ELAINE GOODALE EASTMAN
INDIAN LEGENDS RETOLD
BOOKS BY
ELAINE GOODALE EASTMAN
YELLOW STAR
INDIAN LEGENDS RETOLD
In Collaboration with
CHARLES A. EASTMAN
WIGWAM EVENINGS
THE CAPTIVE
The murdered dove instantly became a whole flock of hawks.
Frontispiece. See page IS.
INDIAN
LEGENDS RETOLD
BY
ELAINE GOODALE EASTMAN
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
GEORGE VARIAN
BOSTON
LITTLE, BKOWN, AND COMPANY
1919
Copyright, 1919,
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
All rights reserved
Published, September, 1919
Set up and electrotyped by J. S. Gushing Co., Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.
Prtsswork by S. J. Parkhill & Co., Boston, Mass., U.S.A.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
THE author wishes to thank the Bureau
of American Ethnology, Washington, B.C.,
for kind permission to make use of certain
of the stories contained in their collections.
INTRODUCTION
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIAN
LEGENDS
THE first Indian legends, repeated
by the fireside to children, deal
with the animals humanized, their
gifts and their weaknesses, in such a way
as to be a lesson to the young. Our
view of the creation allows a soul to
all living creatures, and rocks and trees
are reverenced as sharers in the divine.
Beyond their simplicity and realism there
is always the unexplained, the back
ground of mystery and spirituality.
These animal fables serve as an intro
duction to more complicated stories with
human actors, which almost always have
their hidden moral and are accepted by
our people as guides to life. They are
vii
VU1 INTRODUCTION
full of humor and poetry, of pride,
tenderness, boastfulness, and real hero
ism. Human lives are mingled with the
supernatural, with elements and mys
terious powers, bringing swift punish
ment for wrong-doing. This is the basis
of our Indian philosophy, the groundwork
early laid in the mind of the child, for
him to develop later in life by his own
observation.
One who reads these stories carefully
and thoughtfully will understand some
thing of Indian psychology. Mystery
to the Indian is not mystery after all,
but a reflection of the Great Mystery
which opens out as simply as a flower.
To us nothing is strange or impossible.
It seems natural that an animal or even
a rock should speak; God is in it and
speaks through it.
It must be remembered that these
are only fragments of what were once
INTRODUCTION IX
consecutive and continued stories, too
long and involved to be set down here in
full. With just such stories the founda
tion of my early education was laid in
the cold winter evenings, and the im
pression made was permanent. The
characters were real people to me, and
the tales of the old men and old women
fostered a love of nature, reverence, a
kindly spirit, and finally patriotism and
the inspiration to heroic effort. Like
the other boys, I was expected to learn
them by heart and rehearse them in
the family circle. It is gratifying to
have these old stories saved for the
children of another race and generation.
CHARLES A. EASTMAN (OHIYESA).
CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION vii
A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS . . 1
PIMA TALES 11
CHEROKEE TALES 23
CHOCTAW STORIES 51
IROQUOIS TALES 65
TSIMSHIAN TALES 77
ALASKAN STORIES . 137
ILLUSTRATIONS
The murdered dove instantly became
a whole flock of hawks . Frontispiece
One contrived to pull her son down but
the other six went up into the
sky PAGE 44
He makes it choose one of three gifts " 55
He rudely pushed her backward until
she fell down ..." 83
He discovered the woman in a small
t pool "Ill
He took him to a tall stump in the
very middle of the lake and there
he left him . " 144
A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS
INDIAN LEGENDS
RETOLD
A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS
MANY of us think of the Amer
ican Indians as all one people.
We talk of "the Indian lan
guage." There are more than fifty dis
tinct Indian languages.
There are many other important dif
ferences between the various tribes. The
nature of the country, the kinds of game
and other foods, the climate, winds, trees,
all have their effect in molding the daily
lives of the people. Their habits and cus
toms are reflected in their legends and
popular tales as in a looking-glass.
The mountains, plains, and seashore
are the great natural features of our
4 A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS
country, and corresponding to these we
have coast tribes, prairie tribes, and
forest-dwellers or mountaineers among
the natives. If you try, you will soon
be able to tell from reading a story
what part of the country it came from.
It is an interesting study to read and
compare the legends of different tribes.
The Cherokees lived originally in the
South Atlantic States and some few still
have their homes in the mountains of
North Carolina, but the greater part of
the tribe was forcibly removed many
years ago to the old Indian Territory.
There they developed a civilized govern
ment, established schools and colleges,
and are now well educated and inter
mixed with white people. The stories
repeated here were gathered from the
eastern or parent branch. Their shrewd
ness and quick wit is very noticeable.
Sequoyah, whose impressive statue stands
A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS 5
in bronze in the rotunda of the Capitol
at Washington, was the famous Cherokee
who invented an alphabet.
The Choctaws formerly lived in Missis
sippi and Louisiana but are now one of the
Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma (once
Indian Territory) .
TheTsimshiansare Indians of the North
Pacific coast and in the old days lived
mainly by fishing. They also hunted deer,
bears, and other animals. Their houses and
boats were made chiefly of cedar wood,
and they also wove the bark of the cedar
into baskets, ropes, mats, and even cloth
ing. The salmon and the cedar were to
them what the buffalo was to the Indians
of the Great Plains, so you will not be
surprised by the many references to them
both in these stories. There is a strong
likeness between their customs and those
of the Alaskan tribes.
The home of the brave and manly
6 A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS
Iroquois was in the valley of the St.
Lawrence, the basins of Lakes Erie and
Ontario, and most of what is now the
State of New York. They were an ex
ceptionally gifted people, wise in state
craft and active in warfare. They
believed in the manlike form and magic
power of the creatures and elements.
The Pimas are a gentle, peaceable,
brown-skinned people, living in Arizona,
making fine pottery, weaving beautiful
mats and baskets, and raising corn.
Like the other desert tribes, their songs
and stories have much to do with the
rain clouds, upon which their crops de
pend. They formerly stood in great
fear of the warlike Apaches, who often
attacked them and carried off women
and children captive.
I suppose you all know that these legends
were not written down at all until white
people or educated Indians put them into
A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS 7
books. They were made up by unknown
story-tellers, far back in the past, and
repeated by old men and women for the
amusement and instruction of the young
folks. Thus they were handed down,
with some changes or additions, from
one generation to another.
Indians had good memories. There
were no libraries or museums or universi
ties. All their wisdom and their tradi
tions were stored up in the heads of the
people, and a thing once forgotten was
lost forever. They had not even a
notebook or memorandum to help out
a poor memory.
It is not so simple to invent a short
tale that is witty and ingenious, with
as much point and meaning as have most
of these we are giving you, as you will
soon find out if you try to make up some
fables or fairy tales of your own. To
remember and tell over such a story in
8 A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS
a clear and effective way, without miss
ing any of its logical or dramatic quality
even this is no very easy matter.
The hearing and repeating of the legends
took in large part the place of both school
and story-books to the Indian boy or girl,
and it is good practice for any of us.
It seems likely that every tribe has
in its folklore a mischievous character
with supernatural powers, who is at
the same time a butt for jokes and a
successful wonder-worker. He is boast
ful and resourceful, always trying to
outwit other people, and in his turn is
often outwitted. Among the Sioux this
character is known as Unktomee, the
Spider ; the Tsimshians call him the
Raven ; the Cherokees the Rabbit.
Besides this clown, as it were, whose
tricks and troubles are endless, every
animal has its personal or human side,
sometimes one that is obvious, and again
A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS 9
it may be decidedly puzzling. The
Turtle, for instance, is depicted as
a famous warrior (we hardly see why)
and the Porcupine as a wise man, which
we should scarcely have expected. On the
other hand, it seems quite natural to find
the Grizzly Bear the chief among animals,
and the Eagle the leader among birds.
Indian legends are broadly classed as
"myths 7 and "folk tales." The first
tell in a fanciful way how the world was
made, how winter, summer, fire, tides,
and many other familiar things or con
ditions came into being. They go back
to a time which all Indians believed in,
when the animals were real people and
could talk as we do. They could do
many wonderful things beside that we
cannot do. The Winds, Cold, the Stars,
and so on are personified; that is, they
are described and act as persons, and
there are also giants, witches, water
10 A LITTLE TALK ABOUT INDIANS
sprites and fairy people who change
their nature at will.
In many of the folk tales, which come
nearer being a record of actual or pos
sible happenings, the lovable and do
mestic qualities of Indians are brought
out very clearly. Notice the loving
brothers and the affectionate husband
in "The Woman Who Became a Beaver"
and "The Wooden Wife." The duty of
hospitality is taught in the story of
"Grizzly Bear and the Four Chiefs",
kindness to animals in "The Feast of
the Mountain Goats", patience with
children in "The Naughty Grandchil
dren" and "The Stars and the Pine."
In every instance the right-doer is re
warded, the selfish man and the trickster
are punished. I hope that you will enjoy
these stories as much as I have done, and
that they may help you to know and like
better the first Americans.
PIMA TALES
PIMA TALES
CHILDREN OF THE CLOUD
THERE was sorrow on the Casa
Grande (the Great Pueblo), for
the prettiest woman in the village
would accept no man for her husband.
Her suitors were many and impatient,
but her black glossy locks were still
wound above her ears in the manner
of virgins, and she steadily refused to
allow them to hang down in the matron s
coils.
One day a great Cloud came out of
the east, looked down upon the maiden
and wished to marry her, for she was
very beautiful. A second time and a
third he floated silently overhead, and
at last he found her tired out with work
14 PIMA TALES
and lying asleep at her mat-weaving.
He let fall a single drop of rain upon her,
and by and by twin boys were born.
Now when the boys were about ten
years old, they began to notice that
other boys had fathers whom they wel
comed home from war and the chase.
"Mother," said they, "who shall we
call our father?"
"In the morning look to the east,"
their mother answered, "and you will
see a stately white cloud towering heaven
ward. That cloud is your father."
Then they begged to go visit their
father, and she refused, for she was
afraid; but when the boys grew large
and strong she could no longer keep them,
since they were determined to go. She
told them to journey four full days to
the eastward and not to stop once on
the way.
Her sons followed her instructions,
PIMA TALES 15
and in four days they came to the house
of the Wind. "Are you our father?"
asked they.
"No," replied Wind, "I am your
uncle. Your father lives in the next
house; go and find him."
They did so, but Cloud sent them back
to Wind, telling them that he was really
the one whom they sought. Again Wind
sent them to Cloud. Four times they
went back and forth, and the fourth time
Cloud saw that they were persistent and
he said to them: "You say that you
are my sons. Prove it !"
Instantly the younger son sent forked
lightning leaping across the heavens,
while the elder caused the heat lightning
to flash in the distance. The skies
opened and rain came down in torrents,
enough to drown a mere mortal, but the
boys only laughed at the roar and rush
of the tempest. Then Cloud saw that
16 PIMA TALES
they were in truth his children, and he
took them to his house.
After they had been there a long time,
they began to miss their mother sorely,
and finally they wished to return to earth.
Their father gave each a magic bow and
arrows, strictly charging them to avoid
any whom they might meet on the home
ward path.
First the Eagle on mighty wing swooped
toward them, and they turned aside.
Then came the Hawk, and afterward
the Raven, but the boys managed to
elude all of these. Last the Coyote
sought to intercept them, and which
ever way they turned, he was always
before them. So they stepped out of
the road and stood one on either side to
allow him to pass. But when Coyote
came opposite to them, each was changed
into a plant of the mescal, the sacred agave,
which is both food and drink to the Indian.
PIMA TALES 17
THE CAPTIVE
There was once a little boy who was
brought up by his grandmother. While
he was yet very young, his mother had
been taken captive by the warlike
Apaches. He thought about her a great
deal, for he had heard that they treat
their prisoners cruelly.
One day he made up his mind to run
away and find her. The way was long
and hard, but at last he descried the
enemy s camp upon the plain, and when
he came nearer, he could see a woman
standing, looking toward the mesa and
her old home. He knew her at once
by the white scars which covered her
arms, showing where she had been tor
tured with fire. The child turned him
self into a dove and flew straight to his
mother, who took him in her hands, and
recognized him as her son.
18 PIMA TALES
She caressed and fondled him, but
told him that he must fly home again
before the Apache chief returned, as it
would not be safe for him to stay. While
they were talking together, the chief
entered suddenly.
"What do you mean by whispering
to that dove?" he demanded fiercely.
" There is sorcery here." And he took
the bird in his powerful hands and
squeezed it so that the delicate flesh
and bones oozed out between his fingers.
The woman screamed, and the mur
dered dove instantly became a whole
flock of hawks, which beat the chief down
with their wings and pecked out his eyes.
