The source of this uncorrected OCR text may be viewed as a digital facsimile at: http://fax.libs.uga.edu/ Dorsey THE PAWNEE P3D718 THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA THE PAWNEE MYTHOLOGY (Part I) Collected under the Auspices of the Carnegie Institution of Washington BY GEORGE A. Curator of Anthropology, Field Museum of Natural History WASHINGTON, D. C. Published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington 1906 UIBRAJRY OF r.roRGiA CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON Publication No. 59. PBINTED AND BOTTND BT WILLIAMS & WILKINS COMPAI/Y BALTIMOKK, MD. CONTENTS PAOK Preface .......................................................... 5 Introduction ..................................................... 7 MYTHS. I. TRUE STORIES OP THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 1. Origin of the Chaui............................................ C* 13 2. The Four Gods in the West..................................... K 19 3. The Small-Ants Bundle and the Buffalo.......................... C 21 4. The Four Gods of the North .................................... K 28 5. Long-Tongue, the Rolling Head ................................. C 31 6. How Evening Star's Daughter was Overcome ..................... S 38 j. The Daughter of the Evening Star and her Sacred Bundle ........... S 42 8. Contest between the Morning Star and the Moon................... C 43 9. Origin of the Basket Dice Game................................. S 44 10. The Originof a New Band...................................... K 46 11. How the People got the Crow-Lance ............................. K 50 12. The Origin of the Pipe-Stick Ceremony. .......................... S 52 13. The Girl who Married a Star .................................... K 56 14. The Grain-of-Corn Bundle...................................... S 58 15. The Meteorite People.......................................... S 51 16. Buffalo-Wife and Corn-Wife.................................... S 62 17. The Poor Boy who Married the Chief's Daughter................... C 58 18. The Cannibal Witch and the Boy who Conquered the Buffalo ........ K 72 19. The Warrior and the Black Lightning Arrow ...................... S 82 20. Spotted Horse; a Brave and a Chief.............................. S 86 21. The Boy who was Given Power to Call the Buffalo.................. K 90 22. The Son of Wind, Ready-to-Give ................................ C 90 23. The Man who Called the Buffalo................................. P 95 24. The Wonderful Boy........................................... S 95 25. The Boy who Preferred Woman to Power......................... S 102 26- The Buffalo Gaming Sticks ..................................... S 104 27. The Boy who Called the Buffalo and Went to North-Wind........... K 106 28. The Man who Married a Buffalo................................. P 109 29. How the Witch-Woman was Killed .............................. K 114 30. Pursuit by a Rattling Skull; the Pleiades.......................... K 119 31. The Poor Boy and theMudPonies............................... P 123 32. The Origin of the Buffalo Bundle ................................ K 124 33. The Last of the White Buffalo................................... K 126 34. The Wife who Returned from Spirit Land......................... P 125 35. How the World is to Come to an End............................. P 134 36- The Talking Membrum Virile ................................... K 137 ..37. The Hermaphrodite ........................................... K 138 38. The Scalped Men ............................................. S 139 * The letters C, K, S, and P indicate, respectively, the Chaui Kitkehahki, Skidi, and Pitahauirat. GENERAL LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA 2 CONTENTS II. TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. PAOB 39. Handsome-Boy and After-Birth Boy............................. S 143 40. Long-Tooth Boy.............................................. K 156 41. Long-Tooth Boy.............................................. K 156 42. Burnt-Belly and his Dreams .................................... C 156 43. The Boy who Wore a Woodpecker Cap ........................... P 159 44. The Shooting of the Squirrel's Nose............................. K 164 45. Origin of the Clam Shell........................................ S 167 46. The Poor Boy who Turned into an Eagle.......................... S 172 47. The Poor Boy who Lost his Power ............................... K 176 48. The Flint Man ................................................ K 178 49. The Turkey Ritual............................................ K 181 50. The Boy who Turned into a Prairie Dog .......................... K 183 51. The Gambler and the Gaming Sticks ............................. C 185 52. Young Hawk Hunts for his Mother .............................. S 191 53. The Dog-Boy who Married the Chief's Daughter ................... K 193 54. Sun-Ray who Mistreated his Wife ............................... K 194 55. Hawk Slays the Fire-Keeper.................................... K 196 56. The Singing Hawk ............................................ K 199 57. The Boy who Married a Buffalo ................................. K 203 58. Buffalo Wife and the Dispersion of the Buffalo..................... K 204 59. The Poor Boy who Wanted to get Married ....................... S 206 60. The Buffalo and Red-Spider-Woman's Daughter................... K 211 61. The Singing Buffalo Calf ....................................... K 313 62. The Buffalo and the Deer....................................... K 214 63. The Unfaithful Bundle Keeper .................................. K 215 64. The Hungry Coyote ........................................... K 216 65. The Gathering of the Priests .................................... K 217 66- The Man who Sang to Coyote ................................... K 218 67. How the Cannibal Spider-Woman was Overcome................... C 219 68. The Witch-Woman who Stole the Wonderful Robe ................. K 222 69. How the Cannibal Witch-Woman was Overcome................... C 225 70. TheGirlwho Called the Buffalo ................................. K 228 71. Wood-Rat-Woman who wished to be Married ..................... S 232 72. The Witch-Woman who wished to beMarried ..................... K 232 73. The Basket Game or the Woman in the Moon...................... S 233 74. The Girl, Spider-Woman, and the Ball Game....................... S 236 75. The Boy who Killed the Cannibal Witch.......................... K 239 76- The Witch-Woman and Her Home............................... S 240 III. THE ORIGIN OF MEDICINE CEREMONIES OR POWER. 77. The Medicine-Child and the Beaver Medicine...................... K 241 78. The Origin of the Loon Medicine Ceremony........................ S 254 79. The Lightning's Medicine Ceremony.............................. K 261 80. The Stone-Man Medicine-Lodge................................. K 279 81. The Fossil Giant Medicine-Lodge................................ P 294 82. The Squash Medicine .......................................... S 296 83. Origin of the Geese Medicine.................................... S 300 84. The Wonderful Boy who Killed his Father ........................ K 304 CONTENTS 3 PAGE 85. The Medicine-Man who Killed his Son........................... P 308 86- The Chief's Son who Received the Animal Power.................. K 312 87. The Thunder-Bird Ceremony.................................. K 314 88. Proud Boy and the Animal Medicine ............................ P 318 89. The Bear Medicine-Man....................................... C 330 90. The Bear Medicine........................................... S 336 91. The Bear Medicine and Ceremony.............................. S 346 92. The Buffalo Power and the Wild Horse Dance .................... C 355 93. The Origin of the Buffalo Ceremony............................. K 362 94. The Buffalo Medicine Dance ................................... K 369 95. The Woman and the Buffalo Dance ............................. K 370 96- The Buffalo Medicine Dance................................... K 372 97. The Buffalo-Game Medicine ................................... C 374 98. The Lost Warriorand the Singing Buffalo Medicine................ K 377 99. The Buffalo Medicine War Shield............................... S 378 100. The Man who Married a Deer.................................. S 380 101. The Deer Dance ............................................. P 382 102. The Wolf-Warrior. ........................................... K 384 103. The Coyote and Wolf Medicine................................. K 389 104. The Scalped-Man Medicine .................................... S 390 105. How the Pawnee got the Eagle-Dance........................... P 394 106- The Dog Medicine............................................ K 402 107. Burnt-Belly and the Dog...................................... K 404 108. The Eagle and the Sun-Dance.................................. S 407 109. The Skeleton-Man and the Sun-Dance........................... S 408 no. The Woman who was Bewitched by a Fox........................ K 409 in. Ghost-Man who Became a Whirlwind ........................... K 410 112. TheManwho Went toSpirit Land.............................. K 411 113. TheSpirit Wife and the Whistle-Dance.......................... P 413 114. Handsome-Boy.............................................. P 414 115. The Weeping Cedar Tree...................................... K 425 116- Big Turtle .................................................. K 426 IV. COYOTE TALES. 117. Coyote and the Scalped-Woman................................ K 428 118. How a Witch-Woman was Killed by Coyote ...................... S 430 119. Coyote Marries his Daughter................................... K 430 120. Coyote and his Two Wives Meet Wonderful Being................. K 432 121. Coyote Tries to Fool the Rain-Gods............................. K 434 122. Coyote and the Priests........................................ K 434 123. Coyote who1 Called Himself "Dragging-the-Stone"................. P 435 124. Coyote-Man and his Tricks .................................... S 439 125. Coyote Takes the Pipe Sticks to the Beavers ..................... P 445 126. Coyote and the Rolling Stone .................................. K 446 127. Coyote and the Rolling Skull.................................. K 447 128. Coyote Turns into a Buffalo ................................... P 449 129. Coyote Family Run After the Buffalo ........................... K 452 130. Coyote Steals Turtle's Buffalo.................................. K 453 131. Coyote and Bear............................................. S 454 4 CONTENTS PAGE 132. Coyote and Bear............................................. S 455 133. Coyote Shows Turkey the Scalp-Offering Ceremony............... S 456 134. Coyote and the Dancing Turkeys..................... ......... S 457 135. Coyote and the Turkeys Roll Down Hill ......................... S 458 136. Coyote and Prairie Chicken.................................... K 459 137. Coyote and Prairie Chicken.................................... S 460 138. Coyote Tries to Marry Rabbit.................................. S 461 139. Coyote and the Salt .......................................... S 462 140. Coyote and the Rosebuds ..................................... K 462 141. Coyote and the Artichoke ..................................... K 464 142. Coyote, the Plum Trees, and the Grape Vines..................... K 464 143. The Skunks and the Beavers................................... P 465 144. How Wild-Cat Killed the Bear ................................ S 467 145. How Rabbit Lost his Tail ..................................... S 458 146. The White and the Black Rats ................................. S 468 147. Turtle's War Party........................................... K 469 148. The Animal's War Party...................................... K 470 Abstracts .................................................. 473-546 PREFACE. This present memoir forms part of a series of investigations begun by the author among the tribes of the Caddoan stock on behalf of the Field Museum of Natural History, and continued since the beginning of 1903 under the auspices of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. The results of this investigation, which have appeared up to the present time, are as follows: 1. Wichita Tales, i. Origin. /. Am. Folk-Lore, vol. xv, pp. 215-239. 2. One of the sacred altars of the Pawnee. Traits. Int. Cong. of Ameri canists, pp. 67-74, 1902. 3. How the Pawnee captured the Cheyenne medicine arrows. Am. Anth. (n. s.), vol. v, pp. 644-658. 4. Wichita Tales. 2. The story of Weksalahos or the Shooting Stars. /. Am. Folk-Lore, vol. xvi, pp. 160-179. 5. An Arikara story-telling contest. Am. Anth. (n. s. ), vol. vi, pp. 240- 243, 1904. 6. Wichita Tales. 3. The two boys who slew the monsters and became stars. /. Am. Folk-Lore, vol. xvii, pp. 153-160, 1904. 7. Traditions of the Skidi Pawnee. Mem. Am. Folk-Lore, vol. viii, 1904. 8. Traditions of the Arikara. Pub. 17, Carnegie Institution of Wash ington, 1904. 9. The mythology of the Wichita. Pub. 21, Carnegie Institrtion' of Washington, 1904. 10. A Pawnee personal medicine shrine. Am. Anth. (n. s.), pp. 496-498, 'QOS- 11. Caddo customs of childhood. /. Am. Folk-Lore, vol. xviii, pp. 226- 228, 1905. 12. Traditions of the Caddo. Pub. 41, Carnegie Instit-ution of Washington, 1905. Part I of the mythology here presented contains the tales of the Kit- kehahki, Pitahauirat, and Chaui bands of Pawnee, as well as a few miscel laneous Skidi tales, and completes the work of recording the traditions of the Caddoan tribes; it will be followed by Part II, in which will be pre sented the music which belongs to certain tales of this memoir, and which will give the results of a comparative study of the tales of the various tribes of this stock, both among themselves and with the tales of other tribes of North America. The share of the work performed by Mr. James R. Murie has been as great in this present volume as in previous volumes, and without his keen interest and untiring patience the production of the memoir would not have been possible. GEORGE A. DORSEY. May i, 1906. 5 INTRODUCTION. The present memoir comprises one hundred and forty-eight tales, of which forty-five were obtained from nineteen Skidi informants, seven teen from five Pitahauirat informants, seventy-three from ten Kitke- hahki informants, and thirteen from five Chaui informants. Concern ing this representation it seems advisable to say a word. First, it should be noted that the Skidi tales here presented are to be regarded as sup plementary to those already printed in my "Traditions of the Skidi Paw nee." In the introduction to that volume a statement was made that tales which contained songs would be reserved for publication in a later volume. The forty-five Skidi tales here presented contain all those which were omitted in the memoir just referred to, and include also several others which have been obtained during the last two years. Next, it should be remembered that the Skidi to-day exceed in population the other three bands combined. In the Chaui band there are but two men living who may be regarded as full-blooded Chaui. Others, however, have married Chaui women, have become possessors of Chaui traditions and their bundles brought to them by their wives, and are generally con sidered as Chaui to-day. The Pitahauirat band is also small in numbers. The Kitkehahki is relatively more numerous than the two bands just men tioned, but the great number of tales from this band is rather due to the fact that thirty-four of the tales were obtained from a single informant. It appears that from the four bands thirty-nine informants are rep resented. These collectively represent practically the entire story-telling population of the Pawnee, for the tribe to-day numbers about five hun dred, whereas at the time of the removal of the Pawnee from Nebraska to Oklahoma, in 1874, they numbered over two thousand. This great decimation of their ranks, together with the almost total abandonment of their religious observances, has undoubtedly greatly influenced the volume of mythology in the tribe; especially is this known to be the case among the Skidi, where certain villages are no longer represented and nothing is known of the ritual accompanying the sacred bundle which belonged to that village and consequently nothing of the tales of its origin. Again, it may be pointed out that in the representations of the Pitahau irat and Chaui of to-day it is not at all likely that anything approaching a fair representation of their mythology may be obtained. It seems, how ever, that the inequality in the number of tales representing the bands 7 8 THE PAWNEE: MYTHOLOGY. is not as serious as might seem at first consideration; for, although the four bands have long been recognized as distinct, the Pawnee themselves are firm in the belief that the Chaui, Pitahauirat, and Kitkehahki origi nally formed a single band or division known as the Kawarahkis. The time of this union is believed to have been long before the advent of the whites; the belief is based on historic tradition and hence must be accepted as at least provisionally true. According to this tradition the Kawa rahkis at this time made their home near the present site of Nemaha, in the southeastern corner of Nebraska, near the Missouri River. From this point the Chaui and Kitkehahki, after their separation, went north, the Kitkehahki locating on the Republican River, where they were found by Pike, and the Chaui going to the northwest, where they settled south of the Platte River. After the departure of these two bands, the Kawa rahkis remained in the neighborhood of Nemaha for a long period and the remnant finally became known as the Pitahauirat. Early in this cen tury they also migrated to the northwest and occupied the area between the Chaui and the Kitkehahki. According to this tradition, therefore, the Chaui, Pitahauirat, and Kitkehahki form to-day remnants of what was once a single tribe, just as we have reason to believe that the Arikara and Skidi once formed a single tribe. The mythology of the three bands also leads to this belief, for their origin myths are practically the same, the variation which exists being due probably to the fact that since the bands became distinct each has acquired, generally from the Skidi, cer tain ceremonies or rites along with a story of origin. Thus it appears that the Pitahauirat, Kitkehahki, and Chaui would be likely to have a mythology which would show many points of difference from that of the Skidi. Were it possible to obtain a full account of their mythology, this difference, which undoubtedly exists, would probably be found to be much greater than now appears; at any rate it is known that their social organization and even many elements of their religion had much in common, but differed considerably from the Skidi. It may be further noted, however, that in general the tales of the four bands as they exist to-day form, a unit and have many characteristic features in common. This is due to the fact that for the last forty years the four bands have been closely associated, and that since their removal to Oklahoma they have been treated by the government as a single tribe and have been forced to intermingle in a manner which formerly would not have been possible. The rapidly diminishing size of the tribe has also tended to bind the four tribes closer and closer together, and for several years past they have freely visited back and forth during ceremonies, at which gatherings story-telling has been a regular feature. INTRODUCTION. 9 In Part II of this memoir will be found the results of a comparative study of the tales and incidents of the bands of the Pawnee, which in turn will be contrasted with the tales of other tribes of the so-called Cad- doan stock and with the tales of American Indians in general. It might be pointed out at this time that in cosmogonic beliefs and in tales explan atory of rituals the Skidi more nearly approach the Ankara1 than they do the other three bands of Pawnee. In the character of their so-called Coyote tales, however, the Skidi bears a closer resemblance to the other three bands than to the Arikara. This is as might be expected, for the Coyote tales would be much more likely to pass from one tribe to another through borrowing than would tales which relate to religious observances. It is interesting in this connection to note that the Skidi have had very little intercourse with the Arikara since their separation, about 1832. In the introduction to the "Traditions of the Skidi Pawnee" will be found a general characterization of the religious life of the Skidi and the circumstances under which the tales were told. These remarks, in gen eral, apply with equal force to the corresponding cultural elements of the other three bands. It should be noted, however, that the religion of the Chaui, Kitkehahki, and Pitahauirat collectively is not nearly so rich in ceremonies and accompanying rituals based upon the sacred bundles or altars as is that of the Skidi. Indeed, as stated before, there is some reason for believing that these three bands represent offshoots of the original Skidi through the single band of the Kawarahkis. For obvious reasons the basis of the arrangement of the tales in the present volume is not the band; thus, Skidi tales are not found in one group, Chaui in another, etc. Such grouping would imply and might lead to the belief that the tales presented, for example, in the Chaui group belong to the Chaui rather than to the other three bands, whereas the fact that a tale is ascribed to a Chaui informant means that and nothing more. It is quite possible, and generally more than likely, that the other three bands have a similar tale; indeed, in many cases variants have been obtained from other bands, some of which are here presented, but where they present no new incident they have not been recorded. The basis of the present grouping has been determined by considering the tales as forming the available mythology of a single tribe, and the basis of the grouping is that which is recognized by the Pawnee themselves, namely, the character of the tale. The arrangement has been made only after long and extended inquiry among the leading informants, and especially after carefully considering the subject with Mr. Murie, who is at the pres ent time probably the best informed man in his tribe. One of the dif- See "Traditions of the Ankara," p. 5. io THE PAWNEE: MYTHOLOGY. ficulties early discovered in the grouping of the tales is the fact that one version of a tale may be considered as having a certain character, while a slightly different version is related by another informant in another band, or even in the same band, and is considered as having an entirely different character. Hence it is that in one or two instances one version of a tale is found in one group, while another version is found in another group. Further difficulty of arrangement was encountered in the fact that a few tales lie close to the borderland of one or another group, and it often becomes a matter of considerable difficulty in deciding upon the proper position of a tale. In nearly every case, however, the estimate of the character of the tale as held by the informant has been observed. .