Myths and legends of the Sioux

THE AUTHOR

MYTHS AND LEGENDS
OF THE SIOUX

... BY ...

MRS. MARIE L. MCLAUGHLIN

t>

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
ORIGINAL DRAWINGS

BISMARCK TRIBUNE COMPANY

BISMARCK, N. D.

1916

COPYRIGHT 1916 BY

MRS. MARIE L. MCLAUGHLIN

In loving memory of my mother,

MARY GRAHAM BUISSON,

at 'whose knee most of the stories
contained in this little volume
fwere told to me, this book is affec
tionately dedicated : : :

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Dedication 5

Foreword 7

The Forgotten Ear of Corn 1 1

The Little Mice 12

The Pet Rabbit 13

The Pet Donkey 15

The Rabbit and the Elk 18

The Rabbit and the Grouse Girls 20

The Faithful Lovers 23

The Artichoke and the Muskrat 29

The Rabbit, and the Bear with the Flint Body. . 31

- Story of the Lost Wife 34

The Raccoon and the Crawfish 37

^Legend of Standing Rock 40

0 Story of the Peace Pipe 42

A Bashful Courtship 45

v The Simpleton's Wisdom 48

9 Little Brave and the Medicine Woman 52

'The Bound Children 56

The Signs of Corn 64

Story of the Rabbits 66

» How the Rabbit Lost His Tail 68

tfUnktomi and the Arrowheads 77

tfThe Bear and the Rabbit Hunt Buffalo 80

The Brave Who Went on the Warpath Alone and

Won the Name of the Lone Warrior 86

^The Sioux Who Married the Crow Chief's

Daughter 94

The Boy and the Turtles 99

The Hermit, or the Gift of Corn 101

The Mysterious Butte 104

TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued

Page

The Wonderful Turtle 108

- The Man and the Oak 113

Story of the Two Young Friends 118

The Story of the Pet Crow 136

The "Wasna" (Pemmican Man) and the Unk-

tomi ( Spider) 142

The Resuscitation of the Only Daughter 145

The Story of the Pet Crane 151

•White Plume 156

•Story of Pretty Feathered Forehead 170

/The Four Brothers or Inyanhoksila (Stone Boy) 179
The Unktomi (Spider), Two Widows and the

Red Plums 198

FOREWORD

In publishing these "Myths of the Sioux," I deem it
proper to state that I am of one-fourth Sioux blood. My
maternal grandfather, Captain Duncan Graham, a Scotchman
by birth, who had seen service in the British Army, was one
of a party of Scotch Highlanders who in 1811 arrived in
the British Northwest by way of York Factory, Hudson Bay,
to found what was known as the Selkirk Colony, near Lake
Winnipeg, now within the province of Manitoba, Canada.
Soon after his arrival at Lake Winnipeg he proceeded up the
Red River of the North and the western fork thereof to its
source, and thence down the Minnesota River to Mendota,
the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers,
where he located. My grandmother, Ha-za-ho-ta-win, was
a full-blood of the Medawakanton Band of the Sioux Tribe
of Indians. My father, Joseph Buisson, born near Montreal,
Canada, was connected with the American Fur Company,
with headquarters at Mendota, Minnesota, which point was
for many years the chief distributing depot of the Ameri
can Fur Company, from which the Indian trade conducted
by that company on the upper Mississippi was directed.

I was born December 8, 1842, at Wabasha, Minnesota,
then Indian country, and resided thereat until fourteen years
of age, when I was sent to school at Prairie du Chien, Wis
consin.

I was married to Major James McLaughlin at Mendota,
Minnesota, January 28, 1864, and resided in Minnesota until
July 1, 1871, when I accompanied my husband to Devils Lake
Agency, North Dakota, then Dakota Territory, where I re
mained ten years in most friendly relations with the Indians
of that agency. My husband was Indian agent at Devils
Lake Agency, and in 1881 was transferred to Standing Rock,
on the Missouri River, then a very important agency, to take
charge of the Sioux who had then but recently surrendered
to the military authorities, and been brought by steamboat
from various points on the upper Missouri, to be perma
nently located on the Standing Rock reservation.

Having been born and reared in an Indian community,
I at an early age acquired a thorough knowledge of the
Sioux language, and having lived on Indian reservations for
the past forty years in a position which brought me very
near to the Indians, whose confidence I possessed, I have,

therefore, had exceptional opportunities of learning the leg
ends and folk-lore of the Sioux.

The stories contained in this little volume were told me
by the older men and women of the Sioux, of which I made
careful notes as related, knowing that, if not recorded, these
fairy tales would be lost to posterity by the passing of the
primitive Indian.

The notes of a song or a strain of music coming to us
through the night not only give us pleasure by the melody
they bring, but also give us knowledge of the character of
the singer or of the instrument from which they proceed.
There is something in the music which unerringly tells us
of its source. I believe musicians call it the "timbre" of
the sound. It is independent of, and different from, both
pitch and rhythm ; it is the texture of the music itself.

The "timbre" of a people's stories tells of the qualities
of that people's heart. It is the texture of the thought, inde
pendent of its form or fashioning, which tells the quality
of the mind from which it springs.

In the "timbre" of these stories of the Sioux, told in
the lodges and at the camp fires of the past, and by the fire
sides of the Dakotas of today, we recognize the very tex
ture of the thought of a simple, grave, and sincere people,
living in intimate contact and friendship with the big out-
of-doors that we call Nature; a race not yet understanding
all things, not proud and boastful, but honest and childlike
and fair ; a simple, sincere, and gravely thoughtful people,
willing to believe that there may be in even the everyday
things of life something not yet fully understood ; a race that
can, without any loss of native dignity, gravely consider the
simplest things, seeking to fathom their meaning and to
learn their lesson — equally without vain-glorious boasting and
trifling cynicism ; an earnest, thoughtful, dignified, but simple
and primitive people.

To the children of any race these stories can not fail to
give pleasure by their vivid imaging of the simple things
and creatures of the great out-of-doors and the epics of their
doings. They will also give an intimate insight into the
mentality of an interesting race at a most interesting stage
of development, which is now fast receding into the mists
of the past.

MARIE L. MCLAUGHLIN (Mrs. James McLaughlin).
McLaughlin, S. D., May 1, 1913.

MYTHS OF THE SIOUX

THE FORGOTTEN EAR OF CORN

An Arika*a woman was once gathering corn from
the field to store away for winter use. She passed
from stalk to stalk, tearing off the ears and dropping
them into her folded robe. When all was gathered
she started to go, when she heard a faint voice, like
a child's, weeping and calling:

"Oh, do not leave me ! Do not go away without
me."

The woman was astonished. "What child can that
be?" she asked herself. "What babe can be lost in
the cornfield ?"

She set down her robe in which she had tied up
her corn, and went back to search ; but she found
nothing.

As she started away she heard the voice again :

"Oh, do not leave me. Do not go away with
out me."

She searched for a long time. At last in one cor
ner of the field, hidden under the leaves of the stalks,
she found one little ear of corn. This it was that
had been crying, and this is why all Indian women
have since garnered their corn crop very carefully,
so that the succulent food product should not even
to the last small nubbin be neglected or wasted, and
thus displease the Great Mystery.

—11—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

THE LITTLE MICE

Once upon a time a prairie mouse busied herself
all fall storing away a cache of beans. Every morn
ing she was out early with her empty cast-off snake
skin, which she filled with ground beans and dragged
home with her teeth.

The little mouse had a cousin who was fond of
dancing and talk, but who did not like to work. She
was not careful to get her cache of beans and the
season was already well gone before she thought to
bestir herself. When she came to realize her need,
she found she had no packing bag. So she went to
her hardworking cousin and said:

''Cousin, I have no beans stored for winter and
the season is nearly gone. But I have no snake skin
to gather the beans in. Will you lend me one?

"But why have you no packing bag? Where were
you in the moon when the snakes cast off their skins ?"

"I was here."

"What were you doing?"

"I was busy talking and dancing."

"And now you are punished," said the other. "It
is always so with lazy, careless people. But I will
let you have the snake skin. And now go, and by
hard work and industry, try to recover your wasted
time."

—12 —

MYTHS .*. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

THE PET RABBIT

A little girl owned a pet rabbit which she loved
dearly. She carried it on her back like a babe, made
for it a little pair of moccasins, and at night shared
with it her own robe.

Now the little girl had a cousin who loved her
very dearly and wished to do her honor ; so her cousin
said to herself:

"I love my little cousin well and will ask her to
let me carry her pet rabbit around;" (for thus do
Indian women when they wish to honor a friend;
they ask permission to carry about the friend's babe).

She then went to the little girl and said:

"Cousin, let me carry your pet rabbit about on
my back. Thus shall I show you how I love you."

Her mother, too, said to her: "Oh no, do not let
our little grandchild go away from our tepee."

But the cousin answered: "Oh, do let me carry
it. I do so want to show my cousin honor." At last
they let her go away with the pet rabbit on her
back.

When the little girl's cousin came home to her
tepee, some rough boys who were playing about be
gan to make sport of her. To tease the little girl
they threw stones and sticks at the pet rabbit. At
last a stick struck the little rabbit upon the head and
killed it.

When her pet was brought home dead, the little
rabbit's adopted mother wept bitterly. She cut off her

—13—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

hair for mourning and all her little girl friends wailed
with her. Her mother, too, mourned with them.

"Alas!" they cried, "alas, for the little rabbit.
He was always kind and gentle. Now your child is
dead and you will be lonesome."

The little girl's mother called in her little friends
and made a great mourning feast for the little rab
bit. As he lay in the tepee his adopted mother's lit
tle friends brought many precious things and covered
his body. At the feast were given away robes and
kettles and blankets and knives and great wealth in
honor of the little rabbit. Him they wrapped in a
robe with his little moccasins on and buried him in
a high place upon a scaffold.

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX
THE PET DONKEY

There was a chief's daughter once who had a
great many relations so that everybody knew she be
longed to a great family.

When she grew up she married and there were
born to her twin sons. This caused great rejoicing
in her father's camp, and all the village women came
to see the babes. She was very happy.

As the babes grew older, their grandmother made
for them two saddle bags and brought out a donkey.

"My two grandchildren," said the old lady, "shall
ride as is becoming to children having so many re
lations. Here is this donkey. He is patient and
surefooted. He shall carry the babes in. the saddle
bags, one on either side of his back."

It happened one day that the chief's daughter and
her husband were making ready to go on a camping
journey. The father, who was quite proud of his
children, brought out his finest pony, and put the
saddle bags on the pony's back.

"There," he said, "my sons shall ride on the pony,
not on a donkey; let the donkey carry the pots and
kettles."

So his wife loaded the donkey with the house
hold things. She tied the tepee poles into two great
bundles, one on either side of the donkey's back ; across
them she put the travois net and threw into it the
pots and kettles and laid the skin tent across the don
key's back.

—15—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

THE DONKEY REFUSED TO CARRY KITCHEN
UTENSILS

—16—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

But no sooner done than the donkey began to rear
and bray and kick. He broke the tent poles and kicked
the pots and kettles into bits and tore the skin tent.
The more he was beaten the more he kicked.

At last they told the grandmother. She laughed.
"Did I not tell you the donkey was for the children,"
she cried. "He knows the babies are the chief's
children. Think you he will be dishonored with pots
and kettles?" and she fetched the children and slung
them over the donkey's back, when he became at once
quiet again.

The camping party left the village and went on
their journey. But the next day as they passed by
a place overgrown with bushes, a band of enemies
rushed out, lashing their ponies and sounding their
war whoop. All was excitement. The men bent their
bows and seized their lances. After a long battle
the enemy fled. But when the camping party came
together again — where were the donkey and the two
babes ? No one knew. For a long time they searched,
but in vain. At last they turned to go back to the
village, the father mournful, the mother wailing.
When they came to the grandmother's tepee, there
stood the good donkey with the two babes in the
saddle bags.

—17-

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

THE RABBIT AND THE ELK

The little rabbit lived with his old grandmother,

who needed a new dress. "I will go out and trap a

deer or an elk for you," he said. "Then you shall
have a new dress."

Y

RABBIT TRAPPING ELK

When he went out hunting he laid down his bow
in the path while he looked at his snares. An elk
coming by saw the bow.

"I will play a joke on the rabbit," said the elk

—18—

MYTHS.'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

to himself. "I will make him think I have been caught
in his bow string." He then put one foot on the string
and lay down as if dead.

By and by the rabbit returned. When he saw the
elk he was filled with joy and ran home crying:
"Grandmother, I have trapped a fine elk. You shall
have a new dress from his skin. Throw the old one
in the fire !"

This the old grandmother did.

The elk now sprang to his feet laughing. "Ho,
friend rabbit," he called, "You thought to trap me ;
now I have mocked you." And he ran away into the
thicket.

The rabbit who had come back to skin the elk now
ran home again. "Grandmother, don't throw your
dress in the fire," he cried. But it was too late. The
old dress was burned.

—19—

MYTHS

OF

THE

SIOUX

THE RABBIT AND THE GROUSE GIRLS

The rabbit once went out on the prairie in win
ter time. On the side of a hill away from the wind
he found a great company of girls all with grey and
speckled blankets over their backs. They were the

THE RABBIT AND THE GROUSE GIRLS

grouse girls and they were coasting down hill on
a board. When the rabbit saw them, he called out:
"Oh, maidens, that is not a good way to coast down
hill. Let me get you a fine skin with bangles on it
that tinkle as you slide." And away he ran to the
tepee and brought a skin bag. It had red stripes on

—20—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

it and bangles that tinkled. "Come and get inside,"
he said to the grouse girls. "Oh, no, we are afraid,"
they answered. "Don't be afraid, I can't hurt you.
Come, one of you," said the rabbit. Then as each
hung back he added coaxingly: "If each is afraid
alone, come all together. I can't hurt you all." And
so he coaxed the whole flock into the bag. This done,
the rabbit closed the mouth of the bag, slung it over
his back and came home. "Grandmother," said he, as
he came to the tepee, "here is a bag full of game.
Watch it while I go for willow sticks to make spits."

But as soon as the rabbit had gone out of the tent,
the grouse girls began to cry out:

"Grandmother, let us out."

"Who are you?" asked the old woman.

"Your dear grandchildren," they answered.

"But how came you in the bag?" asked the old
woman.

"Oh, our cousin was jesting with us. He coaxed
us in the bag for a joke. Please let us out."

"Certainly, dear grandchildren, I will let you out,"
said the old woman as she untied the bag: and lo,
the grouse flock with achuck-a-chuck-achuck flew up,
knocking over the old grandmother and flew out of
the square smoke opening of the winter lodge. The
old woman caught only one grouse as it flew up and
held it, grasping a leg with each hand.

When the rabbit came home with the spits she
called out to him:

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MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

"Grandson, come quick. They got out but I have
caught two."

When he saw what had happened he was quite
angry, yet could not keep from laughing.

"Grandmother, you have but one grouse," he cried,
"and it is a very skinny one at that."

—22—

MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

THE FAITHFUL LOVERS

There once lived a chief's daughter who had many
relations. All the young men in the village wanted
to have her for wife, and were all eager to fill her
skin bucket when she went to the brook for water.

There was a young mj*n in the village who was
industrious and a good hunter; but he was poor and
of a mean family. He loved the maiden and when
she went for water, he threw his robe over her head
while he whispered in her ear :

"Be my wife. I have little but I am young and
strong. I will treat you well, for I love you."

For a long time the maiden did not answer, but
one day she whispered back.

"Yes, you may ask my father's leave to marry
me. But first you must do something noble. I belong
to a great family and have many relations. You must
go on a war party and bring back the scalp of an
enemy."

The young man answered modestly, "I will try to
do as you bid me. I am only a hunter, not a warrior.
Whether I shall be brave or not I do not know. But
I will try to take a scalp for your sake."

So he made a war party of seven,, himself and
six other young men. They wandered through the
enemy's country, hoping to get a chance to strike a
blow. But none came, for they found no one of the
enemy.

—23—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

"Our medicine is unfavorable/' said their leader
at last. "We shall have to return home."

Before they started they sat down to smoke and
rest beside a beautiful lake at the foot of a green
knoll that rose from its shore. The knoll was cov
ered with green grass and somehow as they looked
at it they had a feeling that there was something
about it that was mysterious or uncanny.

But there was a young man in the party named
the Jester, for he was venturesome and full of fun.
Gazing at the knoll he said : "Let's run and jump on
its top."

"No," said the young lover, "it looks mysterious.
Sit still and finish your smoke."

"Oh, come on, who's afraid," said the Jester,
laughing. "Come on you — come on !" and springing
to his feet he ran up the side of the knoll.

Four of the young men followed. Having reached
the top of the knoll all five began to jump and stamp
about in sport, calling, "Come on, come on," to the
others. Suddenly they stopped — the knoll had be
gun to move toward the water. It was a gigantic
turtle. The five men cried out in alarm and tried to
run — too late ! Their feet by some power were held
fast to the monster's back.

"Help us — drag us away," they cried ; but the
others could do nothing. In a few moments the
waves had closed over them.

The other two men, the lover and his friend, went
on, but with heavy hearts, for they had forebodings
—24—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

of evil. After some clays, they came to a river. Worn
with fatigue the lover threw himself down on the
bank.

"I will sleep awhile," he said, "for I am wearied
and worn out."

"And I will go down to the water and see if I can
chance upon a dead fish. At this time of the year
the high water may have left one stranded on the sea
shore," said his friend.

And as he had said, he found a fish which he
cleaned, and then called to the lover.

"Come and eat the fish with me. I have cleaned
it and made a fire and it is now cooking."

"No, you eat it; let me rest," said the lover.

"Oh, come on."

"No, let me rest."

"But you are my friend. I will not eat unless
you share it with me."

"Very well," said the lover, "I will eat the fish
with you, but you must first make me a promise. If
I eat the fish, you must promise, pledge yourself, to
fetch me all the water that I can drink."

"I promise," said the other, and the two ate the
fish out of their war-kettle. For there had been but
one kettle for the party.

When they had eaten, the kettle was rinsed out
and the lover's friend brought it back full of water.
This the lover drank at a draught.

"Bring me more," he said.

—25—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

Again his friend filled the kettle at the river and
again the lover drank it dry.

"More !" he cried.

"Oh, I am tired. Cannot you go to the river and
drink your fill from the stream?" asked his friend.

"Remember your promise."

"Yes, but I am weary. Go now and drink."

"Ek-hey, I feared it would be so. Now trouble
is coming upon us," said the lover sadly. He walked
to the river, sprang in, and lying down in the water
with his head toward land, drank greedily. By and
by he called to his friend.

"Come hither, you who have been my sworn friend.
See what comes of your broken promise."

The friend came and was amazed to see that the
lover was now a fish from his feet to his middle.

Sick at heart he ran off a little way and threw him
self upon the ground in grief. By and by he returned.
The lover was now a fish to his neck.

"Cannot I cut off the part and restore you by a
sweat bath?" the friend asked.

"No, it is too late. But tell the chief's daughter
that I loved her to the last and that I die for her sake.
Take this belt and give it to her. She gave it to me
as a pledge of her love for me, and he being then
turned to a great fish, swam to the middle of the river
and there remained, only his great fin remaining above
the water.

The friend went home and told his story. There
was great mourning over the death of the five young

—26—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

men, and for the lost lover. In the river the great
fish remained, its 'fin just above the surface, and was
called by the Indians "Fish that Bars," because it
bar'd navigation. Canoes had to be portaged at great
labor around the obstruction.

The chief's daughter mourned for her lover as
for a husband, nor would she be comforted. "He was
lost for love of me, and I shall remain as his widow,"
she wailed.

In her mother's tepee she sat, with her head cov
ered with her robe, silent, working, working. "What
is my daughter doing," her mother asked. But the
maiden did not reply.

The days lengthened into moons until a year had
passed. And then the maiden arose. In her hands
were beautiful articles of clothing, enough for three
men. There were three pairs of moccasins, three pairs
of leggings, three belts, three shirts, three head
dresses with beautiful feathers, and sweet smelling to
bacco.

"Make a new canoe of bark," she said, which was
made for her.

Into the canoe she stepped and floated slowly down
the river toward the great fish.

"Come back my daughter," her mother cried in
agony. "Come back. The great fish will eat you."

She answered nothing. Her canoe came to the
place where the great fin arose and stopped, its prow
grating on the monster's back. The maiden stepped
out boldly. One by one she laid her presents on the

—27—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

fish's back, scattering the feathers and tobacco over
his broad spine.

"Oh, fish," she cried, "Oh, fish, you who were my
lover, I shall not forget you. Because you were lost
for love of me, I shall never marry. All my life I
shall remain a widow. Take these presents. And
now leave the river, and let the waters run free, so
my people may once more descend in their canoes."

She stepped into her canoe and waited. Slowly
the great fish sank, his broad fin disappeared, and
the waters of the St. Croix (Stillwater) were free.

—28—

MYTHS .*. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

THE ARTICHOKE AND THE MUSKRAT

On the shore of a lake stood an artichoke with its
green leaves waving in the sun, Very proud of itself
it was, and well satisfied with the world. In the lake
below lived a muskrat in his tepee, and in the even
ing as the sun set he would come out upon the shore

MUSKRAT AND ARTICHOKE

and wander over the bank. One evening* he came
near the place where the artichoke stood.

"Ho, friend," he said, "you seem rather proud of
yourself. Who are you?" "I am the artichoke,"
answered the other, "and I have many handsome
cousins. But who are you?"

"I am the muskrat, and I, too, belong to a large
—29—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

family. I live in the water. I don't stand all day in
one place like a stone."

"If I stand in one place all day," retorted the arti
choke, "at least I don't swim around in stagnant
water, and build my lodge in the mud."

"You are jealous of my fine fur," sneered the
muskrat. "I may build my lodge in the mud, but I
always have a clean coat. But you are half buried
in the ground, and when men dig you up, you are
never clean."

"And your fine coat always smells of musk," jeered
the artichoke.

"That is true," said the muskrat. "But men think
well of me, nevertheless. They trap me for the fine
sinew in my tail; and handsome young women bite
off my tail with their white teeth and make it into
thread."

"That's nothing," laughed the artichoke. "Hand
some young warriors, painted and splendid with feath
ers, dig me up, brush me off with their shapely hands
and eat me without even taking the trouble to wash
me off."

—30—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

THE RABBIT AND THE BEAR WITH THE
FLINT BODY

The Rabbit and his grandmother were in dire
straits, because the rabbit was out of arrows. The
fall hunt would soon be on and his quiver was all but
empty. Arrow sticks he could cut in plenty, but he
had nothing with which to make arrowheads.

"You must make some flint arrowheads," said
his grandmother. "Then you will be able to kill
game."

"Where shall I get the flint?" asked the rabbit.

"From the old bear chief," said his old grand
mother. For at that time all the flint in the world
was in the bear's body.

So the rabbit set out for the village of the Bears.
It was winter time and the lodges of the bears were
set under the shelter of a hill where the cold wind
would not blow on them and where they had shelter
among the trees and bushes.

He came at one end of the village to a hut where
lived an old woman. He pushed open the door and
entered. Everybody who came for flint always stop
ped there because it was the first lodge on the edge
of the village. Strangers were therefore not unusual
in the old woman's hut, and she welcomed the rab
bit. She gave him a seat and at night he lay with
his feet to the fire.

The next morning the rabbit went to the lodge

—31—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

of the bear chief. They sat together awhile and
smoked. At last the bear chief spoke.

"What do you want, my grandson?"

"I have come for some flint to make arrows,"
answered the rabbit.

The bear chief grunted, and laid aside his pipe.
Leaning back he pulled off his robe and, sure enough,
one half of his body was flesh and the other half hard
flint.

"Bring a stone hammer and give it to our guest,"
he bade his wife. Then as the rabbit took the ham
mer he said : "Do not strike too hard."

"Grandfather, I shall be careful," said the rab
bit. With a stroke he struck off a little flake of flint
from the bear's body.

"Ni-sko-ke-cha ? So big?" he asked.

"Harder, grandson ; strike off bigger pieces," said
the bear.

The rabbit struck a little harder.

"Ni-sko-ke-cha? So big?" he asked.

The bear grew impatient. "No, no, strike off
bigger pieces. I can't be here all day. Tanka kaksa
wo ! Break off a big piece."

The rabbit struck again — hard! "Ni-sko-ke-cha?"
he cried, as the hammer fell. But even as he spoke
the bear's body broke in two, the flesh part fell away
and only the flint part remained. Like a flash the
rabbit darted out of the hut.

There was a great outcry in the village. Open-
mouthed, all the bears gave chase. But as he ran the
—32—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

rabbit cried: "Wa-hin-han-yo (snow, snow) Ota-
po, Ota-po — lots more, lots more," and a great storm
of snow swept down from the. sky.

The rabbit, light of foot, bounded over the top of

THE FLINT BEAR AND RABBIT

the snow. The bears sunk in and floundered about
helpless. Seeing this, the rabbit turned back and killed
them one by one with his club. That is why we now
have so few bears.