While they attacked him, the captive es
caped, and returned to her own people.
THE NAUGHTY GRANDCHILDREN
An old woman had set her pot on the
fire with the soup for dinner, and as. her
PIMA TALES 19
two grandchildren were playing near,
she cautioned them not to upset the pot.
The boy and girl were in a frolicsome
mood, chasing one another with shouts
of laughter; and as they ran they heed
lessly struck against the pot, which
rolled over and broke in pieces, spilling
the rich broth into the ashes.
Now when their grandmother saw the
mischief they had done in spite of her
warning, she caught and whipped them
both. Thereupon the children deter
mined to run away.
As soon as she missed them, the old
woman followed the runaways out into
the desert, calling loudly upon them to
come back, for she had only punished
them for their own good and loved them
both dearly. However, run as fast as
she might, she could never come up with
them. The two children were never
seen again ; but it is said that they were
20 PIMA TALES
turned into two giant cacti and still
stand side by side upon the plain.
BLUEBIRD AND COYOTE
In the old days the animals wore no
such fine clothing as now, and the blue
bird was of an ugly dun color, which
made him very unhappy. One fine
morning he came to a lake shining like
turquoise, and something told him to
bathe in the water.
Lightly he skimmed above the waves
and dipped his wings four times, singing
as he did so :
" Here is blue water
I go in
I am all blue!"
The fourth time that he sang the verse
and shook the water from his feathers,
they really became bright blue !
Just then Coyote appeared, in time to
see the transformation. "If you can
PIMA TALES 21
make yourself beautiful by bathing in
the lake, I can do as much/ 7 said he, and
accordingly he took the plunge. Coyote
could not swim, and he choked and
strangled and was almost drowned.
When at last he contrived to get upon
dry land, he was shivering with cold.
He rolled and rolled in the warm sand,
which stuck to his fur, and he became
dirt color, just as you see him now.
CHEROKEE TALES
CHEROKEE TALES
THE FIRST FIRE
IN the old days there was no fire on
earth, and the worldnvas a cold and a
dreary place, especially at night and
in the winter. Think what it would be if
we had no hearth at which to warm our
selves, no coals to broil our venison !
One night, in the midst of a thunder
storm, the lightning struck a great hollow
sycamore, and it began to burn. When
the people saw it, they all wanted to
get some fire, but the tree stood in a
swamp where there was no firm ground
for them to walk on. Many tried and
were stuck fast in the bog.
The Raven easily flew across and got
so close to the blaze that his feathers
26 CHEROKEE TALES
were burnt black, and black they have
been to this day, but he brought back
no fire. Then the Screech Owl tried,
and he flew to the top of the burning
tree from which he looked down on the
hot coals, and got the red eyes that he
has had ever since. The large Hoot
ing Owl followed his brother, and the
smoke gave him those white rings around
his eyes that you have all noticed. The
Black Snake said he would try, and he
wriggled into a small hole at the foot of
the tree, but he was immediately burnt
black, and was scorched so badly into
the bargain that he has done nothing
but twist and squirm to this day. Not
one of them brought back any fire.
At last the little Water Spider wove a
silken basket which he placed on his
back, and then he spun a fine silken
thread for a bridge and ran across on it.
He reached the tree safely, put a tiny
CHEROKEE TALES 27
live coal in the basket, and brought it
back to the waiting tribes of earth.
ICE MAN PUTS OUT THE FIRE
Once upon a time there was a forest
fire, and the fire went deep down to the
roots of a poplar tree, and there it smol
dered for a long time. The people tried
to put it out, but they could do nothing.
By and by they grew frightened, fearing
lest it might burn down to the middle of
the earth, or spread over all the world.
So they sent a messenger to the far north,
to beg the Ice Man to help them.
Now the Ice Man is a little fellow, with
two heavy braids of black hair hanging
over his shoulders. After he had heard
all about the fire, he nodded, and loosen
ing one braid he breathed upon the
strands. Instantly the wind began to
blow. He shook out the hair again,
and it began to rain. When he undid
28 CHEROKEE TALES
the other braid, it hailed violently, and
the fourth time he blew upon his hair,
the storm became so terrific that the
messenger hastened homeward.
When he got home, he saw the fire at
the roots of the poplar was still burning,
and the pit looked deeper and wider than
ever. Many people were standing sadly
about it, and as they stood there the
wind began to blow. Soon a cold rain fell
hissing on the hot coals. Then large hail
stones were mixed with the rain, and before
long the tempest grew so fierce that they
were forced to run for shelter. When it
stopped at last, they came out again to
look, and the pit of fire was nothing but
black coals covered with lumps of ice.
THE ORIGIN OF SICKNESS AND
MEDICINE
There was a time when man and the
animal people were friends, and talked
CHEROKEE TALES 29
the same language, and even inter
married with one another. Later on,
the human race declared war upon the
animals and began to kill them in great
numbers, using their flesh for food and
their skins for clothing, so that there
was great fear and anger among them.
At last the old White Bear chief called
all the Bears in council to decide what
should be done.
After much talk, it was agreed to make
bows and arrows of their own with which
to defend themselves, and one of the
Bears sacrificed his life to furnish sinew
for the bowstring. When all was ready,
and the Bear chief undertook to try the
new weapon, his long claws caught on
the string so that he could not handle it.
Some one then proposed that they all
cut their claws, and they were on the
point of doing this when the thought
occurred to another that they would be
30 CHEROKEE TALES
unable to climb trees or seize their prey
if they had no claws, and would be in
danger of starving to death. In the end,
the meeting broke up without coming to
any decision, and Bears were hunted
just the same as ever.
The White Deer next called all the
Deer together, and they decided to
punish with rheumatic pains every
hunter who should kill one of their
number without asking pardon for the
offense. Ever since that time, the
hunters have been very careful to beg
the Deer s pardon whenever it becomes
necessary to shoot one, although now
and then some one tries to avoid the
penalty by building fires on his trail.
The other animals followed the Deer s
example, and each made haste to invent
a disease with which to torment the
human race. The Fish and the Snakes
threatened him with bad dreams, and
CHEROKEE TALES 31
the little Grub, who was tired of being
trodden upon, heard them with such
joy that he fell over backward and has
never stood on his feet since. Only
the Ground Squirrel said modestly that
as man had never done him any harm
he had no wish for revenge, whereupon
the others were so angry that they
scratched him severely, and he bears the
marks on his back to this day.
However, they reckoned without the
plants, which were friendly to man, and
promptly devised a remedy for each
disease. We should be grateful to them
whenever we are made to suffer by the
revengeful spirit of the animals, for in
the kindly vegetable world we can find
a cure for every ill.
THE FIRST STRAWBERRY
It is told that the first man and woman
quarreled, and the woman left her hus-
32 CHEROKEE TALES
band. He followed her sorrowfully, but
she never once looked back. At last
the Sun took pity on the man.
"Do you still love her?" asked the
Sun, and the man said he did, and prayed
to the Sun to help him win her back again.
Then the Sun caused all mariner of
delicious fruits to spring up in her path.
The woman saw luscious purple huckle
berries, but she went right on over them.
A service tree laden with sweet red fruit
stood in front of her, and she passed it
by. Finally she came upon a patch of
scarlet strawberries, the first that ever
grew, and these she could not resist.
She stooped to taste one, and at once
the thought of her husband came into
her mind. All the sweetness of their
love enfolded her, and she stood quite
still in the strawberry patch until he
came up with her, and embraced her, and
they went back together.
CHEROKEE TALES 33
HOW THE TERRAPIN BEAT THE RABBIT
The Terrapin once challenged the
Rabbit to a race, which the latter re
garded as a joke.
"The Terrapin is doubtless a wit/ 7 said
he, "and a great warrior as well, but
every one knows that he cannot run.
I shall give him a big handicap, and
even then I cannot help beating him."
The course lay over four ridges, and
the Rabbit told the Terrapin to go ahead
to the top of the first ridge, so that when
the signal to start was given he was al
ready out of sight.
When the Rabbit reached the top of
the first ridge, he was surprised to catch
a glimpse of the Terrapin almost at the
top of the second. He ran faster, and
as his rival was soon hidden in the long
grass, he saw nothing more of him till
he was mounting the second ridge, and
34 CHEROKEE TALES
there was the Terrapin already passing
the third. When the Rabbit with great
leaps ascended the third ridge, behold !
the Terrapin was about to cross the
fourth, and the next minute he had won
the race.
This is the way it was done. The
Terrapin had several friends who looked
exactly like himself, so he stationed one
of them at the top of each of the first
three ridges, with orders to hide in the
long grass as soon as the Rabbit came near.
He himself stayed at the fourth rise until
his competitor came in sight, when he
crept over it and so came out ahead.
HOW THE TURKEY GOT HIS BEARD
Now the animals all suspected some
trick in this case, and the Turkey in
particular was heard to say that he would
contrive to get even.
Soon afterward he saw the Terrapin
CHEROKEE TALES 35
coming back from war, creeping along
with a fresh scalp hung about his short
neck and trailing on the ground.
"How, my friend!" he exclaimed,
"you do not wear your scalp right;
only let me show you."
The Terrapin let the Turkey take the
scalp and hang it about his own neck,
while he strutted proudly to and fro.
"Does it not look well?" the Turkey
asked.
"Well enough," the other admitted,
"but you may give it back to me now."
"First let me show you another way
to wear it," cried the Turkey, and he
adjusted the scalp and flew with it into
a tree where the other could not follow.
Thus he boasts the stolen ornament to this
day.
HOW THE DEER GOT HIS HORNS
Perhaps you never heard that there
was once a time when the Deer s head
36 CHEROKEE TALES
was as smooth as that of the doe, and
as he and the Rabbit were both great
jumpers and proud of their ability, a
match was arranged, the winner to re
ceive a fine pair of antlers as a prize.
They were to start at one side of a dense
thicket, and the first one to make his
way through to the further side and back
again would be judged the winner.
Now the Rabbit said that he had
never before been in that part of the
country, and he asked permission to look
about a little, which was agreed to.
However, he was gone so long that they
suspected he might be up to one of his
tricks, so one of the judges followed him
quietly. There he was, busily gnawing
off branches and making a road through
the underbrush !
When he finally came out, he was told
that on account of his dishonesty the
horns would be given to the Deer, and
CHEROKEE TALES 37
furthermore, since he was so fond of
gnawing at bushes, he might continue
to do so for the rest of his life.
WHY THE DEER S TEETH ARE BLUNT
Although it was not the Deer s fault
that the Rabbit lost the prize, the
Rabbit was greatly provoked and laid his
plans to get even. Cutting a stout grape
vine almost in two with his teeth, he laid
it across the Deer s path and began leaping
back and forth, snapping at the vine.
"What are you doing that for?"
asked the Deer, when he caught him at
this game.
"Only look! I can bite this tough
vine in two with one snap of my sharp
teeth/ 7 replied the Rabbit.
"Let me see you do it," the Deer
suggested.
So the Rabbit sprang at the vine and
bit it in two, where it was already almost
38 CHEROKEE TALES
cut through. " You cannot do anything
like that/ he declared proudly.
"If you can do it, I am sure I can,"
the Deer insisted, and the Rabbit made
haste to drag forward a heavy vine.
The Deer leaped at it and tried to bite
it as the other had done, but caught his
heels and fell headlong. Again and
again he tried without success.
"My friend," put in the Rabbit, who
had been looking on and pretending to
sympathize, "how can you expect to
bite anything in two with such blunt
teeth as you have? Just let me file
them for you a bit, and they will soon
be as sharp as mine."
The Deer was hot and embarrassed
and very foolishly gave his consent.
Thereupon the sly Rabbit got a rough
stone and filed off the Deer s teeth almost
down to the gums, so that he could not
bite off anything at all.
CHEROKEE TALES 39
WHY THE POSSUM S TAIL IS BARE
A long time ago, the Possum had a
fine bushy tail of which he was very
proud, so much so that he would even
sing of it at the dance. As the Rabbit s
tail is short and stubby, he had no
patience with such absurd vanity, and
at last he thought of a way to put a stop
to it.
There was to be a large council and
dance to which all the animals were in
vited, and Rabbit stopped in on his way
home to inquire whether Possum was
going.
"I shall not attend unless I can be
assured of a good seat/ 7 declared Possum
with much dignity, "for I think my tail
entitles me to so much, at least."
" Certainly, I will arrange that," re
plied Rabbit, with a great show of
deference, "and I shall be glad if you
40 CHEROKEE TALES
will allow me to send a barber to comb
and dress your beautiful tail so that it
may appear to the best advantage."