^_ The Pawnee clearly recognizes two great categories of tales—those which are true and which are supposed to relate to things or events which actually happened, and those which are false and which are considered to have been invented by the Pawnee, especially by the old men, for the purpose of impressing some moral precept, illustrating some phase of ethical life, or of conveying a warning, etc. A division slightly more extended, however, than the one just noted has been followed, and the tales are divided into four groups, each group being preceded by a state ment which presents with sufficient fullness the common ground and common facts which connect together the tales of that group. Thus there are distinguished: (i) Tales which are true and which especially concern the supernatural beings of the heavens. Many of these tales are cosmogonic in nature, and nearly all possess some religious element. (2) Tales of Ready-to-Give, the major part of which are cultural hero tales which may be or may not be true, but which are associated with one of the supernatural beings of the north who is the supreme guardian deity of the people in matters pertaining to food quests. (3) Stories which are supposed to be true and which treat of the wonderful doings of the supernatural beings of the earth. The majority of these are concerned with the acquisition of an individual medicine or manitou, which may be transferred by sale or gift, but which is not necessarily hereditary. (4) Coyote tales, none of which are supposed to be true, but nearly all of which point a moral. It is interesting to note, concerning the Coyote tales as a group, that throughout the Coyote appears as a mean trick ster and that his position as transformer is secondary to that of certain heroes found in the second group. There is reason to believe that, while the Pawnee were in Nebraska, the word Coyote was rarely or possibly never used in connection with these tales, and that they were called instead Wolf tales, the Wolf being the mean trickster and not the Coyote. These Coyote or Wolf tales, in general, suggest to the Pawnee the mischievous INTRODUCTION. II performances of the Wolf sent by the Wolf-Star, who, in attempting to steal people from Lightning, introduces mortality on earth, and through Lightning's failure to sacrifice Wolf the earth becomes subject to war fare and death. Thus the original wolf is a transformer of far-reaching consequences and at the same time a veritable trickster. This latter element appears throughout all the Coyote tales. The transformer ele ment, as already noted, is as a rule much less prominent. It has not been possible to obtain, up to the present time, any lengthy connected story of creation such as has been recorded from the Navaho. It seems probable, however, that such tales as the one just referred to represent a studied effort on the part of the narrator or observer to com bine many elements in a continuous story. The Pawnee know of no such tale. It now seems quite certain to me, however, that a complete knowl edge of the rituals associated with the sacred bundles of the Skidi would furnish us with a fairly well-connected tale of origin of unusual interest. This, however, it will never be possible to obtain, as many chapters or sections of such a tale disappeared with the village and its bundle. Many sections of the story are still available, a few of which have already been given in popular form in the "Traditions of the Skidi Pawnee." The comment there made may be here repeated, namely, that as a rule myths which seem to be explanatory of rituals do not represent the official version. This is embodied in the ritual itself, which is chanted or sung during the ceremony. The meaning of the words of the ritual is generally obscure, often unintelligible even to the priest himself. In this connec tion it may be interesting to note that not for thirty years have the bundle ceremonies been held or their rituals chanted. It is all the more surprising that the priests remember as much about them as they do. Nearly one-half of the stories are accompanied by music and song, but only a free translation of the songs is given in the body of the stories. The music and text of the songs will be found in Part II. It is known that formerly songs existed with many of the other tales, but their words or music or both have been lost. The music and words of many songs have also been obtained from the narrators of many of the medicine stories. These songs, however, form an intrinsic part of the medicine man's ceremonies, and consideration of them is reserved for a more appropriate place. Accompanying the title of each tale is a note which bears the name of the informant and band. With a large number of tales there is also a brief explanatory note, in which is set forth the reason, as given by the informant, why the tale is told, and which supplements the general state ment given at the beginning of each group of tales. This information, 12 THE PAWNEE: MYTHOLOGY. with the grouping of the stories from the view point of the Indian, will, it is believed, assist materially in a proper understanding of the tales. With the note to many of the tales I have added a few words of explana tion where such seemed advisable. In a few instances the titles of tales are given in their proper places, but the tales themselves are found only in the abstracts, where they are pre sented in an abbreviated form. This has been done in order the more clearly to bring out the rank given the tale by the narrator. It would have been possible to have brought about a further shortening of the tales by omitting in a few other instances the full tale and presenting it only in abstract form. In such cases, however, where apparently this might have been done but has not, the tales from the point of view of the Pawnee are different not only in character but in their origin, and either relate to different ceremonies or customs or point an entirely different moral. I. TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. The stories in the first group, as the division headline indicates, are all supposed to be true and to describe events which actually took place. Furthermore, these tales are nearly all connected with the sacred bundle or altar ceremonies, and in general may be considered as explanatory of the ceremony, or of some episode of the ceremony, or even as account ing for the very origin of the ceremony. These tales, as a rule, are told only during ceremonies, especially during the intermissions or pauses in the ceremony which occur from time to time between rites, or during resting periods in the chanting of a long ritual. During such intermissions anyone of those present may ask of the priests for such a tale. Espe cially is it the privilege of the one who has made the ceremony possible, by providing the food for the sacrifice and feast, to ask that such a tale be related. These tales may also, under certain circumstances, be told outside the ceremonial lodge, as, for example, a group of young men, by presenting on an appropriate occasion a ceremonial pipe to one who knows the story, could ask him to relate what he had heard during his presence in a ceremony. These stories are told, as a rule, in the fall and winter rather than in the spring and summer, and the chief object in relating them is to furnish instruction. Collectively they form a popu lar account of the Pawnee belief in the doings and performances of the supernatural beings. I. ORIGIN OP THE CHAUI.1 After Tirawa had created the sun, moon, stars, the heavens, the earth, and all things upon the earth, he spoke, and at the sound of his voice a woman appeared upon the earth. Tirawa spoke to the gods in the heav ens and asked them what he should do to make the woman happy and •Told by Roaming-Chief, hereditary chief of the Chaui. The grandfather of Roaming-Chief was a Kitkehahki who married a Chaui woman and finally became chief of the Chaui. The result of this union was two children, one of whom was the famous Pitalesaru who was appointed by the United States Government as chief of the confederated bands of the Pawnee. His sister was the mother of Roaming- Chief. The tale possibly contains Kitkehahki elements, although it is claimed to be representative of the Chaui. It has its origin _frpm a bundle on one_pf_the sacred altars, and is handed down from onej^neratipn_td"anplher.' Anyone malong an tjfferirigot buffalo meat for tBe opening of the altar Is privileged to hear the story. .^ It is supposed espCLidHy-ttrmstHl the belief of the^great power of Tirawa and to ' inspire confidence in his ability to send the buffalo. ~"~ 14 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. that she might give increase. The Moon spoke and said, "All things that you have made, you have made in pairs, as the Heavens and the Earth, the Sun and the Moon. Give a mate to the woman so that the pair may live together and help one another in life." Tirawa made a man and sent him to the woman; then he said: "Now I will speak to both of you. I give you the earth. You shall call the earth 'mother.' The heavens you shall call 'father.' You shall also call the moon 'mother,' for she rises in the east; and you shall call the sun 'father,' for he rises in the east. In time you, woman, shall be known as 'mother,' and the man shall be known as 'father.' I give you the sun to give you light. The moon will also give you light. The earth I give you, and you are to call her 'mother,' for she gives birth to all things. The timber that shall grow upon the earth you shall make use of in many ways. Some of the trees will have fruit upon them. Shrubs will grow from the ground and they will have berries upon them. All these things I give you and you shall eat of them. Never forget to call the earth 'mother,' for you are to live upon her. You must love her, for you must walk upon her. I will now show you how to build a lodge, so that you will not be cold or get wet from the rain. Go and get timber. Cut ten forked sticks and set them in a circle. Cut some poles to lay across the forks. Four of the upright forks must form a parallelogram, with the longest sides extending east and west. The posts that are set in the ground to uphold the lodge represent the four gods who hold up the heavens in the northeast, northwest, southwest, and southeast. There are minor gods between these, with powers that connect the power of one god to another. There is also an outer circle of many gods, and you shall cut poles to represent them; their power also extends from one god to another. The south side of the lodge will be for the men, for the men will be strong, and so they must be on the right. The north side shall be for the women, for they are not as strong as the men and so must be on the left. The entrance of the lodge shall always face the east, for the lodge that you are to build shall breathe as if human. Five posts are on the south side, representing the five branches of the man, two legs, two arms and head. The five forks at the north also stand for the five branches of the woman. You shall net willows together. These shall be thrown upon the east side of the four posts that stand for the gods in the heavens. These netted willows represent the ribs of the gods that the posts represent. When the lodge is complete, dig in the center for the fireplace and I will give you fire-sticks so that you can make your fire. These fire-sticks belong to the sun. When you make the fireplace, dig up the dirt in the center of the lodge and take it out and place it in front of the lodge in ORIGIN OP THE CHAUI. 15 the form of a mound, so that when the sun shall rise in the east he will see that mound. Fire will do many things for you. After you have com pleted the fireplace, make the ground even inside of the lodge, leaving only one small mound in the west for an altar. Kill a buffalo and place the skull on the altar. Though the skull has no life in it, I, Tirawa, or the spirit of the buffalo will be present there when the rays of the sun shine upon it. For this reason always keep the skull on the altar, facing east, so that the first rays of the sun, as it enters the lodge, will shine upon it. Whenever you kill an animal, take fat and grease the parts so that you will remember that there are gods in the heavens, located as the posts of your lodge are. Whenever I, or the buffalo spirit, am away from the altar the minor gods will dwell there until we return. I will give you a sacred bundle to hang upon the wall over the altar. The woman will have charge of the bundle, and it is to be opened at certain times, so that you may see the things that are in it. I also give you a pipe and native tobacco and mother-corn, and painted sticks with scalps on them. Keep these painted sticks stuck around outside of the lodge, one in each of the four directions. All of the animals and all of the birds shall have power from the bundle and they shall go in pairs and have increase, as you shall have. Remember the skull, for I have placed it in your lodge to live with you and communicate with you. Listen to the thunder, for it is your father's voice. You must sacrifice things to him and to the other gods in the heavens. I now give you, man, a bow and arrows, which are to be known as the 'wonderful bow and arrows.' You, too, woman, I give a bow and arrows and also a hoe made from the shoulder blade of a buffalo; and seeds of four different colors, red, yellow, black, and white, and you shall have corn of these colors. Make a pot from the clay of the earth and cook the corn on the fire and eat it. I will tell you what herbs to eat and what ones to give to the sick. Eat these things and the flesh of animals." When they had completed the lodge the woman was the first to enter it. She had with her some corn that she had raised from the seeds, and this she offered to the four gods, the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. As she put the corn upon each post she pressed it upon the posts and rubbed upwards. The man killed an animal with his bow and arrows, from which he took the fat, and he greased the four posts and placed the skull upon the altar. After a time Tirawa spoke to them again and asked the man if he knew what the lodge represented. The man did not know. Tirawa then spoke and said: "I told you to call the earth 'mother.' The lodge represents the mother's breast. The smoke that escapes from the opening is like the milk that flows from the mother's 16 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. breast. You also have a fireplace where your food is cooked. When you eat the things that are cooked, it is like sucking a mother's breast, because you eat and grow strong. I make you to live in the lodge, and you shall increase, but you are not to live forever. You are to die, and will be placed under the ground again. You and your children must always remember that I gave you life, but you are to return to the earth again. You, woman, take this speckled corn that I give you and put it in a clay pot with water and place it upon the fire to boil. After the water has boiled away and gone up into the air, eat of the dry mush that is left and feed it to your husband and you shall have increase." They ate of the mush and had increase. Then Tirawa spoke to them again and gave them many wonderful ceremonies. Two of the ceremonies have been handed down through all generations. One of the ceremonies is known as the Woman-dance, and it is to remind the people that it was Tirawa who gave them light. This was the first dance that Tirawa ever gave to the people. The other ceremony that has been handed down is known as the Starisu, Woman's dance, and it is formed as follows: In the winter time, when the Pawnee are hunting buffalo, the chiefs will let the people know that they want meat for this particular cere mony. The young men of high birth will try to kill the fattest buffalo in the bunch, so that they can take this meatto the chief's lodge. Several buffalo will be killed for this purpose, and these buffalo will be taken to the chief's lodge, where the meat is jerked and dried. Early in the spring the people have planted their corn and it is now time for them to go buffalo hunting again. Then the four priests with one chief enter the lodge of a chief and they make known to him that they wish now to have the ceremony. The chief gives his consent. The women at once clear from the lodge their beds and other things, then the lodge is swept out with eagle-wing fans. The four priests take their seats at the west, the chief walks up, and the four priests make an opening in the center for him. The errand man is sent out by the chief to invite the young men and girls of high birth. These young people come in; the girls take their seats on the north side of the lodge, and the young men take theirs on the south side. The chief speaks and says: "My friends, this is a day that we have selected to have a dance, that Tirawa gave us. We were told in olden times that Tirawa promised to send buffalo to us if we should give this dance. We will now give the dance." He tells them to paint, dress, and prepare for the dance. The chief puts on his leggings, then takes the holy ointment from the bundle, arises and stands in front of them, and tells them that they must put upon themselves the grease of the buffalo, for they are about to imitate them. He tears the fat in two pieces ORIGIN OF THE CHAUI. IJ and gives one piece to the first young man, the other to the first young woman. The boy greases his body, then hands the piece of fat to the next young man. After all of the young men have greased themselves, the fat is given to the two priests in the west, who also grease themselves. The fat that is given to the girl is also handed down to all the girls, who grease their faces, bodies, and hair. After they have used it they return it to the two priests in the west and they grease themselves. The two pieces of fat are then placed in front of the chief. The chief puts them together, then tells the people that Tirawa gave them this dance because the people were hungry. He tells them the following: "The young man who had charge of the dance had given it and gone away, and left the people starving. He was guided by the Moon to a hilly country, and there on a hillside he was taken into a cave, and in the cave was a tipi and outside sat an old woman, who said: 'I am the Moon. I brought you here. I know the people are in need of food. Tirawa promised them that he would give them buffalo. Buffalo are scarce upon the earth, so we will have to send to them some buffalo that live under the ground. Take these pieces of fat and let the people eat or chew on it and get the grease out of it, and then they will feel better.' The young man returned and gave the people the fat, and everybody chewed a little of it. The young man went back into the cave and there found a young girl sitting outside of an earth-lodge. In front of her sat a basket with plum seeds in it. To her right were the gambling sticks. When the young woman saw him she took up the sticks and the ring and gave them to him, saying: 'Take this. Let the men of your people play with these sticks, so that they will not think about eating.' Then she picked up the basket with the plum seeds and said: 'Take this to the women. Let them play with the basket and seeds, so they will not think about eating. Take these two pieces of dried meat and gather the children and let them eat of it. The buffalo are far away. It will be some time before they can go out of the earth.' The young man returned to the people and gave the men the gambling sticks and the women the basket and seeds, and the children he gathered and gave them a piece of meat, so that they were filled. Several days afterward he went down to the pond and saw the same woman standing in the pond. She told him to go and stand outside of the entrance of the cave while she called the buffalo. She hallooed as follows: '' Lihoo-oo-oo-oo! Lihoo-oo-oo-oo! Lihoo-oo-oo-oo! Lihoo-oo-oo-oo! 18 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. "At the last call the buffalo rushed out from the cave. The young man returned to the people and told them there were buffalo now on the prairie. The people went and killed many buffalo." And so, as he concludes his story, he says: "We must perform the cere mony correctly; so that when we go out upon the hunt we may find many buffalo." Then he is seated. He takes the four water drums and gives each of the priests one. He selects three of the older men to stay with the priests, to whom he gives the gourd rattles, keeping the largest rattle for himself, to show that he is the leader of the ceremony. He tells the two soldiers to prepare their costume. Each puts on a bustle made of crow feathers and a coyote tail, and each wears a red headdress. Then they take up their long sticks. When the chief sees that the soldiers are ready he puts his mysterious headdress upon his head, then covers it with black. He then leads and the priests follow, carrying their drums and rattles with them. A mat has been spread outside the lodge. There they seat themselves, the chief sitting at the west, facing the east, with the men on either side of him. They are now ready to sing. The chief then orders one of the chiefs to call the people out, as the young man called the buffalo, making the peculiar noise four times. When the chief has finished call ing, the two men with the pipes, who are standing at the entrance, lead the procession out. First after the priests come four young men, then four young women, four young men, and so on, and finally the soldiers, who dance with the sticks as they come out. The song that is sung at this time is about a child growing from childhood to manhood. The pro cession comes out and goes around outside the singers four times, then stops dancing and sings another song. This song is about young men who can hunt buffalo and the enemy. When the song is completed they sing the song about calling the buffalo. Then they go around the sing ers four times, then stop and sing the last song, which is about the bulls and old cows dropping out from the main herd on account of old age. Then they enter the lodge. The chief, still wearing his mysterious head dress, takes one of the pipes, already filled with native tobacco, and smokes toward the east, then toward the south, then toward the west, then from the west to the fireplace, then from the fireplace to the west, then to the northeast. He then goes around by way of the north and lets one of the drummers smoke. He goes around the fireplace to the drummers by way of the south again and lets one of the drummers smoke. Then he goes to the singers and they all smoke. He takes the pipe, stands by the fireplace, facing the east, and empties the ashes from the pipe, then passes his hands over the pipe four times, above four times, I ORIGIN OF THE CHAUI. 