—33—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

STORY OF THE LOST WIFE

A Dakota girl married a man who promised to
treat her kindly, but he did not keep his word. He
was unreasonable, fault-finding, and often beat her.
Frantic with his cruelty, she ran away. The whole
village turned out to search for her, but no trace of
the missing wife was to be found.

Meanwhile, the fleeing woman had wandered about
all that day and the next night. The next day she
met a man, who asked her who she was. She did not
know it, but he was not really a man, but the chief
of the wolves.

"Come with me," he said, and he led her to a
large village. She was amazed to see here many
wolves — gray and black, timber wolves and coyotes.
It seemed as if all the wolves in the world were there.

The wolf chief led the young woman to a great
tepee and invited her in. He asked her what she ate
for food.

"Buffalo meat," she answered.

He called two coyotes and bade them bring what
the young woman wanted. They bounded away and
soon returned with the shoulder of a fresh-killed buf
falo calf.

"How do you prepare it for eating?" asked the
wolf chief.

"By boiling," answered the young woman.

Again he called the two coyotes. Away they
bounded and soon brought into the tent a small bun-
—34—

MYTHS .*. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

die. In it were punk, flint and steel — stolen, it may
be, from some camp of men.

"How do you make the meat ready?" asked the
wolf chief.

"I cut it into slices," answered the young woman.

The coyotes were called and in a short time
fetched in a knife in its sheath. The young woman
cut up the calf's shoulder into slices and ate it.

Thus she lived for a year, all the wolves being
very kind to her. At the end of that time the wolf
chief said to her:

"Your people are going off on a buffalo hunt. To
morrow at noon they will be here. You must then
go out and meet them or they will fall on us and kill
us."

The next day at about noon the young woman
went to the top of a neighboring knoll. Coming
toward her were some young men riding on their
ponies. She stood up and held her hands so that
they could see her. They wondered who she was,
and when they were close by gazed at her closely.

"A year ago we lost a young woman; if you are
she, where have you been," they asked.

"I have been in the wolves' village. Do not harm
them," she answered.

"We will ride back and tell the people," they
said. "Tomorrow again at noon, we shall meet you."

The young woman went back to the wolf village,
and the next day went again to a neighboring knoll,
though to a different one. Soon she saw the camp
—35—

MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

coming in a long line over the prairie. First were
the warriors, then the women and tents.

The young woman's father and mother were over
joyed to see her. But when they came near her the
young woman fainted, for she could not now bear the
smell of human kind. When she came to herself she
said:

"You must go on a buffalo hunt, my father and
all the hunters. Tomorrow you must come again,
bringing with you the tongues and choice pieces of
the kill."

This he promised to do; and all the men of the
camp mounted their ponies and they had a great
hunt. The next day they returned with their ponies
laden with the buffalo meat. The young woman bade
them pile the meat in a great heap between two hills
which she pointed out to them. There was so much
meat that the tops of the two hills were bridged level
between by the meat pile. In the center of the pile
the young woman planted a pole with a red flag. She
then began to howl like a wolf, loudly.

In a moment the earth seemed covered with wolves.
They fell greedily on the meat pile and in a short time
had eaten the last scrap.

The young woman then joined her own people.

Her husband wanted her to come and live with
him again. For a long time she refused. However,
at last they became reconciled.

—36—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

THE RACCOON AND THE CRAWFISH

Sharp and cunning is the raccoon, say the Indians,
by whom he is named Spotted Face.

A crawfish one evening wandered along a river
bank, looking for something dead to feast upon. A
raccoon was also out looking for something to eat.
He spied the crawfish and formed a plan to catch him.

He lay down, on the bank and feigned to be dead.
By and by the crawfish came near by. "Ho," he
thought, "here is a feast indeed ; but is he really dead.
I will go near and pinch him with my claws and
find out."

So he went near and pinched the raccoon on the
nose and then on his soft paws. The raccoon never
moved. The crawfish then pinched him on the ribs
and tickled him so that the raccoon could hardly keep
from laughing. The crawfish at last left him. "The
raccoon is surely dead," he thought. And he hurried
back to the crawfish village and reported his find to
the chief.

All the villagers were called to go down to the
feast. The chief bade the warriors and young men
to paint their faces and dress in their gayest for
a dance.

So they marched in a long line — first the war
riors, with their weapons in hand, then the women with
their babies and children — to the place where the
raccoon lay. They formed a great circle about him
and danced, singing:

—37—

MYTHS

O F

THE

SIOUX

"We shall have a great feast
"On the spotted-faced beast, with soft smooth
paws :

"He is dead!
"He is dead!
"We shall dance !

THE RACCOON AND CRAWFISH

"We shall have a good time;

"We shall feast on his flesh."

But as they danced, the raccoon suddenly sprang
to his feet.

"Who is that you say you are going to eat? He
has a spotted face, has he ? He has soft, smooth paws,

—38—

MYTHS .*. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

has he? I'll break your ugly backs. I'll break your
rough bones. I'll crunch your ugly, rough paws."
And he rushed among the crawfish, killing them by
scores. The crawfish warriors fought bravely and
the women ran screaming, all to no purpose. They
did not feast on the raccoon ; the raccoon feasted
on them!

—39—

MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

LEGEND OF STANDING ROCK

A Dakota had married an Ankara woman, and
by her had one child. By and by he took another
wife. The first wife was jealous and pouted. When
time came for the village to break camp she refused
to move from her place on the tent floor. The tent
was taken down but she sat on the ground with her
babe on her back The rest of the camp with her hus
band went on.

At noon her husband halted the line. "Go back
to your sister-in-law," he said to his two brothers.
"Tell her to come on and we will await you here.
But hasten, for I fear she may grow desperate and
kill herself."

The two rode off and arrived at their former
camping place in the evening. The woman still sat
on the ground. The elder spoke :

"Sister-in-law, get up. We have come for you.
The camp awaits you."

She did not answer, and he put out his hand and
touched her head. She had turned to stone !

The two brothers lashed their ponies and came
back to camp. They told their story, but were not
believed. "The woman has killed herself and my
brothers will not tell me," said the husband. How
ever, the whole village broke camp and came back
to the place where they had left the woman. Sure
enough, she sat there still, a block of stone.

The Indians were greatly excited. They chose out

MYTHS .'. OF .*. THE .'. SIOUX

a handsome pony, made a new travois and placed the
stone in the carrying net. Pony and travois were both
beautifully painted and decorated with streamers and
colors. The stone was thought "wakan" (holy), and
was given a place of honor in the center of the camp.
Whenever the camp moved the stone and travois were
taken along. Thus the stone woman was carried for
years, and finally brought to Standing Rock Agency,
and now rests upon a brick pedestal in front of the
Agency office. From this stone Standing Rock
Agency derives its name.

—41—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE /. SIOUX

STORY OF THE PEACE PIPE

Two young men were out strolling one night talk
ing of love affairs. They passed around a hill and
came to a little ravine or coulee. Suddenly they saw
coming up from the ravine a beautiful woman. She
was painted and her dress was of the very finest
material.

"What a beautiful girl !" said one of the young
men. "Already I love her. I will steal her and make
her my wife."

"No," said the other. "Don't harm her. She may
be holy."

The young woman approached and held out a pipe
which she first offered to the sky, then to the earth
and then advanced, holding it out in her extended
hands.

"I know what you young men have been saying;
one of you is good ; the other is wicked," she said.

She laid down the pipe on the ground and at once
became a buffalo cow. The cow pawed the ground,
stuck her tail straight out behind her and then lifted
the pipe from the ground again in her hoofs; imme
diately she became a young woman again.

"I am come to give you this gift," she said. "It
is the peace pipe. Hereafter all treaties and cere
monies shall be performed after smoking it. It shall
bring peaceful thoughts into your minds. You shall
offer it to the Great Mystery and to mother earth.

The two young men ran to the village and told
—42—

MYTHS

O F

THE

SIOUX

THE MAIDEN WHO GAVE THE PIPE OF PEACE TO
THE SIOUX NATION, AND WHEN SHE DEPART
ED SHE TURNED INTO A GRAY COW

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

what they had seen and heard. All the village came
out where the young woman was.

She repeated to them what she had already told
the young men and added :

"When you set free the ghost (the spirit of de
ceased persons) you must have a white buffalo cow
skin."

She gave the pipe to the medicine men of the vil
lage, turned again to a buffalo cow and fled away to
the land of buffaloes.

—44—

MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

A BASHFUL COURTSHIP

A young man lived with his grandmother. He was
a good hunter and wished to marry. He knew a girl
who was a good moccasin maker, but she belonged
to a great family. He wondered how he could win
her.

One day she passed the tent on her way to get
water at the river. His grandmother was at work
in the tepee with a pair of old worn-out sloppy moc
casins. The young man sprang to his feet. "Quick,
grandmother — let me have those old sloppy moccasins
you have on your feet !" he cried.

"My old moccasins, what do you want of them?"
cried the astonished woman.

"Never mind! Quick! I can't stop to talk," an
swered the grandson as he caught up the old moc
casins the old lady had doffed, and put them on. He
threw a robe over his shoulders, slipped through the
door, and hastened to the watering place. The girl
had just arrived with her bucket.

"Let me fill your bucket for you," said the young
man.

"Oh, no, I can do it."

"Oh, let me, I can go in the mud. You surely
don't want to soil your moccasins," and taking the
bucket he slipped in the mud, taking care to push his
sloppy old moccasins out so the girl could see them.
She giggled outright.

"My, what old moccasins you have," she cried.

MYTHS

O F

THE

SIOUX

THE YOUNG MAN WITH THE SLOPPY MOCCASINS

WON THE HEART OF THE BELLE OF THE

VILLAGE

—46—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .*. SIOUX

"Yes, I have nobody to make me a new pair," he
answered.

"Why don't you get your grandmother to make
you a new pair?"

"She's old and blind and can't make them any
longer. That's why I want you" he answered.

"Oh, you're fooling me. You aren't speaking the
truth."

"Yes, I am. If you don't believe — come with me
now!"

The girl looked down; so did the youth. At last
he said softly:

"Well, which is it? Shall I take up your bucket,
or will you go with me?"

And she answered, still more softly: "I guess I'll
go with you!"

The girl's aunt came down to the river, wonder
ing what kept her niece so long. In the mud she
found two pairs of moccasin tracks close together;
at the edge of the water stood an empty keg.

—47—

MYTHS .*. OF .*. THE .'. SIOUX

THE SIMPLETON'S WISDOM

There was a man and his wife who had one daugh
ter. Mother and daughter were deeply attached to
one another, and when the latter died the mother was
disconsolate. She cut off her hair, cut gashes in her
cheeks and sat before the corpse with her robe drawn
over her head, mourning for her dead. Nor would
she let them touch the body to take it to a burying
scaffold. She had a knife in her hand, and if anyone
offered to come near the body the mother would wail :

"I am weary of life. I do not care to live. I
will stab myself with this knife and join my daughter
in the land of spirits."

Her husband and relatives tried to get the knife
from her, but could not. They feared to use force
lest she kill herself. They came together to see what
they could do.

"We must get the knife away from her," they said.

At last they called a boy, a kind of simpleton, yet
with a good deal of natural shrewdness. He was an
orphan and very poor. His moccasins were out at
the sole and he was dressed in wei-zi (coarse buffalo
skin, smoked).

"Go to the tepee of the mourning mother," they
told the simpleton, "and in some way contrive to make
her laugh and forget her grief. Then try to get the
knife away from her."

The boy went to the tent and sat down at the door
as if waiting to be given something. The corpse lay

—48—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

in the place of honor where the dead girl had slept
in life. The body was wrapped in a rich robe and
wrapped about with ropes. Friends had covered it
with rich offerings out of respect to the dead.

As the mother sat on the ground with her head
covered she did not at first see the boy, who sat silent.
But when his reserve had worn away a little he be
gan at first lightly, then more heavily, to drum on
the floor with his hands. After a while he began to
sing a comic song. Louder and louder he sang
until carried away with his own singing he sprang
up and began to dance, at the same time gesturing and
making all manner of contortions with his body, still
singing the comic song. As he approached the corpse
he waved his hands over it in blessing. The mother
put her head out of the blanket and when she saw
the poor simpleton with his strange grimaces trying
to do honor to the corpse by his solemn waving, and
at the same time keeping up his comic song, she burst
out laughing. Then she reached over and handed
her knife to the simpleton.

"Take this knife," she said. "You have taught
me to forget my grief. If while I mourn for the
dead I can still be mirthful, there is no reason for
me to despair. I no longer care to die. I will live
for my husband."

The simpleton left the tepee and brought the knife
to the astonished husband and relatives.

"How did you get it? Did you force it away
from her, or did you steal it?" they said.

MYTHS

O F

THE

SIOUX

THE SIMPLE BOY DRIVES SORROW AWAY FROM
THE MOURNER

—50—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

"She gave it to me. How could I force it from her
or steal it when she held it in her hand, blade upper
most? I sang and danced for her and she burst out
laughing. Then she gave it to me," he answered.

When the old men of the village heard the or
phan's story they were very silent. It was a strange
thing for a lad to dance in a tepee where there was
mourning. It was stranger that a mother should
laugh in a tepee before the corpse of her dead daugh
ter. The old men gathered at last in a council. They
sat a long time without saying anything, for they
did not want to decide hastily. The pipe was filled
and passed many times. At last an old man spoke.

"We have a hard question. A mother has laughed
before the corpse of her daughter, and many think
she has done foolishly, but I think the woman did
wisely. The lad was simple and of no training, and
we cannot expect him to know how to do as well as
one with good home and parents to teach him. Be
sides, he did the best that he knew. He danced to
make the mother forget her grief, and he tried to
honor the corpse by waving over it his hands."

"The mother did right to laugh, for when one does
try to do us good, even if what he does causes us
discomfort, we should always remember rather the
motive than the deed. And besides, the simpleton's
dancing saved the woman's life, for she gave up her
knife. In this, too, she did well, for it is always bet
ter to live for the living than to die for the dead."

—51-

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

A LITTLE BRAVE AND THE MEDICINE
WOMAN

A village of Indians moved out of winter camp
and pitched their tents in a circle on high land over
looking a lake. A little way down the declivity was
a grave. Choke cherries had grown up, hiding the
grave from view. But as the ground had sunk some
what, the grave was marked by a slight hollow.

One of the villagers going out to hunt took a
short cut through the choke cherry bushes. As he
pushed them aside he saw the hollow grave, but
thought it was a washout made by the rains. But
as he essayed to step over it, to his great surprise he
stumbled and fell. Made curious by his mishap, he
drew back and tried again; but again he fell. When
he came back to the village he told the old men what
had happened to him. They remembered then that
a long time before there had been buried there a medi
cine woman or conjurer. Doubtless it was her medi
cine that made him stumble.

The story of the villager's adventure spread thru
the camp and made many curious to see the grave.
Among others were six little boys who were, how
ever, rather timid, for they were in great awe of the
dead medicine woman. But they had a little play
mate named Brave, a mischievous little rogue, whose
hair was always unkempt and tossed about and who
was never quiet for a moment.
—52—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

"Let us ask Brave to go with us," they said; and
they went in a body to see him.

"All right/' said Brave ; "I will go with you. But
I have something to do first. You go on around the
hill that way, and I will hasten around this way, and
meet you a little later near the grave."

So the six little boys went on as bidden until they
came to a place near the grave. There they halted.

"Where is Brave?" they asked.

Now Brave, full of mischief, had thought to play
a jest on his little friends. As soon as they were well
out of sight he had sped around the hill to the shore
of the lake and sticking his hands in the mud had
rubbed it over his face, plastered it in his hair, and
soiled his hands until he looked like a new risen corpse
with the flesh rotting from his bones. He then went
and lay down in the grave and awaited the boys.

When the six little boys came they were more tim
id than ever when they did not find Brave; but they
feared to go back to the village without seeing the
grave, for fear the old men would call them cowards.

So they slowly approached the grave and one of
them timidly called out :

"Please, grandmother, we won't disturb your
grave. We only want to see where you lie. Don't
be angry."

At once a thin quavering voice, like an old
woman's, called out:

"Han, ban, takoja, hechetuya, hechetuya ! Yes,
yes, that's right, that's right."

—53—

MYTHS

O F

THE

SIOUX

(IS

THE LITTLE BRAVE WHO VISITED THE GRAVE OF

A MEDICINE WOMAN, WITH SEVERAL

OTHER BOYS

—54—

MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

The boys were frightened out of their senses, be
lieving the old woman had come to life.

"Oh, grandmother," they gasped, "don't hurt us ;
please don't, we'll go."

Just then Brave raised his muddy face and hands
up thru the choke cherry bushes. With the oozy
mud dripping from his features he looked like some
very witch just raised from the grave. The boys
screamed outright. One fainted. The rest ran yell
ing up the hill to the village, where each broke at
once for his mother's tepee.

As all the tents in a Dakota camping circle face
the center, the boys as they came tearing into camp
were in plain view from the tepees. Hearing the
screaming, every woman in camp ran to her tepee
door to see what had happened. Just then little
Brave, as badly scared as the rest, came rushing in
after them, his hair on end and covered with mud and
crying out, all forgetful of his appearance :

"It's me, it's me !"

The women yelped and bolted in terror from the
village. Brave dashed into his mother's tepee, scaring
her out of her wits. Dropping pots and kettles, she
tumbled out of the tent to run screaming- with the
rest. Nor would a single villager come near poor
little Brave until he had gone down to the lake and
washed himself.

—55—

MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .*. SIOUX

THE BOUND CHILDREN

There once lived a widow with two children —
the elder a daughter and the younger a son. The
widow went in mourning for her husband a longtime.
She cut off her hair, let her dress lie untidy on her
body and kept her face unpainted and unwashed.

There lived in the same village a great chief. He
had one son just come old enough to marry. The
chief had it known that he wished his son to take a
wife, and all of the young women in the village were
eager to marry the young man. However, he was
pleased with none of them.

Now the widow thought, "I am tired of mourn
ing for my husband and caring for my children.
Perhaps if I lay aside my mourning and paint my
self red, the chief's son may marry me/'

So she slipped away from her two children, stole
down to the river and made a bathing place thru
the ice. When she had washed away all signs of mourn
ing, she painted and decked herself and went to the
chief's tepee. When his son saw her, he loved her,
and a feast was made in honor of her wedding.

When the widow's daughter found herself for
saken, she wept bitterly. After a clay or two she
took her little brother in her arms and went to the
tepee of an old woman who lived at one end of the
village. The old woman's tumble down tepee was
of bark and her dress and clothing was of old smoke-

—56—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

dried tent cover. But she was kind to the two waifs
and took them in willingly.

The little girl was eager to find her mother. The
old woman said to her : "I suspect your mother has
painted her face red. Do not try to find her. If the
chief's son marries her she will not want to be bur
dened with you."

The old woman was right. The girl went down
to the river, and sure enough found a hole cut in
the ice and about it lay the filth that the mother had
washed from her body. The girl gathered up the
filth and went on. By and by she came to a second
hole in the ice. Here too was filth, but not so much
as at the previous place. At the third hole the ice
was clean.

The girl knew now that her mother had painted
her face red. She went at once to the chief's tepee,
raised the door flap and went in. There sat her
mother with the chief's son at their wedding feast.

The girl walked up to her mother and hurled the
filth in her mother's face.

"There," she cried, "you who forsake your helpless
children and forget your husband, take that!"

And at once her mother became a hideous old
woman.

The girl then went back to the lodge of the old
woman, leaving the camp in an uproar. The chief
soon sent some young warriors to seize the girl and
her brother, and they were brought to his tent. He
was furious with anger.

—57—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

"Let the children be bound with lariats wrapped
about their bodies and let them be left to starve. Our
camp will move on," he said. The chief's son did
not put away his wife, hoping she might be cured in
some way and grow young again.

Everybody in camp now got ready to move; but
the old woman came close to the girl and said :

"In my old tepee I have dug a hole and buried
a pot with punk and steel and flint and packs of
dried meat. They will tie you up like a corpse. But
before we go I will come with a knife and pretend
to stab you, but I will really cut the rope that binds
you so that you can unwind it from your body as
soon as the camp is out of sight and hearing."

And so, before the camp started, the old woman
came to the place where the two children were bound.
She had in her hand a knife bound to the end of a
stick which she used as a lance. She stood over the
children and cried aloud :

"You wicked girl, who have shamed your own
mother, you deserve all the punishment that is given
you. But after all I do not want to let you lie and
starve. Far better kill you at once and have done
with it!" and with her stick she stabbed many times,
as if to kill, but she was really cutting the rope.

The camp moved on; but the children lay on the
ground until noon the next day. Then they began to
squirm about. Soon the girl was free, and she then
set loose her little brother. They went at once to

—58—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

THE BOUND CHILDREN RELEASED BY AN OLD
WOMAN

—59—

MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

the old woman's hut where they found the flint and
steel and the packs of dried meat.

The girl made her brother a bow and arrows and
with these he killed birds and other small game.

The boy grew up a great hunter. They became
rich. They built three great tepees, in one of which
were stored rows upon rows of parfleche bags of
dried meat.

One day as the brother went out to hunt, he met
a handsome young stranger who greeted him and
said to him:

"I know you are a good hunter, for I have been
watching you ; your sister, too, is industrious. Let me
have her for a wife. Then you and I will be brothers
and hunt together."

The girl's brother went home and told her what
the young stranger had said.

"Brother, I do not care to marry/' she answered.
"I am now happy with you."

"But you will be yet happier married," he an
swered, "and the young stranger is of no mean fam
ily, as one can see by his dress and manners."

"Very well, I will do as you wish," she said. So
the stranger came into the tepee and was the girl's
husband.

One day as they were in their tent, a crow flew
overhead, calling out loudly,

"Kaw, Kaw,

They who forsook the children have no meat."

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

The girl and her husband and brother looked up
at one another.

"What can it mean?" they asked. "Let us send
for Unktomi (the spider). He is a good judge and
he will know."

"And I will get ready a good dinner for him,
for Unktomi is always hungry," added the young
wife.

When Unktomi came, his yellow mouth opened
with delight at the fine feast spread for him. After
he had eaten he was told what the crow had said.

"The crow means," said Unktomi, "that the
villagers and chief who bound and deserted you are
in sad plight. They have hardly anything to eat and
are starving."

When the girl heard this she made a bundle of
choicest meat and called the crow.

"Take this to the starving villagers," she bade
him.

He took the bundle in his beak, flew away to the
starving village and dropped the bundle before the
chiefs tepee. The chief came out and the crow called
loudly :

"Kaw, Kaw !

The children who were forsaken have much
meat; those -who forsook them have none."

"What can he mean," cried the astonished villag
ers.

"Let us send for Unktomi," said one, "he is a
great judge; he will tell us."
—61—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

They divided the bundle of meat among the starv
ing people, saving the biggest piece for Unktomi.

When Unktomi had come and eaten, the villagers
told him of the crow and asked what the bird's words
meant.

"He means," said Unktomi, "that the two children
whom you forsook have tepees full of dried meat
enough for all the village/'

The villagers were filled with astonishment at this
news. To find whether or not it was true, the chief
called seven young men and sent them out to see. They
came to the three tepees and there met the girl's
brother and husband just, going out to hunt (which
they did now only for sport).

The girl's brother invited the seven young men
into the third or sacred lodge, and after they had
smoked a pipe and knocked out the ashes on a buf
falo bone the brother gave them meat to eat, which
the seven devoured greedily. The next day he loaded
all seven with packs of meat, saying:

"Take this meat to the villagers and lead them
hither."

While they awaited the return of the young men
with the villagers, the girl made two bundles of meat,
one of the best and choicest pieces, and the other of
liver, very dry and hard to eat. After a few days
the camp arrived. The young woman's mother open
ed the door and ran in crying: "Oh, my dear daugh
ter, how glad I am to see you." But the daughter
received her coldly and gave her the bundle of dried
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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

liver to eat. But when the old woman who had saved
the children's lives came in, the young girl received
her gladly, called her grandmother, and gave her the
package of choice meat with marrow.

Then the whole village camped and ate of the
stores of meat all the winter until spring came; and
withal they were so many, there was such abundance
of stores that there was still much left.

—63—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

THE SIGNS OF CORN

When corn is to be planted by the Indians, it is
the work of the women folk to see to the sorting- and
cleaning of the best seed. It is also the women's
work to see to the planting. (This was in olden
times.)

After the best seed has been selected, the planter
measures the corn, lays down a layer of hay, then
a layer of corn. Over this corn they sprinkle warm
water and cover it with another layer of hay, then
bind hay about the bundle and hang it up in a spot
where the warm rays of the sun can strike it.

While the corn is hanging in the sun, the ground
is being prepared to receive it. Having finished the
task of preparing the ground, the woman takes down
her seed corn which has by this time sprouted. Then
she proceeds to plant the corn.