On these conditions Possum agreed to
attend the dance, and the Cricket, who
was an expert barber, was sent to him
with private instructions. As fast as he
combed and brushed the tail, he wrapped
it around with red string to keep it
smooth, and no sooner had he finished
his work than Possum hurried away in
good spirits.
He found the council house crowded,
but all made room for him at once, and
when his turn came he quickly unwrapped
his long tail and took the center of the
floor, waving it proudly as he danced.
He was greatly surprised to be greeted
with loud peals of laughter. He ven
tured to speak of his tail in the accom
panying song, and the people laughed
louder than ever. At last, looking down,
CHEROKEE TALES 41
he discovered that the Cricket, accord
ing to the secret orders he had received,
had shaved that splendid tail to the very
roots, and it has remained entirely bare
ever since.
In his great mortification, Possum
rolled over on his back helpless, and this
he still does whenever he is taken by
surprise.
THE OWL GETS MARRIED
There was once a woman who had a
marriageable daughter. Many men came
wooing, but the mother told the girl
never to accept any but a skilled hunter,
who would keep the lodge well supplied
with meat.
One evening the Owl called, in the
shape of a handsome young man, and
asked the girl to be his wife.
"Are you a good hunter? 7 she asked.
He said that he was, and upon this
she agreed to marry him.
42 CHEROKEE TALES
On the day after the wedding, the
bridegroom went forth to hunt, and at
night he returned with nothing but some
scraps that the hunters had thrown
away. He excused himself by saying
that he had had bad luck, and the next
morning he declared that he would try
fishing instead.
When at evening he brought home
only a worthless minnow or two, the
old lady advised her daughter to follow
him quietly the next time and see what
he did. She did so and was horrified to
see her husband turn into a great Owl
and fly to the top of a dead tree, where
he sat watching for some small fish that
might be dropped by a Hawk or an
Eagle.
She went home in disgust, and presently
he returned with a story of an Owl which
has driven away his game.
"I think you are the Owl," declared
CHEROKEE TALES 43
the young woman, and she turned him
out of doors.
The poor Owl went off by himself and
pined away till he lost all his flesh, and is
now nothing more than a big head and a
bundle of feathers.
THE STARS AND THE PINE
Once there were seven little boys who
spent most of their time down at the
town house, playing a game with wheel-
shaped stones and a curved stick like
a hockey-stick. Their mothers thought
they played too much, and one day,
when they were boiling the corn for
dinner, they put some round stones in
the pot and served these to the little
boys instead of corn.
This made the boys angry, and in
stead of staying at home they went right
back to the town house and began to
dance. Round and round they went,
44 CHEROKEE TALES
faster and faster, until their feet came
quite off the ground, and they were
dancing on air. When their mothers
came to look for them, they were already
out of reach.
The mothers screamed, and one caught
up a game stick and contrived to pull
her son down, but the other six went
straight up into the sky ; and there they
are now, as the six bright stars named
Pleiades, which the Cherokees call "The
Boys."
As for the seventh little boy, he struck
the ground with such force that he sank
in and was seen no more. His wretched
mother watered the spot every day with
her tears, and after a long time there
sprang up a slender shoot of green which
grew into a pine tree. This was the
very first pine. Perhaps you did not
know that the Pine has a heart of flame
and is a brother to the Stars.
THE STARS AND THE PINE
One contrived to pull her son down, but the other six went up into the sky.
Page 44.
CHEROKEE TALES 45
THE MAN WHO MARRIED THE
THUNDER S SISTER
A certain young man went to a dance
one evening and met there two strange
young women, both of whom had the
longest and handsomest hair he had ever
seen. He looked at them a great deal
from a distance and finally spoke to
them, and before the dance broke up
he had asked the younger and prettier
of the two sisters to be his wife.
In reply she told him to fast for seven
days and she would meet him again at
the same place.
The young man was so deeply in love
that he gladly accepted the hard con
dition, and after going without any food
for the prescribed time, he went to
another dance. There he met again
the two sisters with the beautiful long
hair. When it was time to leave, the
younger one said that he might follow
46 CHEROKEE TALES
her, but she warned him that if he ever
told where he went or what he saw, he
would surely die.
They all went along a footpath until
they came to a small brook, when the
two girls stepped quietly into the water
and continued on their way. The young
man hesitated at first, but when his
sweetheart turned her head and beckoned
he stepped boldly in, and it was as if
he were walking in deep, soft grass.
Presently the brook ran into a wide
and deep river, and now he stopped
short, for he was afraid of being drowned.
"Oh," said the. girl, "that is only the
road to our home!" So in he plunged,
and he did not seem to be in the water
at all but in the long meadow grass.
The girls led him to a cave under a
great rock and offered him a seat, but
when he looked at the seat he saw that
it was an immense live turtle. He said
CHEROKEE TALES 47
then that he would rather stand. But
what surprised him most was to see
both young women take off their lovely
hair and hang it up beside the doorway,
leaving their heads quite bare.
Soon there came a loud clap of thunder,
and directly after a flash of lightning
that disclosed a tall man entering the
cave. This was the brother of the girls,
and his name was Thunder. He in
vited the youth to ride with him and
offered him a horse which turned out to
be a large water snake. The young man
refused the invitation, for he had become
a good deal frightened and decided that
he would rather go home.
There came another frightful peal and
a dazzling flash, and the next thing he
knew he was lying on the river bank
with his feet in the water. He reached
his home safely, but he could not resist
telling his friends about his wonderful
48 CHEROKEE TALES
experience; therefore within three days
he died, for no one may tell of a visit
to the underworld and live.
THE ENCHANTED LAKE
In the depths of the Great Smoky
Mountains there lies a hidden lake which
no human eye has ever seen. The
hunters know where it must be, for
sometimes one has come near enough to
scent its freshness, and to hear the rustle
of thousands of wings as the ducks rise
in great clouds from its cool, green depths.
Yet when he approaches, he perceives
only a dry hollow in the heart of the
woods.
All the creatures know this lake ; it
is their City of Refuge ; mortal eye can
not find them there, and when one of
them is wounded, he has only to plunge
into its mysterious waters, and he comes
out whole.
CHEROKEE TALES 49
THE BEAR-MAN
A hunter once trailed a bear and shot
many arrows into its body, but to his
surprise they seemed to make no im
pression. Finally the bear stopped,
pulled out the arrows, and turning to
the man, he handed them back to him,
saying pleasantly :
"You see it is no use you can t kill
me. Better give it up and come home
with me instead!"
The hunter was curious and followed
the bear to his den, where he slept
all winter, gradually growing thick
black hair over his whole body. When
spring came, he was wakened by the
shouts of his friends as they surrounded
the den.
Not knowing what else to do, he went
forth to meet them, looking like a bear,
but walking upright like a man. He
50 CHEROKEE TALES
spoke to them, and they knew his voice
and spared his life.
"You have done wrong/ said they,
"and we cannot allow you to remain
here. Come back with us your poor
wife mourns for you as for one dead !"
"I wish for nothing but to come back/
the Bear Man declared. "Tell her, how
ever, that for seven days I must neither
eat nor speak. That will break the
charm, and I shall be once more a man !
Otherwise I must die."
Accordingly he betook himself to a
solitary teepee on the outskirts of the
village, and there continued his fast. His
wife was told that he still lived, and was
overcome with joy. Five days she waited
for him to come to her, and at the end
of the fifth day she could wait no longer.
She went to him, threw herself into his
arms, and compelled him to answer her
questions, thus causing his death.
CHOCTAW STORIES
CHOCTAW STORIES
WHY POSSUM HAS A LARGE MOUTH
THERE had been a long dry season,
and the Deer had grown very
thin. Meeting Possum one day,
he could not help noticing how well-fed
and contented the other appeared.
"How is it that you are so fat in a time
of drouth and famine? 77 inquired the
Deer, whose skin hung loosely upon a
rack of bones.
"It is simple enough/ 7 replied the
Possum. "I live upon persimmons. 77
"But how do you reach them? 77 per
sisted the Deer. "It seems to me they
hang very high. 77
"Oh, that is easy, 77 declared Possum,
who is fond of a joke. "I go to the top
54 CHOCTAW STORIES
of yonder hill, run down very fast and
hit the tree with my head just as hard as
I can. That shakes off the fruit. Then
I have only to sit on the ground and eat
and eat till I can eat no more."
"It sounds easy, to be sure/ agreed
the Deer, who was hungry enough to
try anything. He went to the very top
of the hill, rushed down violently, and
struck the tree with such force that he
was killed instantly. At this the wicked
Possum laughed so hard that it stretched
his mouth, which has remained wide to this
day.
THE GOOD LITTLE SPIRIT
Perhaps you have wondered why some
men are wise and do good, while others
in their ignorance do nothing but harm.
If so, I will tell you a secret.
In a cave not far from the homes of
men there dwells a good little spirit. He
is very old, his hair is long and white,
THE GOOD LITTLE SPIRIT
He makes it choose one of three gifts.
Page 55.
CHOCTAW STORIES 55
and he is about as tall as a child three
years old.
Now every child, when it reaches the
age of three or four, sometimes wanders
away out of sight of home, and the spirit
is constantly on the watch for this to
happen. He comes out of hiding, takes
the little one by the hand and leads it
away to his cave. There he makes it
choose one of three gifts : a knife, a
bunch of poisonous flowers, and a hand
ful of healing herbs.
If the child takes the knife, he will do
only harm all his days. If he is misled
by the beauty of the poisonous blossoms,
he will never be wise ; but if he takes the
good medicine, he will be a wise man
and a healer, who^, will bless and help his
people.
FOLLOWERS OF THE SUN
There were once four brothers, who as
soon as they noticed that the sun rose
56 CHOCTAW STORIES
in one quarter and set in another, made
up their minds to follow on to the place
of his setting. They were very young
when they set out toward the west, and
as the years passed they grew to be tall
youths, then strong men in their prime,
yet they could never overtake the Sun.
Old age had begun to creep upon the
travelers when at last they reached the
shores of the Everywhere Salt Water
(the ocean). Behind its shining rim the
golden ball descended, and they were
given power to follow, and where sky
and water met to reach their journey s
end.
"Why are you here who have not yet
died?" asked the Sun.
"We have done nothing but follow
you all our lives," replied the brothers.
"Only the dead come here," the Sun
insisted. "You will have to go back."
He sent them each home on the wings
CHOCTAW STORIES 57
of a buzzard, and thus returned to their
amazed people four feeble old men, who
had been where no mortal ever went
before. When they had told all their
strange story, they lay down and died,
and so returned to the glories of heaven,
which they alone of all men had seen
before their time.
THE HUNTER WHO BECAME A DEER
A hunter who had traveled all day
without finding any game shot a doe near
sunset, and as he was very tired, he lay
down near the body and went to sleep.
In the morning, when he awoke, he
perceived the doe looking at him lovingly
out of large, soft eyes. As he returned
her gaze, she astonished him yet more
by speaking.
"Will you come home with me?"
she pleaded.
The young man hesitated, but there
58 CHOCTAW STORIES
was something strangely appealing about
this beautiful woman, as she now seemed
to him to become. Almost without
knowing what he did, he arose and fol
lowed her.
By and by, they came to a great cave
under the mountain, where it seemed
that all the Deer lived with their chief,
an immense buck with powerful antlers.
The hunter was hospitably received;
but all along the sides of the cave he
noticed piles of deer hides, with hoofs
and horns. This puzzled him not a
little; nevertheless he ate with them,
lay down among them, and presently
slept.
Now while the young man slept, the
Deer tried skin after skin till they found
one which fitted him, and they also
fitted a pair of antlers to his head and
hoofs to his hands and feet. In the
morning, he opened his eyes and per-
CHOCTAW STORIES 59
ceived that he also was a Deer, and he
remained with the herd.
In the meantime, his mother and his
relatives continued to search for him
throughout the forest. After some
weeks, they discovered the lost one s
bow and arrows, hanging on the branch
of the tree under which he had slept after
shooting the doe. They all gathered on
the spot and began to sing songs of magic.
Soon a herd of deer appeared in the
distance, coming nearer and nearer as
they were drawn by the singing. At
last one spoke, and immediately they
knew his voice for that of the missing
hunter. His mother cried bitterly, and
insisted that they should take off the
deer s hide from her son and restore him
to his own shape again.
"We dare not/ protested his brothers
and his cousins. "It might endanger
his life!"
60 CHOCTAW STORIES
"Even so," she replied, weeping, "I
had rather see my son dead than wear
ing the form of a beast ! "
When they began to tear off the deer s
hide, behold! it had grown fast to his
own skin, and he began to bleed.
"Go on! go on!" exclaimed the
mother in agony, and they persisted
until the man died. Then at last they
carried home his body and gave it
honorable burial.