19 upon the ground four times, then he gives the pipe to one of the priests, who says, "Nawa." Then all say, "Nawa." Two men are selected and they cut up the meat and boil it. The chief tells a certain young man to take some grease from the soup, to rub it upon the posts on the south east, the southwest, the northwest, and the fireplace; then to the north east. Then he is told to pour the grease into the center of the fireplace. He then gives the buffalo-horn spoon to the chief, who says, "Nawa," and sits down. The meat is divided among the people and the chief speaks and says: "I am satisfied. We are about to go hunting. We have gone through this ceremony given to us by our forefathers. I have tried to go through it as nearly as I could the way they were told to do by Tirawa. We have given the call of the buffalo. The buffalo under the earth have heard. They will help to send the buffalo to us on the buffalo hunt. Arise, and go out of the entrance that is known as the 'wonderful buffalo's entrance.' " 2. THE FOUR GODS IN THE WEST.1 A long time ago, when the people were first put upon the earth, they were placed near what is now Nemaha, Nebraska. There the people who were first created, two in number, made their earth-lodge. This earth- lodge faced west. As these two people increased they had many children and they married. The old people gave the children who were married separate lodges. Now, these three lodges of the people were living upon artichokes, ground beans, and other things which they could dig up. The two people in the first lodge had a sacred bundle, and they had many children, as well as the children who had married. These other two people who had married now also had many children. These people all moved west. One village was always made behind, while the two other villages were made in front of the other one. On their journey they stoppe'd at one place. They began to play with the gambling sticks2 on the south side of the village. Among the people was one who did not seem to care for anything. One day, as they were playing with the sticks, this man came and sat down close by where the people were playing. When it became too dark to play with the sticks the people took the •Told by Thief, or Jackson-Crusoe, now one of the oldest members of the Kitkehahki tribe, and formerly of the recognized rank of warrior. This story is of special interest on account of its reference to Nemaha, Nebraska, as the original home of the ancestors of the Kitkehahki. The story of the four gods of the west is said to be the especial property of the altar originally in possession o_f the Kawarahkis, from which band, as noted in the introduction, the Kitkehahki, Pitahauirat, and Chaui are supposed to be descended. 'This refers to the ring and javelin game of the Pawnee, in which the ring is of small size and the javelin bears two cross bars and symbolizes the buffalo. 20 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. Sticks home, but the man remained at the playground. Just as he was about to get up, he heard a grunting sound like that of a woman. He looked and he saw in the dusk a woman coming to the gambling grounds. She passed through the grounds and went around and back over the hill again. The man went home and told the people that he had seen a strange woman; that the woman had a covering over her which was all over her hair. Early the next morning this man went to the ground and he looked for the footprints of the woman. Instead of footprints of the woman he found tracks of an animal whose hoofs were split. He then cried toward the village for the people to come and see the tracks. The people came and saw them. The people did not like to play again upon the ground, but some said, "Play on, for we have seen the tracks." So the people began to play with the sticks again. Late in the afternoon they saw a woman coming from a hill. When she reached the bottom of the hill she ran across the playground and passed the man who was seated nearby. She passed in front of him, and circling around, went over the hills and turned into a buffalo. The man who was seated jumped up and ran after the Buffalo. The man ran after the Buf falo for many, many days. After a while they came to a place where there was nothing but water. The man knew no more. Some time afterwards the Buffalo touched him and said, "Come with me." The man followed the Buffalo, and it led him into a lodge. In the lodge sat four men in the west. When the man entered the lodge these four old men greeted him with, "Nawa." Then the four men said: "We are the four gods in the west. The gods gave us power to create everything. We sent for you, for here in our lodge we have a buffalo. We want the people to live on buffalo, and before we turn these buffalo loose we wish to show you how to prepare your meat. You see this lodge is half filled with parfleches, and inside of the parfleches is dried meat. Each parfleche has a whole buffalo in it. We shall show you how your people must do." Then they opened a par fleche. They took therefrom the heart and tongue of a buffalo. They made a fire. They put the heart and tongue upon the fire. They said: "This you shall do for us when you have killed the buffalo. Take these seeds and give them to your people." The seeds were tied up in a little piece of buffalo skin. The seeds were corn, beans, squash, and native tobacco. Theysaid: "We will now turn the buffalo loose. Youmustnot go far from them, for we wish them to follow you to your village." A robe was placed upon the man and he was told to go. When he went out of the lodge he knew no more until a little blue bird touched him upon the back of his neck and he seemed to wake up. He had the robe on and so he knew that it was all true. He went to the people and told them THE FOUR GODS IN THE WEST. 21 of his journey, and that the gods in the west had sent him back with the buffalo. The people took their bows and arrows and in a day or so they saw the buffalo. The people were afraid of them, for this was the first time they had seen any buffalo. When they had killed some of them and tasted of the meat they thought it was very good. They offered the heart and tongue to the four gods in the west, as they had been told to do. This is why the three bands, Pitahauirat, Chaui, and Kitkehahki, instead of making any offering to Tirawa, make their first offering to the four deities who stand in the west. 3. THE SMALL-ANTS BUNDLE AND THE BUFFALO.1 My grandfather told me that our people were put upon the earth a long time ago, when there were no seeds to plant or buffalo to hunt. They wandered from place to place and fed upon roots, berries, and pond lilies. After they had wandered for many years they reached the north country and there they found small game, which they killed and ate. While they were living in that distant and strange country, a young man told his father to speak to the chief of the people and tell them that they must go even farther north. The father listened to the words of the young man, for he knew that he was wise, and he knew that he spent many nights upon the top of a hill near the village in prayer. The father said, "My son, who told you that we must go farther north?" The boy answered his father and said: "Mother-Moon has told me to tell the people to continue their journey toward the north. She also told me that there were certain things that we must receive from Mother-Corn." The father then went and told the chief what the boy said. The chief was glad, and he told the people to continue their journey; that some young man had received word from above that the people should keep on their journey toward the north. The people were glad to hear this; but as they traveled on, roots and the things that they lived on became very scarce. The people began to complain. They called the chief names, and they wanted to know who the young man was who had told them to continue their journey. One time the young man went ahead and there waited for the people. As they passed by him he said that he was the one who had told the chief 'Told by Red-Sun, a Chaui medicine-man who died in 1903 while on a visit to the Cheyenne. He was one of Captain Pratt's scouts. The tale has its origin from the altar known as the Small-Ant Altar, and was related during the intermission in the ceremony, if its telling was requested. The story teaches many things, and especially the origin of seeds and buffalo, which were obtained from Moon-Woman, who lived in a cave in the side of a hill, and it especially points out the folly of being careless in regard to food. 22 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. to continue the journey; that there was a certain place where they were to go, and there they must make their village and stay. This place was somewhere near what is now called Nemaha, Nebraska. They came to a place where there were many ponds and the entire country was swampy, so that the people did not have to go very far to find lilies, stems of reeds, and other things to eat. Here they stopped and began to make grass- lodges. Near these grass-lodges was a high hill. At the foot of the high hill a spring gushed forth, and the water from the spring made the lands swampy. The children played and swam in the ponds. The people noticed that every night the young man went up on the high hill that was near the village, and there he stood crying, sometimes for several days and nights at a time. After a while he stopped going out in the night, but every day he went up on the high hill and in the evening he came down to the village. After a time the young man heard the people complaining for want of food, for they had dug up nearly all the roots and lilies there were in the ponds. The children cried for some thing to eat, and the young man felt sad. One day while he was upon the hill crying another man came to him and asked him what he was cry ing about. The young man said that he was crying because the people were poor and were hungry. The man said: "I have many children and they cry for something to eat. We have eaten nearly all our pack dogs." The two cried together and in the evening they went to the village, and as the young man went into the pond to swim he heard some one call him by name. He looked and he saw in the pond the Moon. He swam to the place where he saw the Moon in the water, and when he came close to the place he saw an old woman who looked at him. She said: "I heard you crying. You are sorry for your people. It was I who told you to command the people to come to this place. I promised to give them certain things. Go to the high hill again to-night and cry. Leave the other man alone." The old woman disappeared; then the young man, instead of going to the village, went upon the high hill. There he stood crying all night. In the morning he came down, went to the spring to drink, and as he knelt down to drink he looked up into the cave from which came the stream of water, and he saw the old woman sitting there. She spoke to the young man and said, "Go upon the hill again, and before sunset come down and drink again of this spring." The young man went upon the high hill and stood crying, and while he was there the other man came and stood by him and cried. The young man stopped crying and went to the man and said: "My brother, go down to the village to your people and stay with them. Leave me alone upon this high hill. Encourage THE SMALL-ANTS BUNDLE AND THE BUFFALO. 23 the children and tell them that before very long they shall have some thing to eat." The man went down into the village and the young boy was left upon the hill. Before sunset he went down the hill, and as he knelt down to drink from the spring he looked into the cave, and there sat a young girl. He bowed his head to the water and drank. When he looked up there sat an older woman. He drank again and when he looked up there sat a middle-aged woman. He drank again and when he looked up there sat the old woman. He drank again and when he looked up the old woman had disappeared. Then he sat down at the mouth of the cave and waited. After a while he heard a voice from the cave calling him. The young man crawled up into the cave, and after he had crawled for some distance, some one called to him and said, "Stand up and look." The young man stood up and looked and he saw another country. The old woman took him to her earth-lodge and said, "My son, stand at the entrance and look west." The boy looked to the west and there he saw a young girl. She told the young man to go farther into the lodge and look to the south west. He did so, and there stood an older woman. She told him to go farther into the lodge and look in the southwest. There in the south west stood a middle-aged woman. She then told him to go farther into the lodge and look toward the east. The boy looked and he saw the old woman again. She disappeared. After a while some one spoke to him where he stood at the west of the lodge. He looked around and there the young girl stood and said, "Now do you know me?" The young man said, "No." The young girl said, "I am the new Moon. The old woman that you saw is a few days older than I am. The other woman you saw is older by many days. Then you saw the old woman in the east. She is the Moon become old. She disappears and I come again as a girl. Let us now go out and I will speak to you outside." When they were outside they sat down, and when the young man saw the girl it was not the girl but the old woman who said: "The gods in the heav ens are not yet ready to send the buffalo to your people, but the buffalo are ready for the people, and the buffalo have given me these sticks (buffalo game) with the ring. These you shall take into the village for the young men to play with. This basket of plum seeds you shall also take and give to the women to play with. I know that the people are very hungry. Every morning the men must take these sticks and this ring and play with them outside of the village. The men will play with the sticks so that they will not think about being hungry. The women will play the basket and seeds game so that they will not think about eating. Now go back to your village, but return to us again." The 24 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. young man went into the village in the night and took with him the sticks and the ring, the basket and the seeds. In the morning the young man told his father to invite the chief and the leading men. The chief and the leading men came into their lodge. The boy said: "Chiefs and head men, take these sticks outside the village and call all the men and let them play with these sticks. Take also this basket and these plum seeds and give them to the women, so that they can play with them and not think about eating." The chief selected several men to take the sticks out and show the men how to play with them. The chief also selected two men to take the basket and plum seeds and to teach the women how to play with them. The men liked this game. There were so many men playing that other sticks were made for boys to play with. There were also so many women playing the basket game that some of the women made other baskets and seeds for their daughters, so that the girls could play the game. The young man was satisfied with the way the games were accepted. He returned to the cave and the old woman was there to meet him. She said: "I want you to look through this land. There are many earth- lodges in this country." The young man looked, and he saw what appeared to him to be many ant-hills. He saw people coming out and going in again. The old woman said, "My son, you will have villages like these that you have seen; there will be many people." The old woman then took the boy into her own lodge and they stood on the west side, and the old woman said: "Now look. I want you to examine closely the way this lodge is built, for your people must build lodges like this. Where we stand the altar shall be. When you have killed the buffalo that I have promised you, you must place the skull at the altar." Then they went to the entrance on the north side, and she told the young man to sit down. She then went to the north of the lodge and picked up a wooden bowl filled with grains of corn. She told the young man to take the bowl full of corn with him and some night to give a few kernels to each individual in the village, so that all might eat of it. She went to the north side of the lodge and brought a small bowl of dried meat cut up. "This bowl of meat," she said, "you must put under your robe, and when the people come to get the corn you must give each a piece of this meat. Tell them to chew it, and not to swallow it for some time." The old woman then told the young man to go to the village and to feed the people. The young man went down, and went into his lodge. He set down the bowls of corn and meat and awoke his mother and told her to make a fire. When the fire was made the young man told his mother to tell all the people in the lodge to stay around by the fire. Then the THE SMALL-ANTS BUNDLE AND THE BUFFALO. 25 young man took the bowls and went around, giving each a few grains of corn and a piece of meat. When the people in the lodge were satisfied the young man told his father to send for the chief. The chief came into the lodge and sat down by the young man. The young man reached and said, "I have brought this for you to eat." He gave him some corn. He then reached under his robe, took out a piece of meat and gave it to the chief, and told him to chew it for some time before swallowing it. The young man then told the chief to have the crier go through the vil lage and tell the people to come to the young man's lodge. The people began to come in, and the boy gave them corn and meat. The men, women, and children all came and ate. There was still some corn and meat left. The young man sent for the man who had cried with him and told him to stay in his lodge, and for four nights to give corn and meat out to the people. Then he went back to the cave. When he went into the cave the old woman was there and she said: "My son, the gods have given you the buffalo. The buffalo are to run out of this cave, and the first buffalo that shall go out shall be killed by your people. Its hide must be tanned, the head must be cut off, and the skull set up on this high hill. When the meat and everything has been cut off from the skull, it must be taken into the village and put in the lodge." The old woman gave the young man four bundles of corn of different colors, braided together. The old woman said, "These are the seeds for the people." She gave him a bunch of buffalo hair, and said, "This is the part of the buffalo that the gods have given your people." Among the buffalo hair was a downy feather with dark blue marks down the center. The old woman said: "When you want the buffalo to come out of the cave get out the feather and place it upon a pole, set it on the north side of the village. The first buffalo that shall go out shall be a wonderful buffalo and the people must kill it and place the skull upon the hill and take the hide and tan it. It shall be known as the holy buffalo." The old woman went into the lodge and when she came out she had a sacred bundle upon her back which she took off and placed upon the young man's back, and said: "This is your sacred bundle. You shall call it the Small-Ants bundle." The young man took the things and went down to the village. He hung the sacred bundle inside of the lodge at the west side, while the corn he hung at the north side of the entrance. The buffalo hair he hung on top of the sacred bundle. In the meantime the people began to grumble and wanted the chief to tell the crier to move away from this place. The young man walked out through the village and saw that the women and girls were enjoying the game of basket and seeds (the dice game), and 26 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. that the men and boys were enjoying the game of ring and sticks. The young man went back to his lodge, sat down west of the fireplace, and told his mother to get the bundle that was on top of the sacred bundle and place it in front of him. The young man then told his father in a whisper to tell the people in this lodge to leave it. The people all left the lodge. Then the young man told his father to go and invite the chief. The chief came in to the lodge and sat by the boy. The boy said: " Chief, through my advice our people came to this place. Mother-Moon spoke to me in my dreams, telling me that our people should come to this place. She promised me in my dreams that she would give certain things to the peo ple. Some of the things our people are enjoying, and yet some of them are complaining. Now it is time that we kill buff alo. This is what Mother- Moon has given us.'' He opened the bunch of hair and said: '' The gods have given us many buffalo. This day our people shall kill them. The skin of the first buffalo that they kill must be taken off. The head must be placed upon a high hill, and the meat brought to this lodge." The chief then stood up, passed his hands over the boy, and said: "My son, you cried upon these hills for many days and nights. The people and myself made fun of you, but now I understand why you did this. Let the first buffalo come and I will select men to kill them. All that you have said shall be done." The chief sat down, then sent for his crier. The crier came and the chief told him to tell the people in the village to put away their sticks and the basket game and to keep still. When the crier came, he said,'' Chief, I have told the people what you told me to tell them." The chief then told the crier to go and tell four men to come to the lodge where he was. The young man then came into the lodge. The chief told the young man to instruct the men as to what they should do, for they were ready to go with him to kill the buffalo. The young man sent one of the four men into the timber for a long willow. The willow was brought and peeled and at one end the young man tied the feather. The bunch of buffalo hair was placed upon the bundle again, and the young man led the four men out of the lodge and they went to their lodges to get their bows and arrows. The whole village was quiet, for every body was now watching the young man. The four men came with their bows and arrows and the young man started toward the cave. Half-way between the cave and the village he stopped and stuck the stick, that had the feather on, into the ground. He told the men to look toward the hill. After a while they saw a buffalo coming. He told them to circle round the buffalo and kill it. The men circled around and crawled up to the buffalo and shot it with their bows and arrows. After a while the buffalo fell and died. Then the men skinned it and took the head off and placed THE SMALL-ANTS BUNDLE AND THE BUFFALO. 