was soon fast +asleep. So tired and sleepy was he that a heavy rain which had come up, +during the night, soaked him through and through, but he never awakened +until the sun was high in the east. + +He awoke and going to the place where he had left the herd, he was +glad to find them all there. He mounted his horse and started his herd +homeward again. For two days he drove them, and on the evening of the +second day he came in sight of the village. + +The older warriors, hearing of the young man going on this trip alone +and unarmed, told the parents to go in mourning for their son, as he +would never come back alive. When the people of the village saw this +large drove of horses advancing towards them, they at first thought +it was a war party of the enemy, and so the head men called the young +warriors together and fully prepared for a great battle. They advanced +upon the supposed enemy. When they got close enough to discern a lone +horseman driving this large herd, they surrounded the horses and lone +warrior, and brought him triumphantly into camp. On arriving in the camp +(or village) the horses were counted and the number counted up to one +hundred and ten head. + +The chief and his criers (or heralds) announced through the whole +village that there would be a great war dance given in honor of the Lone +Warrior. + +The whole village turned out and had a great war dance that was kept +up three days and three nights. The two scalps which the young man had +taken were tied to a pole which was placed in the center of the dance +circle. At this dance, the Lone Warrior gave to each poor family five +head of horses. + +Being considered eligible now to pay his respects to any girl who took +his fancy, he at once went to the camp of the beautiful girl of the +tribe, and as he was always her choice, she at once consented to marry +him. + +The news spread through the village that Lone Warrior had won the belle +of the nation for his bride, and this with the great feat which he had +accomplished alone in killing two enemies and bringing home a great herd +of horses, raised him to the rank of chief, which he faithfully filled +to the end of his days. And many times he had to tell his grandchildren +the story of how he got the name of the Lone Warrior. + + + + + + +THE SIOUX WHO MARRIED THE CROW CHIEF’S DAUGHTER + +A war party of seven young men, seeing a lone tepee standing on the edge +of a heavy belt of timber, stopped and waited for darkness, in order to +send one of their scouts ahead to ascertain whether the camp which they +had seen was the camp of friend or enemy. + +When darkness had settled down on them, and they felt secure in not +being detected, they chose one of their scouts to go on alone and find +out what would be the best direction for them to advance upon the camp, +should it prove to be an enemy. + +Among the scouts was one who was noted for his bravery, and many were +the brave acts he had performed. His name was Big Eagle. This man they +selected to go to the lone camp and obtain the information for which +they were waiting. + +Big Eagle was told to look carefully over the ground and select the best +direction from which they should make the attack. The other six would +await his return. He started on his mission, being careful not to make +any noise. He stealthily approached the camp. As he drew near to the +tent he was surprised to note the absence of any dogs, as these animals +are always kept by the Sioux to notify the owners by their barking of +the approach of anyone. He crawled up to the tepee door, and peeping +through a small aperture, he saw three persons sitting inside. An +elderly man and woman were sitting at the right of the fireplace, and a +young woman at the seat of honor, opposite the door. + +Big Eagle had been married and his wife had died five winters previous +to the time of this episode. He had never thought of marrying again, but +when he looked upon this young woman he thought he was looking upon the +face of his dead wife. He removed his cartridge belts and knife, and +placing them, along with his rifle, at the side of the tent, he at once +boldly stepped inside the tepee, and going over to the man, extended his +hand and shook first the man’s hand, then the old woman’s, and lastly +the young woman’s. Then he seated himself by the side of the girl, and +thus they sat, no one speaking. + +Finally, Big Eagle made signs to the man, explaining as well as possible +by signs, that his wife had died long ago, and when he saw the girl she +so strongly resembled his dead wife that he wished to marry her, and +he would go back to the enemy’s camp and live with them, if they would +consent to the marriage of their daughter. + +The old man seemed to understand, and Big Eagle again made signs to him +that a party were lying in wait just a short distance from his camp. +Noiselessly they brought in the horses, and taking down the tent, they +at once moved off in the direction from whence they had come. The war +party waited all night, and when the first rays of dawn disclosed to +them the absence of the tepee, they at once concluded that Big Eagle had +been discovered and killed, so they hurriedly started on their trail for +home. + +In the meantime, the hunting party, for this it was that Big Eagle +had joined, made very good time in putting a good distance between +themselves and the war party. All day they traveled, and when evening +came they ascended a high hill, looking down into the valley on the +other side. There stretched for two miles, along the banks of a small +stream, an immense camp. The old man made signs for Big Eagle to remain +with the two women where he was, until he could go to the camp and +prepare them to receive an enemy into their village. + +The old man rode through the camp and drew up at the largest tepee in +the village. Soon Big Eagle could see men gathering around the tepee. +The crowd grew larger and larger, until the whole village had assembled +at the large tepee. Finally they dispersed, and catching their horses, +mounted and advanced to the hill on which Big Eagle and the two women +were waiting. They formed a circle around them and slowly they returned +to the village, singing and riding in a circle around them. + +When they arrived at the village they advanced to the large tepee, and +motioned Big Eagle to the seat of honor in the tepee. In the village was +a man who understood and spoke the Sioux language. He was sent for, and +through him the oath of allegiance to the Crow tribe was taken by Big +Eagle. This done he was presented with the girl to wife, and also with +many spotted ponies. + +Big Eagle lived with his wife among her people for two years, and during +this time he joined in four different battles between his own people +(the Sioux) and the Crow people, to whom his wife belonged. + +In no battle with his own people would he carry any weapons, only a long +willow coup-stick, with which he struck the fallen Sioux. + +At the expiration of two years he concluded to pay a visit to his own +tribe, and his father-in-law, being a chief of high standing, at once +had it heralded through the village that his son-in-law would visit his +own people, and for them to show their good will and respect for him by +bringing ponies for his son-in-law to take back to his people. + +Hearing this, the herds were all driven in and all day long horses were +brought to the tent of Big Eagle, and when he was ready to start on his +homeward trip, twenty young men were elected to accompany him to within +a safe distance of his village. The twenty young men drove the gift +horses, amounting to two hundred and twenty head, to within one day’s +journey of the village of Big Eagle, and fearing for their safety from +his people, Big Eagle sent them back to their own village. + +On his arrival at his home village, they received him as one returned +from the dead, as they were sure he had been killed the night he had +been sent to reconnoiter the lone camp. There was great feasting and +dancing in honor of his return, and the horses were distributed among +the needy ones of the village. + +Remaining at his home village for a year, he one day made up his mind +to return to his wife’s people. A great many fancy robes, dresses, war +bonnets, moccasins, and a great drove of horses were given him, and his +wife, and he bade farewell to his people for good, saying, “I will never +return to you again, as I have decided to live the remainder of my days +with my wife’s people.” + +On his arrival at the village of the Crows, he found his father-in-law +at the point of death. A few days later the old man died, and Big Eagle +was appointed to fill the vacancy of chief made by the death of his +father-in-law. + +Subsequently he took part in battles against his own people, and in the +third battle was killed on the field. Tenderly the Crow warriors bore +him back to their camp, and great was the mourning in the Crow village +for the brave man who always went into battle unarmed, save only the +willow wand which he carried. + +Thus ended the career of one of the bravest of Sioux warriors who ever +took the scalp of an enemy, and who for the love of his dead wife, gave +up home, parents, and friends, to be killed on the field of battle by +his own tribe. + + + + + + +THE BOY AND THE TURTLES + +A boy went on a turtle hunt, and after following the different streams +for hours, finally came to the conclusion that the only place he would +find any turtles would be at the little lake, where the tribe always +hunted them. + +So, leaving the stream he had been following, he cut across country to +the lake. On drawing near the lake he crawled on his hands and knees in +order not to be seen by the turtles, who were very watchful, as they had +been hunted so much. Peeping over the rock he saw a great many out on +the shore sunning themselves, so he very cautiously undressed, so +he could leap into the water and catch them before they secreted +themselves. But on pulling off his shirt one of his hands was held up +so high that the turtles saw it and jumped into the lake with a great +splash. + +The boy ran to the shore, but saw only bubbles coming up from the +bottom. Directly the boy saw something coming to the surface, and soon +it came up into sight. It was a little man, and soon others, by the +hundreds, came up and swam about, splashing the water up into the air to +a great height. So scared was the boy that he never stopped to gather +up his clothes but ran home naked and fell into his grandmother’s tent +door. + +“What is the trouble, grandchild,” cried the old woman. But the boy +could not answer. “Did you see anything unnatural?” He shook his head, +“no.” He made signs to the grandmother that his lungs were pressing so +hard against his sides that he could not talk. He kept beating his side +with his clenched hands. The grandmother got out her medicine bag, +made a prayer to the Great Spirit to drive out the evil spirit that had +entered her grandson’s body, and after she had applied the medicine, the +prayer must have been heard and answered, as the boy commenced telling +her what he had heard and seen. + +The grandmother went to the chief’s tent and told what her grandson had +seen. The chief sent two brave warriors to the lake to ascertain whether +it was true or not. The two warriors crept to the little hill close to +the lake, and there, sure enough, the lake was swarming with little men +swimming about, splashing the water high up into the air. The warriors, +too, were scared and hurried home, and in the council called on their +return told what they had seen. The boy was brought to the council +and given the seat of honor (opposite the door), and was named “Wankan +Wanyanka” (sees holy). + +The lake had formerly borne the name of Truth Lake, but from this time +on was called “Wicasa-bde”--Man Lake. + + + + + + + +THE HERMIT, OR THE GIFT OF CORN + +In a deep forest, far from the villages of his people, lived a hermit. +His tent was made of buffalo skins, and his dress was made of deer skin. +Far from the haunts of any human being this old hermit was content to +spend his days. + +All day long he would wander through the forest studying the different +plants of nature and collecting precious roots, which he used as +medicine. At long intervals some warrior would arrive at the tent of +the old hermit and get medicine roots from him for the tribe, the old +hermit’s medicine being considered far superior to all others. + +After a long day’s ramble in the woods, the hermit came home late, and +being very tired, at once lay down on his bed and was just dozing off +to sleep, when he felt something rub against his foot. Awakening with a +start, he noticed a dark object and an arm was extended to him, holding +in its hand a flint pointed arrow. + +The hermit thought, “This must be a spirit, as there is no human being +around here but myself!” A voice then said: “Hermit, I have come to +invite you to my home.” “How (yes), I will come,” said the old hermit. +Wherewith he arose, wrapped his robe about him and followed. + +Outside the door he stopped and looked around, but could see no signs of +the dark object. + +“Whoever you are, or whatever you be, wait for me, as I don’t know +where to go to find your house,” said the hermit. Not an answer did +he receive, nor could he hear any noises as though anyone was walking +through the brush. Re-entering his tent he retired and was soon fast +asleep. The next night the same thing occurred again, and the hermit +followed the object out, only to be left as before. + +He was very angry to think that anyone should be trying to make sport of +him, and he determined to find out who this could be who was disturbing +his night’s rest. + +The next evening he cut a hole in the tent large enough to stick an +arrow through, and stood by the door watching. Soon the dark object came +and stopped outside of the door, and said: “Grandfather, I came to--,” + but he never finished the sentence, for the old man let go his arrow, +and he heard the arrow strike something which produced a sound as though +he had shot into a sack of pebbles. He did not go out that night to see +what his arrow had struck, but early next morning he went out and looked +at the spot about where he thought the object had stood. There on the +ground lay a little heap of corn, and from this little heap a small line +of corn lay scattered along a path. This he followed far into the woods. +When he came to a very small knoll the trail ended. At the end of the +trail was a large circle, from which the grass had been scraped off +clean. + +“The corn trail stops at the edge of this circle,” said the old man, “so +this must be the home of whoever it was that invited me.” He took his +bone knife and hatchet and proceeded to dig down into the center of the +circle. When he had got down to the length of his arm, he came to a sack +of dried meat. Next he found a sack of Indian turnips, then a sack of +dried cherries; then a sack of corn, and last of all another sack, empty +except that there was about a cupful of corn in one corner of it, and +that the sack had a hole in the other corner where his arrow had pierced +it. From this hole in the sack the corn was scattered along the trail, +which guided the old man to the cache.* + +From this the hermit taught the tribes how to keep their provisions when +traveling and were overloaded. He explained to them how they should dig +a pit and put their provisions into it and cover them with earth. By +this method the Indians used to keep provisions all summer, and when +fall came they would return to their cache, and on opening it would find +everything as fresh as the day they were placed there. + +The old hermit was also thanked as the discoverer of corn, which had +never been known to the Indians until discovered by the old hermit. + +*Hiding place. + + + + + + +THE MYSTERIOUS BUTTE + +A young man was once hunting and came to a steep hill. The east side +of the hill suddenly dropped off to a very steep bank. He stood on +this bank, and at the base he noticed a small opening. On going down to +examine it more closely, he found it was large enough to admit a horse +or buffalo. On either side of the door were figures of different animals +engraved into the wall. + +He entered the opening and there, scattered about on the floor, lay many +bracelets, pipes and many other things of ornament, as though they had +been offerings to some great spirit. He passed through this first room +and on entering the second it was so dark that he could not see his +hands before his face, so becoming scared, he hurriedly left the place, +and returning home told what he had seen. + +Upon hearing this the chief selected four of his most daring warriors to +go with this young man and investigate and ascertain whether the young +man was telling the truth or not. The five proceeded to the butte, and +at the entrance the young man refused to go inside, as the figures on +either side of the entrance had been changed. + +The four entered and seeing that all in the first chamber was as the +young man had told, they went on to the next chamber and found it so +dark that they could not see anything. They continued on, however, +feeling their way along the walls. They finally found an entrance that +was so narrow that they had to squeeze into it sideways. They felt their +way around the walls and found another entrance, so low down that +they had to crawl on their hands and knees to go through into the next +chamber. + +On entering the last chamber they found a very sweet odor coming from +the opposite direction. Feeling around and crawling on their hands and +knees, they discovered a hole in the floor leading downward. From this +hole came up the sweet odor. They hurriedly held a council, and decided +to go no further, but return to the camp and report what they had found. +On getting to the first chamber one of the young men said: “I am going +to take these bracelets to show that we are telling the truth.” “No,” + said the other three, “this being the abode of some Great Spirit, you +may have some accident befall you for taking what is not yours.” “Ah! +You fellows are like old women,” said he, taking a fine bracelet and +encircling his left wrist with it. + +When they reached the village they reported what they had seen. The +young man exhibited the bracelet to prove that