Before she plants the first hill, she extends her
hoe heavenwards and asks the Great Spirit to bless
her work, that she may have a good yield. After
her prayer she takes four kernels and plants one at
the north, one at the south, one at the east and one
at the west sides of the first hill. This is asking the
Great Spirit to give summer rain and sunshine to
bring forth a good crop.

For different growths of the corn, the women
have an interpretation as to the character of the one
who planted it.

ist. Where the corn grows in straight rows and

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

the cob is full of kernels to the end, this signifies
that the planter of this corn is of an exemplary char
acter, and is very truthful and thoughtful.

2nd. If the rows on the ears of corn are irregu
lar and broken, the planter is considered careless and
unthoughtful. Also disorderly and slovenly about her
house and person.

3rd. When an ear of corn bears a few scatter-
ing kernels with spaces producing no corn, it is said
that is a good sign that the planter will live to a ripe
old age. So old will they be that like the corn, their
teeth will be few and far between.

4th. When a stalk bears a great many nubbins,
or small ears growing around the large one, it is a
sign that the planter is from a large and respectable
family.

After the corn is gathered, it is boiled into sweet
corn and made into hominy; parched and mixed with
buffalo tallow and rolled into round balls, and used
at feasts, or carried by the warriors on the warpath
as food.

When there has been a good crop of corn, an ear
is always tied at the top of the medicine pole, of
the sun dance, in thanks to the Great Spirit for his
goodness to them in sending a bountiful crop.

—65—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

STORY OF THE RABBITS

The Rabbit nation were very much depressed in
spirits on account of being run over by all other
nations. They, being very obedient to their chief,
obeyed all his orders to the letter. One of his orders
was, that upon the approach of any other nation that
they should follow the example of their chief and run
up among the rocks and down into their burrows, and
not show themselves until the strangers had passed.

This they always did. Even the chirp of a little
cricket would send them all scampering to their dens.

One day they held a great council, and after talk
ing over everything for some time, finally left it
to their medicine man to decide. The medicine man
arose and said:

V "My friends, we are of no use on this earth.

There isn't a nation on earth that fears us, and we are
so timid that we cannot defend ourselves, so the best
thing for us to do is to rid the earth of our nation,
by all going over to the big lake and drowning our
selves."

This they decided to do; so going to the lake
they were about to jump in, when they heard a splash
ing in the water. Looking, they saw a lot of frogs
jumping into the lake.

"We will not drown ourselves," said the medi
cine man, "we have found a nation who are afraid
of us. It is the frog nation." Had it not been for
the frogs we would have had no rabbits, as the whole

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MYTHS

O F

THE

SIOUX

nation would have drowned themselves and the rab
bit race would have been extinct.

THE RABBIT NATION, DISCOVERING THE FROG

NATION TO BE MORE TIMID THAN THEY

WERE, CONCLUDED NOT TO DROWN

THEMSELVES

—67—

MYTHS /. OF .'. THE /. SIOUX
HOW THE RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL

Once upon a time there were two brothers, one a
great Genie and the other a rabbit. Like all genie,
the older could change himself into any kind of an
animal, bird, fish, cloud, thunder and lightning, or in
fact anything that he desired.

The younger brother (the rabbit) was very mis
chievous and was continually getting into all kinds
of trouble. His older brother was kept busy getting
Rabbit out of all kinds of scrapes.

When Rabbit had attained his full growth he want
ed to travel around and see something of the world.
When he told his brother what he intended to do, the
brother said: "Now, Rabbit, you are Witkotko (mis
chievous), so be very careful, and keep out of trouble
as much as possible. In case you get into any seri
ous trouble, and can't get out by yourself, just call
on me for assistance, and no matter where you are, I
will come to you."

Rabbit started out and the first day he came to a
very high house, outside of which stood a very high
pine tree. So high was the tree that Rabbit could
hardly see the top. Outside the door, on an enormous
stool, sat a very large giant fast asleep. Rabbit (hav
ing his bow and arrows with him) strung up his
bow, and, taking an arrow from his quiver, said:

"I want to see how big this man is, so I guess I
will wake him up." So saying he moved over to one
side and took good aim, and shot the giant upon the

MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

nose. This stung like fire and awoke the giant, who
jumped up, crying: "Who had the audacity to shoot
me on the nose?" "I did," said Rabbit.

The giant, hearing a voice, looked all around, but
saw nothing, until he looked down at the corner of the
house, and there sat a rabbit.

"I had hiccoughs this morning and thought that
I was going to have a good big meal, and here is
nothing but a toothful."

"I guess you won't make a toothful of me," said
Rabbit, "I am as strong as you, though I am lit
tle." "We will see," said the giant. He went into
the house and came out, bringing a hammer that
weighed many tons.

"Now, Mr. Rabbit, we will see who can throw
this hammer over the top of that tree." "Get some
thing harder to do," said Rabbit.

"Well, we will try this first," said the giant. With
that he grasped the hammer in both hands, swung
it three times around his head and sent it spinning
thru the air. Up, up, it went, skimming the top of the
tree, and came down, shaking the ground and bury
ing itself deep into the earth.

"Now," said the giant, "if you don't accomplish
this same feat, I am going to swallow you at one
mouthful." Rabbit said, "I always sing to my brother
before I attempt things like this." So he commenced
singing and calling his brother. "Cinye! Cinye!"
(brother, brother) he sang. The giant grew nervous,
and said: "Boy, why do you call your brother?"

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MYTHS .*. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

Pointing to a small black cloud that was approach
ing very swiftly, Rabbit said: "That is my brother;
he can destroy you, your house, and pine tree in
one breath."

"Stop him and you can go free," said the giant.
Rabbit waved his paws and the cloud disappeared.

From this place Rabbit continued on his trip to
wards the west. The next day, while passing thru
a deep forest, he thought he heard some one moan
ing, as though in pain. He stopped and listened;
soon the wind blew and the moaning grew louder.
Following the direction from whence came the sound,
he soon discovered a man stripped of his cloth
ing, and caught between two limbs of a tall elm tree.
When the wind blew the limbs would rub together
and squeeze the man, who would give forth the mourn
ful groans.

"My, you have a fine place up there. Let us
change. You can come down and I will take your
place." (Now this man had been placed up there for
punishment, by Rabbit's brother, and he could not
get down unless some one came along and proposed
to take his place on the tree). "Very well," said
the man. "Take off your clothes and come up. I
will fasten you in the limbs and you can have all the
fun you want."

Rabbit disrobed and climbed up. The man placed
him between the limbs and slid down the tree. He
hurriedly got into Rabbit's clothes, and just as he
had completed his toilet, the wind blew very hard.

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MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

Rabbit was nearly crazy with pain, and screamed and
cried. Then he began to cry "Cinye, Cinye" (brother,
brother). "Call your brother as much as you like,
he can never find me." So saying the man disap
peared in the forest.

Scarcely had he disappeared, when the brother ar
rived, and seeing Rabbit in the tree, said: "Which
way did he go?" Rabbit pointed the direction taken
by the man. The brother flew over the top of the
trees, soon found the man and brought him back,
making him take his old place between the limbs, and
causing a heavy wind to blow and continue all after
noon and night, for punishment to the man for hav
ing placed his brother up there.

After Rabbit got his clothes back on, his brother
gave him a good scolding, and wound up by saying:
'T want you to be more careful in the future. I have
plenty of work to keep me as busy as I want to be,
and I can't be stopping every little while to be mak
ing trips to get you out of some foolish scrape. It
was only yesterday that I came five hundred miles to
help you from the giant, and today I have had to
come a thousand miles, so be more careful from
this on."

Several clays after this the Rabbit was traveling
along the banks of a small river, when he came to a
small clearing in the woods, and in the center of the
clearing stood a nice little log hut. Rabbit was won
dering who could be living here when the door slow
ly opened and an old man appeared in the doorway,

ry-1

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

bearing a tripe water pail in his right hand. In his
left hand he held a string which was fastened to the
inside of the house. He kept hold of the string and
came slowly down to the river. When he got to
the water he stooped down and dipped the pail into
it and returned to the house, still holding the string
for guidance.

HOW THE RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL

Soon he reappeared holding on to another string,
and, following this one, went to a large pile of wood
and returned to the house with it. Rabbit wanted to
see if the old man would come out again, but he
came out no more. Seeing smoke ascending from
the mud chimney, he thought he would go over and
see what the old man was doing. He knocked at

—72—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

the door, and a weak voice bade him enter. He no
ticed that the old man was cooking dinner.

"Hello Tunkasina (grandfather), you must have
a nice time, living here alone. I see that you have
everything handy. You can get wood and water, and
that is all you have to do. How do you get your pro
visions ?"

"The wolves bring my meat, the mice my rice and
ground beans, and the birds bring me the cherry leaves
for my tea. Yet it is a hard life, as I am all alone
most of the time and have no one to talk to, and be
sides, I am blind."

"Say, grandfather," said Rabbit, "let us change
places. I think I would like to live here."

"If we exchange clothes," said the other, "you will
become old and blind, while I will assume your youth
and good looks." (Now, this old man was placed
here for punishment by Rabbit's brother. He had
killed his wife, so the genie made him old and blind,
and he would remain so until some one came who
would exchange places with him).

"I don't care for youth and good looks," said Rab
bit, "let us make the change."

They changed clothes, and Rabbit became old and
blind, whilst the old man became young and hand
some.

"Well, I must go," said the man. He went out
and cutting the strings close to the door, ran off
laughing. "You will get enough of your living alone,
—73—

MYTHS .'. OF .*. THE .'. SIOUX

you crazy boy," and saying this he ran into the
woods.

Rabbit thought he would like to get some fresh
water and try the string paths so that he would get
accustomed to it. He bumped around the room and
finally found the tripe water bucket. He took hold of
the string and started out. When he had gotten
a short distance from the door he came to the end of
the string so suddenly, that he lost the end which
he had in his hand, and he wandered about, bumping
against the trees, and tangling himself up in plum
bushes and thorns, scratching his face and hands so
badly that the blood ran from them. Then it was
that he commenced again to cry, "Cinye ! Cinye !"
(brother, brother). Soon his brother arrived, and
asked which way the old man had gone.

"I don't know," said Rabbit, "I couldn't see which
path he took, as I was blind."

The genie called the birds, and they came flying
from every direction. As fast as they arrived the
brother asked them if they had seen the man whom
he had placed here for punishment, but none had seen
him. The owl came last, and when asked if he had
seen the man, he said "hoo-hoo." "The man who
lived here," said the brother. "Last night I was
hunting mice in the woods south of here and I saw
a man sleeping beneath a plum tree. I thought it was
your brother, Rabbit, so I didn't awaken him," said
the owl.

"Good for you, owl," said the brother, "for this

—74—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

good news, you shall hereafter roam around only at
night, and I will fix your eyes, so the darker the night
the better you will be able to see. You will always
have the fine cool nights to hunt your food. You other
birds can hunt your food during the hot daylight."
(Since then the owl has been the night bird).

The brother flew to the woods and brought the
man back and cut the strings short, and said to him:
"Now you can get a taste of what you gave my

brother."
j
To Rabbit he said: "I ought not to have helped

you this time. Any one who is so crazy as to change
places with a blind man should be left without help,
so be careful, as I am getting tired of your foolish
ness, and will not help you again if you do anything
as foolish as you did this time."

Rabbit started to return to his home. When he
had nearly completed his journey he came to a little
creek, and being thirsty took a good long drink.
While he was drinking he heard a noise as though
a wolf or cat was scratching the earth. Looking up
to a hill which overhung the creek, he saw four
wolves, with their tails intertwined, pulling with all
their might. As Rabbit came up to them one pulled
loose, and Rabbit saw that his tail was broken.

"Let me pull tails with you. My tail is long and
strong," said Rabbit, and the wolves assenting, Rab
bit interlocked his long tail with those of the three
wolves and commenced pulling and the wolves pulled
—75—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

so hard that they pulled Rabbit's tail off at the sec
ond joint. The wolves disappeared.

"Cinye! Cinye! (Brother, brother.) I have lost
my tail," cried Rabbit. The genie came and seeing
his brother Rabbit's tail missing, said: "You look
better without a tail anyway."

From that time on rabbits have had no tails.

—76—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

UNKTOMI AND THE ARROWHEADS

There were once upon a time two young men who
were very great friends, and were constantly together.
One was a very thoughtful young man, the other
very impulsive, who never stopped to think before he
committed an act.

One day these two friends were walking along,
telling each other of their experiences in love mak
ing. They ascended a high hill, and on reaching the
top, heard a ticking noise as if small stones or peb
bles were being struck together.

Looking around they discovered a large spider
sitting in the midst of a great many flint arrowheads.
The spider was busily engaged making the flint rocks
into arrow heads. They looked at the spider, but
he never moved, but continued hammering away on
a piece of flint which he had nearly completed into
another arrowhead.

"Let's hit him/' said the thoughtless one. "No,"
said the other, "he is not harming any one; in fact,
he is doing a great good, as he is making the flint
arrowheads which we use to point our arrows."

"Oh, you are afraid," said the first young man.
"He can't harm you. Just watch me hit him." So
saying, he picked up an arrowhead and throwing it
at "Unktomi," hit him on the side. As Unktomi
rolled over on his side, got up and stood looking at
them, the young man laughed and said: "Well, let
us be going, as your grandfather, "Unktomi," doesn't
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MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

seem to like our company." They started down the
hill, when suddenly the one who had hit Unktomi
took a severe fit of coughing. He coughed and
coughed, and finally small particles of blood came
from his mouth. The blood kept coming thicker
and in great gushes. Finally it came so thick and fast
that the man could not get his breath and fell upon the
ground dead.

The thoughtful young man, seeing that his friend
was no more, hurried to the village and reported what
had happened. The relatives and friends hurried to
the hill, and sure enough, there lay the thoughtless
young man still and cold in death. They held a
council and sent for the chief of the Unktomi tribe.
When he heard what had happened, he told the coun
cil that he could do nothing to his Unktomi, as it had
only defended itself.

Said he: "My friends, seeing that your tribe was
running short of arrowheads, I set a great many of
my tribe to work making flint arrowheads for you.
When my men are thus engaged they do not wish
to be disturbed, and your young man not only dis
turbed my man, but grossly insulted him by striking
him with one of the arrowheads which he had worked
so hard to make. My man could not sit and take
this insult, so as the young man walked away the
Unktomi shot him with a very tiny arrowhead. This
produced a hemorrhage, which caused his death. So
now, my friends, if you will fill and pass the peace
pipe, we will part good friends and my tribe shall
—78—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

always furnish you with plenty of flint arrowheads."
So saying, Unktomi Tanka finished his peace smoke
and returned to his tribe.

Ever after that, when the Indians heard a tick
ing in the grass, they would go out of their way to
get around the sound, saying, Unktomi is making
arrowheads; we must not disturb him.

Thus it was that Unktomi Tanka (Big Spider)
had the respect of this tribe, and was never after
disturbed in his work of making arrowheads.

-79—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

THE BEAR AND THE RABBIT HUNT
BUFFALO

Once upon a time there lived as neighbors, a bear
and a rabbit. The rabbit was a good shot, and the
bear being very clumsy could not use the arrow to
good advantage. The bear was very unkind to the
rabbit. Every morning, the bear would call over
to the rabbit and say: "Take your bow and arrows
and come with me to the other side of the hill. A
large herd of buffalo are grazing there, and I want
you to shoot some of them for me, as my children
are crying for meat."

The rabbit, fearing to arouse the bear's anger by
refusing, consented, and went with the bear, and shot
enough buffalo to satisfy the hungry family. In
deed, he shot and killed so many that there was lots
of meat left after the bear and his family had loaded
themselves, and packed all they could carry home.
The bear being very gluttonous, and not wanting the
rabbit to get any of the meat, said: "Rabbit, you
come along home with us and we will return and get
the remainder of the meat."

The poor rabbit could not even taste the blood
from the butchering, as the bear would throw earth
on the blood and dry it up. Poor Rabbit would have
to go home hungry after his hard day's work.

The bear was the father of five children. The
youngest boy was very kind to the rabbit. The mother
bear, knowing that her youngest was a very hearty

—80—

MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

eater, always gave him an extra large piece of meat.
What the baby bear did not eat, he would take outside
with him and pretend to play ball with it, kicking
it toward the rabbit's house, and when he got close
to the door he would give the meat such a great kick,
that it would fly into the rabbit's house, and in this
way poor Rabbit would get his meal unknown to
the papa bear.

Baby bear never forgot his friend Rabbit. Papa
bear often wondered why his baby would go outside
after each meal. He grew suspicious and asked the
baby where he had been. "Oh, I always play ball
outside, around the house, and when I get tired
playing I eat up my meat ball and then come in."

The baby bear was too cunning to let papa bear
know that he was keeping his friend rabbit from
starving to death. Nevertheless, papa bear suspect
ed baby and said: "Baby, I think you go over to
the rabbit's after every meal."

The four older brothers were very handsome, but
baby bear was a little puny fellow, whose coat couldn't
keep out much cold, as it was short and shaggy, and
of a dirty brown color. The three older brothers were
very unkind to baby bear, but the fourth one always
took baby's part, and was always kind to his baby
brother.

Rabbit was getting tired of being ordered and
bullied around by papa bear. He puzzled his brain
to scheme some way of getting even with Mr. Bear
for abusing him so much. He studied all night long,

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MYTHS /. OF .'. T H,E .'. SIOUX

but no scheme worth trying ^presented itself. Early

one morning Mr. Bear presefjtetl himself' at Rabbit's

1 v.
door. «.

"Say, Rabbit, my meat it* all used up, and there
is a fine herd of buffalo grazing on the hillside. Get
your bow and arrows and come with me. I want you
to shoot some of them for me."

"Very well," said Rabbit, and he went and killed
six buffalo for Bear. Bear got busy butchering and
poor Rabbit, thinking he would get a chance to lick
up one mouthful of blood, stayed very close to the
bear while he was cutting up the meat. The bear
was very watchful lest the rabbit get something to
eat. Despite bear's watchfulness, a small clot of
blood rolled past and behind the bear's feet. At
once Rabbit seized the clot and hid it in his bosom.
By the time Rabbit got home, the blood clot was
hardened from the warmth of his body, so, being
hungry, it put Mr. Rabbit out of sorts to think that
after all his trouble he could not eat the blood.

Very badly disappointed, he lay down on his floor
and gazed up into the chimney hole. Disgusted with
the way things had turned out, he grabbed up the
blood clot and threw it up through the hole. Scarce
ly had it hit the ground when he heard the voice of
a baby crying, "Ate! Ate!" (father, father). He
went outside and there he found a big baby boy.
He took the baby into his house and threw him out
through the hole again. This time the boy was large
enough to say "Ate, Ate, he-cun-sin-lo." (Father,

—82—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

father, don't do that). But nevertheless, he threw
him up and out again. On going- out the third time,
there stood a handsome youth smiling at him. Rab
bit at once adopted the youth and took him into his
house, seating him in the seat of honor (which is
directly opposite the entrance), and saying: "My son,
I want you to be a good, honest, straightforward
man. Now, I have in my possession a fine outfit, and
you, my son, shall wear it."

Suiting his action to his words, he drew out a bag
from a hollow tree and on opening it, drew out a fine
buckskin shirt (tanned white as snow), worked with
porcupine quills. Also a pair of red leggings worked
with beads. Moccasins worked with colored hair. A
fine otter skin robe. White weasel skins to intertwine
with his beautiful long black locks. A magnificent
center eagle feather. A rawhide covered bow, ac
companied by a quiver full of flint arrowheads.

The rabbit, having dressed his son in all the lat
est finery, sat back and gazed long and lovingly at
his handsome son. Instinctively Rabbit felt that his
son had been sent him for the purpose of being in
strumental in the downfall of Mr. Bear. Events will
show.

The morning following the arrival of Rabbit's son,
Mr. Bear again presents himself at the door, crying
out: "You lazy, ugly rabbit, get up and come out
here. I want you to shoot some more buffalo for me."

"Who is this, who speaks so insultingly to you,
father?" asked the son.

—83—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

"It is a bear who lives near here, and makes me
kill buffalo for his family, and he won't let me take
even one little drop of blood from the killing, and
consequently, my son, I have nothing in my house
for you to eat."

The young man was anxious to meet Mr. Bear,
but Rabbit advised him to wait a little until he and
Bear had gone to the hunt. So the son obeyed, and
when he thought it time that the killing was done,
he started out and arrived on the scene just as Mr.
Bear was about to proceed with his butchering.

Seeing a strange shadow on the ground beside
him, Mr. Bear looked up and gazed into the fearless
eyes of rabbit's handsome son.

"Who is this?" asked Mr. Bear of poor little Rab
bit.

"I don't know," answered Rabbit.

"Who are you?" asked the bear of Rabbit's son.
"Where did you come from?"

The rabbit's son not replying, the bear spoke thus
to him: "Get out of here, and get out quick, too."

At this speech the rabbit's son became angered,
and fastened an arrow to his bow and drove the arrow
through the bear's heart. Then he turned on Mrs.
Bear and served her likewise. During the melee, Rab
bit shouted: "My son, my son, don't kill the two
youngest. The baby has kept me from starving and
the other one is good and kind to his baby brother."

So the three older brothers who were unkind to

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

their baby brother met a similar fate to that of their
selfish parents.

This (the story goes) is the reason that bears
travel only in pairs.

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

THE BRAVE WHO WENT ON THE WARPATH

ALONE AND WON THE NAME OF

THE LONE WARRIOR

There was once a young man whose parents were
not overburdened with the riches of this world, and
consequently could not dress their only son in as rich
a costume as the other young men of the tribe, and
on account of not being so richly clad as they, he was
looked down upon and shunned by them. He was
never invited to take part in any of their sports; nor
was he ever asked to join any of the war parties.

In the village lived an old man with an only daugh
ter. Like the other family, they were poor, but the
daughter was the belle of the tribe. She was the
most sought after by the young men of the village,
and warriors from tribes far distant came to press
their suit at winning her for their bride. All to no
purpose; she had the same answer for them as she
had for the young men of the village.

The poor young man was also very handsome
despite his poor clothes, but having never killed an
enemy nor brought home any enemies' horses he was
not (according to Indian rules) allowed to make love
to any young or old woman. He tried in vain to
join some of the war parties, that he might get the
chance to win his spurs as a warrior. To all his
pleadings, came the same answer: "You are not fit
to join a war party. You have no horses, and if you
should get killed our tribe would be laughed at and
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MYTHS .'. OF .*. THE .'. SIOUX

be made fun of as you have such poor clothes, and
we don't want the enemy to know that we have any
one of our tribe who dresses so poorly as you do."

Again, and again, he tried different parties, only
to be made fun of and insulted.

One night he sat in the poor tepee of his parents.
He was in deep study and had nothing to say. His
father, noticing his melancholy mood, asked him what
had happened to cause him to be so quiet, as he was
always of a jolly disposition. The son answered and
said :

"Father, I am going on the warpath alone. In
vain I have tried to be a member of one of the war
parties. To all of my pleadings I have got nothing but
insults in return."

"But my son, you have no gun nor ammunition.
Where can you get any and how can you get it ? We
have nothing to buy one for you with," said the father.

"I don't need any weapons. I am going to bring
back some of the enemies' horses, and I don't need a
gun for that."

Early the next morning (regardless of the old
couple's pleadings not to go unarmed) the young man
left the village and headed northwest, the direction
always taken by the war parties.

For ten days he traveled without seeing any signs
of a camp. The evening of the tenth day, he reached
a very high butte, thickly wooded at the summit. He
ascended this butte, and as he sat there between two
large boulders, watching the beautiful rays of the set-

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MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE /. SIOUX

ting sun, he was suddenly startled to hear the neigh
of a horse. Looking down into the beautiful val
ley which was threaded by a beautiful creek fringed
with timber, he noticed close to the base of the butte
upon which he sat, a large drove of horses grazing
peacefully and quietly. Looking closer, he noticed
at a little distance from the main drove, a horse with
a saddle on his back. This was the one that had
neighed, as the drove drifted further away from him.
He was tied by a long lariat to a large sage bush.

Where could the rider be, he said to himself. As
if in answer to his question, there appeared not more
than twenty paces from him a middle aged man com
ing up through a deep ravine. The man was evi
dently in search of some kind of game, as he held
his gun in readiness for instant use, and kept his
eyes directed at every crevice and clump of bush.
So intent was he on locating the game he was trail
ing, that he never noticed the young man who sat
like a statue not twenty paces away. Slowly and
cautiously the man approached, and when he had ad
vanced to within a few paces of the young man he
stopped and turning around, stood looking down into
the valley. This was the only chance that our brave
young friend had. Being unarmed, he would stand
no show if the enemy ever got a glimpse of him.
Slowly and noiselessly he drew his hunting knife
(which his father had given him on his departure
from home) and holding it securely in his right hand,
gathered himself and gave a leap which landed him

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MYTHS .'. OF .*. THE .'. SIOUX

upon the unsuspecting enemy's shoulders. The force
with which he landed on the enemy caused him (the
enemy) to lose his hold on his gun, and it went rat
tling down into the chasm, forty feet below.