2J it on a high hill. The young man told the four men to put the meat upon their backs and follow him, one of them carrying the hide. They went into the boy's lodge and the meat was placed southeast of the entrance. The young man told his father to invite some of the older men. The father went and brought in some old men and when they came the young man said, "People, we must first make an offering to Mother-Corn, for she gave us the buffalo." Then the young man took the heart and tongue and said,"Boil these things." The men put the tongue and heart in a vessel and after it had boiled for some time he took it out. The young man then sent the crier through the village to tell all the men to be ready to try to get a piece of this heart and tongue and a little piece of fat to grease their families with. The young man went out of the lodge with the heart and tongue, the errand man following him with native tobacco in his hand. The young man went to the west of the village, and standing there he lifted the heart and tongue up toward the sky and gradually lowered them to the ground. He placed the heart and tongue on the ground, then the errand man handed him the tobacco. He lifted the tobacco toward the sky, lowered it and placed it upon the heart and tongue. Then as he turned to go back to the lodge he and the men ran to the place, and they piled one on top of another in their efforts to get a piece of the heart and tongue. Whenever a man got a piece of fat or heart or tongue he ran to his lodge, and after rubbing some of the grease upon himself he gave it to his people and told them to put the grease upon themselves, and when through with it to put it in the fire. When the young man entered his lodge he sat down and spoke: " Chief, men, and old men, what I have done is not complete. Mother-Moon will tell us more of what to do. We must do as she says every time we kill the buffalo.'' Then the young man selected several men to take the meat and boil it. After they had taken the meat, the young man told the chief to tell the crier to go through the village and tell all the men to get their bows and arrows and follow the young man with the feather-stick. When the young man stuck the stick into the ground at the same place where he had it before, the buffalo rushed out of the cave and went toward the people. The men began to kill the buffalo. Some of the buffalo ran south, some west, some east, and some north. The men killed many buffalo and brought the meat to the village. The people were satisfied. They began to cut timber to make their lodges, for the young man had instructed them to build earth-lodges. Every four days the young man went out, stuck his feathered stick into the ground, and again the buffalo rushed out of the cave. The fourth time the young man said: "This is all. The buffalo are out of the cave 28 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. and there will be many upon the ground." The young man went back into the cave and the woman said: "I have given you all the things that I promised you. Now you must go and give the seeds to the people, and let them put them in the ground. I shall return to the place where I came from and shall stay there forever. When I want to speak to you I will come to your bedside, and talk to you in your dreams. Then you must tell the people what I tell you." The young man returned to the village and told the people that it was now time that they should have seeds; that they must put them into the ground and take care of them until the corn-stalks were dry and the corn ready to be gathered. The people did as the boy told them and they had plenty of corn and plenty of meat. The young man went to the cave once more, and he found that the spring was dry and that the cave had closed in and there was no opening. When the people found this out they became dissatisfied and divided into bands, and they went in dif ferent directions. 4. THE FOUR GODS OF THE NORTH.1 After Tirawa created the world he created a man and put him upon the earth facing the north. Tirawa told this man to put his thumbs to gether and point towards the north. The man obeyed and his thumb nails received the imprint of the faces of the two gods in the north. After the man's thumb-nails had grown out and the faces had disappeared, he was told by Tirawa again to point his two thumbs toward the north, and the imprint of the faces of the other two gods were placed upon them.2 These four gods gave the man power to create a mate for himself. The gods in the north sent Kingfisher to the earth, who divided the earth so 'Told by High-Eagle, a Kitkehahki medicine-man, about sixty years old. This tale explains the origin of the ceremony of the four gods of the north. These are the gods who send buffalo to the people, and who send rain that the crops may grow. The chief object in relating the story is that the children who may be pres ent, sitting about the entrance to the lodge, may always bear in mind that these four gods exist in the north and that there is especially one of them, known as Ready-to-Give, who is the special patron of thehunters. It is said that often the Pawnee when on the hunt, failing to find game, raise their hands to the north and say: "Nawa, Kawahar, you are the leader of all the gods of the north. Send me game that I may kill it for my people." "In the ceremony referred to in this tale, four sticks are erected on the north side of the lodge, each one bearing a clam shell. Collectively they represent the four gods of the north referred to in this tale, which in turn represent the imprints of the faces placed on the thumb-nails as referred to in the text. In this connec tion it may be noted that the shell disk worn by the Kitkehahki on their heads is said to have had its origin from these four gods, as is the case among the Skidi. These sticks are covered with raven feathers, for the raven, like the coyote, is always successful in finding game. Ready-to-Give is supposed to be similarly endowed. THE FOUR GODS OF THE NORTH. 29 that part of it became water and part of it became land. When King fisher had done this it dropped by the man and he reached out his hand and touched the bird and it turned into a woman.1 The man held a ceremony in honor of the four gods in the north and he taught his offspring to conduct the ceremony. There were eight priests. The bundle was opened and a bowl of water was placed in front of the altar. This altar was in the west and the bundle rested there. In the north of the lodge was another altar. This altar was for the gods. The chief priest dressed himself to represent the god who carried out the wishes of Tirawa. The priest first put on the top of his head a bunch of downy feathers, about twenty-six in number, with turkey feathers around it.1 He had a string of blue beads in his right ear, with a clam shell at the end of the string. From the shell hung a scalp. This priest also repre sented the first man. Now the priest took four sticks from the bundle and clothed them with crow feathers. At the top were placed four shells. The sticks were then set up in the north altar. Each of the north gods had a face which was a shell. These faces were faces of Tirawa. This is the reason why we once offered shells to the gods to remind them of their power. The chief priest then put the holy ointment of red over his body. Then he took from the bundle the holy moccasins. The mocca sins were of buffalo hide with the hair outside. He also took from the bundle a buffalo beard. This he tied about his waist to show people how the first man was covered. The red ointment he passed to the other seven priests. Then they invited the men to enter the lodge. The women were not allowed to witness this ceremony. When all the men had entered the lodge, the chief priest arose with a kingfisher in his right hand. He stood in front of the wooden bowl. The other priests arose with the gourd rattles in their right hands. Then all the others arose and the seven priests began to sing. As the priests sang, the high priest shook the ground, then he made a motion as if to turn the bird loose, and lifted it toward the bowl of water several times and finally he dipped it into the water. There was silence throughout the lodge. The chief priest spoke and said, "This is the way Tirawa made the land to appear out of the waters." They all sat down and the priest arose with the pipe, lighted it, and gave a whiff of smoke to each of the four gods 'The conception of the kingfisher dividing the earth is quite different from the Skidi belief in this regard. This idea, as well as that of the kingfisher becoming a woman, is paralleled in the tales of the Arikara. JThe downy feathers in this connection are symbolic of eggs of the turkey, the turkey feathers representing the turkey itself. The turkey is conceived of as the most prolific of fowl, and the symbol has reference to the fact that during the ceremony the priest receives the power which enables him to plan out the various future activities of the camp, such as where and when they shall go on the hunt, etc. 30 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. in the north. Then he went west of the fireplace and gave one whiff towards the sky to Tirawa, then one whiff to Mother-Earth. He then went to the altar, gave one whiff to the bird, and several whiffs to the contents of the bundle. He then took his seat among the priests and gave his pipe to one of them. The pipe was passed from one priest to another, and after they had smoked, the ashes were dumped out in front of the altar and the pipe was returned to the high priest. After the offering of smoke, all the men who did not care to remain left the lodge. The dried meat was cut up and boiled. The first pile of meat taken from the kettle was placed upon a dried buffalo hide. Fat was taken from this piece of meat and offered to each god in the north, to Tirawa, to Mother-Earth, to the King fisher, to the Bundle, and to Mother-Corn. The fat was then thrown into the fire so that the smoke would go to the heavens. The priest asked for the sticks or gods in the north and they were brought to him. He took the shells and the crow feathers off from them, and laid the sticks by the bundle. The priest called the errand man and asked him if he had the grass ready. The errand man said that he had. He brought the grass and laid it before the priest. The priest took up the sticks and gave them to the priests sitting nearest him, and he told them to prepare them. These sticks were plum sticks, and they represented the four gods who assisted Tirawa to create people. The priests took the plum sticks and covered them with grass. When they had finished, the priest selected four other priests to take sticks to the creek. The priests arose, received the sticks, and went to the creek and threw them into the water. The plum sticks were covered with grass, so that the gods would not see the sticks that represented them, and would not become angry. When the priests returned to the lodge there was a universal exclamation of satisfaction given throughout the lodge. The things used in the ceremony were waved through smoke of sweet grass, then placed in the bundle, and the bundle was tied up again and hung up at the west inside of the lodge. All of the meat was cooked and divided among the priests, and the high priest said: "The gods have received our offering. They will send good gifts to our people, so that they will not be poor. Now we rise and go to our homes." LONG-TONGUE, THE ROLLING HEAD. 31 5. LONG-TONGUE, THE ROLLING HEAD.1 Four girls went from a village in the winter time to gather firewood. After they had gathered the wood and tied it up with pack strings, they cut four long sticks and carried them down to the ice. They threw the sticks upon the ice to see which stick would slide farthest over the ice. While they were playing they smelt some root which had a very good odor. They kept playing with the sticks and the smell of the root seemed to come nearer to them. One of the girls said, "Let us go in the direction from which this odor comes, and try to find what makes it." The girls all agreed and they went toward the north, where the odor came from. After they had gone a little way one of the girls stopped and said, "I do not care to go any farther." The remaining three went on. After a while one of the girls stopped and said, "I am going back, I am not going." She went back, but the other two continued on their way. Soon one of the other girls stopped and said: "What is the use of going any farther? The sun is about to go down and we do not know where the smell comes from." The other girl wanted her to go on, but she would not, saying, "I am going home." The other girl said, "I am going on and find out where this odor comes from.'' One of the girls went home and so only one was left to find out where the smell came from. She kept on her way until she saw at a distance a hillside covered with cedar trees. She went to the place and there she found a lodge which was built of rock. She stood near the rock-lodge and after a while a stone moved and a fine-looking young man came out from the lodge. He saw the girl and said: "You have been standing here some time. Come into my lodge." She said, "I am following a sweet odor, and if it is in your house I will come in." Then the boy said: "It is here that the odor comes from. Come right into the lodge." The girl went in with the boy, and as soon as she stepped into the 'Told by Little-Chief, the present chief of the Chaui and great nephew of Pite- lesaru, the head chief of the Pawnee. He is the keeper of a sacred bundle and of the "buffalo pipe," which when exposed causes windstorms. This interesting version of the magic flight accounts for the origin among the Chaui of many objects, the possession of which was made possible through the theft from the stone house of the Rolling-Head of a sacred bundle, through the raven's assistance. This head was conceived of as an individual, round in shape, capable of traveling great distances with great rapidity, and as making while traveling a great noise. This being was finally overcome by the hawk, who was conceived of as_ striking it with a club, which is symbolic of the wing of the hawk by which it kills its prey, and severing the two parts by means of a flint axe, one part of the head becoming the sun and the other the moon. The daughter of the Evening-Star, who is instru mental in the accomplishment of the task just noted, later has connection with the red bird, which represents the winter storm, and she and her family become the Pleiades, which ultimately is to be increased to ten stars by the addition of herself, sister, and brother. 32 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. lodge the stone moved up and closed the opening. The girl looked around and she saw that there was no opening anywhere except at the top where the smoke escaped, and it was a very small hole. The young man went over to where there were some buffalo robes spread upon the ground and sat down. When the girl looked where the young man lay upon the buffalo robes, she saw there an ugly old man instead of the young man. The girl then began to cry. The old man said: "It will not do you any good to cry. You are here and I am going to kill you in a few days, but while you are living make yourself at home and try to be content, for you have but a short time to live." The girl looked around the lodge and she saw a sacred bundle, with five big gourd rattles upon it, hanging upon the side of the wall. The old man gave her a buffalo robe and she placed it upon the ground and then lay down. The next morning he told her to cook some meat; that he was going out over the country that day. When the old man was ready to go out from the lodge he turned into a handsome young man again. He stood at the entrance and he spoke to the stone door and it moved. Then he stepped outside and was gone. The girl began to cry, and as she cried she heard some one speak to her, saying: "Woman, this being, whose name is Long-Tongue, is a round, rattling, rolling skull that kills people and other animals, but if you do as I tell you, you shall be saved. The odor which you smelt came from the roots in the sacred bundle which you see here. To-morrow when the being is in this lodge you ask him to let you go out for a few minutes. He will let the stone move. When you come out I will make the hackberry trees lower their limbs so that you can pick a handful of the berries. These you will place under your belt, and then you return to the lodge. I will come again and help you." When she looked up at the hole she saw a Raven sitting at the top of the opening. The Raven flew away and in the night Long-Tongue came back. As he stepped into the lodge he turned into the old man again. The next day when the sun was high she asked him to let her go out for a few moments. The old man spoke, the stone moved, and the girl was outside. She quickly picked a handful of the hackberries, then she returned to the lodge and sat down. About noon Long-Tongue said: "Make yourself at home. I am going away into the country, but will be back in the afternoon." At noon Long-Tongue went out of the lodge and disappeared. After a while the Raven came and sat at the opening of the lodge. He said: "Woman, when Long-Tongue comes back he is going to ask you to take lice off of his head, and you must do as he tells you. When you have placed his head upon your lap you will find that his head is covered LONG-TONGUE, THE ROLLING HEAD. 33 with ticks instead of lice. He will say that when you take the lice from his head you must bite them with your teeth. As you take the ticks off throw them away and at the same time bite a hackberry, so that it will make a noise. When you have taken off all the ticks, Long-Tongue will lose his life just for a ehort time. You must go to the entrance and say, 'Grandfather, move,' and the entrance stone will move. Gather the ticks and throw them outside. Then come in again and say 'Grand father, close up the lodge.' The stone will move into place. Do as I say, for I have something to do with the sacred bundle upon the wall, for my skin is in the sacred bundle.'' The next day Long-Tongue came back. As soon as he came into the lodge he said, "Woman, take some lice from my head and eat them." The girl took Long-Tongue's head upon her lap and began to take the ticks from his head. She would take a hack- berry in her hand, take off a tick, throw it to one side, then put a hack- berry into her mouth and crack it. She kept taking off the ticks and throwing them away and cracking the hackberries. When she had all the ticks off his head Long-Tongue fell over and died. The girl went to where the ticks were scattered, gathered them up, and carried them to the entrance and said, "Grandfather, move." The stone moved and she went out and threw the ticks away. She went back into the lodge and said, "Grandfather, close up the lodge." The stone moved and closed the lodge. After a while Long-Tongue was alive again. Early the next morning Long-Tongue said: "Woman, I am going far into the country. I shall be away for several days. When I return I shall kill you." The day before when the Raven was talking to the girl he told her that when Long-Tongue should speak of going a long distance for her to tell Long-Tongue to go first and kill a buffalo and bring all of it to the lodge so that she might make tallow from the bones. The girl told Long- Tongue what the Raven had told her to say, and Long-Tongue said it was well and that he would do so. She told Long-Tongue that she wanted to have something to do; that when she had nothing to do she became lonesome. Long-Tongue went out and was gone but a short time when he returned to the lodge, bringing with him a whole buffalo. The girl began to skin the buffalo and to take off the meat piece by piece. Long-Tongue then said: "Woman, I am going now. You will be busy with the meat. Do not try to run away while I am gone, for I shall follow you no matter where you go, or how you go." Long-Tongue went out and was gone. The girl then made a big fire and began to make tallow. While she was doing this the Raven came and said: "Here is now the chance for you to get away from here. Make the tallow and I will tell you what to do." The girl kept on making the tallow. The 34 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. Raven went and took the sacred bundle down and untied it. He took from the sacred bundle the stones which the people used for smoothing their arrows. He also took a piece of flint out of the bundle and some white powder made from white clay, the arrow, and the flint knife. Then he told the girl to make three round tallow