it was the truth they had +told. + +Shortly after this, these four young men were out fixing up traps for +wolves. They would raise one end of a heavy log and place a stick under, +bracing up the log. A large piece of meat was placed about five feet +away from the log and this space covered with poles and willows. At +the place where the upright stick was put, a hole was left open, large +enough to admit the body of a wolf. The wolf, scenting the meat and +unable to get at it through the poles and willows, would crowd into the +hole and working his body forward, in order to get the meat, would push +down the brace and the log thus released would hold the wolf fast under +its weight. + +The young man with the bracelet was placing his bait under the log when +he released the log by knocking down the brace, and the log caught his +wrist on which he wore the bracelet. He could not release himself and +called loud and long for assistance. His friends, hearing his call, came +to his assistance, and on lifting the log found the young man’s wrist +broken. “Now,” said they, “you have been punished for taking the +wristlet out of the chamber of the mysterious butte.” + +Some time after this a young man went to the butte and saw engraved on +the wall a woman holding in her hand a pole, with which she was holding +up a large amount of beef which had been laid across another pole, which +had broken in two from the weight of so much meat. + +He returned to the camp and reported what he had seen. All around the +figure he saw marks of buffalo hoofs, also marked upon the wall. + +The next day an enormous herd of buffalo came near to the village, and +a great many were killed. The women were busy cutting up and drying the +meat. At one camp was more meat than at any other. The woman was hanging +meat upon a long tent pole, when the pole broke in two and she was +obliged to hold the meat up with another pole, just as the young man saw +on the mysterious butte. + +Ever after that the Indians paid weekly visits to this butte, and +thereon would read the signs that were to govern their plans. + +This butte was always considered the prophet of the tribe. + + + + + + +THE WONDERFUL TURTLE + +Near to a Chippewa village lay a large lake, and in this lake there +lived an enormous turtle. This was no ordinary turtle, as he would often +come out of his home in the lake and visit with his Indian neighbors. +He paid the most of his visits to the head chief, and on these occasions +would stay for hours, smoking and talking with him. + +The chief, seeing that the turtle was very smart and showed great +wisdom in his talk, took a great fancy to him, and whenever any puzzling +subject came up before the chief, he generally sent for Mr. Turtle to +help him decide. + +One day there came a great misunderstanding between different parties of +the tribe, and so excited became both sides that it threatened to cause +bloodshed. The chief was unable to decide for either faction, so he +said, “I will call Mr. Turtle. He will judge for you.” + +Sending for the turtle, the chief vacated his seat for the time being, +until the turtle should hear both sides, and decide which was in the +right. The turtle came, and taking the chief’s seat, listened very +attentively to both sides, and thought long before he gave his decision. +After thinking long and studying each side carefully, he came to the +conclusion to decide in favor of both. This would not cause any hard +feelings. So he gave them a lengthy speech and showed them where they +were both in the right, and wound up by saying: + +“You are both in the right in some ways and wrong in others. Therefore, +I will say that you both are equally in the right.” + +When they heard this decision, they saw that the turtle was right, and +gave him a long cheer for the wisdom displayed by him. The whole tribe +saw that had it not been for this wise decision there would have been a +great shedding of blood in the tribe. So they voted him as their judge, +and the chief, being so well pleased with him, gave to him his only +daughter in marriage. + +The daughter of the chief was the most beautiful maiden of the Chippewa +nation, and young men from other tribes traveled hundreds of miles for +an opportunity to make love to her, and try to win her for a wife. It +was all to no purpose. She would accept no one, only him whom her father +would select for her. The turtle was very homely, but as he was prudent +and wise, the father chose him, and she accepted him. + +The young men of the tribe were very jealous, but their jealousy was all +to no purpose. She married the turtle. The young men would make sport of +the chief’s son-in-law. They would say to him: “How did you come to have +so flat a stomach?” The turtle answered them, saying: + +“My friends, had you been in my place, you too would have flat stomachs. +I came by my flat stomach in this way: The Chippewas and Sioux had +a great battle, and the Sioux, too numerous for the Chippewas, were +killing them off so fast that they had to run for their lives. I was on +the Chippewa side and some of the Sioux were pressing five of us, and +were gaining on us very fast. Coming to some high grass, I threw myself +down flat on my face, and pressed my stomach close to the ground, so +the pursuers could not see me. They passed me and killed the four I was +with. After they had gone back, I arose and lo! my stomach was as you +see it now. So hard had I pressed to the ground that it would not assume +its original shape again.” + +After he had explained the cause of his deformity to them, they said: +“The Turtle is brave. We will bother him no more.” Shortly after this +the Sioux made an attack upon the Chippewas, and every one deserted the +village. The Turtle could not travel as fast as the rest and was left +behind. It being an unusually hot day in the fall, the Turtle grew very +thirsty and sleepy. Finally scenting water, he crawled towards the point +from whence the scent came, and coming to a large lake jumped in and +had a bath, after which he swam towards the center and dived down, and +finding some fine large rocks at the bottom, he crawled in among them +and fell asleep. He had his sleep out and arose to the top. + +Swimming to shore he found it was summer. He had slept all winter. The +birds were singing, and the green grass and leaves gave forth a sweet +odor. + +He crawled out and started out looking for the Chippewa camp. He came +upon the camp several days after he had left his winter quarters, and +going around in search of his wife, found her at the extreme edge of the +village. She was nursing her baby, and as he asked to see it, she showed +it to him. When he saw that it was a lovely baby and did not resemble +him in any respect, he got angry and went off to a large lake, where he +contented himself with catching flies and insects and living on seaweed +the remainder of his life. + + + + + +THE MAN AND THE OAK + +There once lived a Sioux couple who had two children, a boy and a girl. +Every fall this family would move away from the main camp and take +up their winter quarters in a grove of timber some distance from the +principal village. The reason they did this was that he was a great +hunter and where a village was located for the winter the game was +usually very scarce. Therefore, he always camped by himself in order to +have an abundance of game adjacent to his camp. + +All summer he had roamed around following the tribe to wherever their +fancy might take them. During their travels this particular year there +came to the village a strange girl who had no relatives there. No one +seemed very anxious to take her into their family, so the great hunter’s +daughter, taking a fancy to the poor girl, took her to their home and +kept her. She addressed her as sister, and the parents, on account of +their daughter, addressed her as daughter. + +This strange girl became desperately in love with the young man of the +family, but being addressed as daughter by the parents, she could not +openly show her feelings as the young man was considered her brother. + +In the fall when the main village moved into a large belt of timber for +their winter quarters, the hunter moved on to another place two days’ +travel from the main winter camp, where he would not be disturbed by any +other hunters. + +The young man had a tent by himself, and it was always kept nice and +clean by his sister, who was very much attached to him. After a long +day’s hunt in the woods, he would go into his tent and lie down to rest, +and when his supper was ready his sister would say, “My brother is so +tired. I will carry his supper to him.” + +Her friend, whom she addressed as sister, would never go into the young +man’s tent. Along towards spring there came one night into the young +man’s tent a woman. She sat down by the door and kept her face covered +so that it was hidden from view. She sat there a long time and finally +arose and went away. The young man could not imagine who this could be. +He knew that it was a long distance from the village and could not make +out where the woman could have come from. The next night the woman came +again and this time she came a little nearer to where the young man lay. +She sat down and kept her face covered as before. Neither spoke a word. +She sat there for a long time and then arose and departed. He was very +much puzzled over the actions of this woman and decided to ascertain on +her next visit who she was. + +He kindled a small fire in his tent and had some ash wood laid on it so +as to keep fire a long time, as ash burns very slowly and holds fire a +long time. + +The third night the woman came again and sat down still nearer his bed. +She held her blanket open just a trifle, and he, catching up one of the +embers, flashed it in her face; jumping up she ran hurriedly out of the +tent. The next morning he noticed that his adopted sister kept her face +hidden with her blanket. She chanced to drop her blanket while in the +act of pouring out some soup, and when she did so he noticed a large +burned spot on her cheek. + +He felt so sorry for what he had done that he could eat no breakfast, +but went outside and lay down under an oak tree. All day long he lay +there gazing up into the tree, and when he was called for supper he +refused, saying that he was not hungry, and for them not to bother him, +as he would soon get up and go to bed. Far into the night he lay thus, +and when he tried to arise he could not, as a small oak tree grew +through the center of his body and held him fast to the ground. + +In the morning when the family awoke they found the girl had +disappeared, and on going outside the sister discovered her brother held +fast to the earth by an oak tree which grew very rapidly. In vain were +the best medicine men of the tribe sent for. Their medicine was of no +avail. They said: “If the tree is cut down the young man will die.” + +The sister was wild with grief, and extending her hands to the sun, she +cried: “Great Spirit, relieve my suffering brother. Any one who releases +him I will marry, be he young, old, homely or deformed.” + +Several days after the young man had met with the mishap, there came to +the tent a very tall man, who had a bright light encircling his body. +“Where is the girl who promised to marry any one who would release +her brother?” “I am the one,” said the young man’s sister. “I am the +all-powerful lightning and thunder. I see all things and can kill at one +stroke a whole tribe. When I make my voice heard the rocks shake loose +and go rattling down the hillsides. The brave warriors cower shivering +under some shelter at the sound of my voice. The girl whom you had +adopted as your sister was a sorceress. She bewitched your brother +because he would not let her make love to him. On my way here I met her +traveling towards the west, and knowing what she had done, I struck her +with one of my blazing swords, and she lies there now a heap of ashes. I +will now release your brother.” + +So saying he placed his hand on the tree and instantly it crumbled to +ashes. The young man arose, and thanked his deliverer. + +Then they saw a great black cloud approaching, and the man said: “Make +ready, we shall go home on that cloud.” As the cloud approached near to +the man who stood with his bride, it suddenly lowered and enveloped them +and with a great roar and amidst flashes of lightning and loud peals of +thunder the girl ascended and disappeared into the west with her Thunder +and Lightning husband. + + + + + + +STORY OF THE TWO YOUNG FRIENDS + +There were once in a very large Indian camp two little boys who were +fast friends. One of the boys, “Chaske” (meaning first born), was the +son of a very rich family, and was always dressed in the finest of +clothes of Indian costume. The other boy, “Hake” (meaning last +born), was an orphan and lived with his old grandmother, who was very +destitute, and consequently could not dress the boy in fine raiment. +So poorly was the boy dressed that the boys who had good clothes always +tormented him and would not play in his company. + +Chaske did not look at the clothes of any boy whom he chose as a friend, +but mingled with all boys regardless of how they were clad, and would +study their dispositions. The well dressed he found were vain and +conceited. The fairly well dressed he found selfish and spiteful. The +poorly clad he found to be generous and truthful, and from all of them +he chose “Hake” for his “Koda” (friend). As Chaske was the son of the +leading war chief he was very much sought after by the rest of the boys, +each one trying to gain the honor of being chosen for the friend and +companion of the great chief’s son; but, as I have before said, Chaske +carefully studied them all and finally chose the orphan Hake. + +It was a lucky day for Hake when he was chosen for the friend and +companion of Chaske. The orphan boy was taken to the lodge of his +friend’s parents and dressed up in fine clothes and moccasins. (When the +Indians’ sons claim any one as their friend, the friend thus chosen is +adopted into the family as their own son). + +Chaske and Hake were inseparable. Where one was seen the other was not +far distant. They played, hunted, trapped, ate and slept together. They +would spend most of the long summer days hunting in the forests. + +Time went on and these two fast friends grew up to be fine specimens of +their tribe. When they became the age to select a sweetheart they would +go together and make love to a girl. Each helping the other to win the +affection of the one of his choice. Chaske loved a girl who was the +daughter of an old medicine man. She was very much courted by the other +young men of the tribe, and many a horse loaded with robes and fine +porcupine work was tied at the medicine man’s tepee in offering for the +hand of his daughter, but the horses, laden as when tied there, were +turned loose, signifying that the offer was not accepted. + +The girl’s choice was Chaske’s friend Hake. Although he had never made +love to her for himself, he had always used honeyed words to her and +was always loud in his praises for his friend Chaske. One night the two +friends had been to see the girl, and on their return Chaske was very +quiet, having nothing to say and seemingly in deep study. Always of +a bright, jolly and amiable disposition, his silence and moody spell +grieved his friend very much, and he finally spoke to Chaske, saying: +“Koda, what has come over you? You who were always so jolly and full of +fun? Your silence makes me grieve for you and I do not know what you are +feeling so downhearted about. Has the girl said anything to you to make +you feel thus?” + +“Wait, friend,” said Chaske, “until morning, and then I will know how to +answer your inquiry. Don’t ask me anything more tonight, as my heart is +having a great battle with my brain.” + +Hake bothered his friend no more that night, but he could not sleep. He +kept wondering what “Pretty Feather” (the girl whom his friend loved) +could have said to Chaske to bring such a change over him. Hake never +suspected that he himself was the cause of his friend’s sorrow, for +never did he have a thought that it was himself that Pretty Feather +loved. + +The next morning after they had eaten breakfast, Chaske proposed that +they should go out on the prairies, and see if they would have the good +luck to kill an antelope. Hake went out and got the band of horses, of +which there were over a hundred. They selected the fleetest two in the +herd, and taking their bows and arrows, mounted and rode away towards +the south. + +Hake was overjoyed to note the change in his friend. His oldtime jollity +had returned. They rode out about five miles, and scaring up a drove +of antelope they started in hot pursuit, and as their horses were very +fleet of foot soon caught up to the drove, and each singling out his +choice quickly dispatched him with an arrow. They could easily have +killed more of the antelope, but did not want to kill them just for +sport, but for food, and knowing that they had now all that their horses +could pack home, they dismounted and proceeded to dress their kill. + +After each had finished packing the kill on his horse, Chaske said: +“Let us sit down and have a smoke before we start back. Besides, I have +something to tell you which I can tell better sitting still than I can +riding along.” Hake came and sat down opposite his friend, and while +they smoked Chaske said: + +“My friend, we have been together for the last twenty years and I +have yet the first time to deceive you in any way, and I know I can +truthfully say the same of you. Never have I known you to deceive me nor +tell me an untruth. I have no brothers or sisters. The only brother’s +love I know is yours. The only sister’s love I will know will be Pretty +Feather’s, for brother, last night she told me she loved none but you +and would marry you and you only. So, brother, I am going to take my +antelope to my sister-in-law’s tent and deposit it at her door. Then she +will know that her wish will be fulfilled. I thought at first that +you had been playing traitor to me and had been making love to her for +yourself, but when she explained it all to me and begged me to intercede +for her to you, I then knew that I had judged you wrongfully, and that, +together with my lost love, made me so quiet and sorrowful last