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diff --git a/old/sioux10.txt b/old/sioux10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ee189a8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/sioux10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5182 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Myths and Legends of the Sioux, +by Marie L. McLaughlin. + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. We need your donations. + + +Myths and Legends of the Sioux + +by Marie L. McLaughlin + +October, 1995 [Etext #341] + + +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Myths and Legends of the Sioux +by Marie L. 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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 + + +Myths and Legends of the Sioux + + + + +MYTHS AND LEGENDS +OF THE SIOUX + +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 affec- +tionately 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 <i>all</i>." +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 <i>on them!</i> + + + + + + +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 <i>"wakan"</i> (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 <i>now!</i>" + +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 <i>that</i> way, and I will +hasten around <i>this</i> 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. + + + + + +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Myths and Legends of the Sioux + +by Marie L. McLaughlin. + + |