balls. The girl dug a hole in the ground and whenever she had tallow she threw it into the hole until it became full. Then the Raven told the girl to cover the ground in the center of the lodge with some tallow, and to put some on the sides of the wall, and some on the bundle and some on the stem grass that was lying about on the ground. After everything was covered with tallow inside of the lodge, then the Raven said: "Woman, it is time that we are going. Long-Tongue knows that you are preparing to run away. He will be coming, but we will try and get away from this place as fast as we can. You have a four days' journey to go to a certain place where the people will help you and save you. There is not an animal upon the earth that can overcome Long-Tongue; but there is one place where the people can destroy Long-Tongue. You must go to them." Then the Raven sat down by the fireplace and said, "Now put your arms over my shoulders, then wrap up the things that I have taken from the bundle and tie them upon your back." After she tied the bundle on her back she went and put her arms around the Raven's neck. Then the Raven began to call. He called four times. Then he flew out of the small hole with the girl on his back, and he flew a long distance. At last the Raven became tired and he placed the girl upon the ground and said, "I will fly overhead and I will guide you to the place where you are going." The Raven told the girl to keep running to the east; that there was a place in the east which looked blue in color and that was where she was to go. The Raven told the girl to run as fast as she could and that she must not sleep for four days, because Long-Tongue knew that she was gone and that he was returning to his lodge. The girl kept running. After a while Long-Tongue ran to the lodge and when he reached the lodge he spoke and said, "Woman, open up the lodge." He received no answer. Long-Tongue knew all the time that the girl was not there, and so he entered the lodge. He looked around and everything about the lodge was covered with tallow. Long-Tongue said: "That is one good thing that woman did. She put tallow everywhere. I like this tallow and I will eat before I think of going for her." He began to lick the ground. When he had licked all the tallow from the ground he then licked the tallow from the sides of the walls. As he ate upwards the opening at the top of his tongue seemed to grow. When he reached the LONG-TONGUE, THE ROLLING HEAD. 35 top his tongue went out and licked the tallow from the walls. He licked all the tallow off of the walls and off of the ground and off of the stem grass. After he had licked all the tallow off of everything he thought of the girl whom he was to run for. He started. He went out of the lodge and soon he found her tracks. He followed her and after a while he came in sight of her. Then he began to call her and said: "Woman, stop, return to the lodge with me, for there is no use for you to run. I am to kill you. I do not care if you run over this wide earth, I shall follow you until I kill you and then you will be no more. If you try to fly up into the air I shall follow you and kill you." The girl kept on and when Long-Tongue was close to her the girl remembered what the Raven had told her. She took the smooth stones from the bundle and dropped them upon the ground. As soon as she dropped the stones upon the ground the ground was covered with smooth stones. Long-Tongue said: "What a fine lot of stones there are here. I will gather them together. Then when I have caught the girl we shall come by here and I will make that girl carry these stones upon her back. I have no stones and so, while I have a chance, I will gather these together." Long-Tongue placed the stones in piles. After he had gathered all the stones, he thought of the girl whom he was running after. He started to run again. The girl had gained on Long-Tongue, but again he was about to catch her. She turned around as Long-Tongue was about to put his hands upon her and took one of the balls of tallow and hit Long-Tongue upon the top of the head, so that the tallow spattered all over the ground. Some of the tallow got on the grass and weeds and when Long-Tongue smelled the tallow he said: "I am hungry. I will stop and eat of this tallow. I will kill the girl later." Long-Tongue stopped and began to lick the weeds and grass and when he had cleaned it all up he thought of the girl again. He ran on. The girl kept running, but Long-Tongue soon gained upon her and was very near her again when she dropped the flint arrow-points. As soon as Long-Tongue came to the arrow-points he stopped and said: "I will stop and gather these things. I will put them upon my arrows. That girl shall carry them on her back when we come back." The girl ran as fast as she could, while the Raven flew overhead. As soon as Long- Tongue had gathered all the flint points he remembered again about the girl. It was easy for the girl to tell when Long-Tongue had started, for when Long-Tongue started there was a rumbling sound upon the earth so that people could hear it for many miles around. The girl heard this and so did the Raven. The Raven said: "Run as fast as you can, for GENERAL LIBRARY OF GEORGIA 36 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. he is coming." When Long-Tongue had almost overtaken her the girl took the arrow and stuck it into the ground and dogwood timber formed along the ravines. When Long-Tongue came to the timber he saw that the dogwood was straight and had no knots. He stopped and said, "I shall cut this dogwood and place it in piles so that the girl can carry them, for I want arrows." He stopped and cut and cut and thus gave the girl a good chance to get some distance away from him. When the dogwood was all cut and placed in piles, Long-Tongue thought about the girl and he began to run again. He gained upon the girl, and when he was about to lay his hands upon her, the girl dropped some sinew. She threw the sinew upon the ground and there was scattered over the ground many dead buffalo. Long-Tongue said: "This is good. I have my arrow- points, my dogwood for my arrows, and now I must have sinew with which to fasten these things." Long-Tongue began to take the sinew from the buffalo. When he had taken all the sinew from the buffalo he placed them in a big pile and said, "I will make that girl carry those things to my home." Then he remembered that he was after the girl, and he ran again. Every time that he ran he turned into a rattling, rolling skull, so that the skull rolled upon the ground and made its teeth clatter and made a great noise upon the earth. The girl went on. Long-Tongue followed her again. He saw her and ran fast. Just as Long-Tongue was about to overtake the girl she dropped a piece of a feather. When Long-Tongue got to the place where the feather was he found many dead turkeys all around. He stopped and said, "I will take the feathers off of those tur keys and pile the feathers here and I shall make the woman pack them and I will have feathers for all my arrows." After he did this he thought of the girl and he ran after her again. This time the girl dropped upon the ground the flint knife, which made a gulch in the earth, so that when Long-Tongue fell into it he could not climb up on the other side, but ran back and forth. • The Raven flew over the girl and said, "You are near the place now." The girl looked up and she saw what seemed to her to be a mound. She went around the mound and she saw a man sitting outside of the lodge making a bow. The girl went to this man and said: "I come to you. Save me. There is a mysterious being coming who has been following me for several days. I am tired and weak." The man said, "Walk into the lodge." The girl went into the lodge and she saw another sacred bundle hanging up in the lodge. She went to where the bundle was hang ing and sat down under the bundle. Long-Tongue finally climbed out of the gulch and began to chase the girl again. When he came to the LONG-TONGUE, THE ROLLING HEAD. 37 lodge he saw the man sitting outside. Long-Tongue began to speak aloud and said: "Where is the girl that came by here? She is mine. I must kill her." The man paid no attention to Long-Tongue, but Long-Tongue kept on talking. All at once the man took hold of his stick, raised it up and said, "And why do you talk so loud around my place?" The man struck Long-Tongue on the top of the head, and the skull split in two. As soon as he removed the stick, however, the two pieces of the skull moved together again. The man then took a flint axe and hit one piece of the skull and knocked it to the west, and it flew up into the sky and became the moon. The man then struck the other piece and it flew up in the sky to the east and it became the sun. (That is why we have human pictures upon the sun and upon the moon.) The man said: "My girl, come out. Long-Tongue is gone. He will bother you no more. Make your home with us. I have some sons who are out on the war-path. Only the youngest of the brothers is here with me." The woman made her home with the man and the boy. A few days afterwards seven brothers came and they saw the girl. The father told them what had happened, then the brothers agreed that the girl should stay with them. The youngest brother was chosen to determine what relationship the girl should hold to them. He said, "This woman shall be our sister." All the brothers agreed and the woman remained with them as their sister. One day the men went into the lodge and opened the bundle. The woman saw an ear of corn in the bundle. She said: "Father, let me have this ear of corn. Let me put it into the ground, that I may gather more corn." The man would not consent. He said, "This is from Mother- Evening-Star and we can not let it go." But the girl said: "My mother is Evening-Star. 1 understand how to put this ear into the ground so that it will grow and we may have more corn." Finally the man gave his consent and she planted the corn. In the fall they had plenty. Again in the spring she planted more and the men knew that she would gather much corn. In the fall the woman showed signs of being pregnant. The old man was angry, but when the child was born a man visited these people who said, "I am the father of the child." He was North-Star. After the people found out that this woman had been with North-Star, they asked how it happened. The man said: "I was sitting upon the limb as a Red Bird singing. The woman came and while I was singing I lay with her." The woman then remembered seeing a red bird upon a limb some time before. Then the man said: "My daughter, we shall all go away now. You will go north with the child and your husband will go to the north and stand there forever. We shall go to the east and shall travel west. There the seven brothers will be, and in time I 38 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. shall join them. Then your sister and brother will join us, so that there will be ten stars instead of seven stars." (These people in the heavens are what is known as the Pleiades.) "When the world comes to an end then I shall join my sons. My daughter will also join us, but while we live upon this earth we shall be known as great warriors. Although we are birds, we are warriors. We are the Hawks." 6. HOW EVENINQ-STAR'S DAUGHTER WAS OVERCOME.1 A long time ago the people had their village near a big stream of water somewhere in the east. The gods in the heavens came down upon the earth in the west and each god gathered his animals, and then they began to build an earth-lodge upon the earth. Evening-Star sent her daughter to rule over the lodge. She also sent her four gods in the west and these gods were to keep guard over the girl, for she brought a rains-wrapped- up bundle. Evening-Star, being the spouse of Morning-Star, kept the things of Morning-Star in the bundle. Among the things belonging to Morning-Star was the war club. The different stars which stand in the heavens as gods were sent down to be stationed in certain places in the lodge according to their stations in the heavens. The spaces between them were to be filled by different animals. Evening-Star wanted women to be higher than men, and so she sent her daughter to kill off all young men who came to her, so that all women would do the same and so overcome men. When the people of the eastern village saw the new earth-lodge in the west, they wondered who lived there. They watched the people in the west and tried to go to visit them, but the people in the west would not have anything to do with the people in the east. Several young men had gone to the place and had seen the girl, and had tried to marry her, but before they could get to the mud-lodge they were always killed. In the east village was a poor boy. As he grew up he wandered over the country. One night while he was sitting upon the hill a strange man stood before him. This strange man was painted red all over, and upon his leggings were hanging scalps and eagle feathers. His moccasins were of buffalo hide with the hair inside. He carried a club on his arm and spoke to the boy, thus: "My boy, you shall see me again. Take this 'Told by Big-Crow, a Skidi, the keeper of the Big-Black-Meteoric-Star bundle, whose grandfather, Big-Knife, a Skidi brave, performed several sacrifices of human maidens to the Morning-Star, and who was stopped by the whites in a similar cere mony in 1832. This tale, told only during the intermission of a ceremony, teaches the necessity of the Morning-Star sacrifice by pointing out the advantage which the young man gained by conquering a certain maiden with the Morning-Star's assistance. HOW EVENING-STAR S DAUGHTER WAS OVERCOME. 39 and carry it with you. Go into yonder village and when you see that girl win her for yourself. I shall always be near you and will protect you." He gave the boy a moccasin and in the moccasin was the symbol of Morning-Star. The boy was told that when he should go to visit the girl he would meet obstacles. At each obstacle he was to throw the moccasin with the symbol of Morning-Star, and the obstacle would disappear. The boy went home. He sent for an old man and told the old man to lead him to the other village, as he wanted to marry the girl in that other village. The old man led him and when they came to a certain place, the girl came out singing. She hit upon the ground with her war club, and there was a deep canyon in front of the boy and the old man. The old man looked at the boy and said, "What?" The young man stepped forward and dropped the symbol of Morning-Star into the deep canyon and the sides moved together and brought the symbol up, and the canyon was gone. They went on and again the girl came out. She struck upon the ground and there was a wide stream of water. The boy dropped the symbol into the water and the water disappeared. They went on and the girl came out again. When she came out she sang her song, and touched the ground with her war club, and there in front of the boy was formed a thick timber. The boy threw the symbol into it and the timber disappeared. Then they went up to the tipi. The girl had gone in and taken her seat in front of the men. The animals began to come out, but as each animal came the boy struck it with the symbol and so they all disappeared. When the old man and the boy entered the lodge the girl was told that she was to marry the young man. Then the girl said, "He must first go and get the baby-board for me." The boy went north to a strange country, and began to cry. A strange man came to him, and he was the same man who had appeared to him before. He asked what he was crying about. The boy said, "Father, I am now married, but the girl wants a baby-board." The man said: "My son, you shall see me again. I will get the baby-board for you. I am Morning-Star. The baby-board which I shall get shall be adopted by your people and they shall always be under my protection. The child will grow to be a man or a woman." The man went off. He went to a lodge of animals and told the animals what he wanted. There was a certain lodge where the Beavers were, and these Beavers were making baby-boards, but fires were kept up by the Turtles, so that no one could go near enough to get a baby-board. When the animals heard what the man wanted, they called a council to see who would go and get the baby-board. Coyote stood up and said, "I will go and get the baby- 40 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. board for you." He went, and when he entered the lodge of the Beavers and reached for the baby-boards which were hanging in a circle, sparks began to fly upon him. The sparks got so thick that he became scared and ran, and the fire seemed to follow him. He ran off to the lodge of the animals and told them. Then the Hawk went to the lodge and as soon as he flew into the lodge the Turtle stirred the fire and the sparks went up against the Hawk, the flames arose, and nearly burned the Hawk and he flew away. Other animals were sent there, but they could not get it. The Mag pie, the errand man of all animals, arose and said, "I will go." The Magpie flew to the lodge and flew down the opening at the top. He took hold of the baby-board and as he flew up the baby-board made noises and then the fire came up, but it was too late, for the Magpie was out. The fire followed the Magpie for some time until the Magpie became tired, then he gave the baby-board to the Diving-Duck. The fire still followed the Diving-Duck. When he came to the stream of water he dived and the fire struck the water and went out. The Duck came up and gave the baby-board to the man, who carried it to the boy. The boy took the baby-board to the tipi and as he entered one of the priests took the board, and put it in the west side of the lodge. The girl then spoke and said: "Now, you must get otter strings with which to tie the baby." The boy went. Another man came, and he helped the boy to get the otter strings. The boy took the otter strings to the lodge and they were placed in front of the girl. Then the girl said, "You must now get a piece of a robe to put upon the board for the baby to lie upon. Go south and bring the robe." As the boy went out he began to cry. After a while Morning- Star came and said: "My son, I have an arrow here. When we have reached the buffalo, we are going to kill one. I will go right up to the buffalo and you get to one side, shoot the buffalo, and kill it." They went toward the buffalo, and the buffalo came and charged. The boy stepped to one side and shot the buffalo in the heart. Then they took the skin off of the back and the boy took it to the lodge. The boy then got a wild-cat hide by the help of the Hawks. Then the girl told the boy to come to her bedside in the night; that he must stay outside until night. The first night the boy started to enter the tipi he heard a whizzing sound. He knew it was a serpent. He touched it with the moccasin in which was the Morning-Star symbol, and the snake died. Then the girl said, "Stop; you can not come to me to-night. To-morrow night you shall come in." The next night he attempted to go in, but the girl touched the ground with the war club and two bears came and tried to kill the boy in the lodge. The boy waved the Morning-Star symbol at HOW EVENING-STAR S DAUGHTER WAS OVERCOME. 41 them and they were stunned. He then touched them and they were killed. Then the girl said, "You can not come." The next night the panthers came and the boy killed them also. The next night the wild cats came and the boy killed them. Then the coyotes came, but they were willing to help the man. Then the next night the girl said, "You must not come." Then the boy went out during the day and cried and cried. He did not go that night, but all night he cried, and by morning as the Morning-Star came up he cried and right before him stood the man who had been helping him. "My boy," he said, "you are about to approach the bed of that girl. You have killed all bad animals. The girl herself is the only one now. Here, take this stone. That girl's vagina is like the mouth of a rattlesnake and has teeth. Take this stone when you are about to lie with her and rub the stone upon the teeth until you have broken them all up. Then she becomes a human being, and you can lie with her." That night the boy did as the man had told him. After that the girl became his wife. Then in the morning Morning-Star came to the boy and said: "You have married this girl and you shall have two bundles. The girl's bundle shall be one and you shall make another bundle and place the Morning-Star symbol in it, and these two bundles shall be known as the Morning-Star bundles. When you went to get the girl there were two of you who went. You overcame all obstacles by my power. You will now learn the mysteries of heaven, the gods, the songs, and through that your people shall prosper and have good crops all the time. For my pay for helping you out in this way, you shall, from time to time, capture a girl from the enemy and offer her to me and then I will bless your people. All the obstacles that you met shall be represented in the ceremony. You shall represent each step that you took in gaining the girl until at last you shall come to represent the putting up of the baby- board. Then put the captured girl upon the scaffold and kindle a fire under her. All the children who are born from now on must have a baby- board with my picture upon the top, and shall have the covering of the buffalo and the wild-cat, and the otter-skin string shall be tied around the baby-board to hold the baby upon the board." The boy and his wife went to his village and the woman carried the bundle with her. Then the gods who were Stars returned to their places in the heavens, and the animals which were present in the tipi went back into their dens in the timbers, rivers, and creeks. 42 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 7. THE DAUGHTER OF THE EVENING-STAR AND HER SACRED BUNDLE. (See Abstracts.) [Told by Woman-Ready-to-Give, a Skidi woman whose grandmother was for merly keeper of the second of the two Morning-Star bundles among the Skidi. This tale is presumably a variant of tale No. 6. It should be noted, however, that there are two Morning-Star bundles among the Skidi, and that the tale just referred to was told by one who represents one of these bundles, whereas the teller of this tale represents the other bundle. This story not only relates to the origin of a sacred bundle, but also relates to the construction of the earth-lodge of the Pawnee. It is especially interesting to note in this connection that, according to both tales, the earliest homes of the Skidi were not earth but grass lodges.] 