night. +So now, brother, take the flower of the nation for your wife, and I will +be content to continue through life a lonely bachelor, as never again +can I give any woman the place which Pretty Feather had in my heart.” + +Their pipes being smoked out they mounted their ponies and Chaske +started up in a clear, deep voice the beautiful love song of Pretty +Feather and his friend Hake. + +Such is the love between two friends, who claim to be as brothers among +the Indians. Chaske gave up his love of a beautiful woman for a man who +was in fact no relation to him. + +Hake said, “I will do as you say, my friend, but before I can marry the +medicine man’s daughter, I will have to go on the warpath and do +some brave deed, and will start in ten days.” They rode towards home, +planning which direction they would travel, and as it was to be their +first experience on the warpath, they would seek advice from the old +warriors of the tribe. + +On their arrival at the village Hake took his kill to their own tent, +while Chaske took his to the tent of the Medicine Man, and deposited it +at the door and rode off towards home. + +The mother of Pretty Feather did not know whether to take the offering +or not, but Pretty Feather, seeing by this offering that her most +cherished wish was to be granted, told her mother to take the meat and +cook it and invite the old women of the camp to a feast in honor of the +son-in-law who was soon to keep them furnished with plenty of meat. Hake +and his friend sought out all of the old warriors and gained all the +information they desired. Every evening Hake visited his intended wife +and many happy evenings they spent together. + +The morning of the tenth day the two friends left the village and +turned their faces toward the west where the camps of the enemy are +more numerous than in any other direction. They were not mounted and +therefore traveled slowly, so it took about ten days of walking before +they saw any signs of the enemy. The old warriors had told them of a +thickly wooded creek within the enemies’ bounds. The old men said, “That +creek looks the ideal place to camp, but don’t camp there by any means, +because there is a ghost who haunts that creek, and any one who camps +there is disturbed all through the night, and besides they never return, +because the ghost is Wakan (holy), and the enemies conquer the travelers +every time.” The friends had extra moccasins with them and one extra +blanket, as it was late in the fall and the nights were very cold. + +They broke camp early one morning and walked all day. Along towards +evening, the clouds which had been threatening all day, hurriedly opened +their doors and down came the snowflakes thick and fast. Just before it +started snowing the friends had noticed a dark line about two miles in +advance of them. Chaske spoke to his friend and said: “If this storm +continues we will be obliged to stay overnight at Ghost Creek, as +I noticed it not far ahead of us, just before the storm set in.” “I +noticed it also,” said Hake. “We might as well entertain a ghost all +night as to lie out on these open prairies and freeze to death.” So they +decided to run the risk and stay in the sheltering woods of Ghost Creek. +When they got to the creek it seemed as if they had stepped inside a big +tepee, so thick was the brush and timber that the wind could not be felt +at all. They hunted and found a place where the brush was very thick and +the grass very tall. They quickly pulled the tops of the nearest willows +together and by intertwining the ends made them fast, and throwing +their tent robe over this, soon had a cosy tepee in which to sleep. +They started their fire and cooked some dried buffalo meat and buffalo +tallow, and were just about to eat their supper when a figure of a man +came slowly in through the door and sat down near where he had entered. +Hake, being the one who was doing the cooking, poured out some tea into +his own cup, and putting a piece of pounded meat and marrow into a small +plate, placed it before the stranger, saying: “Eat, my friend, we are +on the warpath and do not carry much of a variety of food with us, but I +give you the best we have.” + +The stranger drew the plate towards him, and commenced eating +ravenously. He soon finished his meal and handed the dish and cup back. +He had not uttered a word so far. Chaske filled the pipe and handed it +to him. He smoked for a few minutes, took one last draw from the pipe +and handed it back to Chaske, and then he said: “Now, my friends, I am +not a living man, but the wandering spirit of a once great warrior, who +was killed in these woods by the enemy whom you two brave young men are +now seeking to make war upon. For years I have been roaming these woods +in hopes that I might find some one brave enough to stop and listen +to me, but all who have camped here in the past have run away at my +approach or fired guns or shot arrows at me. For such cowards as these +I have always found a grave. They never returned to their homes. Now I +have found two brave men whom I can tell what I want done, and if you +accomplish what I tell you to do, you will return home with many horses +and some scalps dangling from your belts. Just over this range of hills +north of us, a large village is encamped for the winter. In that camp is +the man who laid in ambush and shot me, killing me before I could get +a chance to defend myself. I want that man’s scalp, because he has been +the cause of my wanderings for a great many years. Had he killed me on +the battlefield my spirit would have at once joined my brothers in the +happy hunting grounds, but being killed by a coward, my spirit is doomed +to roam until I can find some brave man who will kill this coward and +bring me his scalp. This is why I have tried every party who have camped +here to listen to me, but as I have said before, they were all cowards. +Now, I ask you two brave young men, will you do this for me?” + +“We will,” said the friends in one voice. “Thank you, my boys. Now, I +know why you came here, and that one of you came to earn his feathers by +killing an enemy, before he would marry; the girl he is to marry is +my granddaughter, as I am the father of the great Medicine Man. In the +morning there will pass by in plain sight of here a large party. They +will chase the buffalo over on that flat. After they have passed an old +man leading a black horse and riding a white one will come by on the +trail left by the hunting party. He will be driving about a hundred +horses, which he will leave over in the next ravine. He will then +proceed to the hunting grounds and get meat from the different hunters. +After the hunters have all gone home he will come last, singing the +praises of the ones who gave him the meat. This man you must kill and +scalp, as he is the one I want killed. Then take the white and black +horse and each mount and go to the hunting grounds. There you will see +two of the enemy riding about picking up empty shells. Kill and scalp +these two and each take a scalp and come over to the high knoll and I +will show you where the horses are, and as soon as you hand me the old +man’s scalp I will disappear and you will see me no more. As soon as I +disappear, it will start in snowing. Don’t be afraid as the snow will +cover your trail, but nevertheless, don’t stop traveling for three days +and nights, as these people will suspect that some of your tribe have +done this, and they will follow you until you cross your own boundary +lines.” + +When morning came, the two friends sat in the thick brush and watched +a large party pass by their hiding place. So near were they that the +friends could hear them laughing and talking. After the hunting party +had passed, as the spirit had told them, along came the old man, driving +a large band of horses and leading a fine looking coal black horse. The +horse the old man was riding was as white as snow. The friends crawled +to a little brush covered hill and watched the chase after the shooting +had ceased. The friends knew it would not be long before the return of +the party, so they crawled back to their camp and hurriedly ate some +pounded meat and drank some cherry tea. Then they took down their robe +and rolled it up and got everything in readiness for a hurried flight +with the horses. Scarcely had they got everything in readiness when the +party came by, singing their song of the chase. When they had all gone +the friends crawled down to the trail and lay waiting for the old man. +Soon they heard him singing. Nearer and nearer came the sounds of the +song until at last at a bend in the road, the old man came into view. +The two friends arose and advanced to meet him. On he came still +singing. No doubt he mistook them for some of his own people. When +he was very close to them they each stepped to either side of him and +before he could make an outcry they pierced his cowardly old heart with +two arrows. He had hardly touched the ground when they both struck him +with their bows, winning first and second honors by striking an enemy +after he has fallen. Chaske having won first honors, asked his friend to +perform the scalping deed, which he did. And wanting to be sure that the +spirit would get full revenge, took the whole scalp, ears and all, and +tied it to his belt. The buffalo beef which the old man had packed upon +the black horse, they threw on the top of the old man. Quickly mounting +the two horses, they hastened out across the long flat towards the +hunting grounds. When they came in sight of the grounds there they saw +two men riding about from place to place. Chaske took after the one +on the right, Hake the one on the left. When the two men saw these two +strange men riding like the wind towards them, they turned their horses +to retreat towards the hills, but the white and the black were the +swiftest of the tribe’s horses, and quickly overtook the two fleeing +men. When they came close to the enemy they strung their arrows onto the +bowstring and drove them through the two fleeing hunters. As they were +falling they tried to shoot, but being greatly exhausted, their bullets +whistled harmlessly over the heads of the two friends. They scalped the +two enemies and took their guns and ammunition, also secured the two +horses and started for the high knoll. When they arrived at the place, +there stood the spirit. Hake presented him with the old man’s scalp and +then the spirit showed them the large band of horses, and saying, “Ride +hard and long,” disappeared and was seen no more by any war parties, +as he was thus enabled to join his forefathers in the happy hunting +grounds. + +The friends did as the spirit had told them. For three days and three +nights they rode steadily. On the fourth morning they came into their +own boundary. From there on they rode more slowly, and let the band +of horses rest and crop the tops of long grass. They would stop +occasionally, and while one slept the other kept watch. Thus they got +fairly well rested before they came in sight of where their camp had +stood when they had left. All that they could see of the once large +village was the lone tent of the great Medicine Man. They rode up on to +a high hill and farther on towards the east they saw smoke from a great +many tepees. They then knew that something had happened and that the +village had moved away. + +“My friend,” said Chaske, “I am afraid something has happened to the +Medicine Man’s lodge, and rather than have you go there, I will go alone +and you follow the trail of our party and go on ahead with the horses. +I will take the black and the white horses with me and I will follow on +later, after I have seen what the trouble is.” + +“Very well, my friend, I will do as you say, but I am afraid something +has happened to Pretty Feather.” Hake started on with the horses, +driving them along the broad trail left by the hundreds of travois. +Chaske made slowly towards the tepee, and stopping outside, stood and +listened. Not a sound could he hear. The only living thing he saw was +Pretty Feather’s spotted horse tied to the side of the tent. Then he +knew that she must be dead. He rode off into the thick brush and tied +his two horses securely. Then he came back and entered the tepee. There +on a bed of robes lay some one apparently dead. The body was wrapped +in blankets and robes and bound around and around with parfleche ropes. +These he carefully untied and unwound. Then he unwrapped the robes and +blankets and when he uncovered the face, he saw, as he had expected +to, the face of his lost love, Pretty Feather. As he sat gazing on her +beautiful young face, his heart ached for his poor friend. He himself +had loved and lost this beautiful maiden, and now his friend who had won +her would have to suffer the untold grief which he had suffered. + +What was that? Could it have been a slight quivering of the nostrils +that he had seen, or was it mad fancy playing a trick on him? Closer +he drew to her face, watching intently for another sign. There it was +again, only this time it was a long, deep drawn breath. He arose, got +some water and taking a small stick slowly forced open her mouth and +poured some into it. Then he took some sage, dipped it into the water +and sprinkled a little on her head and face. There were many parfleche +bags piled around the tepee, and thinking he might find some kind of +medicine roots which he could use to revive her he started opening +them one after the other. He had opened three and was just opening +the fourth, when a voice behind him asked: “What are you looking for?” + Turning quickly, he saw Pretty Feather looking at him. Overjoyed, he +cried, “What can I do so that you can get up and ride to the village +with me? My friend and I just returned with a large band of horses and +two scalps. We saw this tent and recognized it. My friend wanted to +come, but I would not let him, as I feared if he found anything had +happened to you he would do harm to himself, but now he will be anxious +for my return, so if you will tell me what you need in order to revive +you, I will get it, and we can then go to my friend in the village.” “At +the foot of my bed you will find a piece of eagle fat. Build a fire and +melt it for me. I will drink it and then we can go.” + +Chaske quickly started a fire, got out the piece of fat and melted it. +She drank it at one draught, and was about to arise when she suddenly +said: “Roll me up quick and take the buffalo hair rope and tie it about +my spotted horse’s neck; tie his tail in a knot and tie him to the door. +Then run and hide behind the trees. There are two of the enemy coming +this way.” + +Chaske hurriedly obeyed her orders, and had barely concealed himself +behind the trees, when there came into view two of the enemy. They saw +the horse tied to the door of the deserted tent, and knew that some dead +person occupied the tepee, so through respect for the dead, they turned +out and started to go through the brush and trees, so as not to pass the +door. (The Indians consider it a bad omen to pass by the door of a tepee +occupied by a dead body, that is, while in the enemy’s country). So +by making this detour they traveled directly towards where Chaske was +concealed behind the tree. Knowing that he would be discovered, and +there being two of them, he knew the only chance he had was for him +to kill one of them before they discovered him, then he stood a better +chance at an even combat. On they came, little thinking that one of them +would in a few minutes be with his forefathers. + +Chaske noiselessly slipped a cartridge into the chamber of his gun, +threw it into action and took deliberate aim at the smaller one’s +breast. A loud report rang out and the one he had aimed at threw up his +arms and fell heavily forward, shot through the heart. + +Reloading quickly Chaske stepped out from behind the tree. He could +easily have killed the other from his concealed position, but, being a +brave young man, he wanted to give his opponent a fair chance. The other +had unslung his gun and a duel was then fought between the two lone +combatants. They would spring from side to side like two great cats. +Then advance one or two steps and fire. Retreat a few steps, spring to +one side and fire again. The bullets whistled past their heads, tore up +the earth beneath their feet, and occasionally one would hit its mark, +only to cause a flesh wound. + +Suddenly the enemy aimed his gun and threw it upon the ground. His +ammunition was exhausted, and slowly folding his arms he stood facing +his opponent, with a fearless smile upon his face, expecting the next +moment to fall dead from a bullet from the rifle of Chaske. Not +so. Chaske was too honorable and noble to kill an unarmed man, and +especially one who had put up such a brave fight as had this man. Chaske +advanced and picked up the empty gun. The Toka (enemy) drew from a +scabbard at his belt a long bowie knife, and taking it by the point +handed it, handle first, to Chaske. This signified surrender. Chaske +scalped the dead Toka and motioned for his prisoner to follow him. In +the meantime Pretty Feather had gotten up and stood looking at the duel. +When she heard the first shot she jumped up and cut a small slit in the +tent from which she saw the whole proceedings. Knowing that one or both +of them must be wounded, she hurriedly got water and medicine roots, and +when they came to the tent she was prepared to dress their wounds. + +Chaske had a bullet through his shoulder and one through his hand. They +were very painful but not dangerous. The prisoner had a bullet through +his leg, also one through the muscle of his left arm. Pretty Feather +washed and dressed their wounds, and Chaske went and brought the black +and white horses and mounting Pretty Feather upon the white horse, and +the prisoner on her spotted one, the three soon rode into the village, +and there was a great cry of joy when it was known that Pretty Feather +had come back to them again. + +Hake, who was in his tent grieving, was told that his friend had +returned and with him Pretty Feather. Hearing this good news he at +once went to the Medicine Man’s tent and found the Medicine Man busily +dressing the wounds of his friend and a stranger. The old Medicine Man +turned to Hake and said: + +“Son-in-law, take your wife home with you. It was from grief at your +absence that she went into a trance, and we, thinking she was dead, left +her for such. Hadn’t it been for your friend here, she would surely have +been a corpse now. So take her and keep her with you always, and take as +a present from me fifty of my best horses.” + +Hake and his beautiful bride went home, where his adopted mother had a +fine large tent put up for them. Presents of cooking utensils, horses, +robes and finely worked shawls and moccasins came from every direction, +and last of all Chaske gave as a present to his friend the Toka man whom +he had taken as prisoner. On presenting him with this gift, Chaske spoke +thus: + +“My friend, I present to you, that you may have him as a servant to +look after your large band of horses, this man with whom I fought a +two hours’ duel, and had his ammunition lasted he would probably have +conquered me, and who gave me the second hardest fight of my life. +The hardest fight of my life was when I gave up Pretty Feather. You +have them both. To the Toka (enemy) be kind, and he will do all your +biddings. To Pretty Feather be a good husband.” + +So saying, Chaske left them, and true to his word, lived the remainder +of his days a confirmed bachelor. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF THE PET CROW + +Once upon a time there came to a large village a plague of crows. So +thick were they that the poor women were sorely tried keeping them out +of their tepees and driving them away from their lines of jerked buffalo +meat. Indeed they got so numerous and were such a great nuisance that +the Chief finally gave orders to his camp criers or heralds to go out +among the different camps and announce the orders of their Chief, that +war should be made upon the crows to extermination; that their nests +were to be destroyed and all eggs broken. The war of extermination was +to continue until not a crow remained, except the youngest found was to +be brought to him alive. + +For a week the war on the crows continued. Thousands of dead crows were +brought in daily, and at the end of the week not a bird of that species +could be seen in the neighborhood. Those that escaped the deadly arrow +of the warriors, flew away, never to return to those parts again. + +At the end of the war made upon the crows, there was brought to the +Chief’s tepee the youngest found. Indeed, so young was the bird that it +was only the great medicine of the Chief that kept him alive until he +could hop about and find his own food. The Chief spent most of his time +in his lodge teaching the young crow to understand and talk the language +of the tribe. After the crow had mastered this, the Chief then taught +him the languages of the neighboring tribes. When the crow had mastered +these different languages the chief would send him on long journeys to +ascertain the location of the camps of the different enemies. + +When the crow would find a large Indian camp he would alight and hop +about, pretending to be picking up scraps, but really keeping his ears +open for anything he might hear. He would hang around all day, and at +night when they would all gather in the large council tent (which always +stood in the center of the village) to determine upon their next raid, +and plan for a horse stealing trip, Mr. Crow was always nearby to hear +all their plans discussed. He would then fly away to his master (the +Chief) and tell him all that he had learned. + +The Chief would then send a band of his warriors to lie in ambush for +the raiding party, and, as the enemy would not suspect anything they +would go blindly into the pitfall of death thus set for them. Thus the +crow was the scout of this chief, whose reputation as a Wakan (Holy man) +soon reached all of the different tribes. The Chief’s warriors would +intercept, ambush and annihilate every war party headed for his camp. + +So, finally learning that they could not make war on this chief’s people +unbeknown to them, they gave up making war on this particular band. When +meat was running low in the camp this chief would send the crow out to +look for buffalo. When he discovered a herd he would return and report +to his master; then the chief would order out the hunters and they +would return laden with meat. Thus the crow kept the camp all the time +informed of everything that would be of benefit to them. + +One day the crow disappeared, over which there was great grief among the +tribe. A week had passed away, when Mr. Crow reappeared. There was +great rejoicing upon his return, but the crow was downcast and would not +speak, but sat with a drooping head perched at the top of the chief’s +tepee, and refused all food that was offered to him. + +In vain did the chief try to get the crow to tell him the cause of his +silence and seeming grief. The crow would not speak until the chief +said: “Well, I will take a few of my warriors and go out and try to +ascertain what has happened to cause you to act as you do.” + +Upon hearing this, the crow said: “Don’t go. I dreaded to tell you what +I know to be a fact, as I have heard it from some great medicine men. +I was traveling over the mountains west of here, when I spied three old +men sitting at the top of the highest peak. I very cautiously dropped +down behind a rock and listened to their talk. I heard your name +mentioned by one of them, then your brother’s name was mentioned. Then +the third, who was the oldest, said: ‘in three days from today the +lightning will kill those two brothers whom all the nations fear.’” + +Upon hearing what the crow stated the tribe became grief stricken. On +the morning of the third day the chief ordered a nice tepee placed upon +the highest point, far enough away from the village, so that the peals +of thunder would not alarm the babies of the camp. + +A great feast was given, and after the feasting was over there came in +six young maidens leading the war horses of the two brothers. The horses +were painted and decorated as if for a charge on the enemy. One maiden +walked ahead of the chief’s horse bearing in her hands the bow and +arrows of the great warrior. Next came two maidens, one on either side +of the prancing war steed, each holding a rein. Behind the chief’s horse +came the fourth maiden. Like the first, she bore in her hands the bow +and arrows of the chief’s brother. Then the fifth and sixth maidens +each holding a rein, walked on either side of the prancing horse of +the chief’s brother. They advanced and circled the large gathering and +finally stopped directly in front of the two brothers, who immediately +arose and taking their bows and arrows vaulted lightly upon their war +steeds, and singing their death song, galloped off amid a great cry of +grief from the people who loved them most dearly. + +Heading straight for the tepee that had been placed upon the highest +point, adjacent to the village, they soon arrived at their destination +and, dismounting from their horses, turned, waved their hands to their +band, and disappeared within the tepee. Scarcely had they entered the +lodge when the rumblings of distant thunder could be heard. Nearer, and +nearer, came the sound, until at last the storm overspread the locality +in all its fury. Flash upon flash of lightning burst forth from the +heavens. Deafening peals of thunder followed each flash. Finally, one +flash brighter than any of the others, one peal more deafening than +those preceding it, and the storm had passed. + +Sadly the warriors gathered together, mounted their horses and slowly +rode to the tepee on the high point. Arriving there they looked inside +the lodge and saw the two brothers lying cold and still in death, each +holding the lariat of his favorite war horse. The horses also lay dead +side by side in front of the tent. (From this came the custom of killing +the favorite horse of a dead warrior at the burial of the owner). + +As the Indians sadly left the hill to return home, they heard a noise at +the top of the tepee, and looking up they saw the crow sitting on one +of the splintered tepee poles. He was crying most pitifully, and as they +rode off he flew up high in the air and his pitiful “caw” became fainter +and fainter till at last they heard it no more. And from that day, the +story goes, no crow ever goes near the village of that band of Indians. + + + + + + +THE “WASNA” (PEMMICAN) MAN AND THE UNKTOMI (SPIDER) + +Once upon a time there appeared from out of a large belt of timber a +man attired in the fat of the buffalo. On his head he wore the honeycomb +part of the stomach. To this was attached small pieces of fat. The fat +which covered the stomach he wore as a cloak. The large intestines he +wore as leggings, and the kidney fat as his moccasins. + +As he appeared he had the misfortune to meet “Unktomi” (spider) with +his hundreds of starving children. Upon seeing the fat, Unktomi and his +large family at once attacked the man, who, in order to save his life, +started to run away, but so closely did Unktomi and his family pursue +him that in order to make better time and also get a little better +start, he threw off his head covering, which the Unktomi family hastily +devoured, and were again closing in upon him. He then threw off his +cloak and they devoured that, and were close upon him again, when he +threw off his leggings. These were hastily eaten up, and, as they drew +near to a lake, the man threw off the kidney fat, and, running to +the edge of the lake, dived down into the water and kept beneath the +surface, swimming to the opposite shore. After the Unktomi family had +eaten the kidney fat they came to the water’s edge, and the grease was +floating on the surface of the water which they lapped up, until there +was not a grease spot left floating on the surface. + +The small morsels had only sharpened their appetites, and as they saw +the man sitting on the opposite shore, Unktomi and his family proceeded +around the lake and came upon two men sitting on the shore. Unktomi saw +that the other man was “Wakapapi” (pounded beef). The family surrounded +the two and Unktomi ordered them to fight. Fearing Unktomi and his +large family, they at once commenced to fight and Pounded Meat was soon +killed. The hungry family at once fell to eating him. So busy were they +that none noticed the fat man sneak off and disappear. + +When they had finished the pounded beef man they looked around to fall +upon the fat man, but nowhere could he be seen. Unktomi said, “I will +track him and when I find him, I will return for you, so stay here and +await my return.” + +He followed the fat man’s tracks until farther east on the shore of the +lake he found the fat man in the act of skinning a deer, which he had +killed. (He had held on to his bow and arrows when he jumped into the +lake). “My,” said Unktomi, “this will make a fine meal for my hungry +children. I will go after them, so hurry and cut the meat up into small +pieces so they each can have a piece.” + +“All right, go ahead and get your family,” said Fat Man. During +Unktomi’s absence, the fat man hurriedly cut the meat up into small +pieces and carried them up into a tree that stood near to the shore. +When he had carried it all up he threw sand and dirt upon the blood, and +so left no trace of the deer. + +On the arrival of Unktomi and his family, no signs of the fat man or +the deer could be found. They wandered about the spot looking for tracks +which might lead them to where the fat man had cached the meat, as +Unktomi said he could not have carried it very far. Now the fat man was +up in the tree and sat watching them. The reflection of the tree was in +the water, and some of the children going close to the shore, discovered +it as they looked at the reflection. The fat man cut a piece of meat and +extending it towards them, drew back his hand and put the meat into his +mouth. + +“Come quick, father, here he is eating the meat,” said the children. +Unktomi came and seeing the reflection, thought the fat man was down in +the lake. “Wait, I will bring him up for you.” So saying, he dived down, +but soon arose without anything. Again and again he tried, but could not +reach the bottom. He told the children to gather rock for him. These +he tied around his neck and body, and dived down for the last time. The +last the children saw of their father was the bubbles which arose to the +surface of the lake. The rocks being too heavy for him, held him fast +to the bottom, and some hungry fish soon made a feast out of the body of +poor “Unktomi.” + + + + + + +THE RESUSCITATION OF THE ONLY DAUGHTER + +There once lived an old couple who had an only daughter. She was a +beautiful girl, and was very much courted by the young men of the +tribe, but she said that she preferred single life, and to all their +heart-touching tales of deep affection for her she always had one +answer. That was “No.” + +One day this maiden fell ill and day after day grew worse. All the best +medicine men were called in, but their medicines were of no avail, and +in two weeks from the day that she was taken ill she lay a corpse. Of +course there was great mourning in the camp. They took her body several +miles from camp and rolled it in fine robes and blankets, then they laid +her on a scaffold which they had erected. (This was the custom of burial +among the Indians). They placed four forked posts into the ground and +then lashed strong poles lengthwise and across the ends and made a bed +of willows and stout ash brush. This scaffold was from five to seven +feet from the ground. After the funeral the parents gave away all of +their horses, fine robes and blankets and all of the belongings of +the dead girl. Then they cut their hair off close to their heads, and +attired themselves in the poorest apparel they could secure. + +When a year had passed the friends and relatives of the old couple tried +in vain to have them set aside their mourning. “You have mourned long +enough,” they would say. “Put aside your mourning and try and enjoy a +few more pleasures of this life while you live. You are both growing old +and can’t live very many more years, so make the best of your time.” The +old couple would listen to their advice and then shake their heads and +answer: “We have nothing to live for. Nothing we could join in would be +any amusement to us, since we have lost the light of our lives.” + +So the old couple continued their mourning for their lost idol. Two +years had passed since the death of the beautiful girl, when one evening +a hunter and his wife passed by the scaffold which held the dead girl. +They were on their return trip and were heavily loaded down with game, +and therefore could not travel very fast. About half a mile from the +scaffold a clear spring burst forth from the side of a bank, and from +this trickled a small stream of water, moistening the roots of the +vegetation bordering its banks, and causing a growth of sweet green +grass. At this spring the hunter camped and tethering his horses, at +once set about helping his wife to erect the small tepee which they +carried for convenience in traveling. + +When it became quite dark, the hunter’s dogs set up a great barking +and growling. “Look out and see what the dogs are barking at,” said the +hunter to his wife. She looked out through the door and then drew back +saying: “There is the figure of a woman advancing from the direction of +the girl’s scaffold.” “I expect it is the dead girl; let her come, +and don’t act as if you were afraid,” said the hunter. Soon they heard +footsteps advancing and the steps ceased at the door. Looking down at +the lower part of the door the hunter noticed a pair of small moccasins, +and knowing that it was the visitor, said: “Whoever you are, come in and +have something to eat.” + +At this invitation the figure came slowly in and sat down by the door +with head covered and with a fine robe drawn tightly over the face. The +woman dished up a fine supper and placing it before the visitor, said: +“Eat, my friend, you must be hungry.” The figure never moved, nor +would it uncover to eat. “Let us turn our back towards the door and our +visitor may eat the food,” said the hunter. So his wife turned her back +towards the visitor and made herself very busy cleaning the small pieces +of meat that were hanging to the back sinews of the deer which had been +killed. (This the Indians use as thread.) The hunter, filling his pipe, +turned away and smoked in silence. Finally the dish was pushed back to +the woman, who took it and after washing it, put it away. The figure +still sat at the door, not a sound coming from it, neither was it +breathing. The hunter at last said: “Are you the girl that was placed +upon that scaffold two years ago?” It bowed its head two or three times +in assent. “Are you going to sleep here tonight; if you are, my wife +will make down a bed for you.” The figure shook its head. “Are you going +to come again tomorrow night to us?” It nodded assent. + +For three nights in succession the figure visited the hunter’s camp. The +third night the hunter noticed that the figure was breathing. He saw one +of the hands protruding from the robe. The skin was perfectly black and +was stuck fast to the bones of the hand. On seeing this the hunter arose +and going over to his medicine sack which hung on a pole, took down the +sack and, opening it, took out some roots and mixing them with skunk oil +and vermillion, said to the figure: + +“If you will let us rub your face and hands with this medicine it will +put new life into the skin and you will assume your complexion again and +it will put flesh on you.” The figure assented and the hunter rubbed the +medicine on her hands and face. Then she arose and walked back to the +scaffold. The next day the hunter moved camp towards the home village. +That night he camped within a few miles of the village. When night came, +the dogs, as usual, set up a great barking, and looking out, the wife +saw the girl approaching. + +When the girl had entered and sat down, the hunter noticed that the girl +did not keep her robe so closely together over her face. When the wife +gave her something to eat, the girl reached out and took the dish, thus +exposing her hands, which they at once noticed were again natural. After +she had finished her meal, the hunter said: “Did my medicine help you?” + She nodded assent. “Do you want my medicine rubbed all over your body?” + Again she nodded. “I will mix enough to rub your entire body, and I will +go outside and let my wife rub it on for you.” He mixed a good supply +and going out left his wife to rub the girl. When his wife had completed +the task she called to her husband to come in, and when he came in he +sat down and said to the girl: “Tomorrow we will reach the village. Do +you want to go with us?” She shook her head. “Will you come again to our +camp tomorrow night after we have camped in the village?” She nodded +her head in assent. “Then do you want to see your parents?” She nodded +again, and arose and disappeared into the darkness. + +Early the next morning the hunter broke camp and traveled far into the +afternoon, when he arrived at the village. He instructed his wife to go +at once and inform the old couple of what had happened. The wife did +so and at sunset the old couple came to the hunter’s tepee. They were +invited to enter and a fine supper was served them. Soon after they had +finished their supper the dogs of the camp set up a great barking. “Now +she is coming, so be brave and you will soon see your lost daughter,” + said the hunter. Hardly had he finished speaking when she entered the +tent as natural as ever she was in life. Her parents clung to her and +smothered her with kisses. + +They wanted her to return home with them, but she would stay with the +hunter who had brought her back to life, and she married him, becoming +his second wife. A short time after taking the girl for his wife, the +hunter joined a war party and never returned, as he was killed on the +battlefield. + +A year after her husband’s death she married again. This husband was +also killed by a band of enemies whom the warriors were pursuing for +stealing some of their horses. The third husband also met a similar fate +to the first. He was killed on the field of battle. + +She was still a handsome woman at the time of the third husband’s death, +but never again married, as the men feared her, saying she was holy, and +that any one who married her would be sure to be killed by the enemy. + +So she took to doctoring the sick and gained the reputation of being the +most skilled doctor in the nation. She lived to a ripe old age and when +she felt death approaching she had them take her to where she had rested +once before, and crawling to the top of the newly erected scaffold, +wrapped her blankets and robes about her, covered her face carefully, +and fell into that sleep from which there is no more awakening. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF THE PET CRANE + +There was once upon a time a man who did not care to live with his tribe +in a crowded village, but preferred a secluded spot in the deep forest, +there to live with his wife and family of five children. The oldest of +the children (a boy) was twelve years of age, and being the son of a +distinguished hunter, soon took to roaming through the forest in search +of small game. + +One day during his ramblings, he discovered a crane’s nest, with only +one young crane occupying it. No doubt some fox or traveling weasel +had eaten the rest of the crane’s brothers and sisters. The boy said to +himself, “I will take this poor little crane home and will raise him as +a pet for our baby. If I leave him here some hungry fox will be sure to +eat the poor little fellow.” He carried the young crane home and it grew +to be nearly as tall as the boy’s five-year-old sister. + +Being brought up in a human circle, it soon grew to understand all the +family said. Although it could not speak it took part in all the games +played by the children. The father of the family was, as I have before +mentioned, a great hunter. He always had a plentiful supply of deer, +antelope, buffalo and beaver meats on hand, but there came a change. +The game migrated to some other locality, where no deadly shot like +“Kutesan” (Never Miss) would be around to annihilate their fast +decreasing droves. The hunter started out early one morning in hopes of +discovering some of the game which had disappeared as suddenly as though +the earth had swallowed them. The hunter traveled the whole day, all to +no purpose. It was late in the evening when he staggered into camp. He +was nearly dead with fatigue. Hastily swallowing a cup of cherry bark +tea (the only article of food they had in store), he at once retired +and was soon in the sweet land of dreams. The children soon joined their +father and the poor woman sat thinking how they could save their dear +children from starvation. Suddenly out upon the night air rang the cry +of a crane. Instantly the pet crane awoke, stepped outside and answered +the call. The crane which had given the cry was the father of the pet +crane, and learning from Mr. Fox of the starving condition of his son +and his friends, he flew to the hunting grounds of the tribe, and as +there had been a good kill that day, the crane found no trouble in +securing a great quantity of fat. This he carried to the tent of the +hunter and, hovering over the tent he suddenly let the fat drop to +the earth and at once the pet crane picked it up and carried it to the +woman. + +Wishing to surprise the family on their awakening in the morning she +got a good stick for a light, heaped up sticks on the dying embers, and +started up a rousing fire and proceeded to melt or try out the fat, as +melted fat is considered a favorite dish. Although busily occupied she +kept her ears open for any strange noises coming out of the forest, +there being usually some enemies lurking around. She held her pan in +such a position that after the fat started to melt and quite a lot of +the hot grease accumulated in the pan, she could plainly see the tent +door reflected in the hot grease, as though she used a mirror. + +When she had nearly completed her task, she heard a noise as though some +footsteps were approaching. Instantly her heart began to beat a tattoo +on her ribs, but she sat perfectly quiet, calling all her self-control +into play to keep from making an outcry. This smart woman had already +studied out a way in which to best this enemy, in case an enemy it +should be. The footsteps, or noise, continued to advance, until at last +the woman saw reflected in the pan of grease a hand slowly protruding +through the tent door, and the finger pointed, as if counting, to the +sleeping father, then to each one of the sleeping children, then to her +who sat at the fire. Little did Mr. Enemy suppose that the brave woman +who sat so composed at her fire, was watching every motion he was +making. The hand slowly withdrew, and as the footsteps slowly died +away, there rang out on the still night air the deep fierce howl of the +prairie wolf. (This imitation of a prairie wolf is the signal to the war +party that an enemy has been discovered by the scout whom they have sent +out in advance). At once she aroused her husband and children. Annoyed +at being so unceremoniously disturbed from his deep sleep, the husband +crossly asked why she had awakened him so roughly. The wife explained +what she had seen and heard. She at once pinned an old blanket around +the crane’s shoulders and an old piece of buffalo hide on his head for a +hat or head covering. Heaping piles of wood onto the fire she instructed +him to run around outside of the hut until the family returned, as they +were going to see if they could find some roots to mix up with the fat. +Hurriedly she tied her blanket around her middle, put her baby inside of +it, and then grabbed her three year old son and packed him on her back. +The father also hurriedly packed the next two and the older boy took +care of himself. + +Immediately upon leaving the tent they took three different directions, +to meet again on the high hill west of their home. The reflection from +the fire in the tent disclosed to them the poor pet crane running around +the tent. It looked exactly like a child with its blanket and hat on. + +Suddenly there rang out a score of shots and war whoops of the dreaded +Crow Indians. Finding the tent deserted they disgustedly filed off and +were swallowed up in the darkness of the deep forest. + +The next morning the family returned to see what had become of their pet +crane. There, riddled to pieces, lay the poor bird who had given up his +life to save his dear friends. + + + + + + +WHITE PLUME + +There once lived a young couple who were very happy. The young man was +noted throughout the whole nation for his accuracy with the bow and +arrow, and was given the title of “Dead Shot,” or “He who never +misses his mark,” and the young woman, noted for her beauty, was named +Beautiful Dove. + +One day a stork paid this happy couple a visit and left them a fine big +boy. The boy cried “Ina, ina” (mother, mother). “Listen to our son,” + said the mother, “he can speak, and hasn’t he a sweet voice?” “Yes,” + said the father, “it will not be long before he will be able to walk.” + He set to work making some arrows, and a fine hickory bow for his son. +One of the arrows he painted red, one blue, and another yellow. The rest +he left the natural color of the wood. When he had completed them, the +mother placed them in a fine quiver, all worked in porcupine quills, +and hung them up over where the boy slept in his fine hammock of painted +moose hide. + +At times when the mother would be nursing her son, she would look up at +the bow and arrows and talk to her baby, saying: “My son, hurry up and +grow fast so you can use your bow and arrows. You will grow up to be +as fine a marksman as your father.” The baby would coo and stretch his +little arms up towards the bright colored quiver as though he understood +every word his mother had uttered. Time passed and the boy grew up to a +good size, when one day his father said: “Wife, give our son the bow and +arrows so that he may learn how to use them.” The father taught his son +how to string and unstring the bow, and also how to attach the arrow to +the string. The red, blue and yellow arrows, he told the boy, were to be +used only whenever there was any extra good shooting to be done, so the +boy never used these three until he became a master of the art. Then he +would practice on eagles and hawks, and never an eagle or hawk continued +his flight when the boy shot one of the arrows after him. + +One day the boy came running into the tent, exclaiming: “Mother, mother, +I have shot and killed the most beautiful bird I ever saw.” “Bring +it in, my son, and let me look at it.” He brought the bird and upon +examining it she pronounced it a different type of bird from any she had +ever seen. Its feathers were of variegated colors and on its head was +a topknot of pure white feathers. The father, returning, asked the boy +with which arrow he had killed the bird. “With the red one,” answered +the boy. “I was so anxious to secure the pretty bird that, although I +know I could have killed it with one of my common arrows, I wanted to +be certain, so I used the red one.” “That is right, my son,” said the +father. “When you have the least doubt of your aim, always use one of +the painted arrows, and you will never miss your mark.” + +The parents decided to give a big feast in honor of their son killing +the strange, beautiful bird. So a great many elderly women were called +to the tent of Pretty Dove to assist her in making ready for the big +feast. For ten days these women cooked and pounded beef and cherries, +and got ready the choicest dishes known to the Indians. Of buffalo, +beaver, deer, antelope, moose, bear, quail, grouse, duck of all kinds, +geese and plover meats there was an abundance. Fish of all kinds, and +every kind of wild fruit were cooked, and when all was in readiness, the +heralds went through the different villages, crying out: “Ho-po, ho-po” + (now all, now all), “Dead Shot and his wife, Beautiful Dove, invite all +of you, young and old, to their tepee to partake of a great feast, given +by them in honor of a great bird which their son has killed, and also to +select for their son some good name which he will bear through life. So +all bring your cups and wooden dishes along with your horn spoons, as +there will be plenty to eat. Come, all you council men and chiefs, +as they have also a great tent erected for you in which you hold your +council.” + +Thus crying, the heralds made the circle of the village. The guests soon +arrived. In front of the tent was a pole stuck in the ground and painted +red, and at the top of the pole was fastened the bird of variegated +colors; its wings stretched out to their full length and the beautiful +white waving so beautifully from its topknot, it was the center of +attraction. Half way up the pole was tied the bow and arrow of the young +marksman. Long streamers of fine bead and porcupine work waved from +the pole and presented a very striking appearance. The bird was faced +towards the setting sun. The great chief and medicine men pronounced the +bird “Wakan” (something holy). + +When the people had finished eating they all fell in line and marched in +single file beneath the bird, in order to get a close view of it. By the +time this vast crowd had fully viewed the wonderful bird, the sun was +just setting clear in the west, when directly over the rays of the +sun appeared a cloud in the shape of a bird of variegated colors. The +councilmen were called out to look at the cloud, and the head medicine +man said that it was a sign that the boy would grow up to be a great +chief and hunter, and would have a great many friends and followers. + +This ended the feast, but before dispersing, the chief and councilmen +bestowed upon the boy the title of White Plume. + +One day a stranger came to the village, who was very thin and nearly +starved. So weak was he that he could not speak, but made signs for +something to eat. Luckily the stranger came to Dead Shot’s tent, and as +there was always a plentiful supply in his lodge, the stranger soon had +a good meal served him. After he had eaten and rested he told his story. + +“I came from a very great distance,” said he. “The nations where I came +from are in a starving condition. No place can they find any buffalo, +deer nor antelope. A witch or evil spirit in the shape of a white +buffalo has driven all the large game out of the country. Every day this +white buffalo comes circling the village, and any one caught outside of +their tent is carried away on its horns. In vain have the best marksmen +of the tribe tried to shoot it. Their arrows fly wide off the mark, and +they have given up trying to kill it as it bears a charmed life. Another +evil spirit in the form of a red eagle has driven all the birds of the +air out of our country. Every day this eagle circles above the village, +and so powerful is it that anyone being caught outside of his tent +is descended upon and his skull split open to the brain by the sharp +breastbone of the Eagle. Many a marksman has tried his skill on this +bird, all to no purpose. + +“Another evil spirit in the form of a white rabbit has driven out all +the animals which inhabit the ground, and destroyed the fields of corn +and turnips, so the nation is starving, as the arrows of the marksmen +have also failed to touch the white rabbit. Any one who can kill these +three witches will receive as his reward, the choice of two of the most +beautiful maidens of our nation. The younger one is the handsomer of the +two and has also the sweetest disposition. Many young, and even old men, +hearing of this (our chief’s) offer, have traveled many miles to try +their arrows on the witches, but all to no purpose. Our chief, hearing +of your great marksmanship, sent me to try and secure your services to +have you come and rid us of these three witches.” + +Thus spoke the stranger to the hunter. The hunter gazed long and +thoughtfully into the dying embers of the camp fire. Then slowly his +eyes raised and looked lovingly on his wife who sat opposite to him. +Gazing on her beautiful features for a full minute he slowly dropped his +gaze back to the dying embers and thus answered his visitor: + +“My friend, I feel very much honored by your chief having sent such +a great distance for me, and also for the kind offer of his lovely +daughter in marriage, if I should succeed, but I must reject the great +offer, as I can spare none of my affections to any other woman than to +my queen whom you see sitting there.” + +White Plume had been listening to the conversation and when his father +had finished speaking, said: “Father, I am a child no more. I have +arrived at manhood. I am not so good a marksman as you, but I will go to +this suffering tribe and try to rid them of their three enemies. If this +man will rest for a few days and return to his village and inform them +of my coming, I will travel along slowly on his trail and arrive at the +village a day or two after he reaches there.” + +“Very well, my son,” said the father, “I am sure you will succeed, as +you fear nothing, and as to your marksmanship, it is far superior to +mine, as your sight is much clearer and aim quicker than mine.” + +The man rested a few days and one morning started off, after having +instructed White Plume as to the trail. White Plume got together what +he would need on the trip and was ready for an early start the next +morning. That night Dead Shot and his wife sat up away into the night +instructing their son how to travel and warning him as to the different +kinds of people he must avoid in order to keep out of trouble. “Above +all,” said the father, “keep a good look out for Unktomi (spider); he is +the most tricky of all, and will get you into trouble if you associate +with him.” + +White Plume left early, his father accompanying him for several miles. +On parting, the father’s last words were: “Look out for Unktomi, my son, +he is deceitful and treacherous.” “I’ll look out for him, father;” so +saying he disappeared over a hill. On the way he tried his skill on +several hawks and eagles and he did not need to use his painted arrows +to kill them, but so skillful was he with the bow and arrows that he +could bring down anything that flew with his common arrows. He was +drawing near to the end of his destination when he had a large tract of +timber to pass through. When he had nearly gotten through the timber he +saw an old man sitting on a log, looking wistfully up into a big tree, +where sat a number of prairie chickens. + +“Hello, grandfather, why are you sitting there looking so