Down they came together, the young man, on top.
No sooner had they struck the ground than the enemy
had out his knife, and then commenced a hand to
hand duel. The enemy, having more experience, was
getting the best of our young friend. Already our
young friend had two ugly cuts, one across his chest
and the other through his forearm.

He was becoming weak from the loss of blood,
and could not stand the killing pace much longer.
Summoning all his strength for one more trial to
overcome his antagonist, he rushed him toward the
chasm, and in his hurry to get away from this fierce
attack, the enemy stepped back one step too far, and
down they both went into the chasm. Interlocked
in each other's arms, the young man drove his knife
into the enemy's side and when they struck the bot
tom the enemy relaxed his hold and straightened out
stiff and dead.

Securing his scalp and gun, the young man pro
ceeded down to where the horse was tied to the sage
bush, and then gathering the drove of horses proceed
ed on his return to his own village. Being wounded
severely he had to ride very slowly. All the long hours
of the night he drove the horses towards his home
village.

In the meantime, those at the enemies' camp won-

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MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

dered at the long absence of the herder who was
watching their drove of horses, and finally seven
young men went to search for the missing herder. All
night long they searched the hillsides for the horses
and herder, and when it had grown light enough in
the morning they saw by the ground where there had
been a fierce struggle.

Following the tracks in the sand and leaves, they
came to the chasm where the combatants had fallen
over, and there, lying on his back staring up at them
in death, was their herder. They hastened to the
camp and told what they had found. Immediately
the warriors mounted their war ponies (these ponies
are never turned loose, but kept tied close to the
tepee of the owner), and striking the trail of the
herd driven off by our young friend, they urged
forth their ponies and were soon far from their camp
on the trail of our young friend. All day long they
traveled on his trail, and just as the sun was sinking
they caught sight of him driving the drove ahead over
a high hill. Again they urged forth their tired ponies.
The young man, looking back along the trail, saw
some dark objects coming along, and, catching a fresh
horse, drove the rest ahead at a great rate. Again all
night he drove them, and when daylight came he
looked back (from a high butte) over his trail and
saw coming over a distant raise, two horsemen.
These two undoubtedly rode the best ponies, as he
saw nothing of the others. Driving the horses into
a thick belt of timber, he concealed himself close to

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MYTHS .'. OF .*. THE .*. SIOUX

the trail made by the drove of horses, and lay in am
bush for the two daring horsemen who had followed
him so far. Finally they appeared on the butte from
where he had looked back and saw them following
him. For a long time they sat there scouring the
country before them in hopes that they might see
some signs of their stolen horses. Nothing could they
see. Had they but known, their horses were but a
few hundred yards from them, but the thick timber
securely hid them from view. Finally one of them
arose and pointed to the timber. Then leaving his
horse in charge of his friend, he descended the butte
and followed the trail of the drove to where they had
entered the timber. Little did he think that he was
standing on the brink of eternity. The young man
hiding not more than a hundred yards from him could
have shot him there where he stood, but wanting to
play fair, he stepped into sight. When he did, the
enemy took quick aim and fired. He was too hasty.
Had he taken more careful aim he might have killed
our young friend, but his bullet whizzed harmlessly
over the young man's head and buried itself in a tree.
The young man took good aim and fired. The enemy
threw up both hands and fell forward on his face.
The other one on the hill, seeing his friend killed,
hastily mounted his horse and leading his friend's
horse, made rapidly off down the butte in the direc
tion from whence he had come. Waiting for some
time to be sure the one who was alive did not come
up and take a shot at him, he finally advanced upon
—91—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

the fallen enemy and securing his gun, ammunition
and scalp, went to his horse and drove the herd on
through the woods and crossing a long flat prairie, as
cended a long chain of hills and sat looking back
along his trail in search of any of the enemy who
might continue to follow him.

Thus he sat until the long shadows of the hills
reminded him that it would soon be sunset, and as
he must get some sleep, he wanted to find some creek
bend where he could drive the bunch of ponies and
feel safe as to their not straying off during the night.
He found a good place for the herd, and catching a
fresh horse, he picketed him close to where he was
going to sleep, and wrapping himself in his blanket,
was soon fast asleep. So tired and sleepy was he that
a heavy rain which had come up, during the night,
soaked him through and through, but he never awak
ened until the sun was high in the east.

He awoke and going to the place where he had
left the herd, he was glad to find them all there. He
mounted his horse and started his herd homeward
again. For two days he drove them, and on the even
ing of the second day he came in sight of the village.

The older warriors, hearing of the young man
going on this trip alone and unarmed, told the par
ents to go in mourning for their son, as he would
never come back alive. When the people of the vil
lage saw this large drove of horses advancing towards
them, they at first thought it was a war party of the
enemy, and so the head men called the young war-

—92—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .*. SIOUX

riors together and fully prepared for a great battle.
They advanced upon the supposed enemy. When they
got close enough to discern a lone horseman driving
this large herd, they surrounded the horses and lone
warrior, and brought him triumphantly into camp.
On arriving in the camp (or village) the horses were
counted and the number counted up to one hundred
and ten head.

The chief and his criers (or heralds) announced
through the whole village that there would be a great
war dance given in honor of the Lone Warrior.

The whole village turned out and had a great
war dance that was kept up three days and three
nights. The two scalps which the young man had
taken were tied to a pole which was placed in the
center of the dance circle. At this dance, the Lone
Warrior gave to each poor family five head of horses.

Being considered eligible now to pay his respects
to any girl who took his fancy, he at once went to
the camp of the beautiful girl of the tribe, and as
he was always her choice, she at once consented to
marry him.

The news spread through the village that Lone
Warrior had won the belle of the nation for his bride,
and this with the great feat which he had accomplished
alone in killing two enemies and bringing home a
great herd of horses, raised him to the rank of chief,
which he faithfully filled to the end of his days. And
many times he had to tell his grandchildren the story
of how he got the name of the Lone Warrior.

—93—

MYTHS /. OF .*. THE .'. SIOUX

THE SIOUX WHO MARRIED THE CROW
CHIEF'S DAUGHTER

A war party of seven young men, seeing a lone
tepee standing on the edge of a heavy belt of tim
ber, stopped and waited for darkness, in order to send
one of their scouts ahead to ascertain whether the
camp which they had seen was the camp of friend
or enemy.

When darkness had settled down on them, and
they felt secure in not being detected, they chose one
of their scouts to go on alone and find out what
would be the best direction for them to advance upon
the camp, should it prove to be an enemy.

Among the scouts was one who was noted for his
bravery, and many were the brave acts he had per
formed. His name was Big Eagle. This man they
selected to go to the lone camp and obtain the in
formation for which they were waiting.

Big Eagle was told to look carefully over the
ground and select the best direction from which they
should make the attack. The other six would await
his return. He started on his mission, being careful
not to make any noise. He stealthily approached the
camp. As he drew near to the tent he was surprised
to note the absence of any dogs, as these animals
are always kept by the Sioux to notify the owners
by their barking of the approach of anyone. He
crawled up to the tepee door, and peeping through a
small aperture, he saw three persons sitting inside.

MYTHS .*. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

An elderly man and woman were sitting at the right
of the fireplace, and a young woman at the seat of
honor, opposite the door.

Big Eagle had been married and his wife had died
five winters previous to the time of this episode. He
had never thought of marrying again, but when he
looked upon this young woman he thought he was
looking upon the face of his dead wife. He removed
his cartridge belts and knife, and placing them, along
with his rifle, at the side of the tent, he at once boldly
stepped inside the tepee, and going over to the man,
extended his hand and shook first the man's hand,
then the old woman's, and lastly the young woman's.
Then he seated himself by the side of the girl, and
thus they sat, no one speaking.

Finally, Big Eagle made signs to the man, explain
ing as well as possible by signs, that his wife had
died long ago, and when he saw the girl she so strong
ly resembled his dead wife that he wished to marry
her, and he would go back to the enemy's camp and
live with them, if they would consent to the marriage
of their daughter.

The old man seemed to understand, and Big Eagle
again made signs to him that a party were lying in
wait just a short distance from his camp. Noise
lessly they brought in the horses, and taking down
the tent, they at once moved off in the direction from
whence they had come. The war party waited all
night, and when the first rays of dawn disclosed to
them the absence of the tepee, they at once concluded

—95—

MYTHS .*. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

that Big Eagle had been discovered and killed, so they
hurriedly started on their trail for home.

In the meantime, the hunting party, for this it
was that Big Eagle had joined, made very good time
in putting a good distance between themselves and
the war party. All day they traveled, and when even
ing came they ascended a high hill, looking down in
to the valley on the other side. There stretched for
two miles, along the banks of a small stream, an im
mense camp. The old man made signs for Big Eagle
to remain with the two women where he was, until
he could go to the camp and prepare them to receive
an enemy into their village.

The old man rode through the camp and drew up
at the largest tepee in the village. Soon Big Eagle
could see men gathering around the tepee. The crowd
grew larger and larger, until the whole village had
assembled at the large tepee. Finally they dispersed,
and catching their horses, mounted and advanced to
the hill on which Big Eagle and the two women were
waiting. They formed a circle around them and
slowly they returned to the village, singing and rid
ing in a circle around them.

When they arrived at the village they ' advanced
to the large tepee, and motioned Big Eagle to the
seat of honor in the tepee. In the village was a man
who understood and spoke the Sioux language. He
was sent for, and through him the oath of allegiance
to the Crow tribe was taken by Big Eagle. This done

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

he was presented with the girl to wife, and also with
many spotted ponies.

Big Eagle lived with his wife among her people
for two years, and during this time he joined in four
different battles between his own people (the Sioux)
and the Crow people, to whom his wife belonged.

In no battle with his own people would he carry
any weapons, only a long willow coup-stick, with
which he struck the fallen Sioux.

At the expiration of two years he concluded to
pay a visit to his own tribe, and his father-in-law,
being a chief of high standing, at once had it heralded
through the village that his son-in-law would visit
his own people, and for them to show their good will
and respect for him by bringing ponies for his son-
in-law to take back to his people.

Hearing this, the herds were all driven in and all
day long horses were brought to the tent of Big
Eagle, and when he was ready to start on his home
ward trip, twenty young men were elected to accom
pany him to within a safe distance of his village.
The twenty young men drove the gift horses, amount
ing to two hundred and twenty head, to within one
day's journey of the village of Big Eagle, and fear
ing for their safety from his people, Big Eagle sent
them back to their own village.

On his arrival at his home village, they received
him as one returned from the dead, as they were sure
he had been killed the night he had been sent to
reconnoiter the lone camp. There was great feasting

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MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .*. SIOUX

and dancing in honor of his return, and the horses
were distributed among the needy ones of the village.

Remaining at his home village for a year, he one
day made up his mind to return to his wife's people.
A great many fancy robes, dresses, war bonnets, moc
casins, and a great drove of horses were given him,
and his wife, and he bade farewell to his people for
good, saying, "I will never return to you again, as
I have decided to live the remainder of my days with
my wife's people."

On his arrival at the village of the Crows, he
found his father-in-law at the point of death. A few
days later the old man died, and Big Eagle was ap
pointed to fill the vacancy of chief made by the death
of his father-in-law.

Subsequently he took part in battles against his
own people, and in the third battle was killed on the
field. Tenderly the Crow warriors bore him back
to their camp, and great was the mourning in the
Crow village for the brave man who always went
into battle unarmed, save only the willow wand which
he carried.

Thus ended the career of one of the bravest of
Sioux warriors who ever took the scalp of an enemy,
and who for the love of his dead wife, gave up home,
parents, and friends, to be killed on the field of battle
by his own tribe.

—98—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

THE BOY AND THE TURTLES

A boy went on a turtle hunt, and after follow
ing the different streams for hours, finally came to
the conclusion that the only place he would find any
turtles would be at the little lake, where the tribe
always hunted them.

So, leaving the stream he had been following, he
cut across country to the lake. On drawing near the
lake he crawled on his hands and knees in order not
to be seen by the turtles, who were very watchful,
as they had been hunted so much. Peeping over
the rock he saw a great many out on the shore sun
ning themselves, so he very cautiously undressed, so
he could leap into the water and catch them before
they secreted themselves. But on pulling off his
shirt one of his hands was held up so high that the
turtles saw it and jumped into the lake with a great
splash.

The boy ran to the shore, but saw only bubbles
coming up from the bottom. Directly the boy saw
something coming to the surface, and soon it came
up into sight. It was a little man, and soon others,
by the hundreds, came up and swam about, splashing
the water up into the air to a great height. So scared
was the boy that he never stopped to gather up his
clothes but ran home naked and fell into his grand
mother's tent door.

"What is the trouble, grandchild," cried the old
woman. But the boy could not answer. "Did you

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

see anything unnatural?" He shook his head, "no."
He made signs to the grandmother that his lungs were
pressing so hard against his sides that he could not
talk. He kept beating his side with his clenched
hands. The grandmother got out her medicine bag,
made a prayer to the Great Spirit to drive out the
evil spirit that had entered her grandson's body, and
after she had applied the medicine, the prayer must
have been heard and answered, as the boy commenced
telling her what he had heard and seen.

The grandmother went to the chief's tent and told
what her grandson had seen. The chief sent two
brave warriors to the lake to ascertain whether it
was true or not. The two warriors crept to the little
hill close to the lake, and there, sure enough, the lake
was swarming with little men swimming about,
splashing the water high up into the air. The war
riors, too, were scared and hurried home, and in the
council called on their return told what they had seen.
The boy was brought to the council and given the
seat of honor (opposite the door), and was named
"Wankan Wanyanka" (sees holy).

The lake had formerly bprne the name of Truth
Lake, but from this time on was called "Wicasa-bde"
— Man Lake.

—100—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

THE HERMIT, OR THE GIFT OF CORN

In a deep forest, far from the villages of his peo
ple, lived a hermit. His tent was made of buffalo
skins, and his dress was made of deer skin. Far
from the haunts of any human being this old hermit
was content to spend his days.

All day long he would wander through the for
est studying the different plants of nature and col
lecting precious roots, which he used as medicine. At
long intervals some warrior would arrive at the tent
of the old hermit and get medicine roots from him
for the tribe, the old hermit's medicine being con
sidered far superior to all others.

After a long day's ramble in the woods, the her
mit came home late, and being very tired, at once lay
down on his bed and was just dozing off to sleep,
when he felt something rub against his foot. Awak
ening with a start, he noticed a dark object and an
arm was extended to him, holding in its hand a flint
pointed arrow.

The hermit thought, "This must be a spirit, as
there is no human being around here but myself!"
A voice then said : "Hermit, I have come to invite
you to my home." "How (yes), I will come," said
the old hermit. Wherewith he arose, wrapped his
robe about him and followed.

Outside the door he stopped and looked around,
but could see no signs of the dark object.

"Whoever you are, or whatever you be, wait for
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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .*. SIOUX

me, as I don't know where to go to find your house,"
said the hermit. Not an answer did he receive, nor
could he hear any noises as though anyone was walk
ing through the brush. Re-entering his tent he re
tired and was soon fast asleep. The next night the
same thing occurred again, and the hermit followed
the object out, only to be left as befoie.

He was very angry to think that anyone should
be trying to make sport of him, and he determined to
find out who this could be who was disturbing his
night's rest.

The next evening he cut a hole in the tent large
enough to stick an arrow through, and stood by the
door watching. Soon the dark object came and
stopped outside of the door, and said: "Grandfather,

I came to ," but he never finished the sentence,

for the old man let go his arrow, and he heard the
arrow strike something which produced a sound as
though he had shot into a sack of pebbles. He did
not go out that night to see what his arrow had
struck, but early next morning he went out and looked
at the spot about where he thought the object had
stood. There on the ground lay a little heap of
corn, and from this little heap a small line of corn
lay scattered along a path. This he followed far
into the woods. When he came to a very small
knoll the trail ended. At the end of the trail was a
large circle, from which the grass had been scraped
off clean.

"The corn trail stops at the edge of this circle,"
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MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

said the old man, "so this must be the home of who
ever it was that invited me." He took his bone knife
and hatchet and proceeded to dig down into the center
of the circle. When he had got down to the length
of his arm, he came to a sack of dried meat. Next
he found a sack of Indian turnips, then a sack of dried
cherries; then a sack of corn, and last of all another
sack, empty except that there was about a cupful
of corn in one corner of it, and that the sack had a
hole in the other corner where his arrow had pierced
it. From this hole in the sack the corn was scat
tered along the trail, which guided the old man to
the cache.*

From this the hermit taught the tribes how to keep
their provisions when traveling and were overloaded.
He explained to them how they should dig a pit and
put their provisions into it and cover them with earth.
By this method the Indians used to keep provisions
all summer, and when fall came they would return
to their cache, and on opening it would find every
thing as fresh as the day they were placed there.

The old hermit was also thanked as the discoverer
of corn, which had never been known to the Indians
until discovered by the old hermit.

*Hiding place.

—103—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

THE MYSTERIOUS BUTTE

A young man was once hunting and came to a
steep hill. The east side of the hill suddenly dropped
off to a very steep bank. He stood on this bank,
and at the base he noticed a small opening. On going
down to examine it more closely, he found it was
large enough to admit a horse or buffalo. On either
side of the door were figures of different animals
engraved into the wall.

He entered the opening and there, scattered about
on the floor, lay many bracelets, pipes and many other
things of ornament, as though they had been offer
ings to some great spirit. He passed through this
first room and on entering the second it was so dark
that he could not see his hands before his face, so
becoming scared, he hurriedly left the place, and re
turning home told what he had seen.

Upon hearing this the chief selected four of his
most daring warriors to go with this young man and
investigate and ascertain whether the young man was
telling the truth or not. The five proceeded to the
butte, and at the entrance the young man refused to
go inside, as the figures on either side of the en
trance had been changed.

The four entered and seeing that all in the first
chamber was as the young man had told, they went
on to the next chamber and found it so dark that
they could not see anything. They continued on, how
ever, feeling their way along the walls. They finally

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MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

found an entrance that was so narrow that they had
to squeeze into it sideways. They felt their way
around the walls and found another entrance, so low
down that they had to crawl on their hands and knees
to go through into the next chamber.

On entering the last chamber they found a very
sweet odor coming from the opposite direction. Feel
ing around and crawling on their hands and knees,
they discovered a hole in the floor leading downward.
From this hole came up the sweet odor. They hur
riedly held a council, and decided to go no further,
but return to the camp and report what they had
found. On getting to the first chamber one of the
young men said : "I am going to take these brace
lets to show that we are telling the truth." "No,"
said the other three, "this being the abode of some
Great Spirit, you may have some accident befall you
for taking what is not yours." "Ah ! You fellows
are like old women," said he, taking a fine bracelet
and encircling his left wrist with it.

When they reached the village they reported what
they had seen. The young man exhibited the brace
let to prove that it was the truth they had told.

Shortly after this, these four young men were out
fixing up traps for wolves. They would raise one
end of a heavy log and place a stick under, bracing
up the log. A large piece of meat was placed about
five feet away from the log and this space covered
with poles and willows. At the place where the up
right stick was put, a hole was left open, large enough

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MYTHS

O F

THE

SIOUX

to admit the body of a wolf. The wolf, scenting the
meat and unable to get at it through the poles and
willows, would crowd into the hole and working his
body forward, in order to get the meat, would push
down the brace and the log thus released would hold
the wolf fast under its weight.

I

THE MYSTERIOUS BUTTE

The young man with the bracelet was placing his
bait under the log when he released the log by knock
ing down the brace, and the log caught his wrist on
which he wore the bracelet. He could not release
himself and called loud and long for assistance. His
friends, hearing his call, came to his assistance, and
on lifting the log found the young man's wrist broken.
"Now," said they, "you have been punished for tak-

—106—

MYTHS .*. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

ing the wristlet out of the chamber of the mysterious
butte."

Some time after this a young man went to the
butte and saw engraved on the wall a woman holding
in her hand a pole, with which she was holding up
a large amount of beef which had been laid across
another pole, which had broken in two from the weight
of so much meat.

He returned to the camp and reported what he
had seen. All around the figure he saw marks of
buffalo hoofs, also marked upon the wall.

The next day an enormous herd of buffalo came
near to the village, and a great many were killed.
The women were busy cutting up and drying the
meat. At one camp was more meat than at any other.
The woman was hanging meat upon a long tent pole,
when the pole broke in two and she was obliged to
hold the meat up with another pole, just as the young
man saw on the mysterious butte.

Ever after that the Indians paid weekly visits to
this butte, and thereon would read the signs that were
to govern their plans.

This butte was always considered the prophet of
the tribe.

—107—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

THE WONDERFUL TURTLE

Near to a Chippewa village lay a large lake, and
in this lake there lived an enormous turtle. This was
no ordinary turtle, as he would often come out of
his home in the lake and visit with his Indian neigh
bors. He paid the most of his visits to the head
chief, and on these occasions would stay for hours,
smoking and talking with him.

The chief, seeing that the turtle was very smart
and showed great wisdom in his talk, took a great
fancy to him, and whenever any puzzling subject
came up before the chief, he generally sent for Mr.
Turtle to help him decide.

One day there came a great misunderstanding be
tween different parties of the tribe, and so excited
became both sides that it threatened to cause blood
shed. The chief was unable to decide for either fac
tion, so he said, "I will call Mr. Turtle. He will
judge for you."

Sending for the turtle, the chief vacated his seat
for the time being, until the turtle should hear both
sides, and decide which was in the right. The turtle
came, and taking the chief's seat, listened very atten
tively to both sides, and thought long before he gave
his decision. After thinking long and studying each
side carefully, he came to the conclusion to decide
in favor of both. This would not cause any hard
feelings. So he gave them a lengthy speech and
—108

MYTHS .'. OF .*. THE .'. SIOUX

showed them where they were both in the right, and
wound up by saying :

"You are both in the right in some ways and
wrong in others. Therefore, I will say that you both
are equally in the right."

When they heard this decision, they saw that the
turtle was right, and gave him a long cheer for the
wisdom displayed by him. The whole tribe saw that
had it not been for this wise decision there would
have been a great shedding of blood in the tribe. So
they voted him as their judge, and the chief, being
so well pleased with him, gave to him his only daugh
ter in marriage.

The daughter of the chief was the most beautiful
maiden of the Chippewa nation, and young men from
other tribes traveled hundreds of miles for an op
portunity to make love to her, and try to win her for
a wife. It was all to no purpose. She would accept
no one, only him whom her father would select for
her. The turtle was very homely, but as he was
prudent and wise, the father chose him, and she ac
cepted him.

The young men of the tribe were very jealous, but
their jealousy was all to no purpose. She married
the turtle. The young men would make sport of the
chief's son-in-law. They would say to him: "How
did you come to have so flat a stomach?" The turtle
answered them, saying :

"My friends, had you been in my place, you too
would have flat stomachs. I came by my flat stomach

—109—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

THE CHIEF GIVES HIS DAUGHTER TO HIS WIFE'S
TURTLE FRIEND IN MARRIAGE

—110—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE ./. SIOUX

in this way : The Chippewas and Sioux had a great
battle, and the Sioux, too numerous for the Chip
pewas, were killing them off so fast that they had to
run for their lives. I was on the Chippewa side and
some of the Sioux were pressing five of us, and were
gaining on us very fast. Coining to some high grass,
I threw myself down flat on my face, and pressed
my stomach close to the ground, so the pursuers could
not see me. They passed me and killed the four I
was with. After they had gone back, I arose and lo !
my stomach was as you see it now. So hard had
I pressed to the ground that it would not assume its
original shape again."

After he had explained the cause of his deformity
to them, they said: "The Turtle is brave. We will
bother him no more." Shortly after this the Sioux
made an attack upon the Chippewas, and every one
deserted the village. The Turtle could not travel
as fast as the rest and was left behind. It being
an unusually hot day in the fall, the Turtle grew
very thirsty and sleepy. Finally scenting water, he
crawled towards the point from whence the scent
came, and coming to a large lake jumped in and had
a bath, after which he swam towards the center and
dived down, and finding some fine large rocks at the
bottom, he crawled in among them and fell asleep.
He had his sleep out and arose to the top.

Swimming to shore he found it was summer. He
had slept all winter. The birds were singing, and
the green grass and leaves gave forth a sweet odor,
—in—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

He crawled out and started out looking for the
Chippewa camp. He came upon the camp several days
after he had left his winter quarters, and going around
in search of his wife, found her at the extreme edge
of the village. She was nursing her baby, and as he
asked to see it, she showed it to him. When he saw
that it was a lovely baby and did not resemble him
in any respect, he got angry and went off to a large
lake, where he contented himself with catching flies
and insects and living on seaweed the remainder of
his life.

-112—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX
THE MAN AND THE OAK

There once lived a Sioux couple who had two
children, a boy and a girl. Every fall this family
would move away from the main camp and take up
their winter quarters in a grove of timber some dis
tance from the principal village. The reason they did
this was that he was a great hunter and where a vil
lage was located for the winter the game was usually
very scarce. Therefore, he always camped by him
self in order to have an abundance of game adjacent
to his camp.