8. CONTEST BETWEEN THE MORNING-STAR AND THE MOON.1 A long time ago the people had their village in a bottom. There was one young man who had his lodge in the hills. The people from the bot tom could see him entering and leaving his lodge. Every day the young man left his lodge and went over the hills and in a very short time they would see him coming again with a deer, an antelope, or a buffalo upon his back. He would take the meat into his lodge and then would come out with it and scatter it all around. One year the crops of the people failed. They became hungry. The people said, "We are to speak to that young man in the lodge and he may help us." But no one would go to his lodge, for the people had often tried to go to it but always found that there were snake dens all around it. In the village was a Spider-Woman who said that she knew his power; that she was going to challenge him, and if he beat her the people could have buffalo. Several of the men in the village went to the chief and told him that he ought to visit the young man and invite him to come and live with his daughter as his wife, so that the people might get some thing to eat. The chief said he could not go into the lodge of the young man. The people said, "Watch and as soon as he comes out and goes away from it you must meet him." The chief said that that was good. The chief walked out a long distance and watched for the young man. When the young man came out with his bow and arrows, the chief met him and said, "My son, I want you to come to my tipi and live with me as my son-in-law." The young man said that he could not do that, as he was in the lodge to feed the snakes. He said he would go and consult with the snakes and if they were willing he would let him know the next day at the same hour. The chief went home feeling happy. The young man disappeared over the hills and in a few minutes came up again with a whole deer on his shoulder. He took the deer into the •Told by Little-Chief, Chaui. CONTEST BETWEEN THE MORNING-STAR AND THE MOON. 43 lodge, cut it up, and scattered it over the ground to feed the snakes. That night the young man told the Snakes what the chief had said. The Snakes said: "We are held here by the witch who lives with the people. If you overcome her and return her to where she belongs, then we can scatter out over the country and get our own food." The boy was glad, for he knew that he was now going to go back to his people. The next day he went out to hunt for meat for the snakes. He met the chief and he told the chief to go into the village and tell the men to come to a cer tain hollow and he would be there to meet them. When he reached the hollow he remained there. When he saw the people coming he made motions at the foot of a hill and there came out droves of buffalo. The buffalo ran along the hollow and the people with their bows and arrows killed them. The people went home with their meat and were made happy. The young man took his deer, went to the den of Snakes, and fed them. The next day he turned the buffalo loose from the cave again. The people killed the buffalo, and they knew now that the young man was wonderful. On the third day when the people came to kill the buffalo the Witch-Woman came also. She said to the people: "Let the young man come. I want to challenge him." The young man came and the woman said, "If the buffalo come out again I will make them return to the cave, for I know who you are." When the young man tried to put the buffalo out the woman waved her robe and threw it on the side of the hill. There was a picture of the morning-star on the robe. The woman said: "I know you. You are the Morning-Star." The young man said: "It is true. I know who you are." The boy took his arrow and shot at the robe. When the arrow hit the robe the star disappeared and there on the robe was the picture of a new moon. The woman laughed and said, "So you know who I am?" The young man shot an arrow and when it struck the robe the new moon disappeared and there was a quarter of a moon. The woman laughed again. The young man shot another arrow and as it struck the robe there came a three-quarter moon. The young man said, "Now for the last time I will shoot my arrow at your robe." A full moon came upon the robe. The young man walked up to it and shot at the moon. The full moon fell upon the ground and turned into a spider. The young man killed the spider with his bow and arrows. He put the spider on the end of his arrow and shot up into the heavens. He said, "You must stay up in the heavens where you belong and not try to live with the people." The arrow went up into the heavens with the spider and the spider was left in the heavens as the moon. The old woman fell down and died. 44 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. The young man said: "My work is now complete. I will return with you." He turned the buffalo loose from the cave again and said, "All the buffalo will now come out from the cave and they will be scattered over the land." The boy went over the hills and another cave was found which contained deer, antelope, etc. They were turned loose. He brought one to the Snake den and then he returned to the heavens as the Morning-Star, leaving another boy in his place, who was given the mountain-lion quiver, bow, and arrows. The boy spoke to the Snakes and said: "You must now go all over the land. I must return to my people." The boy went into the village and there he married. From that time on the people multiplied and had plenty to eat. They were saved from starvation by this young man, and because the spider- woman was killed the women gave birth. While the woman was among them the women did not give birth to any children. By getting her out of the way the people increased. 9. ORIGIN OP THE BASKET DICE GAME1 "When the creation was going on the gods made two images of man kind out of mud, one a girl and the other a boy. In time they seemed to wake up. The bow and arrows were given to the boy, so that they could live by killing animals for food. The gods meditated as to their length of life—whether they should become old or live always—and whether they should have darkness to live in or light. The gods then sent animals and the gods said, "Let him kill one of these animals and whatever kind he kills let it be so." The animals went past the young man. Some were white and some were black, but he never shot until the last one came by. He shot this one through the heart. This was done in darkness. The last animal which was shot was spotted white and black. As the animal died it became day, so that the boy saw that the animal was spotted. The young man went on his hunting journeys in the forest. One night while they were sitting in their grass-lodge they heard singing just as if many people were dancing. It was continued all night. The next day the young man went into the forest, and there he found a lodge and a small field of corn. He did not enter the lodge, but returned to his wife. He brought her and as they approached the lodge a woman came out and invited them to enter. They entered the •Told by Woman-Cleanse-the-People, an old Skidi woman, now the keeper of the Skull bundle. This tale is interesting not only for the fact that it gives the supposed origin of the well-known basket game among the Pawnee, but especially on account of the symbolism of the basket and dice as representing the seven stars and the moon, as well as the earth and its contents. ORIGIN OF THE BASKET DICE GAME. 45 lodge and there at the altar sat four old men, who were daubed with ointment mixed with red clay. The woman who invited them was none other than the Moon, who had many children. All these children seemed to be girls. The dance began and they told the young man to learn the songs and to watch what they did, for in time he would do the same. He watched their movements and learned their songs. After singing then corn was brought in and they all ate. These two people received the seeds from the people who were living in the lodge. After the dancing then different games were taught these people, and they got the basket game at this time. In their dancing the four old men who were singing were none other than the Wind, Clouds, Lightning, and Thunder. The woman who danced in the west was the Evening- Star and was the god of storms, whose permission they obtained in order to create. For this reason she stood in front of the four old men. She was dancing and had the basket representing the moon. The four other dancers were also women who were stars. These were supposed to be the daughters of the Big-Black-Meteoric-Star who stands northeast in the heavens, and this star was to give in time the medicine-men their bundles and mysteries. As they danced these four moved towards the west, for they stood in the east in line. Towards the last the four dancers on the east moved up and each dumped into the basket what he carried. There were two swan-necks and two fawn-skins. This ended the dance. The basket woman was the one who gave permission to the gods to make the earth, and that is why the basket is made out of willow, for the earth is filled with timber. In making this particular basket a knife must not be used, but water and mud are used to help make it. Everything was put in the earth, and what was not put in for mankind's power was after wards given by the Big-Black-Meteoric-Star. These women put the swan-necks and fawn-skins in the basket, for they represented the four gods in the west. In this ceremony these two people learned many things, and they finally got the basket and plum seeds, for the woman was afterwards told to get plum seeds and to put marks on them representing the stars. The basket was to represent the moon. This was done to remind them that Tirawa sent the stars in a basket (the moon), and that they fell to the earth so that they might teach these two people all they were to do upon the earth. The twelve sticks represent the twelve stars in a circle above the heavens who sat as chiefs in council. By moving the sticks they count and when done win the game. Basket-Woman is supposed to be the mother of all stars and she is the moon. When these people, who were really stars, saw that the two 46 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. people now knew what they must do in this life, they jumped into their basket and went up into the heavens again. The Spider-Woman said that the doctor's dance is the same and represents the moon, who gave knowledge to these people. She helped the Big-Black-Meteoric-Star to give the man power to cure the sick and to do mysteries. She sat in the southwest corner of the lodge and the people in the south called her sister, while the doctors in the north called her their wife. 10. THE ORIGIN OP A NEW BAND.1 A long time ago some people, Skidi or Pitahauirat, lived in a village in the north. They had many ceremonies and offered buffalo meat to Tirawa. In this village were many boys who played about in the timber, along the creeks. In their plays they held medicine-men's dances and imitated the medicine-men trying to do sleight-of-hand. Among these young men was one whose father was a medicine-man, and another whose father was a chief. The medicine-man kept the ceremony of the medicine-men, while the chief kept the sacred bundles, and also knew the songs and rituals that went with the bundles. In the village was a young man who was poor and he did not go to play with the other boys. The medicine-man's boy and the chief's boy liked the poor boy, and they often went to his tipi and asked him to play with them. The poor boy always refused, but one time the two boys begged him so hard that he went to the place where they were playing. All the boys in the play took their turn in doing wonderful things. The medicine-man's boy took a willow stick and ran it down his throat. After they had all performed their tricks, the poor boy took the chief's son and the medicine-man's son aside, and said: "My brothers, you have been asking me to come and play with you. I can not, for I am poor. You boys are learning wonderful things from your fathers. My father is a poor man. He has no ceremony nor has he any sacred bundle. I am a poor boy, but since I have come this time I will come again. I want you to promise me that you will try to learn all the rituals, songs, and mysteries of the medicine-men. Will you promise me?" Both of the boys promised and they parted. After that the poor boy always played with them. One night the poor boy asked the two boys if they had learned all that was to be known of the sacred bundles and the mysteries of the 'Told by Mouth-Waving-in-Water, a very old Kitkehahki medicine-man, one of the oldest of living Pawnee. While the tale apparently recounts a historical event, and is told as history, it especially is supposed to stimulate young men to greater deeds on the war-path, by encouraging them in the belief that possibly they also will become the founder of a new band. THE ORIGIN OF A NEW BAND. 47 medicine-men. Both of the boys said, "Yes, we know them now." The poor boy said, "Well then, my brothers, it is now time that we go upon the war-path." The boys agreed, and so the three boys went alone upon the war-path. For many days they went, until at last they came to a camp where there were three tipis. In this camp there was only one man and he was married to several women. The three young men attacked the camp and killed the man. The women made no resistance, for they were glad to get rid of their husband, who was cruel and had treated them badly. The three young men now stayed with the women and they began to teach them and their people how to speak their lan guage. They took special pains to teach the boys and tried to make warriors of them. They took them on long journeys so as to teach them to endure hardships. As the three young men grew older, one of them took the boys with him and captured many ponies from the other people. They grew in numbers and captured many ponies. They kept moving their camp and attacking one village, then another, kill ing the men and saving the women and children. The three young men were careful to force their captives to adopt their language, and in this way they came to be one tribe. After a time the three young men thought of their old homes and they were anxious to return and make offerings of scalps to the gods in the heavens. They moved the camp north, towards their country. They came to a valley with a stream running through it and a high hill was on the west side of the place where they made their camp. There the people stayed for several days. The poor young man went to the top of the hill and there stood for several days crying. At last the chief's son went up on the hill and begged him to come down and eat. He said: "Why do you stay upon the hill and cry? It is time that we return to our people and let them know what we have done. We have many scalps and our people will be proud of us. Besides we now have a whole village of captured people." The young man did not reply, but sat with his head down. At last the chief's son said, "Well, if you will not say anything, I will go down." The chief's son went down to the camp. The next night the medicine-man's son went up to see the poor young man. He said: "My brother, why do you stand up here and cry this way? Look in yonder valley. We have many tipis. On poles in front of my tipi hang many scalps that I have taken from the enemy. In front of our brother's tipi also are many scalps. We have many women and children that we have captured. We also have many ponies. Come, let us go down and see our brother. Let us talk about going north to our country." But the young man said nothing, and so the medicine- 48 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. man's son left him. The two young men then determined to go together to the poor young man on the hill and persuade him to come down. In the night the two young men went upon the hill. One of them spoke and said: "Brother, we have come up here several times, and each time you have sent us away. Now we both have come up to ask you to stop crying and come with us to take these captured people to our people. Whatever you may request we both will grant. We do not like to see you upon the hill here crying and starving yourself." The poor young man said: "I am poor. I want to stay up here. If you want to go home, go. I can not go home." The two young men said, "No, we will not go home unless you go with us." "No," said the poor boy, "I can only go home if you do what is in my heart." "Tell us," said both of the young men. "No, I can not," said the poor young man. The two young men then begged the poor young man to tell them what it was that was troubling him. The poor young man said, "Will you do as I say?" The two young men promised. The poor young man said, "Do you remember when we were boys that I would never play with other boys, because they wore good clothes and I had no good clothes? I saw chiefs who gave commands to our people. I saw medicine-men who made people well, and also did many wonderful things in their medicine-lodge. All of these things I saw. I saw the priest go through ceremonies making burnt offerings to the gods in the heavens. Do you boys remember how I asked you to go and learn these things, one the sacred-bundle ceremonies, the other the medicine men's mysteries? Do you remember how I often asked you if you had learned these ceremonies perfectly, and how you, my brothers, said, 'Yes, I know my ceremonies and songs and mysteries.' I then asked that we might come out here where we could be alone and attack peo ple who would travel alone with their families. We have captured enemies. We have taken their scalps and their ponies. There is now nothing that we want except to take all of these captives to our people. Will you do what I wish you to do? If you earnestly desire me to be with you, I will tell you my wish. I will then wipe my tears away and my sorrow will go from me." "Speak," said the two young men, "and we will do as you wish." The poor boy said: "We have con quered people. They are our people and their children are our chil dren. Let us, my brothers, stay away from our people. Let this, my brother, the chief's son, be the high priest, for he knows the songs and ceremonies. Let this, my brother, the medicine-man's son, be the medi cine-man, for he knows the mysteries of the medicine-men. Now, brothers, let this poor brother of yours be a chief, for he has longed to THE ORIGIN OF A NEW BAND. 49 be a chief. Then let us stay away from our people and we will have a tribe of our own. These people will increase and we will teach them our language and our ceremonies. Will you, my brothers, do this?" The chief's son arose, took both of the poor boy's hands and said: "I like you more than a brother. I looked for you when we were boys and played around our village. What you have said I will do. We will stay away from our people and I will carry on the ceremonies, and the gods in the heavens shall receive the smoke from the scalps that we have taken." The poor boy then arose and said, "I thank you, my brother, for your friendly words. The gods overhead have heard your words and they will be glad when the scalps are placed upon the fire and the smoke goes straight up to heaven. Now," he continued, "what do you say, my brother? Will you also make my heart glad?" The medicine-man arose and said: "I am willing. We like you. I shall teach these people to do wonders in the medicine-man's mysteries and also shall teach them the ceremony and songs of the medicine-man. Then I shall teach them the different herbs and roots and what they are good for." The poor boy clasped both of the young men's hands, and said: "My brothers, my heart is filled with gladness. I can not speak to you of what is in my heart." He began to cry, and the two men could not speak, for they too were weeping. The night was clear and the stars shone bright in the sky. The three young men wiped their tears away and sat down, and the poor young man filled the pipe and they smoked together. The poor young man then said: "Look, my brothers, the stars are bright and they seem to speak to us as if they promised us success. Let us always remember that the gods in the heavens watch over us." They talked a long time and at last they arose and went down to the village. The next morning the three young men sat in the tipi of the poor young chief. They agreed that the chief should take some of the young men in the village and go north to their old village and get seeds from the fields of their people. In a few days the poor boy chief selected some of the young men, and they started north to where their peo ple had their corn-fields. It was in the fall of the year. The village had been deserted by the people. The men found some corn in the fields and picked up beans and squash seeds. They then started back to their new home. In the spring the people planted corn, beans, and squash. The chief's son got things together to make a sacred bundle. In the fall he went into the corn-field and found a white ear of corn with a tassel on top of it. He took this ear of corn to his tipi. Early in the spring a ceremony was performed and the corn and other things that were gathered were put in a wrapper and a bundle was 50 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. made. A few years afterwards the other young man started up the medicine-men's dance. He taught young men whom he selected and he had many followers. The people increased and became numerous. 