downhearted?” + asked White Plume. “I am nearly starved, and was just wishing some one +would shoot one of those chickens for me, so I could make a good meal on +it,” said the old man. “I will shoot one for you,” said the young man. +He strung his bow, placed an arrow on the string, simply seemed to raise +the arrow in the direction of the chicken (taking no aim). Twang went +out the bow, zip went the arrow and a chicken fell off the limb, only +to get caught on another in its descent. “There is your chicken, +grandfather.” “Oh, my grandson, I am too weak to climb up and get it. +Can’t you climb up and get it for me?” The young man, pitying the old +fellow, proceeded to climb the tree, when the old man stopped him, +saying: “Grandson, you have on such fine clothes, it is a pity to spoil +them; you had better take them off so as not to spoil the fine porcupine +work on them.” The young man took off his fine clothes and climbed up +into the tree, and securing the chicken, threw it down to the old +man. As the young man was scaling down the tree, the old man said: +“Iyashkapa, iyashkapa,” (stick fast, stick fast). Hearing him say +something, he asked, “What did you say, old man?” He answered, “I was +only talking to myself.” The young man proceeded to descend, but he +could not move. His body was stuck fast to the bark of the tree. In vain +did he beg the old man to release him. The old Unktomi, for he it was, +only laughed and said: “I will go now and kill the evil spirits, I have +your wonderful bow and arrows and I cannot miss them. I will marry the +chief’s daughter, and you can stay up in that tree and die there.” + +So saying, he put on White Plume’s fine clothes, took his bow and arrows +and went to the village. As White Plume was expected at any minute, the +whole village was watching for him, and when Unktomi came into sight the +young men ran to him with a painted robe, sat him down on it and slowly +raising him up they carried him to the tent of the chief. So certain +were they that he would kill the evil spirits that the chief told him to +choose one of the daughters at once for his wife. (Before the arrival +of White Plume, hearing of him being so handsome, the two girls had +quarreled over which should marry him, but upon seeing him the younger +was not anxious to become his wife.) So Unktomi chose the older one of +the sisters, and was given a large tent in which to live. The younger +sister went to her mother’s tent to live, and the older was very proud, +as she was married to the man who would save the nation from starvation. +The next morning there was a great commotion in camp, and there came the +cry that the white buffalo was coming. “Get ready, son-in-law, and kill +the buffalo,” said the chief. + +Unktomi took the bow and arrows and shot as the buffalo passed, but the +arrow went wide off its mark. Next came the eagle, and again he shot and +missed. Then came the rabbit, and again he missed. + +“Wait until tomorrow, I will kill them all. My blanket caught in my bow +and spoiled my aim.” The people were very much disappointed, and the +chief, suspecting that all was not right, sent for the young man who had +visited Dead Shot’s tepee. When the young man arrived, the chief asked: +“Did you see White Plume when you went to Dead Shot’s camp?” “Yes, I +did, and ate with him many times. I stayed at his father’s tepee all the +time I was there,” said the young man. “Would you recognize him if you +saw him again?” asked the chief. “Any one who had but one glimpse of +White Plume would surely recognize him when he saw him again, as he is +the most handsome man I ever saw,” said the young man. + +“Come with me to the tent of my son-in-law and take a good look at him, +but don’t say what you think until we come away.” The two went to the +tent of Unktomi, and when the young man saw him he knew it was not White +Plume, although it was White Plume’s bow and arrows that hung at the +head of the bed, and he also recognized the clothes as belonging to +White Plume. When they had returned to the chief’s tent, the young man +told what he knew and what he thought. “I think this is some Unktomi who +has played some trick on White Plume and has taken his bow and arrows +and also his clothes, and hearing of your offer, is here impersonating +White Plume. Had White Plume drawn the bow on the buffalo, eagle and +rabbit today, we would have been rid of them, so I think we had better +scare this Unktomi into telling us where White Plume is,” said the young +man. + +“Wait until he tries to kill the witches again tomorrow,” said the +chief. + +In the meantime the younger daughter had taken an axe and gone into the +woods in search of dry wood. She went quite a little distance into the +wood and was chopping a dry log. Stopping to rest a little she heard +some one saying: “Whoever you are, come over here and chop this tree +down so that I may get loose.” Going to where the big tree stood, she +saw a man stuck onto the side of the tree. “If I chop it down the fall +will kill you,” said the girl. “No, chop it on the opposite side from +me, and the tree will fall that way. If the fall kills me, it will be +better than hanging up here and starving to death,” said White Plume, +for it was he. + +The girl chopped the tree down and when she saw that it had not killed +the man, she said: “What shall I do now?” “Loosen the bark from the tree +and then get some stones and heat them. Get some water and sage and put +your blanket over me.” She did as told and when the steam arose from +the water being poured upon the heated rocks, the bark loosened from his +body and he arose. When he stood up, she saw how handsome he was. “You +have saved my life,” said he. “Will you be my wife?” “I will,” said she. +He then told her how the old man had fooled him into this trap and took +his bow and arrows, also his fine porcupine worked clothes, and had gone +off, leaving him to die. She, in turn, told him all that had happened +in camp since a man, calling himself White Plume, came there and married +her sister before he shot at the witches, and when he came to shoot at +them, missed every shot. “Let us make haste, as the bad Unktomi may +ruin my arrows.” They approached the camp and whilst White Plume waited +outside, his promised wife entered Unktomi’s tent and said: “Unktomi, +White Plume is standing outside and he wants his clothes and bow and +arrows.” “Oh, yes, I borrowed them and forgot to return them; make haste +and give them to him.” + +Upon receiving his clothes, he was very much provoked to find his fine +clothes wrinkled and his bow twisted, while the arrows were twisted +out of shape. He laid the clothes down, also the bows and arrows, and +passing his hand over them, they assumed their right shapes again. The +daughter took White Plume to her father’s tent and upon hearing the +story he at once sent for his warriors and had them form a circle around +Unktomi’s tent, and if he attempted to escape to catch him and tie him +to a tree, as he (the chief) had determined to settle accounts with him +for his treatment of White Plume, and the deception employed in winning +the chief’s eldest daughter. About midnight the guard noticed something +crawling along close to the ground, and seizing him found it was Unktomi +trying to make his escape before daylight, whereupon they tied him to a +tree. “Why do you treat me thus,” cried Unktomi, “I was just going out +in search of medicine to rub on my arrows, so I can kill the witches.” + “You will need medicine to rub on yourself when the chief gets through +with you,” said the young man who had discovered that Unktomi was +impersonating White Plume. + +In the morning the herald announced that the real White Plume had +arrived, and the chief desired the whole nation to witness his +marksmanship. Then came the cry: “The White Buffalo comes.” Taking his +red arrow, White Plume stood ready. When the buffalo got about opposite +him, he let his arrow fly. The buffalo bounded high in the air and came +down with all four feet drawn together under its body, the red arrow +having passed clear through the animal, piercing the buffalo’s heart. A +loud cheer went up from the village. + +“You shall use the hide for your bed,” said the chief to White Plume. +Next came a cry, “the eagle, the eagle.” From the north came an enormous +red eagle. So strong was he, that as he soared through the air his wings +made a humming sound as the rumble of distant thunder. On he came, and +just as he circled the tent of the chief, White Plume bent his bow, with +all his strength drew the arrow back to the flint point, and sent the +blue arrow on its mission of death. So swiftly had the arrow passed +through the eagle’s body that, thinking White Plume had missed, a great +wail went up from the crowd, but when they saw the eagle stop in his +flight, give a few flaps of his wings, and then fall with a heavy thud +into the center of the village, there was a greater cheer than before. +“The red eagle shall be used to decorate the seat of honor in your +tepee,” said the chief to White Plume. Last came the white rabbit. “Aim +good, aim good, son-in-law,” said the chief. “If you kill him you will +have his skin for a rug.” Along came the white rabbit, and White Plume +sent his arrow in search of rabbit’s heart, which it found, and stopped +Mr. Rabbit’s tricks forever. + +The chief then called all of the people together and before them all +took a hundred willows and broke them one at a time over Unktomi’s back. +Then he turned him loose. Unktomi, being so ashamed, ran off into the +woods and hid in the deepest and darkest corner he could find. This is +why Unktomis (spiders) are always found in dark corners, and anyone who +is deceitful or untruthful is called a descendant of the Unktomi tribe. + + + + + + +STORY OF PRETTY FEATHERED FOREHEAD + +There was once a baby boy who came into the world with a small cluster +of different colored feathers grown fast to his forehead. From this he +derived his name, “Pretty Feathered Forehead.” He was a very pleasant +boy as well as handsome, and he had the respect of the whole tribe. When +he had grown up to be a young man, he never, like other young men, made +love to any of the tribe’s beauties. Although they were madly in love +with him, he never noticed any of them. There were many handsome girls +in the different camps, but he passed them by. + +One day he said: “Father, I am going on a visit to the Buffalo nation.” + The father gave his consent, and away went the son. The father and +mother suspected the object of their son’s visit to the Buffalo nation, +and forthwith commenced preparing a fine reception for their intended +daughter-in-law. The mother sewed together ten buffalo hides and painted +the brave deeds of her husband on them. This she made into a commodious +tent, and had work bags and fine robes and blankets put inside. This was +to be the tent of their son and daughter-in-law. In a few weeks the son +returned, bringing with him a beautiful Buffalo girl. The parents of the +boy gave a big feast in honor of the occasion, and the son and his wife +lived very happily together. + +In the course of time a son came to the young couple, and the father was +very proud of his boy. When the boy became a year old, the father said +to his wife: “I am going for a visit to the Elk nation.” The mother +was very sad, as she knew her husband was going after another wife. He +returned, bringing with him a very beautiful elk girl. When the Buffalo +woman saw the elk girl she was very downcast and sad, but the husband +said: “Don’t be sad; she will do all the heavy work for you.” + +They lived quite happily together for a long time. The Elk girl also +became the mother of a fine boy. The two boys had grown up large enough +to play around. One day the Elk woman was tanning hides outside and the +two boys were playing around near their mothers, when all at once the +buffalo boy ran across the robe, leaving his tracks on the white robe +which his step-mother had nearly completed. This provoked the elk woman +and she gave vent to her feelings by scolding the boy: “You clumsy flat +mouth, why couldn’t you run around my work, instead of across it?” The +buffalo cow standing in the door, heard every word that the elk woman +had said, and when she heard her son called flat mouth it made her +very angry, although she did not say a word to any one. She hurriedly +gathered some of her belongings and, calling her son, she started off in +a westerly direction. + +The husband being absent on a hunting expedition did not return until +late in the afternoon. Upon his return his oldest boy always ran out +to meet him, but this time as the boy did not put in an appearance, the +father feared that something had happened to the boy. So hurriedly going +to his tent he looked around, but failing to see the boy or his mother, +he asked his elk wife, where the boy and his mother were. The elk +wife answered: “She took her boy on her back and started off in that +direction,” (pointing towards the west). “How long has she been gone?” + “Since early morning.” The husband hurriedly caught a fresh horse and, +without eating anything, rode off in the direction taken by his buffalo +wife and boy. Near dark he ascended a high hill and noticed a small tent +down in the valley. It was a long distance down to the tent, so it was +very late when he arrived there. He tethered his horse and went into +the tent and found the boy and his mother fast asleep. Upon lying down +beside them the boy awoke, and upon seeing his father, motioned to him +to go outside with him. + +On going outside the boy told his father that it would be useless for +him to try and coax his mother to return, as she was too highly insulted +by the elk wife to ever return. Then the boy told about what the elk +wife had said and that she had called him flat mouth. “My mother is +determined to return to her people, but if you want to follow us you +may, and perhaps, after she has visited with her relatives a little +while, you may induce her to return with you. In the morning we are +going to start very early, and as the country we will travel through +is very hard soil, I will stamp my feet hard so as to leave my tracks +imprinted in the softest places, then you will be able to follow the +direction we will take.” + +The two went into the tent and were soon fast asleep. The father, being +very much fatigued, slept very soundly, and when he awoke the sun was +beating down upon him. The mother and boy were nowhere to be seen. The +tent had been taken down from over him so carefully that he had not been +awakened. Getting his horse, he mounted and rode after the two who had +left him sleeping. He had no trouble in following the trail, as the boy +had stamped his feet hard and left his little tracks in the soft places. + +That evening he spied the little tent again and on getting to it found +them both asleep. The boy awoke and motioned for his father to go +outside. He again told his father that the next day’s travel would be +the hardest of all. “We will cross a great plain, but before we get +there we will cross a sandy hollow. When you get to the hollow, look at +my tracks; they will be deep into the sand, and in each track you will +see little pools of water. Drink as much as you can, as this is the only +chance you will get to have a drink, there being no water from there to +the big ridge, and it will be dark by the time you get to the ridge. The +relations of my mother live at that ridge and I will come and talk to +you once more, before I leave you to join my mother’s people.” + +Next morning, as before, he awoke to find himself alone. They had left +him and proceeded on their journey. He mounted again and when he arrived +at the sandy hollow, sure enough, there, deep in the sand, were the +tracks of his son filled to the top with water. He drank and drank until +he had drained the last one. Then he arose and continued on the trail, +and near sundown he came in sight of their little tent away up on the +side of the ridge. His horse suddenly staggered and fell forward dead, +having died of thirst. + +From there he proceeded on foot. When he got to where the tent stood he +entered, only to find it empty. “I guess my son intends to come here and +have his last talk with me,” thought the father. He had eaten nothing +for three days, and was nearly famished. He lay down, but the pangs of +hunger kept sleep away. He heard footsteps outside and lay in readiness, +thinking it might be an enemy. Slowly opening the covering of the door, +his son looked in and seeing his father lying awake, drew back and ran +off up the ridge, but soon returned bringing a small parcel with him. +When he entered he gave the parcel to his father and said: “Eat, father; +I stole this food for you, so I could not get very much.” The father +soon ate what his son had brought. When he had finished, the son said: +“Tomorrow morning the relatives of my mother will come over here and +take you down to the village. My mother has three sisters who have their +work bags made identically the same as mother’s. Were they to mix them +up they could not each pick out her own without looking inside so as to +identify them by what they have in them. You will be asked to pick out +mother’s work bag, and if you fail they will trample you to death. Next +they will tell you to pick out my mother from among her sisters, and you +will be unable to distinguish her from the other three, and if you fail +they will bury you alive. The last they will try you on, in case you +meet the first and second tests successfully, will be to require you +to pick me out from my three cousins, who are as much like me as my +reflection in the water. The bags you can tell by a little pebble I will +place on my mother’s. You can pick my mother out by a small piece of +grass which I will put in her hair, and you can pick me out from my +cousins, for when we commence to dance, I will shake my head, flop my +ears and switch my tail. You must choose quickly, as they will be very +angry at your success, and if you lose any time they will make the +excuse that you did not know, that they may have an excuse to trample +you to death.” + +The boy then left, after admonishing his father to remember all that +he had told him. Early next morning the father heard a great rumbling +noise, and going outside, he saw the whole hillside