PRETTY WOMAN
Once in time of famine there were
two children deserted by their parents,
because they could not find food enough
for all. The boy and girl were perish
ing of hunger when they were discovered
wandering in the wood by Old Crow
Woman. The kind old body took them
to her poor teepee and went out to search
for something to eat.
CHOCTAW STORIES 61
While she was gone, the girl, who was
very clever, picked four grains of corn
out of the dust and tossed them into the
air. In this way each grain became a
fine full ear, which they roasted and ate.
She then threw up the small skin tent,
and it came down large and beautiful.
She took her little brother in her arms
and threw him up, and he was a tall
youth. Finally she said to him:
" Brother, throw me up, too!" and he
did as she asked.
The half-starved little girl came down
again a remarkably pretty woman, and
when Old Crow returned with a few
grains of corn in her beak, she was
astonished to find so beautiful a girl
sitting and making moccasins before the
largest and handsomest lodge she had
ever seen.
When the Mole poked his long nose
through the earth to look at Pretty
62 CHOCTAW STORIES
Woman, she ordered him back, saying,
" I am not the light."
Three times the Hummingbird circled
round her head with buzzing wings, but
she drove him away. "I am not a
flower," said she. He went home and
told all the people that he had seen the
most beautiful woman in the world, and
the woods were soon full of suitors.
Since Old Crow Woman was the girPs
chaperon, they all appealed to her. One
said: "I will lay down the richest of
bear skins for her to walk on, all the
way to my village."
"That will never do," replied the old
woman. "She might slip on the skins
and hurt herself."
The second lover offered to lay down
a line of mortars all the way. "You
must not do that," said Old Crow.
"The mortars might roll and trip her
up."
CHOCTAW STORIES 63
The third man declared: "My people
shall lie down on the ground, and she
may tread upon them as she comes to
me a bride I"
To this the old woman made no ob
jection, and Pretty Woman walked all
the way to her future home upon the
bodies of the people.
THE CRANE AND THE HUMMINGBIRD
Once there was a beautiful girl who
had many suitors, and among the most
persistent were the Crane and the Hum
mingbird. She rather fancied the latter,
since the Crane was a long-legged, awk
ward fellow, not at all to her taste. In
order to rid herself of his pretensions
once and for all, she told them that they
might fly round the world, and the first
one to return should be her husband.
As the Hummingbird is very swift, she
had no doubt of the result.
64 CHOCTAW STORIES
At the end of the first day, he had
indeed a long start. Well pleased, he
tucked his head under his wing and
went to sleep. About midnight, the
Crane overtook him and flew on. The
Hummingbird passed him at breakfast
time and again secured a long lead. But
in the night time, while he slept, the un
wearied Crane flew on, each night over
taking him earlier, till he had gained a
whole day and won the race.
After all, he did not win a wife, for
the maiden was so much chagrined by
the failure of her plan that she has stayed
single to this day.
IROQUOIS TALES
IROQUOIS TALES
THE THUNDERERS
THERE were once three comrades
who went upon the warpath,
and when they were a long way
from home, one had the misfortune to
fall and break his leg. The other two
made a litter in which they undertook
to carry him, but there was a ridge of
high mountains to cross, and the way
grew very painful and difficult. At last
they became discouraged, set the litter
down, went a little aside and consulted
together in whispers.
By and by they took up their burden
again, and coming to a deep crevasse
they let it fall as if by accident, so that
68 IROQUOIS TALES
the injured man rolled into the abyss.
They went home and reported that they
had met the enemy and that their com
rade had died of his wounds. To con
sole his weeping wife, they assured her
that he had fought bravely; also that
they had tended and cared for him until
he died and had then given him suitable
burial.
In the meantime, the abandoned one
fell to the bottom of the pit, where to
his surprise he beheld a very old man
sitting with his hands clasped about his
withered knees.
"What is this?" inquired the old sage.
"Is it possible that your comrades have
deserted you and left you to perish
miserably?"
"It seems that they have done so,"
calmly replied the youth.
"You may live, nevertheless," the
other promised, "if you will agree to
IROQUOIS TALES 69
my conditions. I am now too old to
hunt. Stay here and keep me supplied
with game as long as I live, and I will
cure your leg."
As the young man had no choice, he
agreed without hesitation, and the ancient
bound up his limb with healing herbs,
fed and tended him until he was able to
hunt.
There was game in abundance in that
part of the country, and the old man
told him that if ever he shot more than
he could carry, he should call out and he
would come to_his assistance. One day
the hunter succeeded in killing an immense
bear, and while he was skinning it, be
hold ! three very tall strangers clad in
garments of cloud appeared close by.
"We are the Thunderers," said they.
"We should be glad to help you, for you
have not deserved your misfortunes.
That old man for whom you hunt is
70 IROQUOIS TALES
not what he seems to be. Call him,
and you shall see!"
Since the youth saw no harm in call
ing his benefactor to help him with the
game, he did as they advised, and the
aged man climbed out of the pit very
cautiously, first calling aloud to inquire
if there were any cloud in the sky.
" There is none," replied the hunter,
and the other hobbled forward, con
tinually peering into the heavens as if
in fear of some enemy. Suddenly a
rumble of thunder was heard, and im
mediately he turned and fled in the form
of a Porcupine, throwing back sharp
quills like arrows as he ran. Louder
and louder pealed the thunder, and just
as he reached the edge of the pit a bolt
of lightning struck the Porcupine, and
he fell dead into his den.
After this the young man returned to
his own people.
IROQUOIS TALES 71
THE WINGED HUNTER
A lone hunter had spent all of his
arrows, and was at a loss. He was a
long way from home. Upon the lake
were many wild geese, but how was he
to kill them? Finally he swam under
neath the flock, caught several by the
feet, and tied them to his belt with
withes of basswood bark. When the
geese flew up into the air, they carried
the hunter with them.
Now he planned to loosen one or two
of the birds so that he might sink gradu
ally to the ground, but the rest broke
loose suddenly, and he fell into a tall,
hollow stump where he remained a pris
oner. To be sure, it was only a day or
two before some women came near after
wood, but his cries frightened them, so
that they retreated. Later they re
turned with their men and released him.
72 IROQUOIS TALES
Immediately the hunter made new
arrows with which he killed both deer
and bears, extracting oil from the latter
which he kept in leathern bottles. He
now wished to return home ; but since
he had tried flying, walking seemed to
him too laborious. After much thought,
he made himself a pair of wings out of
a thin piece of tanned deerskin, and flew
homeward, carrying the bottles for bal
last, and letting fall one or two into the
wigwams of the women who had set
him free.
GREAT HEAD
High up on an inaccessible cliff, there
dwells an immense Head, very fierce,
with long, bushy hair and huge staring
eyes. The people call it the Great Head,
and fear it very much.
There was once a family of ten boys
who lost their parents at about the same
time of a mysterious disease. As they
IROQUOIS TALES 73
knew no near relatives, the brothers
continued to live alone in the forest.
However, one day the eldest failed to
return from the hunt, and in the morning
the second brother went to look for him.
That night he, too, was missing. On
the next day, the third brother set out
to search for the others, and so on until
only one of the ten was left.
Now the youngest brother had scarcely
started on their trail when he stumbled
over a queer little old man, half buried
in the ground, and entirely covered with
green mold.
When he had dug him out and revived
him by rubbing him with oil, the boy told
the stranger his story.
"I can tell you what has become
of your brothers/ exclaimed the little
old man. " Without doubt, it is my
brother, Great Head, who has enticed
them away."
74 IROQUOIS TALES
"What! the Great Head is your
brother?" asked the boy.
"Yes, he is," replied the little old man.
"Then you must know his ways and
can help me to outwit him."
"I can tell you what he eats. Huge
billets of maple wood only maple
are his favorite tid-bit."
"And is there anything he is afraid
of?" the boy inquired.
"He fears my arrows, which grow ever
larger as they fly!"
First the boy worked very hard chop*
ping a great maple tree into blocks;
then he invited Great Head to a feast.
But Great Head would not come.
Then the little man, his brother, crept
slyly to the foot of the cliff through the
long grass, and sent forth a magic arrow,
which grew larger and larger as it sped
toward the mark. A great noise arose,
like that of a hurricane rushing through
IROQUOIS TALES 75
a forest. Down tumbled Great Head to
the foot of the precipice, and the nine
youths whom he had held captive were
freed from the spell, and came joyfully
home again. ,
TSIMSHIAN TALES
TSIMSHIAN TALES
HOW THE DAYLIGHT CAME
ALONG, long time ago the son of
the first chief of the animal
people set out upon a journey.
Dressed in the skin of a raven, and
carrying in his beak a magic bag which
his father had given him, he flew east
ward over a dark and watery waste.
When he had flown far and was tired,
he dropped a stone in the sea, and
it became an island, upon which he
rested.
Again he rose up and flew onward upon
slow black wings, no blacker than the
gloom that covered the face of the world.
As he skimmed the surface of the waves,
80 TSIMSHIAN TALES
he scattered from his enchanted bag
the spawn of every kind of fish, so that
the sea was filled with finny life. Then
he turned toward shore, and over the
dry land he cast berries and seeds of all
plants that are good for food, so that
the earth too was ready to burst with
fruitfulness, only there was no sun to
warm it into life.
Raven became very tired of the eter
nal darkness, and at last he flew straight
upward until he found the hole in the
sky, and went right through the hole.
There he left the raven s skin lying and
flew on till he came to a spring of clear
water, bubbling up with a sound like
maidens laughter near the wigwam of
the Chief of Heaven. He turned him
self into a leaf and floated in the pool,
waiting for the chief s daughter. When
she came, she was indeed very beau
tiful. Stooping, she dipped up the leaf
TSIMSHIAN TALES 81
in her bucket and drank it with the
water.
Now the maiden returned to her home,
and not long after a child was born to
her. The baby grew very fast. He was
stronger than any child ever seen, yet
he cried continually. Soon he was creep
ing about the floor and crying all the
time in a loud voice. The wise old men
were called in to explain these cries, and
the wisest one of all told the princess
that her son was crying for a large box
that hung under the roof. This was
the box that held the daylight.
Since nothing else would do, they took
down the box and gave it to the child
to play with. For four days he rolled
it about the floor; then one day, when
no one was looking, he lifted it to his
shoulders, got to his feet, and ran out
of the door with it. He sped as fast as
he could to the hole in the sky, put on
82 TSIMSHIAN TALES
the raven s skin that he found lying
there, and flew down to earth with the
precious box.
Now the Frog people were fishing down
there, and they made a great noise and
confusion in the darkness. Raven called
upon them to be silent, but they paid
no attention to him. The big frogs
were bellowing very loud, and the little
frogs were piping high and shrill, and
there was no peace or quiet anywhere.
Raven told them twice to be less noisy,
and when they would not, he said, "Then
I shall open the box."
So he opened it, and daylight over
spread the earth.
THE OLD WOMAN AND THE TIDES
Again Raven flew over the waters
till he reached the mainland and the
wigwam of the old, old woman who
holds the tide lines in her hand. At that
THE OLD WOMAN AND THE TIDES
He rudely pushed her backward until she fell down.
Page 83.
TSIMSHIAN TALES 83
time the tide would remain high for
many days at a time, so that the people
could get no clams or other sea food.
It happened that Raven was very hun
gry for clams, but he entered the hut
and sat down, saying pleasantly :
"Good day, grandmother : there is fine
digging to-day. I have just had all the
clams I could eat."
" Nonsense ! " exclaimed the old woman.
"What are you talking about, Raven?
You know very well that the clams are
all covered."
"Yes, but I ve had all the clams I
want," he insisted.
"That isn t so," she declared.
Upon this he rudely pushed her back
ward until she fell down, and her mouth
and eyes were filled with dust. Of
course she was forced to let go the tide
lines, so that the tide ran quickly out,
and the beach was covered with fine
84 TSIMSHIAN TALES
fat clams and other shellfish. Raven
did not come back to the hut until
he had Beaten as many as he possibly
could.
"My eyes are blinded with dust,"
mourned the old woman. "Will you
not give me back my sight?"
"I will, if you will promise to slacken
the tide lines twice a day," he replied.
So she said that she would, and from
that time to this the tides have run in
and out twice each day.
HOW THE FIRE WAS BROUGHT
After a time, Raven saw that the
people were discontented without fire,
for they could neither cook their food
nor warm themselves when it was cold.
He remembered that they had fire at
home in his father s village, so he flew
westward once more until he came to
the wigwams of the animal people. But
TSIMSHIAN TALES 85
however hard he begged, they would
not give him what he had come for.