11. HOW THE PEOPLE GOT THE CROW-LANCE.1 Many years ago a number of men went on the war-path. On the way the leader of the war party told them that it would be the duty of every man to look out for a raccoon; that before they should get far into the country of the enemy they must make a sacrifice of the raccoon. For many days they traveled south. One of the men went off by himself. He came to a ravine. He traveled up the ravine. In the night he did not return. Early in the morning this man followed the ravine. By sunrise he saw a raccoon sleeping upon a tree. He took an arrow from his quiver and shot it through the side. The raccoon fell down from the tree. The man then pronounced it holy. He put the raccoon upon his back and traveled west. In the evening he came to the men in the main body of the people. When he came to the people he told them that he had the raccoon which the leader wanted. The leader was satis fied. He told the people that in order to have a ceremony they must find a country with thick timber. Scouts were sent out and after a while they returned and said that they had found a nice place. The people went to the timber and there they made the sacrifice of the raccoon. The raccoon was burned up. Some of the people in the crowd said that the burning of the raccoon was wrong; that they had never seen a raccoon burned; that it should have been roasted and eaten by the people. Some of these men being afraid returned to their country. The others went on. Now, the man who made the sacrifice was one day sent out as a scout. The main body of the warriors had gone slowly and by noon had reached a high hill. They were seated upon the hill when they saw the man coming as if with good news. As he came over a hill, and went into a bottom land, the warriors on top of the hill heard shouting and yelling. Scouts were sent over to another hill to investigate and the scouts lay upon the hill where they could see the man and the enemy attacking him. The enemy killed the man and went away. After they were gone a short distance the scouts saw that they were not human beings, but that they were Crows and Coyotes. The scouts went back and told the leader what had happened. Some of the people said: "The people 1 Told by Leading-Sun, an old Kitkehahki medicine-man. The tale relates the origin of the so-called crow-lance which is the standard of the Crow-Lance Dance, the lance itself being symbolic of the north wind, who is supposed to act in behalf of hunting parties in driving buffalo to them. HOW THE PEOPLE GOT THE CROW-LANCE. 51 who went home told the trouble. We should never have sacrificed the raccoon." The leader of the war party went to the place and saw that the man was killed. He felt of his body, but could find no bullet hole nor any wound. He was not scalped, but there were scratches upon his body. Then they took his robe and placed it over him and the war party returned to their village. Now, when night came this man who was supposed to be killed thought that he heard some dancing. He listened. After a while he sat up and he saw people dancing around him. When he looked at the people he did not know any of them. There was one man who carried a lance and it was covered with crow feathers. All of the dancers were painted black. They told the man to get up, and they went along until they came to the mountains. There they took him from one place to another until they came to a hollow and there in the hollow stood a high tree. The man was told to lie down under the tree. He lay down and went to sleep. Early the next morning he woke up. The first thing he saw was a num ber of Deer running around and jumping. Then some one spoke from the tree where the Crows were and said, "Follow them if you wish." Then the man remembered the Crows. Again the boy found Antelopes. They came to where he was, and the boy liked them. He wanted to follow them and imitate them, but some one from the tree said, "Remem ber we brought you here." Then the boy let the Antelopes go and remained at the tree. The next day the Crows scattered out over the country. The boy took his bow and arrows and went out and killed a young fawn. This he brought back to the place where he was, built a fire, and cooked some meat for himself. In the evening the Crows began to come back to their tree. As soon as it was dark the boy lay down and he heard strange noises coming from the mountain side. He wanted to go to the place, for he was sure that he heard singing, but some one spoke to him from the tree saying, "Go if you wish, but remember we brought you here." Four times the young man had a chance to follow some kind of animals, but the Crows held him back. On the fifth night the Crows which had settled upon the trees disappeared and now there was singing inside of the mountain. After a while one of the Crows came out and spoke to the man. The man was taken into the side of the mountain. There he found a big cave. These Crows were seated around in a circle. The lance was standing in the west, and it was covered with crow feathers. The Crow people began to sing songs. At the end of each song all would imitate the Crow. All night they danced and as dawn came they told the boy to lie down in the lodge, as they must go out. The Crows flew 52 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. out and were gone during the day. In the night they came back and the man heard them and he sat up. This time he danced with them. For three nights they danced together. The fourth night they danced and then the leading Crow said: "My son, to-day we part. We give you this lance covered with our feathers. When you go back to your people, start the Crow-Lance society. The one who shall carry the lance shall be known as the priest. Any of the young men can take the lance in battle who belongs to the society. The priest must carry the lance on the march while hunting buffalo. The lance, as you know, is covered with crow feathers. The Crow can see where the buffalo are in time, and in that way the Crow will help you to find buffalo." The songs were also taught to the boy.1 The lance was given him and also the paint. Then the Crow said that he was supposed to have been killed by the enemy, but those who killed him were Crows and Coyotes. The Coyotes and Crows came over the hills together and by their crowing and barking they had scared the man to death. The Coyotes wanted to eat him up, but the Crows wanted to take him to their lodge and there teach him the dancing. If the Coyotes had had their way they would have eaten the boy, but the Crows brought life to the boy again and gave him the crow-lance dance. The people were to be taught by the way in which the Crows and the Coyotes scared this man, that sometimes they came in a body and scared them; that if the people became scared they were killed; if they did not become afraid they would not be killed. 12. THE ORIGIN OF THE PIPE-STICK CEREMONY.1 Many, many years ago the Skidi were few in number and lived some where in Nebraska. There was one young man among them who had wonderful dreams. In one of his dreams he saw a water-monster com ing up a big river. This monster which he saw in his dreams was a very long one. The head was of immense size. Upon the head were hairs growing out. On the top of the head stood something white, which he believed was a soft downy feather. The head of the monster was of 'The music and text of the songs which form part of this and the succeeding tales of this volume will be found in Part II. "Told by Cheyenne-Chief, a young Skidi whose father, Pipe-Chief, was one of the leading Skidi priests and chiefs. This tale relates to the origin of one of the most interesting Skidi ceremonies, the pipe-stick or Calumet. This ceremony, according to Skidi belief, as it exists in the other three bands of the Pawnee, was borrowed from the Wichita. The tale also accounts for the decoration of the effigy of the water-monster which is constructed on the inside of the lodge during the dance of the medicine-men. THE ORIGIN OF THE PIPE-STICK CEREMONY. 53 many colors. The young man woke up from his dream and for several days he sat in his lodge meditating whether to go to the big water he had seen or not. At last he made up his mind, and he went. For many days he journeyed to the northeast. At last he came to the big stream of water. The day was cloudy. He did not know where the sun was. While he was sitting upon the bank of the stream he saw the water spout ing up. After a while he noticed that this water-monster of which he had dreamed was coming. The monster came up just as it did in his dream, and it dived back. Again it came up and went back. A third time it came up and went back. The fourth time it came up, remained for some time, and then went down into the water. The breath of the monster seemed to draw this man into the water. The man was afraid, but as he was influenced he ran toward the steep bank of the river. When he was near to the water he closed his eyes. He knew no more. When he opened his eyes the monster's head was at the south entrance. The man noticed that there were animals of all kinds in this place where he was. The monster said: "I came from the big waters to this place in order to bring you a message. I control all animal beings in the big waters. I have told them to speak to the people so that they can under stand the powers which we have. In this lodge are different kinds of animals. This is an animal medicine-lodge. Here they will teach you the mysteries of all the animals. When you have gone home, make an image of myself and place it in your lodge. There you must stay by yourself, so that I may appear to you in your dreams and teach you the songs, and also my powers." At this time the Skidi did not know that there were birds and eagles. After this man had been in the lodge, and the monster placed him on dry land again, it returned to its home. The man went to his home also. When the man was in his lodge he began to gather up a lot of willows and covering for the sea-serpent which was to be placed in his lodge. He killed several buffalo. Among them was one bull. He took the scalp from it, and stripped it, so that the sea-serpent would have hair, just as he had seen the serpent in the water. The hide was tanned, the hair taken off, and was dyed. This was for the covering of the head of the sea-serpent. The rest of the body was covered with mud. When it came to putting the feather on top of the head, the man did not know what to get. In the night he had a dream. He saw a man standing near him. The man had mud all over him. On his face were streaks of red, blue, and yellow. On his head were scattered many soft downy feathers, and on the top of the head stood a soft downy feather about eight inches long. 54 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. The man said to the sleeper: "I am the Water-Monster you saw. I am a medicine-man. I am teaching you all the things that are to happen. I am teaching you many things which your people will have to do. The thing which you lack to place upon the head of the sea-ser pent is a feather. The bird flies up in the sky, and I will teach you how to catch it. You must go upon some high mound, dig a hole on top of the mound just as if you were digging a grave; scatter green limbs over the hole; kill several rabbits, skin them, and place them upon the limbs. You must then crawl into the hole and lie there. First the magpies will come to taste of the meat, then the crows, then the bird that flies high in the sky will see these birds eating and it will swoop down and light, close to the place. It will hop around until finally it will get on top of the hole, when you must reach and grasp it by both legs. After this pull it into the hole and wring its neck after you have taken it in. That is where you will get the feather to place upon the water-monster." The next day the man went upon a high hill and for several days he worked around until he had the place prepared just as he was told. After he had placed the rabbits on top he got into the hole and lay there. First he noticed the magpies flying around, then the crows, and suddenly he thought he heard wind coming down from the sky. When this hap pened the magpies and crows scattered away. The eagle came close to the hole. When it was on top the man reached out, caught both legs of the bird and pulled it in. For several days he lay there killing eagles. At last he took from the tail the one feather he wanted to place upon the head of the water- monster. The monster appeared again to the man in a dream and gave him a pipe-stem. It told him to string some of the eagle feathers and tie them upon a stick. He told him that he could use the pipe-stem and the eagle feathers in compelling other people to give him presents. The monster was not satisfied with what he had done for the man. He then told the man that he had killed some eagles. He told him to go over the country and keep on traveling until he should find the nest of an Eagle. The man went into the timber and looked and looked. At last he came to a big cottonwood tree and there he heard the whistlings of Eagles. He noticed that the mother was a Brown Eagle and that the father was a White Eagle. There were several young ones in the nest. The man looked up at the nest and cried. For a long time he cried and finally the Brown Eagle said to the man, "Why do you cry so?" The man said, "There is something that I want, and I want you to help me." The Eagle said: "Tirawa gave you a pipe. Take it and go. Tirawa will help you." The man continued to cry and the Brown Eagle told the THE ORIGIN OF THE PIPE-STICK CEREMONY. 55 boy that they could do only certain things for him; that although they represented the sky they could not help him. The man began to cry and cried for a long time. At last some one near him said: "I will be with the other people if they will help you. You see my skin has black spots all over it. My fur is blue. I represent the sky and the stars. I know what you want. I can cheat other people and I will now teach you how to cheat others also." He saw that the animal who had been speaking to him was the Wild-Cat. The Evening-Star then said: "It is well that we placed the Wild-Cat upon the earth, for he now helps to get presents from other people. I will give you an ear of corn and you will call this ear of corn mother. Although she looks dead, take the corn from the cob, place it in the ground, and it will live and bear again. You shall tie the ear of corn on to a stick. The stick must have a downy feather upon it to represent Tirawa." Near where the boy stood was a plum bush. This bush said: "My son, I will furnish you my timber for your forked sticks. You see I bear much fruit. Our kind of trees grow and bear." Above and close to the nest of Eagles flew the Wood pecker. He said: "I will assist this man to make these sticks. When these sticks are completed the children who shall receive them shall sometimes ask for rain. If it is raining while the ceremony is going on, the children must ask of this man and the sticks that it stop raining. You must place my bill at the point of the sticks. I make my home in dry limbs. When it is stormy the lightning never strikes the place of my home. I have no trouble in raising my children." Then the Ducks flew overhead and said: "We will help. We place our eggs along the streams of water and they hatch. We have many children." After all these beings had spoken it was almost dark. The Owls hooted and said: "Take our feathers and place them upon the sticks. We will help the man to make his sticks." After all the animals had spoken, the four gods in the heavens spoke and said: "The Evening-Star has given us power to watch. If these people want rain they must sing songs and we will send it. If they want to stop the rain they must sing other songs." Then the man went home. In the night he had visions of these different animals. They gave him songs. They taught him songs and he sang with them. While they were singing, as the sun came up in the east, he received a song from the Sun. The Sun said: "This you shall sing when you are passing around the circle of the lodge. 'The rays of the sun will enter the lodge. The rays of the sun are upon the lodge. The rays of the sun are moving about the lodge. The rays of the sun have covered the lodge.'" Another song was given. "The sun walks around the lodge. The sun moves about 56 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. the lodge. The sun has covered the lodge." In the night the man gave some night songs. "The night dreams have entered the lodge. The night dreams are moving about the lodge. The night dreams have touched the people. The night dreams have covered the lodge." "Let the night dreams be. The night dreams are coming. The night dreams have entered the lodge." Then there were songs about the mother-corn, the brown eagles, the ducks, the owls, and the wild-cats. The man was also taught that on the third night they must take a child and decorate it in such a way that it would represent Tirawa. The painting of the child with the red paint about his face represented that the sun had touched the child. There was to be a mark upon the face of the child which was to represent the picture of Tirawa. At last the child was to be placed on the nest of an oriole. The two priests were to hold the child up while the leader of the pipe-sticks placed the nest under its feet. Then the priests stood the child up on the nest. This was to teach that the child should grow up to be either a man or woman and that its life's path way would be hard, but it would grow up, for the powers of Tirawa were now upon it. The oriole makes its nest high up in the trees. The storms never blow it away. Snakes can not get to its nest, and its young ones are always safe. Then they finally dance, and the paintings and other things are taken off from the child, together with the paw of a wild-cat. Then the child is permitted to return home and the painting upon its face must wear off. The child must not be washed. These are the things which were told me by my father. The pipe- stick ceremony came from heaven, from the animals, and from the water- monster. 13. THE GIRL WHO MARRIED A STAR.1 A long, long time ago during the summer two girls were sleeping on the top of an arbor. As they lay there, one of the girls said "O how I wish I had that star for my husband; I love that star." That night the girl went to sleep. When she awoke she found herself in a strange country. She cried and cried to get back to her own country; but when she found out that she was living with a man who was really the Star that she loved, she was then happy. The woman's husband told her not to go away from home and not to dig in the ground. He told her that she might dig wild turnips if she would be careful and 'Told by Curly-Hair, a young Kitkehahki, the nephew of Curly-Chief. This is a poor version of the well-known and widely disseminated tale which the Ankara claim as their own. It seems that the present version is somewhat mixed with the story of Long-Tooth-Boy. (Cf. tale No. 41.) THE GIRL WHO MARRIED A STAR. 57 not dig too deep. After she had been with her husband for a long time, she gave birth to a child, and it was a boy. When the child grew up and had become a good-sized boy, the woman went out to dig turnips, and she dug until she went too deep and her hoe went through. She then made the hole larger, looked down through, and there she saw the earth. The people were walking around and they looked like ants. She then covered up the hole and went home. A few days afterwards she told her son to tell his father to get many sinews for him. The man went hunting and from the backs of all the animals that he killed he took the sinews. Every day the woman would tell the boy to tell his father to get more sinew, until at last there was quite a pile. The woman sat down by the pile of sinews and began to make lariat rope from it. She kept on making the sinew rope for many, many days, until she had a big pile of it. When she thought she had enough rope, she went and dug a big hole, then she took a long pole and laid it across the hole and tied the sinew rope upon the pole. Then she pulled up a little grass and covered the place and went home, for she did not want her husband to know what she was doing. As soon as her husband went with the other Star-men for their night's journey, she put the boy upon her back and tied another sinew string about the child and across her breast so that the child was tied fast to her back. Then she went to the hole and slipped down the rope. All night and the next day she slipped down the rope. On the fifth day, Star began to hunt for his wife. He went all over the country, and finally found the hole, and he looked down through the hole and there he saw the woman hanging, for the rope did not quite reach the earth. Star went and brought a round, smooth stone. He dropped the stone and it fell upon the woman's head and killed her, so that she fell upon the ground. The boy worked his way out from the rope and stayed around his mother, nursing upon her breast until she had been dead for some time. A thunderstorm came and the boy ran for shelter. He came to a place that had a clean path, and he followed the path until he came to a tipi, and here was an old woman and her grandson, who was of the same age as the boy. They received him into their tipi, for the poor boy was glad to have a playmate. They stayed together and grew up together. One day the old woman told the boys not to go to a cer tain place; that there lived an animal that killed people. Little Star- Boy said,"Let us go to that place where grandmother told us not to go." They went. While they were going, a bear tumbled out of his den, bringing out much dust. The boys kept on going and the bear 58 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. was about to kill them, when they hid by a rock that was close by the bear. While the bear was looking around for them, it had become cloudy, and as the clouds came over the place where they were, the lightning struck the bear and killed it. The boys arose, went to the bear and Star-Boy blew his breath into the mouth of the bear, and the bear's skin rolled off. The boy tied the nose and blew up the bear skin and then they led it to the old woman. They ran towards their tipi yelling and crying. The old woman came out, saw the bear and commenced to run. Then the boys laughed and said, "Grandmother, we have brought this bear to watch over your pumpkins; we shall stand it in the field, so that the wild animals will not come there." In a few days the old woman told the boys that they must not go to a thickly timbered country; that there a monster lived. The boys went. When they came to the place they saw dust come out from a hole, but they kept on. The father of Star-Boy saw that he was in danger, and he sent the clouds, so that it thundered, and the lightning struck the big monster, as it came out from its hole, and killed it. The boys dragged the monster to their tipi. They scared the old woman with it, then left the monster outside of the tipi. Again the boys were told by the grandmother not to go to a certain timbered country; that at the place were mountain-lions; but the boys went and killed the mountain-lions. The boys killed all the wicked animals in the country. The old woman, after gathering in her harvests, told the boys it was time to go back to their country, to tell the people that all the monsters and wild animals had been killed. They went back to their country, and the relatives of the boy took him to their home. Star-Boy told them that his mother had been taken up by Star, his father, who was one of the Star people in the sky. He was a great man among them. One time he disappeared. Nobody knew where he went; but they supposed that he went back to heaven. 