covered with +buffalo. When he appeared they set up a loud bellowing and circled +around him. One old bull came up and giving a loud snort, passed on by, +looking back every few steps. The man, thinking he was to follow this +one, did so, and the whole herd, forming a half circle around him, +escorted him down the west side of the range out on to a large plain, +where there stood a lone tree. To this tree the old bull led him and +stopped when he reached the tree. A large rock at the foot of the tree +served as a seat for the man. As soon as he was seated there came four +female buffaloes, each bearing a large work box. They set the boxes +down in a row in front of the man, and the herd crowded around closer in +order to get a good view. The old bull came to the front and stood close +to the bags, which had been taken out of the four boxes. + +The man stood up, and looking at the bags, noticed a small pebble +resting on the one next to the left end. Stepping over he pulled the bag +towards him and secretly pushed the little pebble off the bag, so that +no one would notice it. When they saw that he had selected the right +one, they set up a terrific bellow. + +Then came the four sisters and stood in a line before the man. Glancing +along from the one on the right to the last one on the left, he stepped +forward and placed his hand on the one next to the right. Thanks to his +boy, if he hadn’t put that little stem of grass on his mother’s hair, +the father could never have picked out his wife, as the four looked +as much alike as four peas. Next came the four boy calves, and as they +advanced they commenced dancing, and his son was shaking his head and +flopping his ears and switching his tail. The father was going to pick +out his boy, when a fainting spell took him, and as he sank to the +ground the old bull sprang forward on top of him, and instantly they +rushed upon him and he was soon trampled to a jelly. The herd then moved +to other parts. + +The elk wife concluded that something had happened to her husband and +determined upon going in search of him. As she was very fleet of foot it +did not take her long to arrive at the lone tree. She noticed the blood +splashed on the base of the tree, and small pieces of flesh stamped +into the earth. Looking closer, she noticed something white in the dust. +Stooping and picking it out of the dust, she drew forth the cluster +of different colored feathers which had been fastened to her husband’s +forehead. She at once took the cluster of feathers, and going to the +east side of the ridge, heated stones and erected a wickieup, placed the +feathers inside, and getting water, she sprinkled the stones, and this +caused a thick vapor in the wickieup. She continued this for a long +time, when she heard something moving inside the wickieup. Then a voice +spoke up, saying: “Whoever you are, pour some more water on and I will +be all right.” So the woman got more water and poured it on the rocks. +“That will do now, I want to dry off.” She plucked a pile of sage and in +handing it in to him, he recognized his elk wife’s hand. + +They went back home and shortly after the buffalo, hearing about him +coming back to life, decided to make war on him and kill him and his +wife, she being the one who brought him back to life. The woman, hearing +of this, had posts set in the ground and a strong platform placed on +top. When the buffalo came, her husband, her son and herself, were +seated upon the bough platform, and the buffalo could not reach them. +She flouted her red blanket in their faces, which made the buffalo wild +with rage. The hunter’s friends came to his rescue, and so fast were +they killing the buffalo that they took flight and rushed away, never +more to bother Pretty Feather Forehead. + + + + + + +THE FOUR BROTHERS OR INYANHOKSILA (STONE BOY) + +Alone and apart from their tribe dwelt four orphan brothers. They had +erected a very comfortable hut, although the materials used were only +willows, hay, birch bark, and adobe mud. After the completion of their +hut, the oldest brother laid out the different kinds of work to be done +by the four of them. He and the second and third brothers were to do all +the hunting, and the youngest brother was to do the house work, cook the +meals, and keep plenty of wood on hand at all times. + +As his older brothers would leave for their hunting very early every +morning, and would not return till late at night, the little fellow +always found plenty of spare time to gather into little piles fine dry +wood for their winter use. + +Thus the four brothers lived happily for a long time. One day while out +gathering and piling up wood, the boy heard a rustling in the leaves +and looking around he saw a young woman standing in the cherry bushes, +smiling at him. + +“Who are you, and where did you come from?” asked the boy, in surprise. +“I am an orphan girl and have no relatives living. I came from the +village west of here. I learned from rabbit that there were four orphan +brothers living here all alone, and that the youngest was keeping house +for his older brothers, so I thought I would come over and see if I +couldn’t have them adopt me as their sister, so that I might keep house +for them, as I am very poor and have no relations, neither have I a +home.” + +She looked so pitiful and sad that the boy thought to himself, “I will +take her home with me, poor girl, no matter what my brothers think or +say.” Then he said to her: “Come on, tanke (sister). You may go home +with me; I am sure my older brothers will be glad to have you for our +sister.” + +When they arrived at the hut, the girl hustled about and cooked up a +fine hot supper, and when the brothers returned they were surprised to +see a girl sitting by the fire in their hut. After they had entered the +youngest brother got up and walked outside, and a short time after the +oldest brother followed him out. “Who is that girl, and where did she +come from?” he asked his brother. Whereupon the brother told him the +whole story. Upon hearing this the oldest brother felt very sorry for +the poor orphan girl and going back into the hut he spoke to the +girl, saying: “Sister, you are an orphan, the same as we; you have no +relatives, no home. We will be your brothers, and our poor hut shall be +your home. Henceforth call us brothers, and you will be our sister.” + +“Oh, how happy I am now that you take me as your sister. I will be to +you all as though we were of the same father and mother,” said the girl. +And true to her word, she looked after everything of her brothers and +kept the house in such fine shape that the brothers blessed the day that +she came to their poor little hut. She always had an extra buckskin +suit and two pairs of moccasins hanging at the head of each one’s bed. +Buffalo, deer, antelope, bear, wolf, wildcat, mountain lion and beaver +skins she tanned by the dozen, and piled nicely in one corner of the +hut. + +When the Indians have walked a great distance and are very tired, they +have great faith in painting their feet, claiming that paint eases the +pain and rests their feet. + +After their return from a long day’s journey, when they would be lying +down resting, the sister would get her paint and mix it with the deer +tallow and rub the paint on her brother’s feet, painting them up to +their ankles. The gentle touch of her hands, and the soothing qualities +of the tallow and paint soon put them into a deep, dreamless steep. + +Many such kind actions on her part won the hearts of the brothers, and +never was a full blood sister loved more than was this poor orphan girl, +who had been taken as their adopted sister. In the morning when they +arose, the sister always combed their long black silken scalp locks and +painted the circle around the scalp lock a bright vermillion. + +When the hunters would return with a goodly supply of beef, the sister +would hurry and relieve them of their packs, hanging each one high +enough from the ground so the prowling dogs and coyotes could not reach +them. The hunters each had a post on which to hang his bow and flint +head arrows. (Good hunters never laid their arrows on the ground, as it +was considered unlucky to the hunter who let his arrows touch the earth +after they had been out of the quiver). They were all perfectly happy, +until one day the older brother surprised them all by saying: “We have a +plentiful supply of meat on hand at present to last us for a week or so. +I am going for a visit to the village west of us, so you boys all stay +at home and help sister. Also gather as much wood as you can and I will +be back again in four days. On my return we will resume our hunting and +commence getting our year’s supply of meat.” + +He left the next morning, and the last they saw of him was while he +stood at the top of the long range of hills west of their home. Four +days had come and gone and no sign of the oldest brother. + +“I am afraid that our brother has met with some accident,” said the +sister. “I am afraid so, too,” said the next oldest. “I must go and +search for him; he may be in some trouble where a little help would +get him out.” The second brother followed the direction his brother had +taken, and when he came to the top of the long range of hills he sat +down and gazed long and steadily down into the long valley with a +beautiful creek winding through it. Across the valley was a long plain +stretching for miles beyond and finally ending at the foot of another +range of hills, the counterpart of the one upon which he sat. + +After noting the different landmarks carefully, he arose and slowly +started down the slope and soon came to the creek he had seen from the +top of the range. Great was his surprise on arriving at the creek to +find what a difference there was in the appearance of it from the range +and where he stood. From the range it appeared to be a quiet, harmless, +laughing stream. Now he saw it to be a muddy, boiling, bubbling torrent, +with high perpendicular banks. For a long time he stood, thinking which +way to go, up or down stream. He had just decided to go down stream, +when, on chancing to look up, he noticed a thin column of smoke slowly +ascending from a little knoll. He approached the place cautiously and +noticed a door placed into the creek bank on the opposite side of the +stream. As he stood looking at the door, wondering who could be living +in a place like that, it suddenly opened and a very old appearing woman +came out and stood looking around her. Soon she spied the young man, and +said to him: “My grandchild, where did you come from and whither are you +bound?” The young man answered: “I came from east of this ridge and am +in search of my oldest brother, who came over in this direction five +days ago and who has not yet returned.” + +“Your brother stopped here and ate his dinner with me, and then left, +traveling towards the west,” said the old witch, for such she was. “Now, +grandson, come across on that little log bridge up the stream there +and have your dinner with me. I have it all cooked now and just stepped +outside to see if there might not be some hungry traveler about, whom I +could invite in to eat dinner with me.” The young man went up the stream +a little distance and found a couple of small logs which had been placed +across the stream to serve as a bridge. He crossed over and went down to +the old woman’s dugout hut. “Come in grandson, and eat. I know you must +be hungry.” + +The young man sat down and ate a real hearty meal. On finishing he arose +and said: “Grandmother, I thank you for your meal and kindness to me. I +would stay and visit with you awhile, as I know it must be very lonely +here for you, but I am very anxious to find my brother, so I must be +going. On my return I will stop with my brother and we will pay you a +little visit.” + +“Very well, grandson, but before you go, I wish you would do me a little +favor. Your brother did it for me before he left, and cured me, but it +has come back on me again. I am subject to very severe pains along the +left side of my backbone, all the way from my shoulder blade down to +where my ribs attach to my backbone, and the only way I get any relief +from the pain is to have some one kick me along the side.” (She was a +witch, and concealed in her robe a long sharp steel spike. It was placed +so that the last kick they would give her, their foot would hit the +spike and they would instantly drop off into a swoon, as if dead.) + +“If I won’t hurt you too much, grandmother, I certainly will be glad to +do it for you,” said the young man, little thinking he would be the one +to get hurt. + +“No, grandson, don’t be afraid of hurting me; the harder you kick the +longer the pain stays away.” She laid down on the floor and rolled over +on to her right side, so he could get a good chance to kick the left +side where she said the pain was located. + +As he moved back to give the first kick, he glanced along the floor +and he noticed a long object wrapped in a blanket, lying against the +opposite wall. He thought it looked strange and was going to stop and +investigate, but just then the witch cried out as if in pain. “Hurry up, +grandson, I am going to die if you don’t hurry and start in kicking.” “I +can investigate after I get through with her,” thought he, so he started +in kicking and every kick he would give her she would cry: “Harder, kick +harder.” He had to kick seven times before he would get to the end of +the pain, so he let out as hard as he could drive, and when he came to +the last kick he hit the spike, and driving it through his foot, fell +down in a dead swoon, and was rolled up in a blanket by the witch and +placed beside his brother at the opposite side of the room. + +When the second brother failed to return, the third went in search of +the two missing ones. He fared no better than the second one, as he +met the old witch who served him in a similar manner as she had his two +brothers. + +“Ha! Ha!” she laughed, when she caught the third, “I have only one more +of them to catch, and when I get them I will keep them all here a +year, and then I will turn them into horses and sell them back to their +sister. I hate her, for I was going to try and keep house for them and +marry the oldest one, but she got ahead of me and became their sister, +so now I will get my revenge on her. Next year she will be riding and +driving her brothers and she won’t know it.” + +When the third brother failed to return, the sister cried and begged the +last one not to venture out in search of them. But go he must, and go he +did, only to do as his three brothers had done. + +Now the poor sister was nearly distracted. Day and night she wandered +over hills and through woods in hopes she might find or hear of some +trace of them. Her wanderings were in vain. The hawks had not seen them +after they had crossed the little stream. The wolves and coyotes told +her that they had seen nothing of her brothers out on the broad plains, +and she had given them up for dead. + +One day, as she was sitting by the little stream that flowed past their +hut, throwing pebbles into the water and wondering what she should do, +she picked up a pure white pebble, smooth and round, and after looking +at it for a long time, threw it into the water. No sooner had it hit the +water than she saw it grow larger. She took it out and looked at it and +threw it in again. This time it had assumed the form of a baby. She took +it out and threw it in the third time and the form took life and began +to cry: “Ina, ina” (mother, mother). She took the baby home and fed it +soup, and it being an unnatural baby, quickly grew up to a good sized +boy. At the end of three months he was a good big, stout youth. One day +he said: “Mother, why are you living here alone? To whom do all these +fine clothes and moccasins belong?” She then told him the story of +her lost brothers. “Oh, I know now where they are. You make me lots of +arrows. I am going to find my uncles.” She tried to dissuade him from +going, but he was determined and said: “My father sent me to you so that +I could find my uncles for you, and nothing can harm me, because I am +stone and my name is ‘Stone Boy’.” + +The mother, seeing that he was determined to go, made a whole quiver +full of arrows for him, and off he started. When he came to the old +witch’s hut, she was nowhere to be seen, so he pushed the door in and +entered. The witch was busily engaged cooking dinner. + +“Why, my dear grandchild, you are just in time for dinner. Sit down and +we will eat before you continue your journey.” Stone boy sat down and +ate dinner with the old witch. She watched him very closely, but when +she would be drinking her soup he would glance hastily around the room. +Finally he saw the four bundles on the opposite side of the room, and +he guessed at once that there lay his four uncles. When he had finished +eating he took out his little pipe and filled it with “kini-kinic,” and +commenced to smoke, wondering how the old woman had managed to fool +his smart uncles. He couldn’t study it out, so when he had finished his +smoke he arose to pretend to go. When the old woman saw him preparing +to leave, she said: “Grandson, will you kick me on the left side of my +backbone. I am nearly dead with pain and if you kick me good and hard +it will cure me.” “All right, grandma,” said the boy. The old witch lay +down on the floor and the boy started in to kick. At the first kick he +barely touched her. “Kick as hard as you can, grandson; don’t be afraid +you will hurt me, because you can’t.” With that Stone Boy let drive and +broke two ribs. She commenced to yell and beg him to stop, but he kept +on kicking until he had kicked both sides of her ribs loose from the +backbone. Then he jumped on her backbone and broke it and killed the old +witch. + +He built a big fire outside and dragged her body to it, and threw her +into the fire. Thus ended the old woman who was going to turn his uncles +into horses. + +Next he cut willows and stuck them into the ground in a circle. The +tops he pulled together, making a wickieup. He then took the old woman’s +robes and blankets and covered the wickieup so that no air could get +inside. He then gathered sage brush and covered the floor with a good +thick bed of sage; got nice round stones and got them red hot in the +fire, and placed them in the wickieup and proceeded