Raven made a new plan. He went a
little way off and sent the Sea Gull to
the camp with this message :
"A handsome young chief will come
to feast and dance in the dwelling of
your chief. See that all is ready."
He knew that the people would pre
pare for their guest, so he caught a Deer
and tied a bundle of pitch-pine to its
tail, for at that time the deer had a long
tail like that of the fox. He borrowed
the canoe of the Great Shark, and with
the Deer came in it to the village.
As he expected, the house of/ his father
the chief was full of people, and there
was a big fire made and much feasting
and merriment. All the creatures were
dancing and singing, and the very birds
clapped their wings for joy.
The Deer entered, leaping and danc-
86 TSIMSHIAN TALES
ing, and his grace was much admired,
but as he danced around the fire he
swung his long tail over it, and the pitch
blazed up. He ran out, sprang into the
sea and swam off, with his lighted tail
flaring above the waves like a torch.
Many sprang into their canoes and
tried to follow him, but he escaped and
reached our shores in safety. There he
struck a dead fir tree with his blazing
tail and said to it :
"You shall burn as long as the years
last!"
We should remember that it is to him
we owe the gift of fire, for his tail was
burned off, and since that day all Deer
have had a short black tail.
RAVEN AND THE CRAB
Raven had been flying all night over
the ocean, and he had grown very hun
gry indeed, but what was there to eat?
TSIMSHIAN TALES 87
At sunrise he reached a sand spit, and
there sat a large Crab. Raven thought
he might be good to eat, but he was a
little timid about attacking him, so he
merely touched him on the back, say
ing, "Let us have a game, grandfather !"
" Certainly not/ 7 replied the Crab
gruffly.
But Raven grew bolder and touched
him again and again, crying out teas-
ingly, "Come on, let us have a game,
grandfather!"
Presently the tide turned, and about
that time the Crab grew angry. He
seized Raven by the leg and walked very
slowly into the water with him.
"Dear grandfather, only let me go!"
begged Raven, for he was terribly
frightened.
Crab paid no attention to his prayers
and cries, but walked on the bottom of
the sea until he felt sure that his enemy
88 TSIMSHIAN TALES
was dead, when he let go of him, and
Raven came up and floated lifeless on
the top of the waves.
A light wind wafted him ashore, and
he lay for a long time motionless on the
warm sand. At last the sun revived
him, and he awoke. He looked at his
raven skin and saw that it was sadly
draggled and some of the feathers had
come off, but he was so thankful to be
alive that he only said to himself, " After
all, I have not done so badly !"
THE BEAUTIFUL BLANKET
Not long after this, Raven grew tired
of the jet-black robe that his father had
given him, and one day he exchanged it
for a beautiful blanket of many colors,
such as is worn to dances. He had not
gone very far when the gay blanket fell
to pieces, and he was cold and sorrowful.
He did not know what else to do, so
TSIMSHIAN TALES 89
he went back to look for his raven skin
and found it lying by the roadside. He
put it on again, but soon came upon
another dance blanket even handsomer
than the first. Forgetting the lesson he
had just had, he tore his old robe in half
and threw it away with contempt, and
dressed himself in the other. Then he
walked on, thinking how well he must
look in the eyes of any whom he might
chance to meet.
This fine dandy was greatly pleased
when he saw a strange village near at
hand, until, glancing downward, he found
to his dismay that he was covered with
nothing but moss and lichens. Crying
bitterly, he was once more forced to go
back in search of his raven skin ; after
hunting a long time he found it, but it
was torn in two. Sadly he pinned it
about his body as well as he could and
again turned his steps toward the village.
90 TSIMSHIAN TALES
While he was still a little way off,
Raven plucked up spirit and gathered
a piece of rotten spruce wood, which
by his magic art he turned into a slave.
Lacking a fine blanket, he made for him
self some large ear ornaments out of
common clam shells which he found on
the beach. Then he ordered his slave
to walk before him, crying in a loud
voice :
"People of the village, here comes my
master, who is a great chief ! You will
know him by the costly ornaments of
abalone shell in his ears !"
It is said that the strangers were
deceived by this fine talk and invited
the pretender to their chief s wigwam,
where a feast was given in his honor.
RAVEN AND THE HUNTERS
One day Raven happened to see a
boat load of hunters coming home with
TSIMSHIAN TALES 91
plenty of game. As usual, he was hun
gry, and it occurred to him to take the
shape of a woman in the hope of ob
taining some food.
Sure enough, when the hunters noticed
a good-looking young woman on the
shore, they beached their canoe and
took her on board. She had a child in
her arms, and the child cried incessantly.
"It is hungry/ the woman explained;
so they made much broth of wild ducks
and fed the child and its mother. They
feasted most of that night, and the head
man was so well pleased with the sup
posed woman that he offered to marry
her. All went well till they awoke in
the morning, when, to his surprise and
disgust, the new wife looked like a man.
"So it is you, up to your tricks again,
you good-for-nothing Raven! Be off
with you!" exclaimed the angry hunter,
and he cast him overboard.
92 TSIMSHIAN TALES
Raven put on his feathered robe and
flew off without any trouble, and at the
same moment the baby turned to a crow
and flew away also.
RAVEN AND THE CHILDREN
Raven was out for a walk and came
upon a crowd of children playing with
whale s blubber. Huge piles of it lay
at their feet, and they were throwing
lumps at one another in great glee. He
stopped and spoke to them.
" Where did you get all that blubber?"
he asked.
"Oh," answered the oldest boy, "we
climb up that tall tree you see over
yonder and jump down from the topmost
limb. As we land, we cry out, Be
piled up, all my blubber ! and it is so."
Raven immediately climbed the tree
and jumped off the highest branch,
shouting, "Be piled up, all my blubber !"
TSIMSHIAN TALES 93
Nothing happened except that he
struck the ground so hard that he was
lame for several days. Meanwhile the
children picked up the blubber and ran
off, laughing heartily.
RAVEN AND HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW
Once upon a time Raven came to a
small house away from everybody, where
lived two women, a widow and her young
daughter. The elder woman asked him
in and gave him a good supper, and as
the house appeared to be well stocked
with dried fish and other necessaries,
he proposed that evening to marry the
daughter and was accepted.
The next day, after a hearty break
fast, he borrowed the old woman s stone
ax and went out. He told the two
women that he was going to cut down a
cedar tree and make a boat for the fish
ing, and he charged his wife to see that
94 TSIMSHIAN TALES
her mother had a good meal ready for
him on his return. Before night he
came back very hungry, saying that he
had felled the tree and would begin
next day to hollow out the canoe.
This went on for some time, Raven
going forth every morning with the ax
and returning in the afternoon, appar
ently tired out, and with so great an
appetite that the widow s stores of food
were getting low. They could hear the
blows of the ax from time to time in the
depths of the forest, but somehow the
boat was never quite finished.
At last one morning the old woman
said to her daughter, "Go quietly, my
child; follow your husband without let
ting him know it, and see for yourself
what progress he is making/ 7
The young wife did as she was told,
and there was the trickster pounding
a rotten stump with the stone ax so as
TSIMSHIAN TALES 95
to make the sounds they had heard.
When she told her mother what she had
seen, the two women packed up all the
goods they had left and went away.
When Raven went home that night,
he found only the empty hut, which
was as much as he deserved.
RAVEN AND THE SALMON WOMAN
Now Raven had been unfortunate for a
long time and was poorer than ever, but
he had at last contrived to build a small
hut and make a boat and a spear. Just
as he was ready to go fishing, a heavy
fog came down and covered the face of
the water, hiding his boat entirely. When
the fog lifted, there sat a beautiful
woman in the bow of the canoe.
"You have come to my boat; will
you be my wife?" asked Raven.
And the woman consented, saying,
"Yes, if you will be always kind to me,
96 TSIMSHIAN TALES
my husband. Remember, I am the Sal
mon Woman."
"Then we shall have plenty of fish
>in our lodge/ 7 exclaimed the pleased
bridegroom.
And he was right, for next morning
his new wife rose early and stepped bare
foot into the little brook that ran close
by their hut. Instantly salmon by hun
dreds came leaping up the stream, and
she called to him, saying :
"Husband, come! the creek is full of
silver salmon!"
After he had speared many, he went
after wood with which to smoke their
abundant catch, and as he feared the
birds might come down and steal some
of his fish while he was gathering the
wood, he left one of his eyes to watch
the boat, telling it to be sure and call
him in case the birds came near the
salmon.
TSIMSHIAN TALES 97
Soon the eye cried out, " Master, come
quickly! the birds are here/ 7 But as
he was very busy he merely replied,
"Hide the fish under the seat until I
come," and went on with his work.
When he came back to the boat with
a load of wood, he found to his sorrow
that the greedy creatures had not only
eaten up all the fish but his eye also.
Crying bitterly, Raven went back to
his wife, who asked him what the matter
was. When he told her, she had only
to touch the empty socket, and im
mediately he had a new eye quite as
good as the other. As for the stolen
fish, he did not miss them at all, for the
tiny stream was now so full of salmon
that there was scarcely any water to be
seen.
Although their poor hut was well
supplied with food, and his meals well
cooked, and his wife was as loving and
98 TSIMSHIAN TALES
kind as she was beautiful, nevertheless
Raven would leave her in the morning
and be gone all day without saying where
he went. By and by he began to come
home in a bad temper and to speak to
her harshly. One evening he exclaimed :
"Well, who has been to see you to
day?"
"No one has been to see me, my
husband," she replied. "No one ever
comes to this lonely place."
"Don t try to deceive me," said he
roughly. "A man has been here in my
absence. I know it, because I have
been gambling this long time, and at
first I had good luck, but to-day my luck
was bad ; therefore I know you have had
a man here."
Then the Salmon Woman felt in
sulted, and without speaking to him she
turned to the dried fish that hung from
the ceiling.
TSIMSHIAN TALES 99
"Come, my tribe! 7 she cried, and
all the fish came to life and followed her.
She sprang into the water and swam
away, and they all swam after her,
leaving the unkind husband alone and
hungry once more.
THE ANIMALS IN COUNCIL
It is now many years since the ancient
friendship between man and the animal
tribes was broken, and since that time
the animals have been hunted contin
ually and go about in fear of their lives.
One day Grizzly Bear invited all the
larger beasts to meet at his wigwam and
discuss the matter. Deer, Elk, Wolf,
and many others were present when
Grizzly Bear made his great speech in
which he spoke of the constant danger
they were in and the need of finding a
remedy, and finally proposed that they
petition He-Who-Made-Us to lengthen
100 TSIMSHIAN TALES
the winter and cause very deep snows
with extreme cold, so that the hunters
could not get about.
All agreed to this plan, but Wolf got up
and proposed that before acting upon it
they should consult the smaller animals
and even the Insect tribes. "For/ said
he, "if we ignore them now they may
make trouble for us later on."
The others had no objection, and next
day Beaver, Squirrel, Mink, Muskrat,
all four-footed creatures down to the
little Mouse, and all of the Insect tribes
as well, were invited to join in the
council.
It was a great gathering. The larger
animals sat on one side of a wide semi
circle, and the smaller on the other side.
Again Grizzly Bear made the first speech,
telling of the meeting of the day before
and of his suggestion, and asking all
present for their opinion on the matter.
TSIMSHIAN TALES 101
After a silence, Porcupine arose and
remarked that the idea might do well
enough for those who had warm fur
coats, but that many of the little people
were not so well protected against severe
weather, and as for the feeble Insects, if
the winters should become any longer
or colder than they were already, they
would all perish, therefore they could
not agree to the proposal.
"I don t care whether you agree or
not," growled the Bear. "We larger
animals have decided that this is the
best thing to do, and we are going to do
it anyhow."
"I fear you are short-sighted," re
plied Porcupine, who found that he had
used the wrong argument. "You large
animals are always roaming the woods
in search of something to eat, and if
the winters grow any colder there will
be no food for you, that is certain. All
102 TSIMSHIAN TALES
life will perish, even the roots of the
grass on which the Deer lives, and the
berry bushes of which the Bear is so fond
will be frozen. You will all starve, but
we shall live, for we Porcupines can live
on the bark of trees; and as for the
smallest Insects, they can burrow into
the earth and survive."
The other animals were impressed by
this speech and began to say among
themselves, "How wise he is!" "Now
who would have thought of that?" and
"I think we should reconsider the mat
ter."
"Ah, ha, ha!" laughed Porcupine, and
he was so pleased with himself that he
stuck his thumb into his mouth and
then bit it off, which is the reason that
he has only four fingers and no thumb.
Now the animals called him the wisest
of their number and accepted his de
cision, and as for those who would not
TSIMSHIAN TALES 103
agree, Porcupine filled them full of sharp
quills, on which account they all stand
in awe of him to this very day.