All summer he had roamed around following the
tribe to wherever their fancy might take them. Dur
ing their travels this particular year there came to
the village a strange girl who had no relatives there.
No one seemed very anxious to take her into their
family, so the great hunter's daughter, taking a fancy
to the poor girl, took her to their home and kept her.
She addressed her as sister, and the parents, on ac
count of their daughter, addressed her as daughter.

This strange girl became desperately in love with
the young man of the family, but being addressed as
daughter by the parents, she could not openly show
her feelings as the young man was considered her
brother.

In the fall when the main village moved into a
large belt of timber for their winter quarters, the
hunter moved on to another place two days' travel

—113—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

from the main winter camp, where he would not be
disturbed by any other hunters.

The young man had a tent by himself, and it was
always kept nice and clean by his sister, who was
very much attached to him. After a long day's hunt
in the woods, he would go into his tent and lie down
to rest, and when his supper was ready his sister would
say, "My brother is so tired. I will carry his sup
per to him."

Her friend, whom she addressed as sister, would
never go into the young man's tent. Along towards
spring there came one night into the young man's tent
a woman. She sat down by the door and kept her
face covered so that it was hidden from view.
She sat there a long time and finally arose and went
away. The young man could not imagine who this
could be. He knew that it was a long distance from
the village and could not make out where the woman
could have come from. The next night the woman
came again and this time she came a little nearer to
where the young man lay. She sat down and kept
her face covered as before. Neither spoke a word.
She sat there for a long time and then arose and de
parted. He was very much puzzled over the ac
tions of this woman and decided to ascertain on her
next visit who she was.

He kindled a small fire in his tent and had some
ash wood laid on it so as to keep fire a long time, as
ash burns very slowly and holds fire a long time.

The third night the woman came again and sat

—114—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

THE LIGHTNING MAN TAKES HIS BRIDE TO THE

CLOUDS FOR RELEASING HER BROTHER

FROM THE TREE

—115—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .*. SIOUX

down still nearer his bed. She held her blanket open
just a trifle, and he, catching up one of the embers,
flashed it in her face ; jumping up she ran hurriedly
out of the tent. The next morning he noticed that
his adopted sister kept her face hidden with her blan
ket. She chanced to drop her blanket while in the
act of pouring out some soup, and when she did so
he noticed a large burned spot on her cheek.

He felt so sorry for what he had done that he
could eat no breakfast, but went outside and lay down
under an oak tree. All day long he lay there gaz
ing up into the tree, and when he was called for
supper he refused, saying that he was not hungry,
and for them not to bother him, as he would soon
get up and go to bed. Far into the night he lay
thus, and when he tried to arise he could not, as a
small oak tree grew through the center of his body
and held him fast to the ground.

In the morning when the family awoke they
found the girl had disappeared, and on going out
side the sister discovered her brother held fast to
the earth by an oak tree which grew very rapidly.
In vain were the best medicine men of the tribe sent
for. Their medicine was of no avail. They said :
"If the tree is cut down the young man will die."

The sister was wild with grief, and extending
her hands to the sun, she cried: "Great Spirit, re
lieve my suffering brother. Any one who releases
him I will marry, be he young, old, homely or de
formed."

—116—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

Several days after the young man had met with
the mishap, there came to the tent a very tall man,
who had a bright light encircling his body. "Where is
the girl who promised to marry any one who would
release her brother?" "I am the one," said the young
man's sister. "I am the all-powerful lightning and
thunder. I see all things and can kill at one stroke a
whole tribe. When I make my voice heard the rocks
shake loose and go rattling down the hillsides. The
brave warriors cower shivering under some shelter
at the sound of my voice. The girl whom you had
adopted as your sister was a scorceress. She be
witched your brother because he would not let her
make love to him. On my way here I met her trav
eling towards the west, and knowing what she had
done, I struck her with one of my blazing swords,
and she lies there now a heap of ashes. I will now
release your brother."

So saying he placed his hand on the tree and in
stantly it crumbled to ashes. The young man arose,
and thanked his deliverer.

Then they saw a great black cloud approaching,
and the man said: "Make ready, we shall go home
on that cloud." As the cloud approached near to the
man who stood with his bride, it suddenly lowered
and enveloped them and with a great roar and amidst
flashes of lightning and loud peals of thunder the
girl ascended and disappeared into the west with her
Thunder and Lightning husband.

—117—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

STORY OF THE TWO YOUNG FRIENDS

There were once in a very large Indian camp two
little boys who were fast friends. One of the boys,
"Chaske" (meaning first born), was the son of a
very rich family, and was always dressed in the fin
est of clothes of Indian costume. The other boy,
"Hake" (meaning last born), was an orphan and
lived with his old grandmother, who was very desti
tute, and consequently could not dress the boy in fine
raiment. So poorly was the boy dressed that the
who had good clothes always tormented him and
would not play in his company.

Chaske did not look at the clothes of any boy
whom he chose as a friend, but mingled with all boys
regardless of how they were clad, and would study
their dispositions. The well dressed he found wereX/
vain and conceited. The fairly well dressed he found ;
selfish and spiteful. The poorly clad he found to be V
generous and truthful, and from all of them he chose
"Hake" for his "Koda" (friend). As Chaske was
the son of the leading war chief he was very much
sought after by the rest of the boys, each one try
ing to gain the honor of being chosen for the friend
and companion of the great chief's son ; but, as I
have before said, Chaske carefully studied them all
and finally chose the orphan Hake.

It was a lucky day for Hake when he was chosen
for the friend and companion of Chaske. The or
phan boy was taken to the lodge of his friend's par-

—118—

^
J

MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

ents and dressed up in fine clothes and moccasins.
(When the Indians' sons claim any one as their friend, V
the friend thus chosen is adopted into the family as
their own son).

Chaske and Hake were inseparable. Where one
was seen the other was not far distant. They played,
hunted, trapped, ate and slept together. They would
spend most of the long summer days hunting in the
forests.

Time went on and these two fast friends grew up
to be fine specimens of their tribe. When they became
the age to select a sweetheart they would go together
and make love to a girl. Each helping the other to
win the affection of the one of his choice. Chaske
loved a girl who was the daughter of an old medicine
man. She was very much courted by the other young
men of the tribe, and many a horse loaded with robes
and fine porcupine work was tied at the medicine
man's tepee in offering for the hand of his daughter,
but the horses, laden as when tied there, were turned
loose, signifying that the offer was not accepted.

The girl's choice was Chaske's friend Hake. Al
though he had never made love to her for himself,
he had always used honeyed words to her and was al
ways loud in his praises for his friend Chaske. One
night the two friends had been to see the girl, and
on their return Chaske was very quiet, having noth
ing to say and seemingly in deep study. Always of
a bright, jolly and amiable disposition, his silence and
moody spell grieved his friend very much, and he

—119—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

finally spoke to Chaske, saying : "Koda, what has
come over you? You who were always so jolly and
full of fun? Your silence makes me grieve for you
and I do not know what you are feeling so down
hearted about. Has the girl said anything to you
to make you feel thus?"

"Wait, friend," said Chaske, "until morning, and
then I will know how to answer your inquiry. Don't
ask me anything more tonight, as my heart is hav
ing a great battle with my brain."

Hake bothered his friend no more that night, but
he could not sleep. He kept wondering what "Pretty
Feather" (the girl whom his friend loved) could have
said to Chaske to bring such a change over him. Hake
never suspected that he himself was the cause of his
friend's sorrow, for never did he have a thought that
it was himself that Pretty Feather loved.

The next morning after they had eaten breakfast,
Chaske proposed that they should go out on the
prairies, and see if they would have the good luck to
kill an antelope. Hake went out and got the band of
horses, of which there were over a hundred. They
selected the fleetest two in the herd, and taking their
bows and arrows, mounted and rode away towards
the south.

Hake was overjoyed to note the change in his
friend. His oldtime jollity had returned. They rode
out about five miles, and scaring up a drove of an
telope they started in hot pursuit, and as their horses
were very fleet of foot soon caught up to the drove,
—120—

MYTHS .'. OF .*. THE .*. SIOUX

and each singling out his choice quickly dispatched
him with an arrow. They could easily have killed
more of the antelope, but did not want to kill them
just for sport, but for food, and knowing that they
had now all that their horses could pack home, they
dismounted and proceeded to dress their kill.

After each had finished packing the kill on his
horse, Chaske said : "Let us sit down and have a smoke
before we start back. Besides, I have something to
tell you which I can tell better sitting still than I can
riding along." Hake came and sat down opposite his
friend, and while they smoked Chaske said:

"My friend, we have been together for the last
twenty years and I have yet the first time to deceive
you in any way, and I know I can truthfully say the
same of you. Never have I known you to deceive
me nor tell me an untruth. I have no brothers or
sisters. The only brother's love I know is yours. The
only sister's love I will know will be Pretty Feather's,
for brother, last night she told me she loved none
but you and would marry you and you only. So,
brother, I am going to take my antelope to my sis
ter-in-law's tent and deposit it at her door. Then she
will know that her wish will be fulfilled. I thought
at first that you had been playing traitor to me and
had been making love to her for yourself, but when
she explained it all to me and begged me to intercede
for her to you, I then knew that I had judged you
wrongfully, and that, together with my lost love, made
me so quiet and sorrowful last night. So now,
—121—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

brother, take the flower of the nation for your wife,
and I will be content to continue through life a lonely
bachelor, as never again can I give any woman the
place which Pretty Feather had in my heart."

Their pipes being smoked out they mounted their
ponies and Chaske started up in a clear, deep voice
the beautiful love song of Pretty Feather and his
friend Hake.

Such is the love between two friends, who claim
to be as brothers among the Indians. Chaske gave
up his love of a beautiful woman for a man who was
in fact no relation to him.

Hake said, "I will do as you say, my friend, but
before I can marry the medicine man's daughter, I
will have to go on the warpath and do some brave
deed, and will start in ten days." They rode towards
home, planning which direction they would travel,
and as it was to be their first experience on the war
path, they would seek advice from the old warriors
of the tribe.

On their arrival at the village Hake took his kill
to their own tent, while Chaske took his to the tent
of the Medicine Man, and deposited it at the door
and rode off towards home.

The mother of Pretty Feather did not know
whether to take the offering or not, but Pretty Feather,
seeing by this offering that her most cherished wish
was to be granted, told her mother to take the meat
and cook it and invite the old women of the camp
to a feast in honor of the son-in-law who was soon

—122—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

to keep them furnished with plenty of meat. Hake
and his friend sought out all of the old warriors and
gained all the information they desired. Every even
ing Hake visited his intended wife and many happy
evenings they spent together.

The morning of the tenth day the two friends left
the village and turned their faces toward the west
where the camps of the enemy are more numerous
than in any other direction. They were not mounted
and therefore traveled slowly, so it took about ten days
of walking before they saw any signs of the enemy.
The old warriors had told them of a thickly wooded
creek within the enemies' bounds. The old men said,
"That creek looks the ideal place to camp, but don't
camp there by any means, because there is a ghost
who haunts that creek, and any one who camps there
is disturbed all through the night, and besides they
never return, because the ghost is Wakan (holy),
and the enemies conquer the travelers every time."
The friends had extra moccasins with them and one
extra blanket, as it was late in the fall and the nights
were very cold.

They broke camp early one morning and walked
all day. Along towards evening, the clouds which
had been threatening all day, hurriedly opened their
doors and down came the snowflakes thick and fast.
Just before it started snowing the friends had noticed
a dark line about two miles in advance of them.
Chaske spoke to his friend and said: "If this storm
continues we will be obliged to stay overnight at

—123—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

Ghost Creek, as I noticed it not far ahead of us, just
before the storm set in." "I noticed it also," said
Hake. "We might as well entertain a ghost all night
as to lie out on these open prairies and freeze to
death." So they decided to run the risk and stay in
the sheltering woods of Ghost Creek. When they
got to the creek it seemed as if they had stepped
inside a big tepee, so thick was the brush and tim
ber that the wind could not be felt at all. They hunted
and found a place where the brush was very thick
and the grass very tall. They quickly pulled the tops
of the nearest willows together and by intertwining
the ends made them fast, and throwing their tent
robe over this, soon had a cosy tepee in which to
sleep. They started their fire and cooked some dried
buffalo meat and buffalo tallow, and were just about
to eat their supper when a figure of a man came
slowly in through the door and sat down near where
he had entered. Hake, being the one who was do
ing the cooking, poured out some tea into his own
cup, and putting a piece of pounded meat and marrow
into a small plate, placed it before the stranger, say
ing: "Eat, my friend, we are on the warpath and
do not carry much of a variety of food with us, but
I give you the best we have."

"^The stranger drew the plate towards him, and
commenced eating ravenously. He soon finished his
meal and handed the dish and cup back. He had not
uttered a word so far. Chaske filled the pipe and
handed it to him. He smoked for a few minutes,
—124—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

took one last draw from the pipe and handed it back
to Chaske, and then he said: "Now, my friends, I
am not a living man, but the wandering spirit of a
once great warrior, who was killed in these woods
by the enemy whom you two brave young men are
now seeking to make war upon. For years I have
been roaming these woods in hopes that I might find

THE YOUNG MAN AND THE GHOST

some one brave enough to stop and listen to me, but
all who have camped here in the past have run away
at my approach or fired guns or shot arrows at me.
For such cowards as these I have always found a
grave. They never returned to their homes. Now
I have found two brave men whom I can tell what

—125—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

I want done, and if you accomplish what I tell you
to do, you will return home with many horses and
some scalps dangling from your belts. Just over this
range of hills north of us, a large village is encamped
for the winter. In that camp is the man who laid m^N
ambush and shot me, killing me before I could get /
a chance to defend myself. I want that man's scalp,"
because he has been the cause of my wanderings for
a great many years. Had he killed me on the bat
tlefield my spirit would have at once joined my broth
ers in the happy hunting grounds, but being killed
by a coward, my spirit is doomed to roam until I
can find some brave man who will kill this coward
and bring me his scalp. This is why I have tried
every party who have camped here to listen to me,
but as I have said before, they were all cowards. Now,
I ask you two brave young men, will you do this for
me?"

"We will," said the friends in one voice. "Thank
you, my boys. Now, I know why you came here, and
that one of you came to earn his feathers by killing an
enemy, before he would marry ; the girl he is to mar
ry is my granddaughter, as I am the father of the
great Medicine Man. In the morning there will pass ^
by in plain sight of here a large party. They will
chase the buffalo over on that flat. After they have \
passed an old man leading a black horse and riding
a white one will come by on the trail left by the
hunting party. He will be driving about a hundred
horses, which he will leave over in the next ravine.
—126—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

He will then proceed to the hunting grounds and get
meat from the different hunters. After the hunt
ers have all gone home he will come last, singing
the praises of the ones who gave him the meat. This
man you must kill and scalp, as he is the one I want
killed. Then take the white and black horse and each
mount and go to the hunting grounds. There you
will see two of the enemy riding about picking up
empty shells. Kill and scalp these two and each take
a scalp and come over to the high knoll and I will
show you where the horses are, and as soon as you
hand me the old man's scalp I will disappear and you
will see me no more. As soon as I disappear, it will
start in snowing. Don't be afraid as the snow will
cover your trail, but nevertheless, don't stop traveling
for three days and nights, as these people will sus
pect that some of your tribe have done this, and they
will follow you until you cross your own boundary
lines."

When morning came, the two friends sat in the
thick brush and watched a large party pass by their
hiding place. So near were they that the friends
could hear them laughing and talking. After the
hunting party had passed, as the spirit had told them,
along came the old man, driving a large band of
horses and leading a fine looking coal black horse.
The horse the old man was riding was as white as
snow. The friends crawled to a little brush covered
hill and watched the chase after the shooting had
ceased. The friends knew it would not be long be-

—127—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

fore the return of the party, so they crawled back
to their camp and hurriedly ate some pounded meat
and drank some cherry tea. Then they took down
their robe and rolled it up and got everything in
readiness for a hurried flight with the horses. Scarce
ly had they got everything in readiness when the
party came by, singing their song of the chase. When
they had all gone the friends crawled down to the
trail and lay waiting for the old man. Soon they
heard him singing. Nearer and nearer came the
sounds of the song until at last at a bend in the road,
the old man came into view. The two friends arose
and advanced to meet him. On he came still sing
ing. No doubt he mistook them for some of his own
people. When he was very close to them they each
stepped to either side of him and before he could
make an outcry they pierced his cowardly old heart
with two arrows. He had hardly touched the ground
when they both struck him with their bows, winning
first and second honors by striking an enemy after
he has fallen. Chaske having won first honors, asked
his friend to perform the scalping deed, which he did.
s^And wanting to be sure that the spirit would get full
revenge, took the whole scalp, ears and all, and tied
it to his belt. The buffalo beef which the old man
had packed upon the black horse, they threw on the
top of the old man. Quickly mounting the two horses,
they hastened out across the long flat towards the
hunting grounds. When they came in sight of the
grounds there they saw two men riding about from

—128—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

place to place. Chaske took after the one on the right,
Hake the one on the left. When the two men saw
these two strange men riding like the wind towards
them, they turned their horses to retreat towards the
hills, but the white and the black were the swiftest
of the tribe's horses, and quickly overtook the two
fleeing men. When they came close to the enemy
they strung their arrows onto the bowstring and drove
them through the two fleeing hunters. As they were
falling they tried to shoot, but being greatly exhaust
ed, their bullets whistled harmlessly over the heads
of the two friends. They scalped the two enemies
and took their guns and ammunition, also secured
the two horses and started for the high knoll. When
they arrived at the place, there stood the spirit.
Hake presented him with the old man's scalp and
then the spirit showed them the large band of horses,
and saying, "Ride hard and long," disappeared and
was seen no more by any war parties, as he was thus V
enabled to join his forefathers in the happy hunting
grounds.

The friends did as the spirit had told them. For
three days and three nights they rode steadily. On
the fourth morning they came into their own boun
dary. From there on they rode more slowly, and
let the band of horses rest and crop the tops of long
grass. They would stop occasionally, and while one
slept the other kept watch. Thus they got fairly well
rested before they came in sight of where their camp
had stood when they had left. All that they could

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

see of the once large village was the lone tent of the
great Medicine Man. They rode up on to a high hill
and farther on towards the east they saw smoke from
a great many tepees. They then knew that something
had happened and that the village had moved away.

"My friend," said Chaske, "I am afraid some
thing has happened to the Medicine Man's lodge,
and rather than have you go there, I will go alone
and you follow the trail of our party and go on ahead
with the horses. I will take the black and the white
horses with me and I will follow on later, after I
have seen what the trouble is."

"Very well, my friend, I will do as you say, but
I am afraid something has happened to Pretty Feath
er." Hake started on with the horses, driving them
along the broad trail left by the hundreds of travois.
Chaske made slowly towards the tepee, and stopping
outside, stood and listened. Not a sound could he
hear. The only living thing he saw was Pretty
Feather's spotted horse tide to the side of the tent.
Then he knew that she must be dead. He rode off
into the thick brush and tied his two horses secure
ly. Then he came back and entered the tepee. There
on a bed of robes lay some one apparently dead. The
body was wrapped in blankets and robes and bound
around and around with parflesh ropes. These he
carefully untied and unwound. Then he unwrapped
the robes and blankets and when he uncovered the
face, he saw, as he had expected to, the face of his
lost love, Pretty Feather. As he sat gazing on her

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE /. SIOUX

beautiful young face, his heart ached for his poor
friend. He himself had loved and lost this beautiful
maiden, and now his friend who had won her would
have to suffer the untold grief which he had suffered.
What was that? Could it have been a slight quiv
ering of the nostrils that he had seen, or was it mad
fancy playing a trick on him? Closer he drew to her
face, watching intently for another sign. There it
was again, only this time it was a long, deep drawn
breath. He arose, got some water and taking a small
stick slowly forced open her mouth and poured some
into it. Then he took some sage, dipped it into the\/
water and sprinkled a little on her head and face.
There were many parflesh bags piled around the te
pee, and thinking he might find some kind of medi
cine roots which he could use to revive her he start
ed opening them one after the other. He had opened
three and was just opening the fourth, when a voice
behind him asked: "What are you looking for?"
Turning quickly, he saw Pretty Feather looking at
him. Overjoyed, he cried, "What can I do so that
you can get up and ride to the village with me? My
friend and I just returned with a large band of horses
and two scalps. We saw this tent and recognized it.
My friend wanted to come, but I would not let him,
as I feared if he found anything had happened to
\-vou he would do harm to himself, but now he will
be anxious for my return, so if you will tell me what
you need in order to revive you, I will get it, and we
can then go to my friend in the village." "At the

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

foot of my bed you will find a piece of eagle fat.
Build a fire and melt it for me. I will drink it and
then we can go."

Chaske quickly started a fire, got out the piece of
fat and melted it. She drank it at one draught, and
was about to arise when she suddenly said: "Roll
me up quick and take the buffalo hair rope and tie it
about my spotted horse's neck; tie his tail in a knot
and tie him to the door. Then run and hide behind
the trees. There are two of the enemy coming this
way."

Chaske hurriedly obeyed her orders, and had bare
ly concealed himself behind the trees, when there
came into view two of the enemy. They saw the horse
tied to the door of the deserted tent, and knew that
some dead person occupied the tepee, so through re
spect for the dead, they turned out and started to go
through the brush and trees, so as not to pass the
door. (The Indians consider it a bad omen to pass
by the door of a tepee occupied by a dead body, that
is, while in the enemy's country). So by making
this detour they traveled directly towards where
Chaske was concealed behind the tree. Knowing that
he would be discovered, and there being two of them,
he knew the only chance he had was for him to kill
one of them before they discovered him, then he
stood a better chance at an even combat. On they
came, little thinking that one of them would in a few
minutes be with his forefathers.

Chaske noiselessly slipped a cartridge into the
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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

chamber of his gun, threw it into action and took de
liberate aim at the smaller one's breast. A loud re
port rang out and the one he had aimed at threw up
his arms and fell heavily forward, shot through the
heart.

Reloading quickly Chaske stepped out from be
hind the tree. He could easily have killed the other
from his concealed position, but, being a brave young V
man, he wanted to give his opponent a fair chance.
The other had unslung his gun and a duel was then
fought between the two lone combatants. They would
spring from side to side like two great cats. Then
advance one or two steps and fire. Retreat a few
steps, spring to one side and fire again. The bul
lets whistled past their heads, tore up the earth be
neath their feet, and occasionally one would hit its
mark, only to cause a flesh wound.

Suddenly the enemy aimed his gun and threw it
upon the ground. His ammunition was exhausted,
and slowly folding his arms he stood facing his op
ponent, with a fearless smile upon his face, expecting
the next moment to fall dead from a bullet from theK
rifle of Chaske. Not so. Chaske was too honorable A
and noble to kill an unarmed man, and especially
one who had put up such a brave fight as had this
man. Chaske advanced and picked up the empty
gun. The Toka (enemy) drew from a scabbard at
his belt a long bowie knife, and taking it by the point
handed it, handle first, to Chaske. This signified s
render. Chaske scalped the dead Toka and motioned

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/

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

for his prisoner to follow him. In the meantime
Pretty Feather had gotten up and stood looking at
the duel. When she heard the first shot she jumped
up and cut a small slit in the tent from which she
saw the whole proceedings. Knowing that one or
both of them must be wounded, she hurriedly got
water and medicine roots, and when they came to the
tent she was prepared to dress their wounds.

Chaske had a bullet through his shoulder and one
through his hand. They were very painful but not
dangerous. The prisoner had a bullet through his
leg, also one through the muscle of his left arm.
Pretty Feather washed and dressed their wounds, and
Chaske went and brought the black and white horses
and mounting Pretty Feather upon the white horse,
and the prisoner on her spotted one, the three soon
rode into the village, and there was a great cry of
joy when it was known that Pretty Feather had come
back to them again.

Hake, who was in his tent grieving, was told
that his friend had returned and with him Pretty
Feather. Hearing this good news he at once went
to the Medicine Man's tent and found the Medicine
Man busily dressing the wounds of his friend and a
stranger. The old Medicine Man turned to Hake and
said :

"Son-in-law, take your wife home with you. It

was from grief at your absence that she went into a

trance, and we, thinking she was dead, left her for

such. Hadn't it been for your friend here, she would

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

surely have been a corpse now. So take her and keep
her with you always, and take as a present from me
fifty of my best horses."

Hake and his beautiful bride went home, where
his adopted mother had a fine large tent put up for
them. Presents of cooking utensils, horses, robes and
finely worked shawls and moccasins came from every
direction, and last of all Chaske gave as a present
to his friend the Toka man whom he had taken as
prisoner. On presenting him with this gift, Chaske
spoke thus :

"My friend, I present to you, that you may have
him as a servant to look after your large band of
horses, this man with whom I fought a two hours'
duel, and had his ammunition lasted he would prob
ably have conquered me, and who gave me the sec
ond hardest fight of my life.