to carry his +uncles out of the hut and lay them down on the soft bed of sage. Having +completed carrying and depositing them around the pile of rocks, he got +a bucket of water and poured it on the hot rocks, which caused a great +vapor in the little wickieup. He waited a little while and then listened +and heard some breathing inside, so he got another bucket and poured +that on also. After awhile he could hear noises inside as though some +one were moving about. He went again and got the third bucket and after +he had poured that on the rocks, one of the men inside said: “Whoever +you are, good friend, don’t bring us to life only to scald us to death +again.” Stone boy then said: “Are all of you alive?” “Yes,” said the +voice. “Well, come out,” said the boy. And with that he threw off the +robes and blankets, and a great cloud of vapor arose and settled around +the top of the highest peak on the long range, and from that did Smoky +Range derive its name. + +The uncles, when they heard who the boy was, were very happy, and they +all returned together to the anxiously waiting sister. As soon as they +got home, the brothers worked hard to gather enough wood to last them +all winter. Game they could get at all times of the year, but the +heavy fall of snow covered most of the dry wood and also made it very +difficult to drag wood through the deep snow. So they took advantage of +the nice fall weather and by the time the snow commenced falling they +had enough wood gathered to last them throughout the winter. After the +snow fell a party of boys swiftly coasted down the big hill west of the +brothers’ hut. The Stone boy used to stand and watch them for hours at +a time. His youngest uncle said: “Why don’t you go up and coast with +them?” The boy said: “They may be afraid of me, but I guess I will try +once, anyway.” So the next morning when the crowd came coasting, Stone +boy started for the hill. When he had nearly reached the bottom of the +coasting hill all of the boys ran off excepting two little fellows who +had a large coaster painted in different colors and had little bells +tied around the edges, so when the coaster was in motion the bells made +a cheerful tinkling sound. As Stone boy started up the hill the two +little fellows started down and went past him as though shot from a +hickory bow. + +When they got to the end of their slide, they got off and started back +up the hill. It being pretty steep, Stone boy waited for them, so as +to lend a hand to pull the big coaster up the hill. As the two little +fellows came up with him he knew at once that they were twins, as they +looked so much alike that the only way one could be distinguished from +the other was by the scarfs they wore. One wore red, the other black. He +at once offered to help them drag their coaster to the top of the hill. +When they got to the top the twins offered their coaster to him to try +a ride. At first he refused, but they insisted on his taking it, as they +said they would sooner rest until he came back. So he got on the coaster +and flew down the hill, only he was such an expert he made a zigzag +course going down and also jumped the coaster off a bank about four +feet high, which none of the other coasters dared to tackle. Being +very heavy, however, he nearly smashed the coaster. Upon seeing this +wonderful jump, and the zigzag course he had taken going down, the twins +went wild with excitement and decided that they would have him take them +down when he got back. So upon his arrival at the starting point, they +both asked him at once to give them the pleasure of the same kind of a +ride he had taken. He refused, saying: “We will break your coaster. I +alone nearly smashed it, and if we all get on and make the same kind of +a jump, I am afraid you will have to go home without your coaster.” + +“Well, take us down anyway, and if we break it our father will make us +another one.” So he finally consented. When they were all seated ready +to start, he told them that when the coaster made the jump they must +look straight ahead. “By no means look down, because if you do we will +go over the cut bank and land in a heap at the bottom of the gulch.” + +They said they would obey what he said, so off they started swifter +than ever, on account of the extra weight, and so swiftly did the sleigh +glide over the packed, frozen snow, that it nearly took the twins’ +breath away. Like an arrow they approached the jump. The twins began to +get a little nervous. “Sit steady and look straight ahead,” yelled Stone +boy. The twin next to Stone boy, who was steering behind, sat upright +and looked far ahead, but the one in front crouched down and looked +into the coulee. Of course, Stone boy, being behind, fell on top of the +twins, and being so heavy, killed both of them instantly, crushing them +to a jelly. + +The rest of the boys, seeing what had happened, hastened to the edge +of the bank, and looking down, saw the twins laying dead, and Stone boy +himself knocked senseless, lying quite a little distance from the twins. +The boys, thinking that all three were killed, and that Stone boy had +purposely steered the sleigh over the bank in such a way that it would +tip and kill the twins, returned to the village with this report. Now, +these twins were the sons of the head chief of the Buffalo Nation. So at +once the chief and his scouts went over to the hill to see if the boys +had told the truth. + +When they arrived at the bank they saw the twins lying dead, but where +was Stone boy? They looked high and low through the gulch, but not a +sign of him could they find. Tenderly they picked up the dead twins and +carried them home, then held a big council and put away the bodies of +the dead in Buffalo custom. + +A few days after this the uncles were returning from a long journey. +When they drew near their home they noticed large droves of buffalo +gathered on their side of the range. Hardly any buffalo ever ranged on +this east side of the range before, and the brothers thought it strange +that so many should so suddenly appear there now. + +When they arrived at home their sister told them what had happened to +the chief’s twins, as her son had told her the whole story upon his +arrival at home after the accident. + +“Well, probably all the buffalo we saw were here for the council and +funeral,” said the older brother. “But where is my nephew?” (Stone boy) +he asked his sister. “He said he had noticed a great many buffalo around +lately and he was going to learn, if possible, what their object was,” + said the sister. “Well, we will wait until his return.” + +When Stone boy left on his trip that morning, before the return of his +uncles, he was determined to ascertain what might be the meaning of +so many buffalo so near the home of himself and uncles. He approached +several bunches of young buffalo, but upon seeing him approaching they +would scamper over the hills. Thus he wandered from bunch to bunch, +scattering them all. Finally he grew tired of their cowardice and +started for home. When he had come to within a half mile or so of home +he saw an old shaggy buffalo standing by a large boulder, rubbing on it +first one horn and then the other. On coming up close to him, the boy +saw that the bull was so old he could hardly see, and his horns so +blunt that he could have rubbed them for a year on that boulder and not +sharpened them so as to hurt anyone. + +“What are you doing here, grandfather?” asked the boy. + +“I am sharpening my horns for the war,” said the bull. + +“What war?” asked the boy. + +“Haven’t you heard,” said the old bull, who was so near sighted he did +not recognize Stone boy. “The chief’s twins were killed by Stone boy, +who ran them over a cut bank purposely, and the chief has ordered all +of his buffalo to gather here, and when they arrive we are going to kill +Stone boy and his mother and his uncles.” + +“Is that so? When is the war to commence?” + +“In five days from now we will march upon the uncles and trample and +gore them all to death.” + +“Well, grandfather, I thank you for your information, and in return +will do you a favor that will save you so much hard work on your blunt +horns.” So saying he drew a long arrow from his quiver and strung his +bow, attached the arrow to the string and drew the arrow half way back. +The old bull, not seeing what was going on, and half expecting some kind +of assistance in his horn sharpening process, stood perfectly still. +Thus spoke Stone boy: + +“Grandfather, you are too old to join in a war now, and besides if you +got mixed up in that big war party you might step in a hole or stumble +and fall and be trampled to death. That would be a horrible death, so I +will save you all that suffering by just giving you this.” At this word +he pulled the arrow back to the flint head and let it fly. True to his +aim, the arrow went in behind the old bull’s foreleg, and with such +force was it sent that it went clear through the bull and stuck into a +tree two hundred feet away. + +Walking over to the tree, he pulled out his arrow. Coolly straightening +his arrow between his teeth and sighting it for accuracy, he shoved it +back into the quiver with its brothers, exclaiming: “I guess, grandpa, +you won’t need to sharpen your horns for Stone boy and his uncles.” + +Upon his arrival home he told his uncles to get to work building three +stockades with ditches between and make the ditches wide and deep +so they will hold plenty of buffalo. “The fourth fence I will build +myself,” he said. + +The brothers got to work early and worked until very late at night. They +built three corrals and dug three ditches around the hut, and it took +them three days to complete the work. Stone boy hadn’t done a thing +towards building his fence yet, and there were only two days more left +before the charge of the buffalo would commence. Still the boy didn’t +seem to bother himself about the fence. Instead he had his mother +continually cutting arrow sticks, and as fast as she could bring them he +would shape them, feather and head them. So by the time his uncles had +their fences and corrals finished he had a thousand arrows finished +for each of his uncles. The last two days they had to wait, the uncles +joined him and they finished several thousand more arrows. The evening +before the fifth day he told his uncles to put up four posts, so they +could use them as seats from which to shoot. + +While they were doing this, Stone boy went out to scout and see how +things looked. At daylight he came hurriedly in saying, “You had better +get to the first corral; they are coming.” “You haven’t built your +fence, nephew.” Whereupon Stone boy said: “I will build it in time; +don’t worry, uncle.” The dust on the hillsides rose as great clouds of +smoke from a forest fire. Soon the leaders of the charge came in sight, +and upon seeing the timber stockade they gave forth a great snort +or roar that fairly shook the earth. Thousands upon thousands of mad +buffalo charged upon the little fort. The leaders hit the first stockade +and it soon gave way. The maddened buffalo pushed forward by the +thousands behind them; plunged forward, only to fall into the first +ditch and be trampled to death by those behind them. The brothers were +not slow in using their arrows, and many a noble beast went down before +their deadly aim with a little flint pointed arrow buried deep in his +heart. + +The second stockade stood their charge a little longer than did the +first, but finally this gave way, and the leaders pushed on through, +only to fall into the second ditch and meet a similar fate to those +in the first. The brothers commenced to look anxiously towards their +nephew, as there was only one more stockade left, and the second ditch +was nearly bridged over with dead buffalo, with the now thrice maddened +buffalo attacking the last stockade more furiously than before, as they +could see the little hut through the openings in the corral. + +“Come in, uncles,” shouted Stone boy. They obeyed him, and stepping to +the center he said: “Watch me build my fence.” Suiting the words, he +took from his belt an arrow with a white stone fastened to the point and +fastening it to his bow, he shot it high in the air. Straight up into +the air it went, for two or three thousand feet, then seemed to stop +suddenly and turned with point down and descended as swiftly as it had +ascended. Upon striking the ground a high stone wall arose, enclosing +the hut and all who were inside. Just then the buffalo broke the last +stockade only to fill the last ditch up again. In vain did the leaders +butt the stone wall. They hurt themselves, broke their horns and mashed +their snouts, but could not even scar the wall. + +The uncles and Stone boy in the meantime rained arrows of death into +their ranks. + +When the buffalo chief saw what they had to contend with, he ordered the +fight off. The crier or herald sang out: “Come away, come away, Stone +boy and his uncles will kill all of us.” + +So the buffalo withdrew, leaving over two thousand of their dead and +wounded on the field, only to be skinned and put away for the feasts +of Stone boy and his uncles, who lived to be great chiefs of their own +tribe, and whose many relations soon joined them on the banks of Stone +Boy Creek. + + + + + + +THE UNKTOMI (SPIDER), TWO WIDOWS, AND THE RED PLUMS + +There once lived, in a remote part of a great forest, two widowed +sisters, with their little babies. One day there came to their tent +a visitor who was called Unktomi (spider). He had found some nice red +plums during his wanderings in the forest, and he said to himself, “I +will keep these plums and fool the two widows with them.” After the +widows had bidden him be seated, he presented them with the plums. + +On seeing them they exclaimed “hi nu, hi nu (an exclamation of +surprise), where did you get those fine plums?” Unktomi arose and +pointing to a crimson tipped cloud, said: “You see that red cloud? +Directly underneath it is a patch of plums. So large is the patch and so +red and beautiful are the plums that it is the reflection of them on the +cloud that you see.” + +“Oh, how we wish some one would take care of our babies, while we go +over there and pick some,” said the sisters. “Why, I am not in any +particular hurry, so if you want to go I will take care of my little +nephews until you return.” (Unktomi always claimed relationship with +everyone he met). “Well brother,” said the older widow, “take good care +of them and we will be back as soon as possible.” + +The two then took a sack in which to gather the plums, and started off +towards the cloud with the crimson lining. Scarcely had they gone from +Unktomi’s sight when he took the babies out of their swinging hammocks +and cut off first one head and then the other. He then took some old +blankets and rolled them in the shape of a baby body and laid one in +each hammock. Then he took the heads and put them in place in their +different hammocks. The bodies he cut up and threw into a large kettle. +This he placed over a rousing fire. Then he mixed Indian turnips and +arikara squash with the baby meat and soon had a kettle of soup. Just +about the time the soup was ready to serve the widows returned. They +were tired and hungry and not a plum had they. Unktomi, hearing the +approach of the two, hurriedly dished out the baby soup in two wooden +dishes and then seated himself near the door so that he could get out +easily. Upon the entrance of the widows, Unktomi exclaimed: “Sisters, I +had brought some meat with me and I cooked some turnips and squash with +it and made a pot of fine soup. The babies have just fallen asleep, so +don’t waken them until you have finished eating, for I know that you +are nearly starved.” The two fell to at once and after they had somewhat +appeased their appetites, one of them arose and went over to see how +her baby was resting. Noting an unnatural color on her baby’s face, +she raised him up only to have his head roll off from the bundle of +blankets. “‘My son! my son!” she cried out. At once the other hastened +to her baby and grabbed it up, only to have the same thing happen. At +once they surmised who had done this, and caught up sticks from the fire +with which to beat Unktomi to death. He, expecting something like this +to happen, lost very little time in getting outside and down into a hole +at the roots of a large tree. The two widows not being able to follow +Unktomi down into the hole, had to give up trying to get him out, and +passed the rest of the day and night crying for their beloved babies. +In the meantime Unktomi had gotten out by another opening, and fixing +himself up in an entirely different style, and painting his face in a +manner that they would not recognize him, he cautiously approached the +weeping women and inquired the cause of their tears. + +Thus they answered him: “Unktomi came here and fooled us about some +plums, and while we were absent killed our babies and made soup out of +their bodies. Then he gave us the soup to eat, which we did, and when +we found out what he had done we tried to kill him, but he crawled down +into that hole and we could not get him out.” + +“I will get him out,” said the mock stranger, and with that he crawled +down into the hole and scratched his own face all over to make the +widows believe he had been fighting with Unktomi. “I have killed him, +and that you may see him I have enlarged the hole so you can crawl in +and see for yourselves, also to take some revenge on his dead body.” + The two foolish widows, believing him, crawled into the hole, only to +be blocked up by Unktomi, who at once gathered great piles of wood and +stuffing it into the hole, set it on fire, and thus ended the last of +the family who were foolish enough to let Unktomi tempt them with a few +red plums. + + + Note: I have made the following changes to the text: + PAGE PARA. LINE ORIGINALLY CHANGED TO + 12 3 3 one? one?” + 23 2 1 men man + 26 11 4 me, me,” + 42 7 5 earth. earth.” + 117 1 12 scorceress. sorceress. + 130 2 8 horse tide horse tied + 130 2 14 parflesh parfleche + 131 1 10 parflesh parfleche + 154 12 party than an party that an + 177 1 13 wickie-up wickieup + 177 1 15 wickee-up wickieup + 178 2 wickee-up wickieup + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths and Legends of the Sioux, by +Marie L. 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