THE FOUR WINDS
Once there were four great chiefs who
lived in the four corners of the earth,
and their names were North Wind,
South Wind, East Wind, and West
Wind. The other three all hated North
Wind, for he was very rude and bois
terous, and insisted upon blowing his
bitter blast into their faces at all times
of the year, so that the tender fruit
buds and fragile blossoms were never
safe from his withering breath.
Finally they united to make war upon
him, and after a long struggle they suc
ceeded in gaining his promise that he
would only blow for half the year, which
helped matters a little.
Now the South Wind had four sturdy
104 TSIMSHIAN TALES
sons and a beautiful daughter, while
North Wind s family consisted of twin
boys, one of whom was called Frosted,
and the other Frozen. No sooner were
the children grown up than Frosted
wished to marry the daughter of South
Wind, who was as fair and gentle as a
summer s day, but she would have noth
ing to say to him.
The next year Frozen came courting.
He was a handsome fellow, very deter
mined, and proved more fortunate than
his brother. The wedding feast was the
finest ever known in that part of the
country. It lasted for seven days, at
the end of which Frozen carried home
his bride in a tempest of wind and rain.
When South Wind s daughter reached
the land of perpetual snow and ice, she
very soon regretted her rash choice.
There was not so much as a spark of fire
in the house, which was built of ice
TSIMSHIAN TALES 105
blocks, and day and night she was chilled
to the very marrow of her bones. Mean
while the rest of the family were saying,
"What a pleasant season we are having ! "
and "The weather seems unusually mild
for this time of the year !"
At last she could bear it no longer, and
one day as she sat sadly on the beach
she picked up a bit of yellow driftwood
and carved it into the shape of a duck.
When she had finished, she tossed the
duck into the air, saying :
"Fly south, little duck, and tell my
father that I am very unhappy here in
the cruel northland!" And the duck
flew away southward.
Far in the southland the South Wind s
wife stood in the door of their wigwam
and called to her husband, "Look, hus
band! Spring is coming, for I see the
ducks returning ! "
The little yellow duck came on, and
106 TSIMSHIAN TALES
as soon as he was near enough he gave
the daughter s message :
"Your child is very unhappy there in
the cruel northland !"
When South Wind understood it, he
was angry and called his four strong sons
to his side. "Boys," said he, "go at
once to North Wind s house and bring
home your sister !"
The eldest son started first in the shape
of a great gray cloud, and when the little
bride saw the cloud in the distance she
was glad, for she felt sure that it was her
brother. But immediately North Wind
went out with his two sons to meet him
and drove him back, so that she wrung
her hands in sorrow.
The second brother went as a very
black cloud, and he got a little farther
than the first when he too was fiercely
attacked and beaten back. Then the
bride of Frozen cried bitterly, for she
TSIMSHIAN TALES 107
began to be afraid she must stay there
forever.
The third brother went as a great
storm of rain, and he had nearly reached
the spot where his sister was eagerly
waiting, when the icy wind turned the
rain to hail and drove it back, and the
poor girl was in despair.
However, there was still the youngest
brother. He went as a sharp-edged and
thin cloud which slipped right by North
Wind and reached his palace, where he
turned all the ice to water. The whole
country was flooded, and North Wind
and his family were helpless.
"Not only does your son lose his
bride/ 7 cried the victorious son of South
Wind, as he retreated with his sister,
"but I shall take away three of your
months also. From this time forth you
are allowed to blow but three months in
the year."
108 TSIMSHIAN TALES
Thereupon the four Winds divided
the year among them in this fashion:
to North Wind the three winter months,
to East Wind the spring, to West Wind
the summer, and the autumn to South
Wind.
THE FEAST OF THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
In the old days the hunters were many
and skillful. They killed hundreds of
mountain goats for their flesh and skins
and left their bones lying unburned on
the rocks, which was a great dishonor.
Moreover, their children were thought
less.
One day, a young man whose name
was Really Black Raven Feather was
walking along the beach, and he saw a
group of boys making merry with a kid.
They would seize it and throw it into the
water, watch its struggles for a time, then
drag it ashore half drowned, and as
TSIMSHIAN TALES 109
soon as the poor creature was able to
walk, they would throw it in again.
When they tired of this sport, they built
a fire and put the kid in the fire, to dry,
as they said; but before it was more
than scorched this young man pulled
it out and scolded the boys severely for
their cruelty, so that they all ran away.
Not long after this, a messenger came
down from the hills inviting all the
villagers to a feast, and as was the
custom they followed the messenger.
They came to a large wigwam on the
mountain side which they had never
seen before, and all were seated within
this immense tent. Really Black was
given a seat immediately behind the
tent pole, which was unusually heavy.
Soon a crowd of people wearing goats
headdresses came dancing and singing
over the rocks. They danced around
and in front of the wigwam, and presently
110 TSIMSHIAN TALES
the chief dancer kicked so high that he
touched the tent covering with his goat s
hoof. Instantly it fell down on the
heads of the guests and became a moun
tain which crushed them to death. Only
Really Black was saved. He clung to
the tent pole, which became a giant spruce
growing out of the side of the mountain.
Therefore he and his descendants have
always respected the goats, and taken
care to burn their bones when it was
necessary to hunt them for food or
clothing.
THE WOMAN WHO BECAME A BEAVER
There was once a man who took his
wife with him to hunt raccoons at a
distance from the village. They were
very successful. Every night the man
shot several of the animals, and in the
daytime they were both busy skinning
them and trying out the fat. One day
THE WOMAN WHO BECAME A BEAVER
He discovered the woman in a small pool.
Page 111.
TSIMSHIAN TALES 111
the young wife became tired of work
and she approached her husband and
tried to attract his attention, saying
playfully :
"Look at me, my husband !"
It is true that she was a pretty woman,
but the man was bent on skinning his
game just then and took no notice of
her. Seeing that he made no answer,
she kept on teasing him to look at her.
At last he grew provoked.
"Go away/ 7 said he crossly; "you are
no better than these raccoons I"
At this the young woman was much
hurt and went away without speaking.
Her husband finished his work and then
came to his supper, but no meal had
been prepared for him, and no wife was
to be seen. He called and called, but
no one answered. After searching for
her some time, he discovered the woman
taking a bath in a small pool, which she
112 TSIMSHIAN TALES
had made for herself by piling up sticks
and pebbles to dam the stream.
"Come, my wife, it is time to eat/
begged the young husband.
"You have said that I am no better
than the raccoons/ 7 she answered, "and
I am very much ashamed. I prefer to
stay where I am."
He went back to their hut, but came
again later in the evening and tried hard
to persuade her.
"My wife, you know that I love you/
he protested. "I only spoke as I did
because I was thinking of my work and
I wanted to get through with it. I am
sorry for what I said, and I did not mean
anything by it. Come, now, you should
not stay in the water so long or you will
be sick ; and besides, it is time to go to
bed."
She would not listen to him, however,
and he noticed that the dam had grown
TSIMSHIAN TALES 113
higher, and the pool was much bigger
than before.
The woman did not come to bed at
all that night, and the deserted husband
could not sleep for thinking of his wife
swimming about in the cold water. He
lay awake, listening to the lapping of
the little waves and the slap of her
leathern apron as it struck the water
when she dived.
Next morning the pool had become a
pond, and out in the middle of it he
could still see her swimming about.
For the third time he called to her and
pleaded with her to come out, but she
would not answer him at all, so he went
home very sorrowful.
Now the young woman had six
brothers, and when they heard what
had happened, they all declared that
they would go and bring home their
sister. Their brother-in-law guided them
114 TSIMSHIAN TALES
to the spot where he had left her and be
hold ! a large lake filled the valley, and
there was a beaver house under the dam.
The young men saw several young
beavers swimming about, and presently
they heard a great beaver tail spank the
water. Looking closely, they recognized
the woman, but she was covered from
head to foot with soft brown fur, and
her leathern apron had become the flat
tail of a beaver.
At this they wept much, and with
one voice implored her to come home.
"No," said the beaver woman. "My
husband has said that I am no better
than the raccoons, and I am too much
ashamed to live with mankind any
longer. Do not trouble about me
further, for I shall never come back."
"Let us go away and leave her,"
said the eldest brother, for he did not
know what else to do.
TSIMSHIAN TALES 115
" No," said the youngest. " Let us break
the dam ; then all the water will run out,
and she will be compelled to come."
They broke the dam and destroyed
the beaver house. The woman lay face
downward in the mud at what had been
the bottom of the lake. She was quite
dead. In all points she was like a
beaver, but when they turned the body
over, grieving much, the face was the
face of the offended wife.
THE TEN PRINCES
The ten sons of a chief went hunting,
and all took their wives with them except
the youngest brother, who was un
married. They all camped together at
night, and in the morning the eldest
prince went out in search of game.
The first thing he saw was a fat por
cupine coming toward him, which he
easily caught. He wrung its neck, and
116 TSIMSHIAN TALES
hung it on the branch of a tree, and
went on.
Near the top of a hill, he met a hand
some white she-bear and shot her dead.
He kept on to the very top, and looking
down, perceived a strange town at the
foot, which made him very curious. He
walked up boldly to "the first hut,
in which a pretty young woman sat
alone. She beckoned to him through
the window, but he had scarcely entered
when some one called out from the next
dwelling :
"You have a visitor. Send him here:
the chief wishes to see him."
At the chief s door, several young men
met the stranger with much kindness
and greatly admired his weapons, which
they begged to be allowed to examine.
As soon as he went in, the chief greeted
him with all hospitality. He ordered
that the softest robes be brought for his
TSIMSHIAN TALES 117
seat and caused him to be served with
the choicest food. While he ate, his
weapons were returned to him and laid
at his side. When night came, the
chief said, " Bring the best blanket for
our guest; he will remain with us to
night" ; and it was done.
In the morning a cry arose, "The
bears are coming \"
"Let my best hunters go out against
them," ordered the chief. Now the
young prince was an expert hunter and
had a mind to display his skill, so he
hastened to attack the foremost bear.
He drew out his best arrow, but to his
astonishment the arrow broke. Hur
riedly he seized his spear, and the spear
broke. In a moment the grizzly bear
was upon him and bore him to the
ground.
As soon as he was dead, the young
men dragged his body into the chief s
118 TSIMSHIAN TALES
hut, where the chief caused it to be cut
in pieces and hung up to dry.
Now when this young man did not
come back to camp on that day or the
next, his wife grew anxious, and the
next in age offered to go in search of
him. He set out in the same direction,
and half-way up the hill he met a fat
porcupine, which he clubbed and hung
in a tree as his brother had done. A
little further on, he saw a white she-
bear and killed her, after which he went
toward the village which he observed
in the distance.
The pretty young woman invited him
to come in, and the young men welcomed
him cordially and took away his weapons,
which they returned to him as he sat
feasting in the house of the chief. In
short, everything happened to him ex
actly as it had happened to his brother ;
and in the morning, when his arrows
TSIMSHIAN TALES 119
broke off short, he was at the mercy of
the bear, and his body was cut up and
hung beside that of the first.
Next day, the third youth went to
look for the other two, and so on, until
all were gone except the youngest. The
nine widows mourned continually, and
they begged the last brother not to follow
the others, for if he should, they felt
sure that he too would be lost and they
would all be left without a protector.
However, he insisted upon going, assur
ing them that not only would he come
back safe and sound, but would bring
back their husbands also.
He took the same path up the hill,
and when he saw the fat porcupine
coming to meet him, it occurred to him
that he had better let her pass unharmed,
and he did so. A little later, he met the
white she-bear and shot her; but when
he came to her he could not help laying
120 TSIMSHIAN TALES
his hand gently on her side and exclaim
ing aloud, "How beautiful she is!"
Instantly the bear became a hand
some young woman, who smiled upon
him, and warned him of the dangers that
he would meet in the Bears town at
the foot of the hill.
"These people are really Bears," said
she, "and I am one of them sent to
deceive you. But you have no wife,
and I like you very much. Do not
let the young men take your weapons
even for a minute, or they will change
them to dry sticks as they did those of
your nine brothers, who killed me with
out remorse."
Finally she gave him two small pups
and told him to hide them in his robe,
and if ever he was in trouble to set them
one by one on the ground, saying, " Red,
grow up quick and help me!" "Spot,
grow up quick and help me!" and it
TSIMSHIAN TALES 121
should be so. Then she kissed and
embraced him, and he went on down
the hill to the village.
In the first hut he came to he found
his sweetheart again, and she greeted
him lovingly. When the chief sent for
him, she delayed parting with him as
long as she could, but was at last forced
to let him go, with many charges as to
the best way to outwit her kinsmen.