The hardest fight of my life was when I gave up
Pretty Feather. You have them both. To the Toka
(enemy) be kind, and he will do all your biddings.
To Pretty Feather be a good husband."

So saying, Chaske left, them, and true to his word,
lived the remainder of his days a confirmed bachelor.

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE /. SIOUX

THE STORY OF THE PET CROW

Once upon a time there came to a large village a
plague of crows. So thick were they that the poor
women were sorely tried keeping them out of their
tepees and driving them away from their lines of
jerked buffalo meat. Indeed they got so numerous
and were such a great nuisance that the Chief finally
gave orders to his camp criers or heralds to go out
among the different camps and announce the or
ders of their Chief, that war should be made upon
the crows to extermination; that their nests were to
be destroyed and all eggs broken. The war of ex
termination was to continue until not a crow re
mained, except the youngest found was to be brought
to him alive.

For a week the war on the crows continued.
Thousands of dead crows were brought in daily, and
at the end of the week not a bird of that species
could be seen in the neighborhood. Those that es
caped the deadly arrow of the warriors, flew away,
never to return to those parts again.

At the end of the war made upon the crows, there
was brought to the Chief's tepee the youngest found.
'^Indeed, so young was the bird that it was only the
great medicine of the Chief that kept him alive un
til he could hop about and find his own food. The
^ Chief spent most of his time in his lodge teaching
the young crow to understand and talk the language
of the tribe. After the crow had mastered this, the

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MYTHS /. OF/. THE .'. SIOUX

Chief then taught him the languages of the neighbor
ing tribes. When the crow had mastered these dif
ferent languages the chief would send him on long
journeys to ascertain the location of the camps of the
different enemies.

When the crow would find a large Indian camp
he would alight and hop about, pretending to be
picking up scraps, but really keeping his ears open for
anything he might hear. He would hang around all
day, and at night when they would all gather in the
large council tent (which always stood in the center
of the village) to determine upon their next raid,
and plan for a horse stealing trip, Mr. Crow was al
ways nearby to hear all their plans discussed. He
would then fly away to his master (the Chief) and
tell him all that he had learned.

The Chief would then send a band of his war
riors to lie in ambush for the raiding party, and, as
the enemy would not suspect anything they would
go blindly into the pitfall of death thus set for them.
Thus the crow was the scout of this chief, whose
reputation as a Wakan (Holy man) soon reached all
of the different tribes. The Chief's warriors would
intercept, ambush and annihilate every war party
headed for his camp.

So, finally learning that they could not make war
on this chief's people unbeknown to them, they gave
up making war on this particular band. When meat
was running low in the camp this chief would send
the crow out to look for buffalo. When he discovered

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

a herd he would return and report to his master;
then the chief would order out the hunters and they
would return laden with meat. Thus the crow kept
the camp all the time informed of everything that
would be of benefit to them.

One day the crow disappeared, over which there
was great grief among the tribe. A week had passed
away, when Mr. Crow reappeared. There was great

'FATHER, I HAVE COME TO TELL YOU THAT YOU
HAVE ONLY A FEW DAYS MORE TO LIVE"

rejoicing upon his return, but the crow was down
cast and would not speak, but sat with a drooping
head perched at the top of the chief's tepee, and re
fused all food that was offered to him.

In vain did the chief try to get the crow to tell
him the cause of his silence and seeming grief. The
crow would not speak until the chief said: "Well, I
will take a few of my warriors and go out and try

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

to ascertain what has happened to cause you to act
as you do."

Upon hearing this, the crow said: "Don't go. I
dreaded to tell you what I know to be a fact, as I
have heard it from some great medicine men. I was
traveling over the mountains west of here, when I
spied three old men sitting at the top of the highest
peak. I very cautiously dropped down behind a rock
and listened to their talk. I heard your name men
tioned by one of them, then your brother's name was
mentioned. Then the third, who was the oldest, said :
'In three days from today the lightning will kill those
two brothers whom all the nations fear.' '

Upon hearing what the crow stated the tribe
came grief stricken. On the morning of the third day
the chief ordered a nice tepee placed upon the high
est point, far enough away from the village, so that
the peals of thunder would not alarm the babies of
the camp.

A great feast was given, and after the feasting
was over there came in six young maidens leading
the war horses of the two brothers. The horses were
painted and decorated as if for a charge on the enemy.
One maiden walked ahead of the chief's horse bear
ing in her hands the bow and arrows of the great
warrior. Next came two maidens, one on either side
of the prancing war steed, each holding a rein. Be
hind the chief's horse came the fourth maiden. Like
the first, she bore in her hands the bow and arrows
of the chief's brother. Then the fifth and sixth maid-

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

ens each holding a rein, walked on either side of the
prancing horse of the chief's brother. They ad
vanced and ^circled the large gathering and finally
stopped directly in front of the two brothers, who im
mediately arose and taking their bows and arrows
vaulted lightly upon their war steeds, and singing
their death song, galloped off amid a great cry of
grief from the people who loved them most dearly.

Heading straight for the tepee that had been placed
upon the highest point, adjacent to the village, they
soon arrived at their destination and, dismounting
from their horses, turned, waved their hands to their
band, and disappeared within the tepee. Scarcely
had they entered the lodge when the rumblings of
distant thunder could be heard. Nearer, and nearer,
came the sound, until at last the storm overspread the
locality in all its fury. Flash upon flash of lightning
burst forth from the heavens. Deafening peals of
thunder followed each flash. Finally, one flash bright
er than any of the others, one peal more deafening
than those preceding it, and the storm had passed.

Sadly the warriors gathered together, mounted
their horses and slowly rode to the tepee on the high
point. Arriving there they looked inside the lodge and
saw the two brothers lying cold and still in death,
each holding the lariat of his favorite war horse.
The horses also lay dead side by side in front of the
tent. (From this came the custom of killing the fa
vorite horse of a dead warrior at the burial of the
owner) .

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE /. SIOUX

As the Indians sadly left the hill to return home,
they heard a noise at the top of the tepee, and look
ing up they saw the crow sitting on one of the
splintered tepee poles. He was crying most pitifully,
and as they rode off he flew up high in the air and
his pitiful "caw" became fainter and fainter till at
last they heard it no more. And from that day, the
story goes, no crow ever goes near the village of that
band of Indians.

—141—

MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

THE "WASNA" (PEMMICAN) MAN AND THE
UNKTOMI (SPIDER)

Once upon a time there appeared from out of a large
belt of timber a man attired in the fat of the buffalo.
On his head he wore the honeycomb part of the
stomach. To this was attached small pieces of fat.
The fat which covered the stomach he wore as a
cloak. The large intestines he wore as leggings, and
the kidney fat as his moccasins.

As he appeared he had the misfortune to meet
"Unktomi" (spider) with his hundreds of starving
children. Upon seeing the fat, Unktomi and his large
family at once attacked the man, who, in order to
save his life, started to run away, but so closely did
Unktomi and his family pursue him that in order to
make better time and also get a little better start, he
threw off his head covering, which the Unktomi fam
ily hastily devoured, and were again closing in upon
him. He then threw off his cloak and they devoured
that, and were close upon him again, when he threw
off his leggings. These were hastily eaten up, and
as they drew near to a lake, the man threw off the
kidney fat, and, running to the edge of the lake, dived
down into the water and kept beneath the surface,
swimming to the opposite shore. After the Unktomi
family had eaten the kidney fat they came to the
water's edge, and the grease was floating on the
surface of the water which they lapped up, until
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MYTHS .'. OF .*. THE .'. SIOUX

there was not a grease spot left floating on the sur
face.

The small morsels had only sharpened their ap
petites, and as they saw the man sitting on the op
posite shore, Unktomi and his family proceeded
around the lake and came upon two men sitting on
the shore. Unktomi saw that the other man was
"Wakapapi" (pounded beef). The family surrounded
the two and Unktomi ordered them to fight. Fear
ing Unktomi and his large family, they at once com
menced to fight and Pounded Meat was soon killed.
The hungry family at once fell to eating him. So
busy were they that none noticed the fat man sneak
off and disappear.

When they had finished the pounded beef man they
looked around to fall upon the fat man, but nowhere
could he be seen. Unktomi said, "I will track him
and when I find him, I will return for you, so stay
here and await my return."

He followed the fat man's tracks until farther
east on the shore of the lake he found the fat man
in the act of skinning a deer, which he had killed.
(He had held on to his bow and arrows when he
jumped into the lake). "My," said Unktomi, "this
will make a fine meal for my hungry children. I will
go after them, so hurry and cut the meat up into
small pieces so they each can have a piece."

"All right, go ahead and get your family," said
Fat Man. During Unktomi's absence, the fat man hur
riedly cut the meat up into small pieces and carried

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

them up into a tree that stood near to the shore.
When he had carried it all up he threw sand and
dirt upon the blood, and so left no trace of the deer.

On the arrival of Unktomi and his family, no signs
of the fat man or the deer could be found. They
wandered about the spot looking for tracks which
might lead them to where the fat man had cached
the meat, as Unktomi said he could not have carried
it very far. Now the fat man was up in the tree
and sat watching them. The reflection of the tree
was in the water, and some of the children going
close to the shore, discovered it as they looked at the
reflection. The fat man cut a piece of meat and ex
tending it towards them, drew back his hand and put
the meat into his mouth.

"Come quick, father, here he is eating the meat,"
said the children. Unktomi came and seeing the re
flection, thought the fat man was down in the lake.
"Wait, I will bring him up for you." So saying, he
dived down, but soon arose without anything. Again
and again he tried, but could not reach the bottom.
He told the children to gather rock for him. These
he tied around his neck and body, and dived down
for the last time. The last the children saw of their
father was the bubbles which arose to the surface of
the lake. The rocks being too heavy for him, held
him fast to the bottom, and some hungry fish soon
y made a feast out of the body of poor "Unktomi."

—144 —

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

THE RESUSCITATION OF THE ONLY
DAUGHTER

There once lived an old couple who had an only
daughter. She was a beautiful girl, and was very
much courted by the young men of the tribe, but
she said that she preferred single life, and to all their
heart-touching tales of deep affection for her she al
ways had one answer. That was "No."

One day this maiden fell ill and day after day
grew worse. All the best medicine men were called
in, but their medicines were of no avail, and in two
weeks from the day that she was taken ill she lay
a corpse. Of course there was great mourning in
the camp. They took her body several miles from
camp and rolled it in fine robes and blankets, then
they laid her on a scaffold which they had erected.
(This was the custom of burial among the Indians).
They placed four forked posts into the ground and
then lashed strong poles lengthwise and across the
ends and made a bed of willows and stout ash brush.
This scaffold was from five to seven feet from the
ground. After the funeral the parents gave away
all of their horses, fine robes and blankets and all
of the belongings of the dead girl. Then they cut
their hair off close to their heads, and attired them
selves in the poorest apparel they could secure.

When a year had passed the friends and relatives
of the old couple tried in vain to have them set aside
their mourning. "You have mourned long enough,"

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

they would say. "Put aside your mourning and try
and enjoy a few more pleasures of this life while
you live. You are both growing old and can't live
very many more years, so make the best of your
time." The old couple would listen to their advice and
then shake their heads and answer : "We have noth
ing to live for. Nothing we could join in would be
any amusement to us, since we have lost the light
of our lives."

So the old couple continued their mourning for
their lost idol. Two years had passed since the death
of the beautiful girl, when one evening a hunter and
his wife passed by the scaffold which held the dead
girl. They were on their return trip and were heav
ily loaded down with game, and therefore could not
travel very fast. About half a mile from the scaf
fold a clear spring burst forth from the side of a
bank, and from this trickled a small stream of water,
moistening the roots of the vegetation bordering its
banks, and causing a growth of sweet green grass.
At this spring the hunter camped and tethering his
horses, at once set about helping his wife to erect
the small tepee which they carried for convenience
in traveling.

When it became quite dark, the hunter's dogs set
up a great barking and growling. "Look out and see
what the dogs are barking at," said the hunter to
his wife. She looked out through the door and then
drew back saying: "There is the figure of a woman
advancing from the direction of the girl's scaffold."

—146—

MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

"I expect it is the dead girl; let her come, and don't
act as if you were afraid," said the hunter. Soon
they heard footsteps advancing and the steps ceased
at the door. Looking down at the lower part of the
door the hunter noticed a pair of small moccasins,
and knowing that it was the visitor, said: "Whoever
you are, come in and have something to eat."

At this invitation the figure came slowly in and
sat down by the door with head covered and with a
fine robe drawn tightly over the face. The woman
dished up a fine supper and placing it before the
visitor, said: "Eat, my friend, you must be hungry."
The figure never moved, nor would it uncover to eat.
"Let us turn our back towards the door and our
visitor may eat the food," said the hunter. So his
wife turned her back towards the visitor and made
herself very busy cleaning the small pieces of meat
that were hanging to the back sinews of the deer
which had been killed. (This the Indians use as
thread.) The hunter, filling his pipe, turned away
and smoked in silence. Finally the dish was pushed
back to the woman, who took it and after washing
it, put it away. The figure still sat at the door, not
a sound coming from it, neither was it breathing.
The hunter at last said: "Are you the girl that was
placed upon that scaffold two years ago?" It bowed
its head two or three times in assent. "Are you going
to sleep here tonight; if you are, my wife will make
down a bed for you." The figure shook its head.

—147—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

"Are you going to come again tomorrow night to us ?"
It nodded assent.

For three nights in succession the figure visited
the hunter's camp. The third night the hunter no
ticed that the figure was breathing. He saw one of
the hands protruding from the robe. The skin was
perfectly black and was stuck fast to the bones of
the hand. On seeing this the hunter arose and going
over to his medicine sack which hung on a pole, took
down the sack and, opening it, took out some roots
and mixing them with skunk oil and vermillion, said
to the figure:

"If you will let us rub your face and hands with
this medicine it W7ill put new life into the skin and
you will assume your complexion again and it will
put flesh on you." The figure assented and the hun
ter rubbed the medicine on her hands and face. Then
she arose and walked back to the scaffold. The next
day the hunter moved camp towards the home vil
lage. That night he camped within a few miles of
the village. When night came, the dogs, as usual,
set up a great barking, and looking out, the wife saw
the girl approaching.

When the girl had entered and sat down, the
hunter noticed that the girl did not keep her robe
so closely together over her face. When the wife
gave her something to eat, the girl reached out and
took the dish, thus exposing her hands, which they
at once noticed were again natural. After she had
finished her meal, the hunter said : "Did my medicine

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

help you?" She nodded assent. "Do you want my
medicine rubbed all over your body?" Again she
nodded. "I will mix enough to rub your entire body,
and I will go outside and let my wife rub it on for
you." He mixed a good supply and going out left
his wife to rub the girl. When his wife had com
pleted the task she called to her husband to come
in, and when he came in he sat down and said to the
girl: "Tomorrow we will reach the village. Do you
want to go with us?" She shook her head. "Will
you come again to our camp tomorrow night after
we have camped in the village?" She nodded her
head in assent. "Then do you want to see your par
ents?" She nodded again, and arose and disappeared
into the darkness.

Early the next morning the hunter broke camp and
traveled far into the afternoon, when he arrived at
the village. He instructed his wife to go at once
and inform the old couple of what had happened. The
wife did so and at sunset the old couple came to the
hunter's tepee. They were invited to enter and a
fine supper was served them. Soon after they had
finished their supper the dogs of the camp set up a
great barking. "Now she is coming, so be brave and
you will soon see your lost daughter," said the hunter.
Hardly had he finished speaking when she entered
the tent as natural as ever she was in life. Her par
ents clung to her and smothered her with kisses.

They wanted her to return home with them, but
she would stay with the hunter who had brought her

—149—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

/
back to life, and she married him, becoming his second

wife. A short time after taking the girl for his wife,
the hunter joined a war party and never returned,
as he was killed on the battlefield.

A year after her husband's death she married
again. This husband was also killed by a band of
enemies whom the warriors were pursuing for steal
ing some of their horses. The third husband also
met a similar fate to the first. He was killed on the
field of battle.

She was still a handsome woman at the time of
the third husband's death, but never again married,
as the men feared her, saying she was holy, and that
any one who married her would be sure to be killed
by the enemy.

So she took to doctoring the sick and gained the
reputation of being the most skilled doctor in the na
tion. She lived to a ripe old age and when she felt
death approaching she had them take her to where
she had rested once before, and crawling to the top
of the newly erected scaffold, wrapped her blankets
and robes about her, covered her face carefully, and
fell into that sleep from which there is no more
awakening.

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .*. SIOUX

THE STORY OF THE PET CRANE

There was once upon a time a man who did not
care to live with his tribe in a crowded village, but
preferred a secluded spot in the deep forest, there
to live with his wife and family of five children. The
oldest of the children (a boy) was twelve years of
age, and being the son of a distinguished hunter, soon
took to roaming through the forest in search of small
game.

One day during his ramblings, he discovered a
crane's nest, with only one young crane occupying
it. No doubt some fox or traveling weasel had eaten
the rest of the crane's brothers and sisters. The boy
said to himself, "I will take this poor little crane
home and will raise him as a pet for our baby. If
I leave him here some hungry fox will be sure to
eat the poor little fellow." He carried the young
crane home and it grew to be nearly as tall as the
boy's five-year-old sister.

Being brought up in a human circle, it soon grew
to understand all the family said. Although it could
not speak it took part in all the games played by the
children. The father of the family was, as I have
before mentioned, a great hunter. He always had a
plentiful supply of deer, antelope, buffalo and beaver
meats on hand, but there came a change. The game
migrated to some other locality, where no deadly shot
like "Kutesaii" (Never Miss) would be around to
annihilate their fast decreasing droves. The hunter

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

started out early one morning in hopes of discovering
some of the game which had disappeared as sudden
ly as though the earth had swallowed them. The
hunter traveled the whole day, all to no purpose. It
was late in the evening when he staggered into camp.
He was nearly dead with fatigue. Hastily swallowing
a cup of cherry bark tea (the only article of food they
had in store), he at once retired and was soon in the
sweet land of dreams. The children soon joined their
father and the poor woman sat thinking how they
could save their dear children from starvation. Sud
denly out upon the night air rang the cry of a crane.
Instantly the pet crane awoke, stepped outside and
answered the call. The crane which had given the
cry was the father of the pet crane, and learning
from Mr. Fox of the starving condition of his son
and his friends, he flew to the hunting grounds of the
tribe, and as there had been a good kill that day, the
crane found no trouble in securing a great quantity
of fat. This he carried to the tent of the hunter and,
hovering over the tent he suddenly let the fat drop
to the earth and at once the pet crane picked it up
and carried it to the woman.

Wishing to surprise the family on their awaken
ing in the morning she got a good stick for a light,
heaped up sticks on the dying embers, and started
up a rousing fire and proceeded to melt or try out
the fat, as melted fat is considered a favorite dish.
Although busily occupied she kept her ears open for
any strange noises coming out of the forest, there

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THE

SIOUX

being usually some enemies lurking around. She held
her pan in such a position that after the fat started
to melt and quite a lot of the hot grease accumulated
in the pan, she could plainly see the tent door re
flected in the hot grease, as though she used a mirror.
When she had nearly completed her task, she
heard a noise as though some footsteps were approach-

m

THE PET CRANE THAT SAVED THE FAMILY

ing. Instantly her heart began to beat a tattoo on her
ribs, but she sat perfectly quiet, calling all her self-
control into play to keep from making an outcry.
This smart woman had already studied out a way in
which to best this enemy, in case an enemy it should
be. The footsteps, or noise, continued to advance,

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

until at last the woman saw reflected in the pan of
grease a hand slowly protruding through the tent
door, and the finger pointed, as if counting, to the
sleeping father, then to each one of the sleeping
children, then to her who sat at the fire. Little did
Mr. Enemy suppose that the brave woman who sat
so composed at her fire, was watching every motion
he was making. The hand slowly withdrew, and as
the footsteps slowly died away, there rang out on the
still night air the deep fierce howl of the prairie wolf.
(This imitation of a prairie wolf is the signal to the
war party than an enemy has been discovered by the
scout whom they have sent out in advance). At once
she aroused her husband and children. Annoyed at
being so unceremoniously disturbed from his deep
sleep, the husband crossly asked why she had awak
ened him so roughly. The wife explained what she
had seen and heard. She at once pinned an old
blanket around the crane's shoulders and an old piece
of buffalo hide on his head for a hat or head cover
ing. Heaping piles of wood onto the fire she in
structed him to run around outside of the hut until
the family returned, as they were going to see if they
could find some roots to mix up with the fat. Hur
riedly she tied her blanket around her middle, put
her baby inside of it, and then grabbed her three year
old son and packed him on her back. The father
also hurriedly packed the next two and the older
boy took care of himself.

Immediately upon leaving the tent they took three

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

different directions, to meet again on the high hill
west of their home. The reflection from the fire in
the tent disclosed to them the poor pet crane run
ning around the tent. It looked exactly like a child
with its blanket and hat on.

Suddenly there rang out a score of shots and war
whoops of the dreaded Crow Indians. Finding the
tent deserted they disgustedly filed off and were swal
lowed up in the darkness of the deep forest.

The next morning the family returned to see what
had become of their pet crane. There, riddled to
pieces, lay the poor bird who had given up his life to
save his dear friends.

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MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

WHITE PLUME

There once lived a young couple who were very
happy. The young man was noted throughout the
whole nation for his accuracy with the bow and ar
row, and was given the title of "Dead Shot," or "He
who never misses his mark," and the young woman,
noted for her beauty, was named Beautiful Dove.

One day a stork paid this happy couple a visit
and left them a fine big boy. The boy cried "Ina,
ina" (mother, mother). "Listen to our son," said
the mother, "he can speak, and hasn't he a sweet
voice?" "Yes," said the father, "it will not be long
before he will be able to walk." He set to work mak
ing some arrows, and a fine hickory bow for his son.
One of the arrows he painted red, one blue, and an
other yellow. The rest he left the natural color of
the wood. When he had completed them, the mother
placed them in a fine quiver, all worked in porcupine
quills, and hung them up over where the boy slept
in his fine hammock of painted moose hide.

At times when the mother would be nursing her
son, she would look up at the bow and arrows and
talk to her baby, saying: "My son, hurry up and
grow fast so you can use your bow and arrows. You
will grow up to be as fine a marksman as your father."
The baby would coo and stretch his little arms up
towards the bright colored quiver as though he un
derstood every word his mother had uttered. Time
passed and the boy grew up to a good size, when

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

one day his father said: "Wife, give our son the
bow and arrows so that he may learn how to use
them." The father taught his son how to string
and unstring the bow, and also how to attach the ar
row to the string. The red, blue and yellow arrows,
he told the boy, were to be used only whenever there
was any extra good shooting to be done, so the boy
never used these three until he became a master of
the art. Then he would practice on eagles and hawks,
and never an eagle or hawk continued his flight when
the boy shot one of the arrows after him.

One day the boy came running into the tent, ex
claiming: "Mother, mother, I have shot and killed
the most beautiful bird I ever saw." "Bring it in,
my son, and let me look at it." He brought the bird
and upon examining it she pronounced it a different
type of bird from any she had ever seen. Its feath
ers were of variegated colors and on its head was
a topknot of pure white feathers. The father, re
turning, asked the boy with which arrow he had
killed the bird. "With the red one," answered the
boy. "I was so anxious to secure the pretty bird
that, although I know I could have killed it with
one of my common arrows, I wanted to be certain,
so I used the red one." "That is right, my son," said
the father. "When you have the least doubt of your
aim, always use one of the painted arrows, and you
will never miss your mark."

The parents decided to give a big feast in honor
of their son killing the strange, beautiful bird. So

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MYTHS /. OF .'. THE /. SIOUX

a great many elderly women were called to the tent
of Pretty Dove to assist her in making ready for the
big feast. For ten days these women cooked and
pounded beef and cherries, and got ready the choicest
dishes known to the Indians. Of buffalo, beaver,
deer, antelope, moose, bear, quail, grouse, duck of
all kinds, geese and plover meats there was an abun
dance. Fish of all kinds, and every kind of wild
fruit were cooked, and when all was in readiness,
the heralds went through the different villages, crying
out: "Ho-po, ho-po" (now all, now all), Dead Shot
and his wife, Beautiful Dove, invite all of you, young
and old, to their tepee to partake of a great feast,
given by them in honor of a great bird which their
son has killed, and also to select for their son some
good name which he will bear through life. So all
bring your cups and wooden dishes along with your
horn spoons, as there will be plenty to eat. Come,
all you council men and chiefs, as they have also a
great tent erected for you in which you hold your
council."

Thus crying, the heralds made the circle of the
village. The guests soon, arrived. In front of the
tent was a pole stuck in the ground and painted red,
and at the top of the pole was fastened the bird of
variegated colors ; its wings stretched out to their full
length and the beautiful white waving so beauti
fully from its topknot, it was the center of attraction.
Half way up the pole was tied the bow and arrow of
the young marksman. Long streamers of fine bead

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

and porcupine work waved from the pole and pre
sented a very striking appearance. The bird was
faced towards the setting sun, The great chief and
medicine men pronounced the bird "Wakan" (some
thing holy).