Accordingly he kept fast hold of his
weapons, when the young men crowded
admiringly about him, and even lay
awake all night lest they should take
them from him while he slept.
In the morning, when the Bears came
on as before, and the chief called for men
to go out and meet them, the young
prince drew his bow and shot the fore
most through the heart. More followed,
and he killed them one after another until
his arrows were all gone. Then he fought
122 TSIMSHIAN TALES
with his spear until he was tired out, and
still the Bears came on.
Finally he remembered the pups that
his sweetheart had given him, and he
placed the first one on the ground, say
ing, "Grow up quick, Red, and help
me!"
Instantly the pup became an im
mense dog which rushed at the Bears
and drove them back.
Then he put down the second pup,
saying, "Grow up quick, Spot, and help
me!" and another savage dog attacked
and put to rout the last of his enemies.
Then the young man returned to the
Bear chief s wigwam for his nine brothers.
He took down the pieces of their bodies
and laid them side by side, and they all
came to life and followed the hero and
his Bear wife back to their own camp,
where they were welcomed with great
rejoicings.
TSIMSHIAN TALES 123
THE GIRL WHO REJECTED HER COUSIN
In the old days, a chiefs daughter
was expected to marry the son of her
uncle, and so keep the chieftainship in
the family. But there was once a proud
princess who behaved very badly to
her cousin when he came wooing, accord
ing to the custom.
"I must be sure that you love me,"
she said.
"I do love you," he declared.
Upon which she answered, "Then
prove your love by making a cut down
your right cheek."
"The young man immediately took
out his knife and slashed his right cheek
so that the blood streamed over his face.
When the cut had healed, he went
again to his cousin and asked for her
hand with some confidence, but she said :
"First you must cut your left cheek
124 TSIMSHIAN TALES
also, and then I shall know that you
really love me."
The young man did not like to do it,
but he would not give up, and he slashed
his left cheek also.
He waited for the second cut to heal
and then went to her with his scarred
face and begged her to marry him at
once.
"Yes," said she, "I will marry you,
for you have done well," and she kissed
him, so that he became more in love
than ever. Finally she told him sweetly
that she was not yet entirely satisfied,
and that before the wedding he must
cut off all his hair.
Now short hair is considered a dis
grace to a man, and the prince was most
unwilling to cut his off, but at last he
yielded and went to her to ask that the
wedding day might be set. But she
refused to see him, merely sending a
TSIMSHIAN TALES 125
servant with the message that he must
be quite mad to suppose that she would
marry such a hideous object as he had
made of himself.
The poor young man was very un
happy, and he left his home and wandered
away until he came to a small hut that
stood all by itself under a hill.
An old woman opened the door and
kindly asked him to come in "that
is," said she, "if you are the chief s son
who was rejected by his cousin."
"I am he," declared the youth.
"What can I do for you?" asked the
old woman.
He answered that he wanted nothing
more than to be as he had been, before
he disfigured himself at the bidding of
the cruel young woman.
Accordingly the crone prepared a bath
for him, and when he came out his skin
was smooth and fine, without any mark
126 TSIMSHIAN TALES
upon it. She combed his hair with a
comb of ivory, and it became long and
splendid and fell over his shoulders
like a mantle, so that he was far hand
somer than before.
When he went back to the village, all
the people admired him as a being from
another world, and his cousin put on
her best robes and walked to and fro,
trying to attract his attention, but he
did not even glance at her. Finally
she sent her servant with a message,
asking him to come and see her.
When he did not appear, she sent a
second time, and inquired very humbly
what she could do to please him. He
told the messenger to say that if she
would slash her right cheek with a knife,
he would come.
So the princess cut open her right
cheek, and when the cut had healed she
sent to her cousin again. This time he
TSIMSHIAN TALES 127
made answer that she must first cut
her left cheek also, and she did as he
ordered.
When her messenger came to the prince
a fourth time, he directed that her mis
tress cut off all her beautiful hair, de
claring that he would then be entirely
satisfied. Crying bitterly, the poor girl
cut it off and sent it to her lover, but he
threw it on the ground with contempt,
saying that nothing would induce him
to look upon the face of a woman who
had so disfigured herself.
The wise men say that since this
happened, women have not been allowed
to choose their husbands, or to refuse
the men who have been selected for them
to marry.
GRIZZLY BEAR AND THE FOUR CHIEFS
There were once four chiefs who were
brothers and lived in one village. In
128 TSIMSHIAN TALES
the dead of winter, when food was
scarce, a lean stranger came among
them and stopped at the hut of the
eldest brother.
He was courteously received and
seated by the fire, as is the custom, and
the chief asked him where he came from.
"I have come a long way," replied
the stranger.
"And what have you eaten on the
way?"
"I have eaten nothing but snow," he
said.
Then the chief ordered a dish of snow
and a spoon to be placed before his
guest, but he got up without touching
it and went on to the house of the second
brother.
Here he was again asked where he
came from and what he had eaten on
the road, and when he answered that he
had eaten only snow, he was given a
TSIMSHIAN TALES 129
large dish of it with a spoon. The same
thing happened at the third house.
When the traveler came to the dwell
ing of the youngest brother, and the
host heard that he had eaten nothing
but snow and was starving, he said to
his wife, " Wife, see if there is still a dried
salmon left."
She looked, and found a single one,
half of which she broiled and gave it on
a dish to the stranger.
After he had eaten, he made ready to
go on, but his host said, "Wife, give
our guest the other half of the salmon to
eat on the journey," and she did so.
Then the stranger said to him, "All
the others ridiculed a starving man, but
you were a true host. Your kindness
shall be rewarded. Meet me to-morrow
at the mouth of the river."
The young chief did as he was told,
and behold! a great grizzly Bear, who
130 TSIMSHIAN TALES"
presented him with leggings, a grizzly-
bear headdress, and a magic bow which
killed all manner of game. From that
day he never went hungry, but became
the envy of his elder brothers and the
richest man in the village.
THE WOODEN WIFE
Once there was a young man newly
married who was very fond of his wife.
She was not only a pretty woman, but
she wove the most beautiful dancing-
blankets of any one in the tribe.
One day this young man went into
the mountains to hunt wild goats, from
whose hair his wife might weave more of
her much-prized blankets, and she went
with him to keep his hut and to cook for
him. While they were yet far from the
village, the girl fell sick, and although he
did all that he could for her, the young
husband soon saw that she was dying.
TSIMSHIAN TALES 131
"Tell me, my dear, what can I do for
you?" he begged, as he hung over her.
"Only do not leave me soon, my
husband ! Do not soon forget our love,"
sighed the wife, and she died.
The goat-hunter mourned her truly,
and he did as she had asked him to do.
He remained on the spot where he had
lost her and seemed to have no thought
of going back to the village. He kept
her body with him in the hut as long as
he could, and when at last he was forced
to lay it away, he carved an image out
of cedar wood and set it up in front of
her loom, so that as one entered the hut
it seemed that a woman sat there, weav
ing a dancing-blanket. Every morning
he went out hunting goats, and when he
returned in the evening he would call
out as he came near the hut, saying :
"Come out, my wife, and see what I
have brought you !"
132 TSIMSHIAN TALES
Then he would answer himself in a
woman s voice, "I cannot come just
now, my husband. I am weaving, and
the wool may become snarled if I leave
my loom."
Presently he would enter the wigwam,
come up behind his wooden wife, and
kiss her lovingly.
After a time, the story of these strange
doings spread to the village, and two
young girls, sisters, being filled with
curiosity, decided to come and find out
for themselves what truth there might
be in the rumors that were about. When
they reached his lonely hut, the hunter
was away as usual, so they raised the
door-flap and peeped in. There sat the
wooden wife in front of the loom, with
her back to them, exactly like a woman
weaving.
"Elder sister, " said they, "we are
hungry." But when she did not move
"TSIMSHIAN TALES 133
nor speak, they knew that she was not
a real woman, and they hid in a corner
behind some blankets until the husband
should return.
By and by they heard his voice out
side the hut, telling his wife to come out
and see the game he had brought, and
then her usual answer that she was busy
weaving and could not come just then.
Next he came in, put his arms about the
wooden wife, and kissed her fondly.
Upon this the elder girl could not help
laughing so that he heard it and dis
covered them both. But the young man
was a courteous host. He begged them
to be seated and offered them food, and
the elder sister ate heartily; she even
over-ate, while the younger was very
quiet and took but a taste of each dish.
The hunter took note of their conduct,
and when supper was over, he asked the
younger girl to be his wife.
134 TSIMSHIAN TALES
"I will marry you," said she, "if you
will put away your wooden wife." Ac
cordingly he destroyed the image that
he had made, and married the girl, and
they lived happily together for many
years.
ILDINI
Ildini lived at End-of-trail, with his
wife and two boys. One day he went
fishing when the wind blew strong from
the shore. It blew his boat so far out
that he could not get back. All day and
all night he was blown about the cold
gray waters. He became very hungry
and chilled to the bone.
Ildini prayed and sang for a fair wind.
This was his song :
" Ocean Spirit, calm the waves for me !
Come closer to me, my Power !
Calm the waves, so that I may go home !"
After many days the wind went down
and the canoe floated near a strange
TSIMSHIAN TALES 135
shore, but by now the man was so weak
that he could not land. On the shore he
saw no one but a little child, scarcely
big enough to talk. He told the child
his name, "Ildini", and the little fellow
repeated it over and over as if it were a
game "Ildini Ildini - - Ildini ! " He
ran home still saying over the new name,
and exclaimed to his grandfather :
"Grandfather, come Ildini!" He
kept saying this until the old man fol
lowed and discovered the canoe and the
fisherman, who was by this time unable
to stand.
He called his wife to help him and
together they carried Ildini to their
house, where they rubbed his limbs,
warmed him and gave him broth, a little
at a time. When he had recovered, he
became the chief of that tribe, and
learned their ways and their language.
He never ceased to mourn for the two
136 TSIMSHIAN TALES
sons whom he had left behind at End-
of-trail, but he did not weep for his
wife, for he believed her faithless and
thought that she had been the cause of
his misfortune. In truth she supposed
him dead and had long since married
another.
ALASKAN STORIES
ALASKAN STORIES
THE MAN WHO ENTERTAINED BEARS
THERE was once a man who had
lost all of his family in a terrible
sickness that came upon the people
of his village. He was all alone in the
world and very sorrowful. He did not
know what to do. First he thought he
would get into his canoe and paddle away
till he came to another village. Then it
occurred to him that they might think he
had run away from home because he had
been accused of witchcraft or of some
other shameful thing.
He considered taking his own life,
but did not like to do it. Finally he
concluded to go among the bears and
let them kill him. He found a bear
140 ALASKAN STORIES
trail, and lay down in it till he heard the
bushes breaking and saw several grizzly
bears coming along the trail. An un
usually large bear was at their head.
Suddenly the man became frightened
and felt that he had chosen a hard death.
He arose and spoke to the leading bear.
" Brother/ 7 said he, "I am come to
invite you to a feast in honor of my
dead. I have lost my children and my
wife and there is none left of my blood
and of my house. Will you help me to
do honor to their spirits?"
The largest bear turned toward the
others and whined, as if he were telling
them of the invitation. Then they all
went back, and the man hurried home
to prepare his feast. He took away all
the old sand from his fireplace and re
placed it with clean sand. He brought
a load of wood and picked many berries,
both cranberries and huckleberries. He
ALASKAN STORIES 141
also told his neighbors what guests he
expected, and they all supposed him
crazed by sorrow.
Next morning he arose early and
painted himself with unusual care. When
all was ready, he stood in the doorway
of his house awaiting his guests. Pres
ently he saw the bears entering the mouth
of the creek in single file, the great bear
in the lead, just as on the day before.
The other villagers saw them too and
ran and hid themselves in their houses,
terrified out of their wits; but their
host stood still to receive them and give
them the seats of honor, the chief in
the middle seat, as is the custom.
First he served them with large trays
of cranberries covered with grease, and
as soon as the bear chief began to eat
of the food the others followed his ex
ample. The other courses were served
and eaten in the same way. When all
142 ALASKAN STORIES
had finished eating and were about to
retire, each in turn licked some of the
paint from his breast and arms in sign
of their sympathy.
On the next day, the smallest bear
came back alone in human form, and
spoke to his host in his own tongue, tell
ing him that he was a man who had long
since been captured and adopted into
the Bear tribe. "The Bear Chief/ 7 said
this person, "is very sorry for you, be
cause he too has lost all of his friends.
He understood your sorrow and for that
reason refrained from killing you. I
was not permitted to speak to you in
his presence, but he wishes you to re
member him when you mourn for your
dead."
Ever since this time, the old men,
when they kill a grizzly bear, paint a
cross on its skin. It is also commanded
that when you give a feast you should
ALASKAN STORIES 143
invite every one, even your enemies,
just as this man invited the Bears, who
are the enemies of human kind.
BEAVER AND PORCUPINE
Once in the old days Beaver and Por
cupine were comrades and went every
where together. Now Beavers are much
afraid of Bears, who break down the
beaver dams so as to let off the water,
catch them and eat them. But the
Bear fears the sharp quills of the Por
cupine, therefore the little fellow acted
as guard to his friend. Porcupine often
visited Beaver in his house, which is
dry and comfortable, and unfortunately
annoyed his host by leaving some of his
quills there.
One day Porcupine proposed to call on
his friend, and Beaver offered to carry
him on his back, since the prickly one
cannot swim. But instead of taking
144 ALASKAN STORIES
him to his home under the dam, he took
him to a tall stump in the very middle
of the lake, and there he left him !
There Porcupine was compelled to
stay until the lake froze over, and he
could walk home on the ice.
Beaver contrived to explain the whole
thing as a joke, and the pair appeared
to be on as good terms as ever. One
fine day the Bear appeared.
"What shall I do? Save me! save
me!" cried Beaver in terror.
"Certainly, friend; just get upon my
back and I will carry you to safety,"
replied Porcupine.
Beaver did as he was told, and was
taken to the top of a very tall tree and
left to himself. He did not know how
to climb and was afraid to try to get
down alone.
"Oh, do help me down!" he cried;
but it was of no use to beg. After
BEAVER AND PORCUPINE
He took him to a tall stump in the very middle of the lake and there he
left him.
Page 144.
ALASKAN STORIES 145
staying up there so long that he grew
dizzy and almost starved to death, he
finally contrived to scramble down the
tree ; and they say that is why the bark
of trees is rough and full of scratches to
this day. We are also told that it is
on account of this happening that people
who have loved each other very much
sometimes quarrel, and are no longer
friends.
MOUNTAIN DWELLER
Two sisters belonging to a well-known
family one day became very hungry and
helped themselves to some of their
mother s fat meat, notwithstanding the
girls were strictly forbidden to eat any
thing between meals.
When the mother found it out she was
angry, especially with her elder daugh
ter, for the younger was still a child.
She not only scolded the girl, but slapped
her severely. At last she said: " Since
146 ALASKAN STORIES
you are so fond of eating, you had better
go and marry Mountain Dweller! 7
Now Mountain Dweller is a being who
lives alone upon the mountains and is
supposed to be a great hunter. Up to
this time, no mortal had ever seen him.
The girls were more deeply offended
by her words than by the blows she had
given the elder, and that night when their
mother slept they ran off into the woods.
They had wandered a long way and
were crying with fear and hunger when
they heard some one chopping wood in
the distance. " Perhaps it is really he,"
said the elder sister, and they followed
the sound.
There stood a man whose face was
painted red. He was kind and asked
the girls what they were doing so far
from home.
As soon as they had told him, he in
vited them into his house near by, and
ALASKAN STORIES 147
they found it large and well stored with
abundance of meat. They remained
there as he asked them, and the elder
sister in time became his wife.
Now the mother had soon repented
her hasty speech and both parents
searched everywhere for their daughters.
When they could not find them, they
mourned them as dead. A year passed,
and the mourners feast had been given,
when one day Mountain Dweller said
to his wife and his sister-in-law:
"Wouldn t you like to see your father
and mother again?"
"Oh, yes, yes!" exclaimed the little
girl, but the other thought not, for the
insult was hard to forgive. At last she
consented to go, whereupon her husband
hunted continually and prepared a large
quantity of meat for a present to his
father-in-law.
"Make a little basket, no larger than
148 ALASKAN STORIES
the end of your thumb/ he told her;
and when it was finished, he put into it
all those canoe loads of meat, hung it
on his finger, and the three of them went
down the mountain to the old home of
the two girls.
Their little brother was playing out
side the hut and saw them first. He
ran inside. " Mother, mother!" he
cried, "my two sisters are coming!" ;
" Nonsense/ scolded his mother.
"Your sisters have been dead a long
time, as you well know. Did we not
give the mourners feast for them this
last moon?"
"Nevertheless I ought to know my
own sisters, and I do know them," the
boy persisted. "They are coming
they are here!"
The mother came to the door and saw
them, and instantly she threw herself
upon their necks, crying for joy.
ALASKAN STORIES 149
The next morning, the elder daughter
said to her: " Mother, back there in
the woods a little way there is a basket
for you. Send my brother to bring it." ;
The boy went and soon came back
saying that it was too heavy for him.
The whole village went, but all of them
together could not carry the basket.
Finally the young wife went herself, and
she brought it easily in one hand. But
when she set it down in the house and
began to unpack it, behold! the place
was filled and running over with meat of
all kinds. There was a great feast and
every one was pleased, but unfortunately
the girls mother ate so much that in
the night she became very ill, and by
morning she was dead.
This is a story told to discourage
greediness.
150 ALASKAN STORIES
THE EAGLE CREST
It is well known that there is a cer
tain clan which claims the Eagle for its
crest or totem, and this is how it hap
pened.
There was once a very poor man, so
poor that he could not even get enough
to eat. He was always cruising around
in a small canoe, trying to catch a few
little fish with which to keep himself
alive. One day he caught nothing, and
as he had brought no food with him in
the boat he became very hungry.
Early in the morning, as he lay on
the shore, he heard a voice but could not
tell where it came from. The voice
said: "I have come after you." The
man looked all around him, but saw only
a young Eagle perched upon the branch
of a tree. Then the voice said quite
plainly: "My grandfather has sent me
ALASKAN STORIES 151
to get you." This time the Eagle looked
to him like a real person, and he followed
it into the woods.
The trail led to a fine large house high
up on a cliff, and inside there was plenty
of good food. There were also mats to
sit upon and all the comforts to be found
in good houses. The Eagles treated the
poor man well, and since he was wretched
and despised among his own people, he
wanted to stay with them always. He
married one of the Eagle women and
became one of them.
Now the mother and brothers of this
man were just as poor and contemptible
as he had been, and he pitied them, now
that he himself was well off. Whenever
he saw his brother out fishing, he would
leave some fish where the other could
find it. The brother was astonished at
his luck and could not account for it.
One night his mother had a dream.
152 ALASKAN STORIES
She dreamed that a large fish might be
found upon a certain point of land, and
when they went there, the fish was
where she had dreamed she saw it.
Soon afterward she dreamed that they
must camp on a certain spot, where they
would find much food. While they
camped there, they all saw an Eagle
bring a fish ashore, after which he sat
upon a branch not far from them, and
exclaimed : "Do not be afraid ; it is I !"
Such is the origin of the Eagle clan,
which is now a large one and respected
of all the people.
THE GIRL WHO MARRIED THE FIRE
SPIRIT
Many men wished to marry the chief s
pretty daughter, but she laughed at
them all. One day as she sat quite
close to the fire, a spark snapped upon
her dress and burned a tiny hole in it.
ALASKAN STORIES 153
She pointed at the fire and called it a
bad name in her anger, for it must be
admitted that the girl had a quick
temper.
That night the chief s daughter was
missing. All the people sought for her.
They searched every house in the village
and in the other villages, wherever men
lived who had proposed for her hand.
When she could not be found anywhere,
they employed the wisest medicine men.
In a far distant village there lived one
whose power was much talked about,
and when he was consulted he said to
the chief :
"Your daughter may have said some
thing to displease the Fire Spirit. Let
your fire go out, and have every one in
your village do the same ; then you may
hear something."
The chief came home and sent his
crier through the village to ask that
154 ALASKAN STORIES
every fire be allowed to go out. When
this had been done, the girl came up
between the stones of the fireplace.
The Fire Spirit had taken her to be his
wife!
After this, she was permitted to spend
a part of her time with her family, but
whenever the burning wood whistled (as
you have sometimes heard it do) she
knew that her spirit husband wanted her,
and she was obliged to go to him at once.
One day, as she was sitting in her
father s house stirring a dish of boiling
soap-berries, a young man who was in
love with her, and who was encouraged
by her mother in the hope that he might
be able to keep her always with them,
took hold of the spoon. Instantly the
fire whistled loudly, and the young wife
was terrified.
"He wants me," she murmured, as she
disappeared. They never saw her again.
ALASKAN STORIES 155
THE SHADOW WIFE
A certain young man lost his wife
when they had been married only a few
days, and he was very sorrowful. All
night he lay awake thinking about her.
The next night and the next it was the
same. In the morning they took away
her body to bury it, and he put on his
best clothes and started off.
All day he walked and all night; he
could not stop ; daylight found him still
walking. He heard voices a long way
off, and he followed them. At last he
saw light through the thick trees and
came out of the woods upon the shore
of a quiet lake. All this time he had
been walking upon the death road, the
road of spirits, but he did not know it.
On the other side of the lake he saw
people and called to them, but to his
surprise no one seemed to hear him.
156 ALASKAN STORIES
After he had grown hoarse with shouting,
he whispered to himself: "Why is it, I
wonder, that no one hears me? It is
not so far over there ! "
Immediately they heard him, and one
said: "It is a person come up from
Dreamland. Let us go and bring him
across!"
They came in a canoe and carried him
across the lake, and when he reached
the other side, the very first person he
saw was his wife! Her eyes were red,
and he saw that she had been crying for
him. What joy to see her again! He
was so happy that he could hardly bear
it. The people offered him food, but
his wife warned him not to eat, for if
he did so, she said, he could never return
to earth.
As it was, they went back together in
the canoe, which is called "Ghost s
Canoe", and started hand-in-hand down
ALASKAN STORIES 157
the long trail that led to his father s
house. They walked for a day and a
night, and when they arrived, he left
her standing outside and went to speak
to his father.
" Father," said the young man, "I
have brought my wife home!"
"Why don t you bring her in?" asked
his father.
So they arranged robes to make a
soft seat, and he went out to fetch her
and came in again, but the people saw
him alone. There was something like a
shadow that came after. Wherever the
young man went, this shadow could be
seen to follow him. The shadow wife
never spoke, at least not in the day
time, but at night her voice could be
heard plainly. The people in the house
complained that it kept them awake.
It seemed as if the two were talking and
playing together all the night long.
158 ALASKAN STORIES
There was a former lover of the girl
who grew very jealous when her husband
by his love brought her back from Ghost
Land, and one night he hid himself be
hind their bed and suddenly raised the
curtain. As he did so, there was heard
a rattling of dry bones and then silence.
In the morning the young husband lay
dead, and the spirits of both went back
to Ghost Land.
THE SELF-BURNING FIRE
One winter there was a great famine
on the Copper River. The people began
to die of hunger, first the children, then
the old people, and finally the young and
strong, until at last but eight men were left.
These eight men set out to walk to
another village where food might be
found, but they had not gone far when
one perished of cold and starvation.
They buried him and went on. Soon
ALASKAN STORIES 159
another froze to death, and a third lay
down exhausted, and so on until only
one was left.
Now this man felt wonderfully strong
and walked on rapidly, notwithstanding
he felt great sorrow at the loss of his
comrades. Late that evening, he heard
a shout ahead of him on the trail. He
followed the sound and came to a great
fire burning in the midst of snow and ice.
Then he knew that it was the fire he had
heard calling to him.
When he had warmed himself thor
oughly and was about to start on again,
he heard a crackling of bushes behind
him. He looked back, and one by one
his frozen comrades came up the trail
and warmed themselves at the fire,
followed by all the people who had starved
to death in the village. This is the Self-
Burning Fire which has mysterious power
and is worshiped by the Indians.
160 ALASKAN STORIES
THE LONG WINTER
It was almost summer time when
some boys who were playing in a boat
pulled out of the water a long piece of
drifting seaweed and put it in again on
the other side of the canoe. For this
trifling, not only the mischievous boys
were punished, but all the people in their
village.
For winter at once came on again with
fresh fury, and snow was piled so high
in front of the houses that the people
were soon in want of food. Their winter
stores were exhausted, and they would
have starved to death, had it not been
for a blue jay which one day perched on
the edge of a smoke hole with a spray of
fresh elderberries in its beak.
"Kilnaxe! Kilnaxe!" screamed the
jay. Now this was the name of a neigh
boring town. So all the people took the
ALASKAN STORIES- 161
cedar bark they had prepared to make
their summer houses of and went to
Kilnaxe, where they found it was full
summer and the berries already ripe.
Winter lingered only about their own
village.
From this story we learn that one must
not insult anything not even a piece
of seaweed.
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