When the people had finished eating they all fell
in line and marched in single file beneath the bird, in
order to get a close view of it. By the time this vast
crowd had fully viewed the wonderful bird, the sun
was just setting clear in the west, when directly over
the rays of the sun appeared a cloud in the shape of
a bird of variegated colors. The councilmen were
called out to look at the cloud, and the head medicine
man said that it was a sign that the boy would grow
up to be a great chief and hunter, and would have
a great many friends and followers.

This ended the feast, but before dispersing, the
chief and councilmen, bestowed upon the boy the title
of White Plume.

One day a stranger came to the village, who was
very thin and nearly starved. So weak was he that
he could not speak, but made signs for something
to eat. Luckily the stranger came to Dead Shot's
tent, and as there was always a plentiful supply in his
lodge, the stranger soon had a good meal served him.
After he had eaten and rested he told his story.

"I came from a very great distance," said he.
"The nations where I came from are in a starving
condition. No place can, they find any buffalo, deer
nor antelope. A witch or evil spirit in the shape of

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MYTHS .*. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

a white buffalo has driven all the large game out of
the country. Every day this white buffalo comes
circling the village, and any one caught outside of
their tent is carried away on its horns. In vain have
the best marksmen of the tribe tried to shoot it. Their
arrows fly wide off the mark, and they have given up
trying to kill it as it bears a charmed life. Another
evil spirit in the form of a red eagle has driven all
the birds of the air out of our country. Every day
this eagle circles above the village, and so powerful
is it that anyone being caught outside of his tent is
descended upon and his skull split open to the brain
by the sharp breastbone of the Eagle. Many a marks
man has tried his skill on this bird, all to no purpose.

"Another evil spirit in the form of a white rab
bit has driven out all the animals which inhabit the
ground, and destroyed the fields of corn and tur
nips, so the nation is starving, as the arrows of the
marksmen have also failed to touch the white rab
bit. Any one who can kill these three witches will
receive as his reward, the choice of two of the most
beautiful maidens of our nation. The younger one
is the handsomer of the two and has also the sweet
est disposition. Many young, and even old men, hear
ing of this (our chief's) offer, have traveled many
miles to try their arrows on the witches, but all to
no purpose. Our chief, hearing of your great marks
manship, sent me to try and secure your services to
have you come and x rid us of these three witches."

Thus spoke the stranger to the hunter. The hunt-

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MYTHS .*. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

er gazed long and thoughtfully into the dying embers
of the camp fire. Then slowly his eyes raised and
looked lovingly on his wife who sat opposite to him.
Gazing on her beautiful features for a full minute,
he slowly dropped his gaze back to the dying ern-
bers and thus answered his visitor:

"My friend, I feel very much honored by your
chief having sent such a great distance for me, and
also for the kind offer of his lovely daughter in mar
riage, if I should succeed, but I must reject the great
offer, as I can spare none of my affections to any
other woman than to my queen whom you see sit
ting there."

White Plume had been listening to the conversa
tion and when his father had finished speaking, said:
"Father, I am a child no more. I have arrived at
manhood. I am not so good a marksman as you,
but I will go to this suffering tribe and try to rid
them of their three enemies. If this man will rest
for a few days and return to his village and inform
them of my coming, I will travel along slowly on
his trail and arrive at the village a day or two after
he reaches there."

"Very well, my son," said the father, "I am sure
you will succeed, as you fear nothing, and as to your
marksmanship, it is far superior to mine, as your
sight is much clearer and aim quicker than mine."

The man rested a few days and one morning start
ed off, after having instructed White Plume as to the
trail. White Plume got together what he would need

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MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

on the trip and was ready for an early start the next
morning. That night Dead Shot and his wife sat up
away into the night instructing their son how to
travel and warning him as to the different kinds
of people he must avoid in order to keep out of
trouble. "Above all," said the father, "keep a good
look out for Unktomi (spider) ; he is the most tricky
of all, and will get you into trouble if you associate
with him."

White Plume left early, his father accompanying
him for several miles. On parting, the father's last
words were: "Look out for Unktomi, my son, he is
deceitful and treacherous." "I'll look out for him,
father;" so saying he disappeared over a hill. On
the way he tried his skill on several hawks and eagles
and he did not need to use his painted arrows to kill
them, but so skillful was he with the bow and arrows
that he could bring down anything that flew with his
common arrows. He was drawing near to the end
of his destination when he had a large tract of timber
to pass through. When he had nearly gotten through
the timber he saw an old man sitting on a log, looking
wistfully up into a big tree, where sat a number of
prairie chickens.

"Hello, grandfather, why are you sitting there
looking so downhearted?" asked WThite Plume. "I
am nearly starved, and was just wishing some one
would shoot one of those chickens for me, so I could
make a good meal on it," said the old man. "I will
shoot one for you," said the young man. He strung

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MYTHS /. OF .*. THE /. SIOUX

his bow, placed an arrow on the string, simply seemed
to raise the arrow in the direction of the chicken (tak
ing no aim). Twang went out the bow, zip went the
arrow and a chicken fell off the limb, only to get
caught on another in its descent. "There is your
chicken, grandfather." "Oh, my grandson, I am too
weak to climb up and get it. Can't you climb up and
get it for me?" The young man, pitying the old
fellow, proceeded to climb the tree, when the old
man stopped him, saying: "Grandson, you have on
such fine clothes, it is a pity to spoil them; you had
better take them off so as not to spoil the fine por
cupine work on them." The young man took off his
fine clothes and climbed up into the tree, and securing
the chicken, threw it down to the old man. As the
young man was scaling down the tree, the old man
said: "lyashkapa, iyashkapa," (stick fast, stick fast).
Hearing him say something, he asked, "What did you
say, old man?" He answered, "I was only talking to
myself." The young man proceeded to descend, but
he could not move. His body was stuck fast to the
bark of the tree. In vain did he beg the old man to
release him. The old Unktomi, for he it was, only
laughed and said: "I will go now and kill the evil
spirits, I have your wonderful bow and arrows and
I cannot miss them. I will marry the chief's daugh
ter, and you can stay up in that tree and die there."

So saying, he put on White Plume's fine clothes,
took his bow and arrows and went to the village. As
White Plume was expected at any minute, the whole

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MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

village was watching for him, and when Unktomi
came into sight the young men ran to him with a
painted robe, sat him down on it and slowly raising
him up they carried him to the tent of the chief. So
certain were they that he would kill the evil spirits
that the chief told him to choose one of the daughters
at once for his wife. (Before the arrival of White
Plume, hearing of him being so handsome, the two
girls had quarreled over which should marry him, but
upon seeing him the younger was not anxious to be
come his wife.) So Unktomi chose the older one of
the sisters, and was given a large tent in which to
live. The younger sister went to her mother's tent
to live, and the older was very proud, as she was
married to the man who would save the nation from
starvation. The next morning there was a great
commotion in camp, and there came the cry that the
white buffalo was coming. "Get ready, son-in-law,
and kill the buffalo," said the chief.

Unktomi took the bow and arrows and shot as the
buffalo passed, but the arrow went wide off its mark.
Next came the eagle, and again he shot and missed.
Then came the rabbit, and again he missed.

"Wait until tomorrow, I will kill them all. My
blanket caught in my bow and spoiled my aim." The
people were very much disappointed, and the chief,
suspecting that all was not right, sent for the young
man who had visited Dead Shot's tepee. When the
young man arrived, the chief asked: "Did you see
White Plume when you went to Dead Shot's camp?"

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MYTHS /. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

"Yes, I did, and ate with him many times. I stayed
at his father's tepee all the time I was there," said
the young man. "Would you recognize him if you
saw him again?" asked the chief. "Any one who
had but one glimpse of White Plume would surely
recognize him when he saw him again, as he is the
most handsome man I ever saw," said the young
man.

"Come with me to the tent of my son-in-law and
take a good look at him, but don't say what you think
until we come away." The two went to the tent of
Unktomi, and when the young man saw him he knew
it was not White Plume, although it was White
Plume's bow and arrows that hung at the head of
the bed, and he also recognized the clothes as belong
ing to White Plume. When they had returned to
the chief's tent, the young man told what he knew
and what he thought. "I think this is some Unktomi
who has played some trick on White Plume and has
taken his bow and arrows and also his clothes, and
hearing of your offer, is here impersonating White
Plume. Had White Plume drawn the bow on the
buffalo, eagle and rabbit today, we would have been
rid of them, so I think we had better scare this Unk
tomi into telling us where White Plume is," said the
young man.

"W^ait until he tries to kill the witches again to
morrow," said the chief.

In the meantime the younger daughter had taken
an axe and gone into the woods in search of dry

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MYTHS .*. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

wood. She went quite a little distance into the wood
and was chopping a dry log. Stopping to rest a
little she heard some one saying: "Whoever you are,
come over here and chop this tree down so that I
may get loose." Going to where the big tree stood,
she saw a man stuck onto the side of the tree. "If
I chop it down the fall will kill you," said the girl.
"No, chop it on the opposite side from me, and the
tree will fall that way. If the fall kills me, it will
be better than hanging up here and starving to death,"
said White Plume, for it was he.

The girl chopped the tree down and when she saw
that it had not killed the man, she said: "What shall
I do now ?" "Loosen the bark from the tree and then
get some stones and heat them. Get some water and
sage and put your blanket over me." She did as
told and when the steam arose from the water be
ing poured upon the heated rocks, the bark loosened
from his body and he arose. When he stood up,
she saw how handsome he was. "You have saved
my life," said he. "Will you be my wife ?" "I will,"
said she. He then told her how the old man had
fooled him into this trap and took his bow and ar
rows, also his fine porcupine worked clothes, and had
gone off, leaving him to die. She, in turn, told him
all that had happened in camp since a man, calling
himself White Plume, came there and married her
sister before he shot at the witches, and when he
came to shoot at them, missed every shot. "Let us
make haste, as the bad Unktomi may ruin my arrows."

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

They approached the camp and whilst White Plume
waited outside, his promised wife entered Unktomi's
tent and said: "Unktomi, White Plume is standing
outside and he wants his clothes and bow and arrows."
"Oh, yes, I borrowed them and forgot to return them ;
make haste and give them to him."

Upon receiving his clothes, he was very much
provoked to find his fine clothes wrinkled and his
bow twisted, while the arrows were twisted out of
shape. He laid the clothes down, also the bows and
arrows, and passing his hand over them, they assumed
their right shapes again. The daughter took White
Plume to her father's tent and upon hearing the story
he at once sent for his warriors and had them form
a circle around Unktomi's tent, and if he attempted
to escape to catch him and tie him to a tree, as he
(the chief) had determined to settle accounts with
him for his treatment of White Plume, and the de
ception employed in \vinning the chief's eldest daugh
ter. About midnight the guard noticed something
crawling along close to the ground, and seizing him
found it was Unktomi trying to make his escape be
fore daylight, whereupon they tied him to a tree.
"Why do you treat me thus," cried Unktomi, "I was
just going out in search of medicine to rub on my ar
rows, so I can kill the witches." "You will need
medicine to rub on yourself when the chief gets
through with you," said the young man who had
discovered that Unktomi was impersonating White
Plume.

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

In the morning the herald announced that the real
White Plume had arrived, and the chief desired the
whole nation to witness his marksmanship. Then
came the cry: "The White Buffalo comes." Taking
his red arrow, White Plume stood ready. When the
buffalo got about opposite him, he let his arrow fly.
The buffalo bounded high in the air and came down
with all four feet drawn together under its body, the
red arrow having passed clear through the animal,
piercing the buffalo's heart. A loud cheer went up
from the village.

"You shall use the hide for your bed," said the
chief to White Plume. Next came a cry, "the eagle,
the eagle." From the north came an enormous red
eagle. So strong was he, that as he soared through
the air his wings made a humming sound as the rum
ble of distant thunder. On he came, and just as
he circled the tent of the chief, White Plume bent
his bow, with all his strength drew the arrow back
to the flint point, and sent the blue arrow on its mis
sion of death. So swiftly had the arrow passed
through the eagle's body that, thinking White Plume
had missed, a great wail went up from the crowd,
but when they saw the eagle stop in his flight, give
a few flaps of his wings, and then fall with a heavy
thud into the center of the village, there was a great
er cheer than before. "The red eagle shall be used
to decorate the seat of honor in your tepee," said the
chief to White Plume. Last came the white rab
bit. "Aim good, aim good, son-in-law," said the

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MYTHS .*. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

chief. "If you kill him you will have his skin for a
rug." Along came the white rabbit, and White Plume
sent his arrow in search of rabbit's heart, which it
found, and stopped Mr. Rabbit's tricks forever.

The chief then called all of the people together
and before them all took a hundred willows and broke
them one at a time over Unktomi's back. Then he
turned him loose. Unktomi, being so ashamed, ran
off into the woods and hid in the deepest and dark
est corner he could find. This is why Unktomis
(spiders) are always found in dark corners, and any
one who is deceitful or untruthful is called a descend
ant of the Unktomi tribe.

—169—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .*. SIOUX

STORY OF PRETTY FEATHERED FOREHEAD

There was once a baby boy who came into the
world with a small cluster of different colored feath
ers grown fast to his forehead. From this he derived
his name, "Pretty Feathered Forehead." He was a
very pleasant boy as well as handsome, and he had
the respect of the whole tribe. When he had grown
up to be a young man, he never, like other young men,
made love to any of the tribe's beauties. Although
they were madly in love with him, he never noticed
any of them. There were many handsome girls in
the different camps, but he passed them by.

One day he said: "Father, I am going on a visit
to the Buffalo nation/' The father gave his con
sent, and away went the son. The father and mother
suspected the object of their son's visit to the Buffalo
nation, and forthwith commenced preparing a fine
reception for their intended daughter-in-law. The
mother sewed together ten buffalo hides and painted
the brave deeds of her husband on them. This she
made into a commodious tent, and had work bags and
fine robes and blankets put inside. This was to be
the tent of their son and daughter-in-law. In a few
weeks the son returned, bringing with him a beautiful
Buffalo girl. The parents of the boy gave a big feast
in honor of the occasion, and the son and his wife
lived very happily together.

In the course of time a son came to the young
couple, and the father was very proud of his boy.

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MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

When the boy became a year old, the father said to
his wife: "I am going for a visit to the Elk nation."
The mother was very sad, as she knew her husband
was going after another wife. He returned, bring
ing with him a very beautiful elk girl. When the
Buffalo woman saw the elk girl she was very down
cast and sad, but the husband said: "Don't be sad;
she will do all the heavy work for you."

They lived quite happily together for a long time.
The Elk girl also became the mother of a fine boy.
The two boys had grown up large enough to play
around. One day the Elk woman was tanning hides
outside and the two boys were playing around near
their mothers, when all at once the buffalo boy ran
across the robe, leaving his tracks on the white robe
which his step-mother had nearly completed. This
provoked the elk woman and she gave vent to her
feelings by scolding the boy: "You clumsy flat
mouth, why couldn't you run around my work, in
stead of across it?" The buffalo cow standing in
the door, heard every word that the elk woman had
said, and when she heard her son called flat mouth it
made her very angry, although she did not say a word
to any one. She hurriedly gathered some of her be
longings and, calling her son, she started off in a
westerly direction.

The husband being absent on a hunting expedition

did not return until late in the afternoon. Upon his

return his oldest boy always ran out to meet him,

but this time as the boy did not put in an appearance,

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MYTHS

O F

THE

SIOUX

the father feared that something had happened to
the boy. So hurriedly going to his tent he looked
around, but failing to see the boy or his mother, he
asked his elk wife, where the boy and his mother
were. The elk wife answered : " She took her boy on
her back and started off in that direction," (pointing
towards the west). "How long has she been gone?"
"Since early morning." The husband hurriedly caught

PRETTY-FEATHERED-FOREHEAD MARRIED AN
ELK WOMAN AND A BUFFALO WOMAN

a fresh horse and, without eating anything, rode off
in the direction taken by his buffalo wife and boy.
Near dark he ascended a high hill and noticed a small
tent down in the valley. It was a long distance down
to the tent, so it was very late when he arrived there.
He tethered his horse and went into the tent and
found the boy and his mother fast asleep. Upon lying

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

down beside them the boy awoke, and upon seeing
his father, motioned to him to go outside with him.

On going outside the boy told his father that it
would be useless for him to try and coax his mother
to return, as she was too highly insulted by the elk
wife to ever return. Then the boy told about what
the elk wife had said and that she had called him flat
mouth. "My mother is determined to return to her
people, but if you want to follow us you may, and
perhaps, after she has visited with her relatives a
little while, you may induce her to return with you.
In the morning we are going to start very early, and
as the country we will travel through is very hard soil,
I will stamp my feet hard so as to leave my tracks
imprinted in the softest places, then you will be able
to follow the direction we will take."

The two went into the tent and were soon fast
asleep. The father, being very much fatigued, slept
very soundly, and when he awoke the sun was beating
down upon him. The mother and boy were nowhere
to be seen. The tent had been taken down from over
him so carefully that he had not been awakened. Get
ting his horse, he mounted and rode after the two who
had left him sleeping. He had no trouble in follow
ing the trail, as the boy had stamped his feet hard
and left his little tracks in the soft places.

That evening he spied the little tent again and

on getting to it found them both asleep. The boy

awoke and motioned for his father to go outside. He

again told his father that the next day's travel would

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MYTHS .*. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

be the hardest of all. "We will cross a great plain,
but before we get there we will cross a sandy hol
low. When you get to the hollow, look at my tracks ;
they will be deep into the sand, and in each track you
will see little pools of water. Drink as much as you
can, as this is the only chance you will get to have a
drink, there being no water from there to the big
ridge, and it will be dark by the time you get to the
ridge. The relations of my mother live at that ridge
and I will come and talk to you once more, before I
leave you to join my mother's people."

Next morning, as before, he awoke to find himself
alone. They had left him and proceeded on their
journey. He mounted again and when he arrived at
the sandy hollow, sure enough, there, deep in the
sand, were the tracks of his son filled to the top with
water. He drank and drank until he had drained
the last one. Then he arose and continued on the
trail, and near sundown he came in sight of their little
tent away up on the side of the ridge. His horse
suddenly staggered and fell forward dead, having died
of thirst.

From there he proceeded on foot. When he got
to where the tent stood he entered, only to find it
empty. "I guess my son intends to come here and
have his last talk with me," thought the father. He
had eaten nothing for three days, and was nearly fam
ished. He lay down, but the pangs of hunger kept
sleep away. He heard footsteps outside and lay in
readiness, thinking it might be an enemy. Slowly
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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

opening the covering of the door, his son looked in,
and seeing his father lying awake, drew back and ran
off up the ridge, but soon returned bringing a small
parcel with him. When he entered he gave the par
cel to his father and said: "Eat, father; I stole this
food for you, so I could not get very much." The
father soon ate what his son had brought. When he
had finished, the son said: 'Tomorrow morning the
relatives of my mother will come over here and take
you down to the village. My mother has three sis
ters who have their work bags made identically the
same as mother's. Were they to mix them up they
could not each pick out her own without looking in
side so as to identify them by what they have in them.
You will be asked to pick out mother's work bag, and
if you fail they will trample you to death. Next they
will tell you to pick out my mother from among her
sisters, and you will be unable to distinguish her
from the other three, and if you fail they will bury
you alive. The last they will try you on, in case you
meet the first and second tests successfully, will be
to require you to pick me out from my three cousins,
who are as much like me as my reflection in the wa
ter. The bags you can tell by a little pebble I will
place on my mother's. You can pick my mother out
by a small piece of grass which I will put in her hair,
and you can pick me out from my cousins, for when
we commence to dance, I will shake my head, flop my
ears and switch my tail. You must choose quickly,
as they will be very angry at your success, and if you
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MYTHS /. OF .'. THE /. SIOUX

lose any time they will make the excuse that you
did not know, that they may have an excuse to tram
ple you to death."

The boy then left, after admonishing his father
to remember all that he had told him. Early next
morning the father heard a great rumbling noise, and
going outside, he saw the whole hillside covered with
buffalo. When he appeared they set up a loud bel
lowing and circled around him. One old bull came
up and giving a loud snort, passed on by, looking back
every few steps. The man, thinking he was to fol
low this one, did so, and the whole herd, forming
a half circle around him, escorted him down the west
side of the range out on to a large plain, where there
stood a lone tree. To this tree the old bull led him and
stopped when he reached the tree. A large rock at
the foot of the tree served as a seat for the man. As
soon as he was seated there came four female buffaloes,
each bearing a large work box. They set the boxes
down in a row in front of the man, and the herd
crowded around closer in order to get a good view.
The old bull came to the front and stood close to the
bags, which had been taken out of the four boxes.

The man stood up, and looking at the bags, noticed
a small pebble resting on the one next to the left end.
Stepping over he pulled the bag towards him and
secretly pushed the little pebble off the bag, so that
no one would notice it. When they saw that he had
selected the right one, they set up a terrific bellow.

Then came the four sisters and stood in a line be-

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

fore the man. Glancing along from the one on the
right to the last one on the left, he stepped forward
and placed his hand on the one next to the right.
Thanks to his boy, if he hadn't put that little stem
of grass on his mother's hair, the father could never
have picked out his wife, as the four looked as much
alike as four peas. Next came the four boy calves,
and as they advanced they commenced dancing, and
his son was shaking his head and flopping his ears and
switching his tail. The father was going to pick
out his boy, when a fainting spell took him, and as he
sank to the ground the old bull sprang forward on
top of him, and instantly they rushed upon him and he
was soon trampled to a jelly. The herd then moved
to other parts.

The elk wife concluded that something had hap
pened to her husband and determined upon going
in search of him. As she was very fleet of foot it
did not take her long to arrive at the lone tree. She
noticed the blood splashed on the base of the tree,
and small pieces of flesh stamped into the earth. Look
ing closer, she noticed something white in the dust.
Stooping and picking it out of the dust, she drew
forth the cluster of different colored feathers which
had been fastened to her husband's forehead. She at
once took the cluster of feathers, and going to the
east side of the ridge, heated stones and erected a
wickie-up, placed the feathers inside, and getting wa
ter, she sprinkled the stones, and this caused a thick
vapor in the wickee-up. She continued this for a long
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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

time, when she heard something moving inside the
wickee-up. Then a voice spoke up, saying: ''Whoever
you are, pour some more water on and I will be all
right." So the woman got more water and poured
it on the rocks. "That will do now, I want to dry
off." She plucked a pile of sage and in handing it
in to him, he recognized his elk wife's hand.

They went back home and shortly after the buf
falo, hearing about him coming back to life, decided
to make war on him and kill him and his wife, she
being the one who brought him back to life. The
woman, hearing of this, had posts set in the ground
and a strong platform placed on top. When the buf
falo came, her husband, her son and herself, were
seated upon the bough platform, and the buffalo could
not reach them. She flouted her red blanket in their
faces, which made the buffalo wild with rage. The
hunter's friends came to his rescue, and so fast were
they killing the buffalo that they took flight and rush
ed away, never more to bother Pretty Feather Fore
head.

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX
THE FOUR BROTHERS

OR

INYANHOKSILA (STONE BOY)

Alone and apart from their tribe dwelt four or
phan brothers. They had erected a very comfortable
hut, although the materials used were only willows,
hay, birch bark, and adobe mud. After the comple
tion of their hut, the oldest brother laid out the dif
ferent kinds of work to be done by the four of them.
He and the second and third brothers were to do all
the hunting, and the youngest brother was to do the
house work, cook the meals, and keep plenty of wood
on hand at all times.

As his older brothers would leave for their hunt
ing very early every morning, and would not return
till late at night, the little fellow always found plenty
of spare time to gather into little piles fine dry wood
for their winter use.

Thus the four brothers lived happily for a long
time. One day while out gathering and piling up
wood, the boy heard a rustling in the leaves and
looking around he saw a young woman standing in
the cherry bushes, smiling at him.

"Who are you, and where did you come from?"
asked the boy, in surprise. "I am an orphan girl and
have no relatives living. I came from the village
west of here. I learned from rabbit that there were
four orphan brothers living here all alone, and that
the youngest was keeping house for his older broth-

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

ers, so I thought I would come over and see if I
couldn't have them adopt me as their sister, so that
I might keep house for them, as I am very poor and
have no relations, neither have I a home."

She looked so pitiful and sad that the boy thought
to himself, "I will take her home with me, poor girl,
no matter what my brothers think or say." Then he
said to her: "Come on, tanke (sister). You may go
home with me ; I am sure my older brothers will be
glad to have you for our sister."

When they arrived at the hut, the girl hustled about
and cooked up a fine hot supper, and when the broth
ers returned they were surprised to see a girl sit
ting by the fire in their hut. After they had entered
the youngest brother got up and walked outside, and
a short time after the oldest brother followed him
out. "Who is that girl, and where did she come
from?" he asked his brother. Whereupon the brother
told him the whole story. Upon hearing this the old
est brother felt very sorry for the poor orphan girl
and going back into the hut he spoke to the girl, say
ing: "Sister, you are an orphan, the same as we;
you have no relatives, no home. We will be your
brothers, and our poor hut shall be your home. Hence
forth call us brothers, and you will be our sister."

"Oh, how happy I am now that you take me as
your sister. I will be to you all as though we were
of the same father and mother," said the girl. And
true to her word, she looked after everything of her
brothers and kept the house in such fine shape that

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE /. SIOUX

the brothers blessed the day that she came to their
poor little hut. She always had an extra buckskin
suit and two pairs of moccasins hanging at the head
of each one's bed. Buffalo, deer, antelope, bear, wolf,
wildcat, mountain lion and beaver skins she tanned by
the dozen, and piled nicely in one corner of the hut.

When the Indians have walked a great distance
and are very tired, they have great faith in painting
their feet, claiming that paint eases the pain and rests
their feet.

After their return from a long day's journey, when
they would be lying down resting, the sister would
get her paint and mix it with the deer tallow and rub
the paint on her brother's feet, painting them up
to their ankles. The gentle touch of her hands, and
the soothing qualities of the tallow and paint soon put
them into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Many such kind actions on her part won the hearts
of the brothers, and never was a full blood sister
loved more than was this poor orphan girl, who had
been taken as their adopted sister. In the morn
ing when they arose, the sister always combed their
long black silken scalp locks and painted the circle
around the scalp lock a bright vermillion.

When the hunters would return with a goodly
supply of beef, the sister would hurry and relieve
them of their packs, hanging each one high enough
from the ground so the prowling dogs and coyotes
could not reach them. The hunters each had a post
on which to hang his bow and flint head arrows.

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MYTHS /. OF .*. THE .*. SIOUX

(Good hunters never laid their arrows on the ground,
as it was considered unlucky to the hunter who let
his arrows touch the earth after they had been out
of the quiver). They were all perfectly happy, until
one day the older brother surprised them all by say
ing: "We have a plentiful supply of meat on hand
at present to last us for a week or so. I am going
for a visit to the village west of us, so you boys all
stay at home and help sister. Also gather as much
wood as you can and I will be back again in four
days. On my return we will resume our hunting and
commence getting our year's supply of meat."

He left the next morning, and the last they saw
of him was while he stood at the top of the long range
of hills west of their home. Four days had come and
gone and no sign of the oldest brother.

"I am afraid that our brother has met with some
accident," said the sister. "I am afraid so, too," said
the next oldest. "I must go and search for him; he
may be in some trouble where a little help would get
him out." The second brother followed the direction
his brother had taken, and when he came to the top
of the long range of hills he sat down and gazed long
and steadily down into the long valley with a beau
tiful creek winding through it. Across the valley
was a long plain stretching for miles beyond and
finally ending at the foot of another range of hills, the
counterpart of the one upon which he sat

After noting the different landmarks carefully,
he arose and slowly started down the slope and soon

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MYTHS /. OF .*. THE .'. SIOUX

came to the creek he had seen from the top of the
range. Great was his surprise on arriving at the creek
to find what a difference there was in the appearance
of it from the range and where he stood. From the
range it appeared to be a quiet, harmless, laughing
stream. Now he saw it to be a muddy, boiling, bub
bling torrent, with high perpendicular banks. For a
long time he stood, thinking which way to go, up or
down stream. He had just decided to go down stream,
when, on chancing to look up, he noticed a thin col
umn of smoke slowly ascending from a little knoll.
He approached the place cautiously and noticed a
door placed into the creek bank on the opposite side
of the stream. As he stood looking at the door, won
dering who could be living in a place like that, it
suddenly opened and a very old appearing woman
came out and stood looking around her. Soon she
spied the young man, and said to him : "My grand
child, where did you come from and whither are you
bound?" The young man answered: "I came from
east of this ridge and am in search of my oldest
brother, who came over in this direction five days
ago and who has not yet returned."

"Your brother stopped here and ate his dinner
with me, and then left, traveling towards the west,"
said the old witch, for such she was. "Now, grand
son, come across on that little log bridge up the
stream there and have your dinner with me. I have
it all cooked now and just stepped outside to see if
there might not be some hungry traveler about, whom

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

I could invite in to eat dinner with me." The young
man went up the stream a little distance and found
a couple of small logs which had been placed across
the stream to serve as a bridge. He crossed over and
went down to the old woman's dugout hut. "Come
in grandson, and eat. I know you must be hungry."

The young man sat down and ate a real hearty
meal. On finishing he arose and said : "Grandmother,
I thank you for your meal and kindness to me. I
would stay and visit with you awhile, as I know it
must be very lonely here for you, but I am very anx
ious to find my brother, so I must be going. On my
return I will stop with my brother and we will pay
you a little visit."

"Very well, grandson, but before you go, I wish
you would do me a little favor. Your brother did
it for me before he left, and cured me, but it has
come back on me again. I am subject to very severe
pains along the left side of my backbone, all the way
from my shoulder blade down to where my ribs at
tach to my backbone, and the only way I get any
relief from the pain is to have some one kick me
along the side." (She was a witch, and concealed
in her robe a long sharp steel spike. It was placed
so that the last kick they would give her, their foot
would hit the spike and they would instantly drop
off into a swoon, as if dead.)

"If I won't hurt you too much, grandmother, I
certainly will be glad to do it for you," said the young
man, little thinking he would be the one to get hurt.

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

"No, grandson, don't be afraid of hurting me;
the harder you kick the longer the pain stays away."
She laid down on the floor and rolled over on to her
right side, so he could get a good chance to kick
the left side where she said the pain was located.

As he moved back to give the first kick, he glanced
along the floor and he noticed a long object wrapped
in a blanket, lying against the opposite wall. He
thought it looked strange and was going to stop and
investigate, but just then the witch cried out as if
in pain. "Hurry up, grandson, I am going to die
if you don't hurry and start in kicking." "I can in
vestigate after I get through with her," thought he,
so he started in kicking and every kick he would give
her she would cry: "Harder, kick harder." He had
to kick seven times before he would get to the end
of the pain, so he let out as hard as he could drive,
and when he came to the last kick he hit the spike,
and driving it through his foot, fell down in a dead
swoon, and was rolled up in a blanket by the witch
and placed beside his brother at the opposite side of
the room.

When the second brother failed to return, the third
went in search of the two missing ones. He fared no
better than the second one, as he met the old witch
who served him in a similar manner as she had his
two brothers.

"Ha! Ha!" she laughed, when she caught the
third, "I have only one more of them to catch, and
when I get them I will keep them all here a year,

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

and then I will turn them into horses and sell them
back to their sister. I hate her, for I was going to
try and keep house for them and marry the oldest
one, but she got ahead of me and became their sis
ter, so now I will get my revenge on her. Next
year she will be riding and driving her brothers and
she won't know it."

When the third brother failed to return, the sis
ter cried and begged the last one not to venture out
in search of them. But go he must, and go he did,
only to do as his three brothers had done.

Now the poor sister was nearly distracted. Day
and night she wandered over hills and through woods
in hopes she might find or hear of some trace of them.
Her wanderings were in vain. The hawks had not
seen them after they had crossed the little stream.
The wolves and coyotes told her that they had seen
nothing of her brothers out on the broad plains, and
she had given them up for dead.

One day, as she was sitting by the little stream
that flowed past their hut, throwing pebbles into the
water and wondering what she should do, she picked
up a pure white pebble, smooth and round, and after
looking at it for a long time, threw it into the water.
No sooner had it hit the water than she saw it grow
larger. She took it out and looked at it and threw
it in again. This time it had assumed the form of
a baby. She took it out and threw it in the third
time and the form took life and began to cry: "Ina,
ina" (mother, mother). She took the baby home and

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MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

fed it soup, and it being an unnatural baby, quickly
grew up to a good sized boy. At the end of three
months he was a good big, stout youth. One day
he said: ''Mother, why are you living here alone?
To whom do all these fine clothes and moccasins be
long?" She then told him the story of her lost broth
ers. "Oh, I know now where they are. You make
me lots of arrows. I am going to find my uncles."
She tried to dissuade him from going, but he was
determined and said : "My father sent me to you so
that I could find my uncles for you, and nothing can
harm me, because I am stone and my name is "Stone
Boy."

The mother, seeing that he was determined to go,
made a whole quiver full of arrows for him, and off
he started. When he came to the old witch's hut, she
was nowhere to be seen, so he pushed the door in and
entered. The witch was busily engaged cooking din
ner.

"Why, my dear grandchild, you are just in time
for dinner. Sit down and we will eat before you
continue your journey." Stone boy sat down and
ate dinner with the old witch. She watched him very
closely, but when she would be drinking her soup he
would glance hastily around the room. Finally he saw
the four bundles on the opposite side of the room, and
he guessed at once that there lay his four uncles.
When he had finished eating he took out his little pipe
and filled it with "kini-kinic," and commenced to
smoke, wondering how the old woman had managed

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

to fool his smart uncles. He couldn't study it out,
so when he had finished his smoke he arose to pre
tend to go. When the old woman saw him prepar
ing to leave, she said : "Grandson, will you kick me
on the left side of my backbone. I am nearly dead
with pain and if you kick me good and hard it will
cure me." "All right, grandma," said the boy. The
old witch lay down on the floor and the boy started
in to kick. At the first kick he barely touched her.
"Kick as hard as you can, grandson; don't be afraid
you will hurt me, because you can't." With that Stone
Boy let drive and broke two ribs. She commenced
to yell and beg him to stop, but he kept on kicking
until he had kicked both sides of her ribs loose from
the backbone. Then he jumped on her backbone
and broke it and killed the old witch.

He built a big fire outside and dragged her body
to it, and threw her into the fire. Thus ended the
old woman who was going to turn his uncles into
horses.

Next he cut willows and stuck them into the
ground in a circle. The tops he pulled together, mak
ing a wickieup. He then took the old woman's robes
and blankets and covered the wickieup so that no
air could get inside. He then gathered sage brush
and covered the floor with a good thick bed of sage;
got nice round stones and got them red hot in the
fire, and placed them in the wickieup and proceeded
to carry his uncles out of the hut and lay them down
on the soft bed of sage. Having completed carry-

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MYTHS .*. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

ing and depositing them around the pile of rocks,
he got a bucket of water and poured it on the hot
rocks, which caused a great vapor in the little wickie-
up. He waited a little while and then listened and
heard some breathing inside, so he got another buck
et and poured that on also. After awhile he could
hear noises inside as though some one were moving
about. He went again and got the third bucket and
after he had poured that on the rocks, one of the men
inside said: "Whoever you are, good friend, don't
bring us to life only to scald us to death again/'
Stone boy then said: "Are all of you alive?" "Yes,"
said the voice. "Well, come out," said the boy. And
with that he threw off the robes and blankets, and a
great cloud of vapor arose and settled around the
top of the highest peak on the long range, and from
that did Smoky Range derive its name.

The uncles, when they heard who the boy was,
were very happy, and they all returned together to
the anxiously waiting sister. As soon as they got
home, the brothers worked hard to gather enough
wood to last them all winter. Game they could get
at all times of the year, but the heavy fall of snow
covered most of the dry wood and also made it very
difficult to drag wood through the deep snow. So
they took advantage of the nice fall weather and by
the time the snow commenced falling they had enough
wood gathered to last them throughout the winter.
After the snow fell a party of boys swiftly coasted
down the big hill west of the brothers' hut. The

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MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .*. SIOUX

Stone boy used to stand and watch them for hours
at a time. His youngest uncle said : "Why don't you
go up and coast with them ?" The boy said : "They
may be afraid of me, but I guess I will try once,
anyway/' So the next morning when the crowd
came coasting, Stone boy started for the hill. When
he had nearly reached the bottom of the coasting hill
all of the boys ran off excepting two little fellows who
had a large coaster painted in different colors and
had little bells tied around the edges, so when the
coaster was in motion the bells made a cheerful tink
ling sound. As Stone boy started up the hill the
two little fellows started down and went past him as
though shot from a hickory bow.

When they got to the end of their slide, they got
off and started back up the hill. It being pretty steep,
Stone boy waited for them, so as to lend a hand to pull
the big coaster up the hill. As the two little fellows
came up with him he knew at once that they were
twins, as they looked so much alike that the only way
one could be distinguished from the other was by the
scarfs they wore. One wore red, the other black.
He at once offered to help them drag their coaster
to the top of the hill. When they got to the top the
twins offered their coaster to him to try a ride. At
first he refused, but they insisted on his taking it, as
they said they would sooner rest until he came back.
So he got on the coaster and flew down the hill, only
he was such an expert he made a zigzag course going
down and also jumped the coaster off a bank about

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

four feet high, which none of the other coasters dared
to tackle. Being very heavy, however, he nearly
smashed the coaster. Upon seeing this wonderful
jump, and the zigzag course he had taken going down,
the twins went wild with excitement and decided that
they would have him take them down when he got
back. So upon his arrival at the starting point, they
both asked him at once to give them the pleasure of
the same kind of a ride he had taken. He refused,
saying: "We will break your coaster. I alone nearly
smashed it, and if we all get on and make the same
kind of a jump, I am afraid you will have to go
home without your coaster."

"Well, take us down anyway, and if we break it
our father will make us another one." So he finally
consented. When they were all seated ready to start,
he told them that when the coaster made the jump
they must look straight ahead. "By no means look
down, because if you do we will go over the cut bank
and land in a heap at the bottom of the gulch."

They said they would obey what he said, so off
they started swifter than ever, on account of the ex
tra weight, and so swiftly did the sleigh glide over
the packed, frozen snow, that it nearly took the twins'
breath away. Like an arrow they approached the
jump. The twins began to get a little nervous. "Sit
steady and look straight ahead," yelled Stone boy. The
twin next to Stone boy, who was steering behind, sat
upright and looked far ahead, but the one in front
crouched down and looked into the coulee. Of course,

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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE /. SIOUX

Stone boy, being behind, fell on top of the twins, and
being so heavy, killed both of them instantly, crush
ing them to a jelly.

The rest of the boys, seeing what had happened,
hastened to the edge of the bank, and looking down,
saw the twins laying dead, and Stone boy himself
knocked senseless, lying quite a little distance from
the twins. The boys, thinking that all three were
killed, and that Stone boy had purposely steered the
sleigh over the bank in such a way that it would
tip and kill the twins, returned to the village with this
report. Now, these twins were the sons of the head
chief of the Buffalo Nation. So at once the chief and
his scouts went over to the hill to see if the boys had
told the truth.

When they arrived at the bank they saw the twins
lying dead, but where was Stone boy? They looked
high and low through the gulch, but not a sign ^ of
him could they find. Tenderly they picked up the
dead twins and carried them home, then held a big
council and put away the bodies of -the dead in Buf
falo custom.

A few days after this the uncles were returning
from a long journey. When they drew near their
home they noticed large droves of buffalo gathered
on their side of the range. Hardly any buffalo ever
ranged on this east side of the range before, and the
brothers thought it strange that so many should so
suddenly appear there now.

When they arrived at home their sister told them
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MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

what had happened to the chief's twins, as her son had
told her the whole story upon his arrival at home
after the accident.

"Well, probably all the buffalo we saw were here
for the council and funeral," said the older brother.
"But where is my nephew?" (Stone boy) he asked his
sister. "He said he had noticed a great many buffalo
around lately and he was going to learn, if possible,
what their object was," said the sister. "Well, we will
wait until his return."

When Stone boy left on his trip that morning,
before the return of his uncles, he was determined to
ascertain what might be the meaning of so many buf
falo so near the home of himself and uncles. He ap
proached several bunches of young buffalo, but upon
seeing him approaching they would scamper over the
hills. Thus he wandered from bunch to bunch, scat
tering them all. Finally he grew tired of their cow
ardice and started for home. When he had come to
within a half mile or so of home he saw an old shaggy
buffalo standing by a large boulder, rubbing on it first
one horn and then the other. On coming up close
to him, the boy saw that the bull was so old he could
hardly see, and his horns so blunt that he could have
rubbed them for a year on that boulder and not sharp
ened them so as to hurt anyone.

"What are you doing here, grandfather?" asked
the boy.

"I am sharpening my horns for the war," said the
bull.

—193—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .'. SIOUX

"What war?" asked the boy.

"Haven't you heard," said the old bull, who was
so near sighted he did not recognize Stone boy. "The
chief's twins were killed by Stone boy, who ran them
over a cut bank purposely, and the chief has ordered
all of his buffalo to gather here, and when they ar
rive we are going to kill Stone boy and his mother
and his uncles."

"Is that so? When is the war to commence?"

"In five days from now we will march upon the
uncles and trample and gore them all to death."

"Well, grandfather, I thank you for your informa
tion, and in return will do you a favor that will save
you so much hard work on your blunt horns." So say
ing he drew a long arrow from his quiver and strung
his bow, attached the arrow to the string and drew
the arrow half way back. The old bull, not seeing
what was going on, and half expecting some kind of
assistance in his horn sharpening process, stood per
fectly still. Thus spoke Stone boy :

"Grandfather, you are too old to join in a war now,
and besides if you got mixed up in that big war party
you might step in a hole or stumble and fall and be
trampled to death. That would be a horrible death,
so I will save you all that suffering by just giving you
this." At this word he pulled the arrow back to the
flint head and let it fly. True to his aim, the arrow
went in behind the old bull's foreleg, and with such
force was it sent that it went clear through the bull
and stuck into a tree two hundred feet away.
—104—

MYTHS /. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

Walking over to the tree, he pulled out his arrow.
Coolly straightening his arrow between his teeth and
sighting it for accuracy, he shoved it back into the
quiver with its brothers, exclaiming: "1 guess, grand
pa, you won't need to sharpen your horns for Stone
boy and his uncles."

Upon his arrival home he told his uncles to get to
work building three stockades with ditches between
and make the ditches wide and deep so they will hold
plenty of buffalo. "The fourth fence I will build my
self," he said.

The brothers got to work early and worked until
very late at night. They built three corrals and dug
three ditches around the hut, and it took them three
days to complete the work. Stone boy hadn't done
a thing towards building his fence yet, and there were
only two days more left before the charge of the buf
falo would commence. Still the boy didn't seem to
bother himself about the fence. Instead he had his
mother continually cutting arrow sticks, and as fast
as she could bring them he would shape them, feather
and head them. So by the time his uncles had their
fences and corrals finished he had a thousand arrows
finished for each of his uncles. The last two days
they had to wait, the uncles joined him and they fin
ished several thousand more arrows. The evening be
fore the fifth day he told his uncles to put up four
posts, so they could use them as seats from which to
shoot.

While they wrere doing this, Stone boy went out
—195—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

to scout and see how things looked. At daylight he
came hurriedly in saying, "You had better get to the
first corral; they are coming." "You haven't built
your fence, nephew." Whereupon Stone boy said:
"I will build it in time; don't worry, uncle." The dust
on the hillsides rose as great clouds of smoke from a
forest fire. Soon the leaders of the charge came in
sight, and upon seeing the timber stockade they gave
forth a great snort or roar that fairly shook the earth.
Thousands upon thousands of mad buffalo charged
upon the little fort. The leaders hit the first stockade
and it soon gave way. The maddened buffalo pushed
forward by the thousands behind them; plunged for
ward, only to fall into the first ditch and be trampled
to death by those behind them. The brothers were
not slow in using their arrows, and many a noble
beast went down before their deadly aim with a little
flnt pointed arrow buried deep in his heart.

The second stockade stood their charge a little
longer than did the first, but finally this gave way,
and the leaders pushed on through, only to fall into
the second ditch and meet a similar fate to those in
the first. The brothers commenced to look anxiously
towards their nephew, as there was only one more
stockade left, and the second ditch was nearly bridged
over with dead buffalo, with the now thrice mad
dened buffalo attacking the last stockade more fur
iously than before, as they could see the little hut
through the openings in the corral.

"Come in, uncles," shouted Stone boy. They obey-
—196—

MYTHS .'. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

ed him, and stepping to the center he said: "Watch
me build my fence." Suiting the words, he took from
his belt an arrow with a white stone fastened to the
point and fastening it to his bow, he shot it high in
the air. Straight up into the air it went, for two
or three thousand feet, then seemed to stop sudden
ly and turned with -point down and descended as
swiftly as it had ascended. Upon striking the ground
a high stone wall arose, enclosing the hut and all who
were inside. Just then the buffalo broke the last
stockade only to fill the last ditch up again. In vain
did the leaders butt the stone wall. They hurt them
selves, broke their horns and mashed their snouts, but
could not even scar the wall.

The uncles and Stone boy in the meantime rained
arrows of death into their ranks.

When the buffalo chief saw what they had to con
tend with, he ordered the fight off. The crier or
herald sang out: "Come away, come away, Stone boy
and his uncles will kill all of us."

So the buffalo withdrew, leaving over two thou
sand of their dead and wounded on the field, only to
be skinned and put away for the feasts of Stone boy
and his uncles, who lived to be great chiefs of their
own tribe, and whose many relations soon joined them
on the banks of Stone Boy Creek.

—197—

MYTHS /. OF /. THE .*. SIOUX

THE UNKTOMI (SPIDER), TWO WIDOWS,
AND THE RED PLUMS

There once lived, in a remote part of a great for
est, two widowed sisters, with their little babies. One
day there came to their tent a visitor who was called
Unktomi (spider). He had found some nice red
plums during his wanderings in the forest, and he said
to himself, "I will keep these plums and fool the
two widows with them." After the widows had bid
den him be seated, he presented them with the plums.

On seeing them they exclaimed "hi nu, hi nu (an
exclamation of surprise), where did you get those
fine plums?" Unktomi arose and pointing to a crim
son tipped cloud, said: "You see that red cloud? Di
rectly underneath it is a patch of plums. So large is
the patch and so red and beautiful are the plumS that
it is the reflection of them on the cloud that you see."

"Oh, how we wish some one would take care of
our babies, while we go over there and pick some,"
said the sisters. "Why, I am not in any particular
hurry, so if you want to go I will take care of my
little nephews until you return." (Unktomi always
claimed relationship with everyone he met). "Well
brother," said the older widow, "take good care of
them and we will be back as soon as possible."

The two then took a sack in which to gather the
plums, and started off towards the cloud with the
crimson lining. Scarcely had they gone from Unk-
tomi's sight when he took the babies out of their
swinging hammocks and cut off first one head and
—198—

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

then the other. He then took some old blankets and
rolled them in the shape of a baby body and laid one
in each hammock. Then he took the heads and put
them in place in their different hammocks. The bodies
he cut up and threw into a large kettle. This he
placed over a rousing fire. Then he mixed Indian
turnips and arikara squash with the baby meat and
soon had a kettle of soup. Just about the time the
soup was ready to serve the widows returned. They
were tired and hungry and not a plum had they.
Unktomi, hearing the approach of the two, hurriedly
dished out the baby soup in two wooden dishes and
then seated himself near the door so that he could
get out easily. Upon the entrance of the widows,
Unktomi exclaimed : "Sisters, I had brought some meat
with me and I cooked some turnips and squash with
it and made a pot of fine soup. The babies have just
fallen asleep, so don't waken them until you have
finished eating, for I know that you are nearly
starved." The two fell to at once and after they had
somewhat appeased their appetites, one of them arose
and went over to see how her baby was resting.
Noting an unnatural color on her baby's face, she
raised him up only to have his head roll off from the
bundle of blankets. "My son ! my son !" she cried
out. At once the other hastened to her baby and
grabbed it up, only to have the same thing happen.
At once they surmised who had done this, and caught
up sticks from the fire with which to beat Unktomi
to death. He, expecting something like this to hap
pen, lost very little time in getting outside and down

MYTHS .'. OF .'. THE .'. SIOUX

into a hole at the roots of a large tree. The two
widows not being able to follow Unktomi down into
the hole, had to give up trying to get him out, and
passed the rest of the day and night crying for their
beloved babies. In the meantime Unktomi had got
ten out by another opening, and fixing himself up
in an entirely different style, and painting his face in
a manner that they would not recognize him, he
cautiously approached the weeping women and in
quired the cause of their tears.

Thus they answered him: "Unktomi came here
and fooled us about some plums, and while we were
absent killed our babies and made soup out of their
bodies. Then he gave us the soup to eat, which we
did, and when we found out what he had done we
tried to kill him, but he crawled down into that hole
and we could not get him out."

"I will get him out," said the mock stranger, and
with that he crawled down into the hole and scratch
ed his own face all over to make the widows believe
he had been fighting with Unktomi. "I have killed
him, and that you may see him I have enlarged the
hole so you can crawl in and see for yourselves, also
to take some revenge on his dead body." The two
foolish widows, believing him, crawled into the hole,
only to be blocked up by Unktomi, who at once
gathered great piles of wood and stuffing it into the
hole, set it on fire, and thus ended the last of the
family who were foolish enough to let Unktomi tempt
them with a few red plums.

—200—

RETURN

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DUE AS STAMPED BELOW

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FORM NO. DD6

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
BERKELEY CA 94720-6000