14. THE GRAIN-OF-CORN BUNDLE.1 A man was roaming over the prairie. He came to a place where people had camped and there he heard a woman crying. The man went to the place where the crying came from, but there was no one there, and he did not know what to think. When he went home he lay down and in the night he had a dream. He dreamed that he saw a woman. The woman spoke to him and said: "I stay where the crying •Told by Pretty-Crow, a young Skidi medicine-man, who it is believed obtained the story from his present wife, the widow of an old Skidi by the name of Wonder ful-Sun, who was both priest and medicine-man. The tale relates to the origin of one of the bundles. It was told to emphasize the importance of economy in corn, and also to instill a reverential feeling toward corn. THE GRAIN-OF-CORN BUNDLE. 59 came from, and I was glad that you hunted me and tried to find me. I am going to help you to find me, and also let you see me. As soon as the sun goes down and it becomes a little dark, I want you to go to the place where you heard the crying. I will be there, and there you shall see me and I will tell you some things that you do not know." When the man awoke he thought of the woman he was to see that evening, and so he watched and looked over the country until the sun went down. He watched the women passing through the vil lage, and as soon as the sun disappeared and it became a little dark he went to the place where he had heard the cry. As soon as he arrived at the place, instead of hearing the crying he saw a woman. The woman spoke to the man and said, "Look, look at me, for I am the one who was crying at this place." The man looked at the woman and he saw that she was a fine-looking woman. She said again: "Young man, when the people passed over this place while hunting buffalo they dropped me. I have been crying ever since, for you know that the people do not let a kernel drop from an ear of corn." Then the woman said,'' Look upon the ground where my feet rest." The man looked and there he picked up a kernel of corn. This kernel of corn was speckled. "Now," said the woman, "pick me up and always keep me with you. My spirit is of Mother-Evening-Star, who gives us the milk that is in the corn. The people eat of us and have life. The women give the same milk from their breast when they have children and their children grow up to be men and women. You must carry me wherever you go. Keep me in your quiver and my spirit will always be with you." The man took the kernel up and the woman disappeared. The man went home and kept the kernel close to him all the time. One day he went upon the war-path and tied the kernel to the quiver. When he had journeyed for many days the woman appeared to him in a dream and said: "The enemy is close by you. You are about to reach their village." The next day the man went out and before sunset he came in sight of a village. He sat down to rest and wait for sunset. As night came on he went down towards the village. Before he reached the village he came to a spotted pony. He got upon its back and rounded up several other ponies and drove them to where the people were. When they saw him coming alone with the ponies they were surprised. That night as he slept the corn-woman spoke to him and said: "Young man, take me. Spread some buffalo skins over me and cover me with a calf hide." The man did as he was told and the kernel of corn was put into a bundle and the bundle became a sacred bun dle. The man told his mother to watch over the bundle and to care for it. 6O TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. One day he went to the gambling grounds, and while there the mother opened the bundle and saw the kernel of corn. The woman picked it up and began to pray to it, and promised it to care for it, and also asked that she might have many children. Then she wrapped the bundle up and laid it away. When the young man came home he did not feel well and so he went to bed early. In his dream he saw the woman again, and this woman said: "I am Corn-Woman. Your mother saw me and asked many things. All the things that she asked of me will come true." The young man became a good warrior. He brought home many ponies and scalps. He said, "In the tribe is a nice-looking girl whom I like." The Corn-Woman spoke to him in a dream and said: "I do not want you to marry for two seasons. When you have received my spirit and you understand me, then you shall marry. You must tell your mother to place me in a large hill of earth. When a stalk grows from the hill and you find corn upon the stalk do not eat it, but lay it away. Then the next spring tell your mother to plant some more corn and the next fall there will be a good crop and you will see how the corn has multiplied." The young man did as he was told. As the spring came the mother placed the kernel in a big hill of earth. In the fall she gathered five ears of corn. These she laid away until the next spring; then she planted much more corn. About that time the young man married. The young man and his wife had many children, and their children had children, and thus they multiplied as did the corn. The man said to his mother, "Mother, you must never drop a kernel upon the ground nor into the fireplace, for the corn has life." The young man's first child was a girl. Corn-Woman appeared to the man in a dream and said: "I shall name the girl. Call her ' Woman-Carry-the-Leading-Corn,' because her father carried Mother-Corn upon his back when on the war-path." When Corn- Woman disappeared she told the man to tell his people, when they were ready to plant corn, to pray first to Mother-Corn and then to Mother- Earth. "When you have placed the corn in the earth then stand to the west and pray to Mother-Evening-Star to send rain upon the earth so that the corn will grow. Pray also to Mother-Moon, who helps give life to people, and she will listen to what people say. Never drop a ker nel upon the ground, for Mother-Corn will curse you and your life will be shortened." Corn-Woman also told the young man that when the corn-fields were high, all the people were to take their children into the fields and to pass their hands over the stalks and then over the children. Thus the children would grow and bad diseases would go away from them. Corn-Woman also said: "When the tassels are out then watch. THE GRAIN-OF-CORN BUNDLE. 6l There will be singing in the fields. Remember where the singing comes from. Remember that that is the sacred ear of corn. Take it from the stalk and take it to the old man, who will place it in the sacred bundle so that people will know that Mother-Corn did sing to her peo ple." The Pawnee worship Mother-Corn, because she represents Mother-Evening-Star. 15. THE METEORITE PEOPLE.1 Many, many years ago, before the stars fell upon the earth (1833) there was a wonderful being in the land known as Pahokatawa (Knee-Prints-on-the-Banks-of-the-Water). This wonderful being had been killed by an enemy. He was cut up. The coyotes came and ate of his flesh. The birds also came and ate of his flesh. Some other animals came and ate of his brain. The gods in the heavens agreed to save this man and send him back to the people. The gods let the animals in the earth know that they wished this man to live again. They made all the animals go back to the place where the man lay and place the meat back where they found it. The birds were also told to do the same thing. When the birds and animals and insects brought back everything which they had taken away, they found that the brains were gone. They could not be found. The gods placed a soft, downy feather in the skull in the place where the brains had been. After this man had made himself known to the people, he came to them from the sky as a meteor and would stay with them. Many times when the enemy were about to attack their village he came and warned them that the enemy were coming. The people were put on their guard, so that they were able to meet the enemy and overpower them. While he was with the people at one time he told them that something wonderful was going to take place in the heavens; that they must not be afraid when the meteors flew through the sky; that it was not time for the world to come to an end. "When the meteors fall," said Pahokatawa, "among them will be a large-sized one that will fall upon the plains. The thing will be the shape of a turtle and will have many colors." He said that the meteor would fall upon the earth and it would cause other meteors to light up and fly through the sky. Many years afterward the Indian people had their tipis in a thick- timbered country near the banks of the Platte River. The stars fell from 'Told by Buffalo, an old Skidi medicine-man. The meteor people referred to in the tale are those under the special protection of the Morning-Star. The stone referred to in the tale is supposed to exist on a high, sandy hill in the western part of Nebraska, Lone-Chief, a Skidi, being the only one who knows of its existence; while the leggings worn by this Pahokatawa are still in existence among the Skidi and in the possession of Lone-Chief. 62 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. the heavens. The people became afraid, and began to mourn, thinking that the world was coming to an end. But the leader of the people said, "Remember the words of Pahokatawa." The people recalled the words, and they knew then that it was not time. They went out and tried to catch the meteors. Some of the old people, who are living now, remember the time, and say that the stars flew around like birds. Two or three years after this happened, while the Pawnee were upon a buffalo hunt, two men were walking over the prairie, when they came to a barren place. There was no grass growing there and the men wondered why. It was a smooth, round place. In the center they saw a stone sticking out and upon this stone were many colors. They began to dig it out. It was the shape of a turtle. The legs and head and even the eyes were imprinted upon it. They went home and told the people. When Big-Eagle, the chief of the Skidi, heard of it, he told them that Pahokatawa had promised them a meteor. They went to the place with ponies and found the meteor. They placed it upon a pony. It was very heavy and the people could not carry it. There were only a few people who were allowed to see it. When this thing was taken into the village the people gathered around it and offered tobacco and smoke to it. Priests were sent for and they were the ones to offer the smoke from the pipe. This meteor was carried by these peo ple wherever they went, the old people believing that it was part of the Morning-Star. They kept it with the Morning-Star bundle. When the people moved away from Nebraska into Oklahoma they placed the stone upon a high hill in the western part of the state. Lone-Chief, a Skidi, still living, was one of the party who took the stone upon the hill and placed it there. He thinks the white people have discovered it and taken it away. The people speak of this meteor as having wonderful powers about it. Whenever the warriors were about to go out upon the war-path they went to where this meteor was kept, offered smoke and prayers to it, and then they were successful in overcoming the enemy and capturing their ponies. The people believed that as long as this stone was present with them bad disease could not enter their camp. 16. BUFFALO-WIFE AND CORN-WIFE.1 There was a young man who would never go to herd the ponies, nor join war parties, as his companions did, but always remained at home. When he was about twenty years of age, he selected a hill and there he used to climb every day and sit upon a pile of stones, and look •Told by Buffalo, Skidi. This variant of a well-known tale teaches reverence and respect for both the corn and the buffalo, and also explains the part played by the buffalo and the corn in the make-up of the sacred bundles. BUFFALO-WIFE AND CORN-WIFE. 63 around all day long. When he came back in the evening his mother would take a bowl of water and wash his face, and comb his hair. She was very proud of her son, for he was a handsome youth. After a while the people noticed that the boy would not associate with the other boys of the village, but spent all of his days alone on top of the hill, and they wondered why he did this. Some said, "He is looking for a girl to marry." Others said, "He must be a wonderful boy." Up to this time the people had not suspected that he was not of their family, and did not know that he had powers greater than theirs. He belonged to the Eagle family, and for that reason his mother gave him the name Without-Wings. One day while he was sitting upon the hill, looking over the country, he heard singing from the west. He listened again and heard the singing on the east side. Finally the singing came closer to where he sat. After a while he looked and saw that a woman was coming from the east and singing as she came. He heard someone singing behind him and there was another woman coming from the west. The song they sang was: Without-Wings, even your mother looks at you and her heart beats. I look at you, Without-Wings, and my heartbeats. The woman from the east was Buffalo-Woman, and the woman from the west, Corn-Woman. Buffalo-Woman walked up to the young man and sat down on the right side of him. The Corn-Woman came up and sat down on the left side. Buffalo-Woman then said: "I know you have been thinking of marrying among your people, but what has been upper most in your mind is that you want to marry Buffalo-Woman or Corn- Woman. I made up my mind to come to you. I came and I see this other woman here. I have brought you a pair of moccasins," and she placed the moccasins before him. Corn-Woman spoke and said: "What Buffalo-Woman has said is true. I also come and bring you moccasins." The young man was puzzled to know which moccasins to wear. While he pondered Buffalo-Woman took the right moccasin and put it on his right foot, and at the same time Corn-Woman took the left moccasin and put it on his left foot. Then each of the women took up her moccasin which was left. The young man spoke to them and said: " I take both of you. We will now go down to the village and we will go into my earth-lodge." The two women followed the man down into the village. When they approached the village they saw a woman play ing outside of the lodge as if she were a young girl. She was the young man's mother. When she saw her son coming with two wives she ran 64 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. into the lodge and put on an old, ragged dress. Then the young man took his wives into the lodge. The two women knew that they both loved the young man, and they also knew that his mother loved her son. The mother was very glad to have the two women to live in the same lodge with her, and for a long time they all lived together. After a while Buffalo-Woman began to show signs of pregnancy. When her time was almost up she told the young man that she had to go out upon the prairie. She went out and while upon the prairie she gave birth to a male child. Soon after Buffalo-Woman came back with her child Corn-Woman began to show signs of pregnancy. She told her husband that she had to go into the corn-field, but that she would return in a day or so. She went into the corn-field and there she gave birth to a male child. In a day or so she brought the child to their lodge. They all lived together happily until the little children grew up and could walk. The children were playing together and the two mothers were looking at them. Buffalo- Woman gave her son a little black buffalo-horn spoon. Corn-Woman's little boy wanted the black buffalo-horn spoon and cried for it, but the other boy would not give it up, and so to quiet her son, Corn-Woman gave him an ear of black corn. When little Buffalo-Boy saw the corn he wanted it, but Corn-Boy refused to give it to him, and so they began to quarrel and fight. Then the mothers became angry at each other, and before Without-Wings knew anything about it, Buffalo-Woman ran away with her boy. After Buffalo-Woman and her child were gone, Corn-Woman wanted to go to her home. Without-Wings wanted to go with Corn-Woman, but Corn-Woman told him that it would not do for him to go with her, and that he had better follow Buffalo-Woman. She told him that although he could not see her she would always be present with him and would help him. When she said this she and the boy disappeared and they went back into the under-world. Early in the morning Without-Wings took the shape of an Eagle and flew up into the air and flew towards the east. He had not gone far when he saw a Buffalo cow and her calf. Without-Wings flew above them all day, and in the evening the Buffalo cow turned into a woman and said that she was going to set up a tipi. The woman set up a tipi and began to cook something to eat. The calf turned into a boy and played about his mother. Without-Wings then flew down, turned himself into a man and went up to the tipi. Buffalo-Woman would not look at him, but the little boy ran up to his father and brought him something to eat and told him of their travels. After they had eaten they all lay down and went to sleep. Early in the following BUFFALO-WIFE AND CORN-WIFE. 65 morning the woman turned herself and her son into Buffalo and went off, leaving Without-Wings asleep. When he awoke he looked around and found that there was no one near. He turned himself into an Eagle and flew into the air for a little distance, and there he saw the Buffalo and the little calf going through a thickly timbered country where they thought no one would come. The Buffalo cow did not know that With out-Wings was flying overhead and she and the calf went on until even ing came upon them. Then the Buffalo cow turned into a woman again, set up a tipi and began to cook, and the calf turned into a boy again. Without-Wings came again. The woman would not notice him, but the little boy would go up to his father and give him something to eat. Early the next morning the woman and the child awoke, turned into Buffalo, made the tipi disappear, and left Without-Wings on the ground, as they had done before. When Without-Wings awoke he found that the woman and the child had gone again. He turned himself into an Eagle and flew away, and as he flew he saw the Buffalo cow coming to a wide stream of water. The Buffalo cow swam and carried the calf on her back. The cow became tired, but she finally crossed the stream of water and then stopped to rest. After she had rested she said: "My boy, your father will never be able to cross that water. Now we will go on." She did not know that Without-Wings was flying above her. They went on, and when evening came again the Buffalo turned into a woman and put up her tipi. When she had the tipi up, and was cooking, Without-Wings came into the tipi. The woman was surprised, but she would not notice him. Early the next morning the woman and her son arose and she said: "We must hurry, my son, for we must cross some high moun tains. When we have crossed these mountains your father can never overtake us, because he can not climb the steep mountains." They started and went across the mountains. When Without-Wings woke up he found that they were gone, and again he turned into an Eagle and flew up and saw the Buffalo and the calf crossing the mountains. To wards evening the Buffalo cow did not run quite so fast, and she told the calf that the next day they would be back to their home where their peo ple were. As they were going over the mountains she told him that his father could not come that way; but that if he did come she wanted him to tell his father, that he had a grandmother who was very cruel and that she would kill him if he came farther. In the evening, after they had passed the mountains, the Buffalo cow stopped and turned into a woman again. She put up her tipi and began to cook. After a while Without-Wings came down from the mountains 66 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. and entered the tipi. The woman was surprised, but she would not look at him. The little boy gave the father something to eat. In the night, when they lay down to sleep, the boy left his mother and went over and lay down with his father. The father then asked the boy questions and the boy told him all about their travel. Then the boy said: "My father, when you come to our lodge in the village of the Buffalo be care ful that the stone at the entrance does not fall down upon you as you come in. My grandmother is a witch and she kills all handsome men who come through that doorway. When you come into the door she will say, "Now go and find your wife.' There will be many buffalo that look just like my mother, but I will be playing with some other calves, and I will run up to my mother and I will rub my tongue at the root of my mother's tail, so that you can distinguish her from the others. Then there will be gathered together a lot of little calves and I will be among them, and when you come to find me among the calves I will shake my left ear a little, and then you will take hold of me and say that I am your son. Then my grandmother will try to make you do some other hard things, but I will help you." While the boy was telling his father all these things, his mother woke up, and then they all arose and walked together into the village. When they came to the tipi of the Buffalo cow she and her son went in. Before entering, Without-Wings looked inside and saw a big Bear ready to jump upon him. He spoke to the Bear and said, "Be still." When he said that, the large rock used for the entrance moved so that the entrance was wide open. Without-Wings started to go in, but the stone fell just as he was going through the entrance. As the stone fell Without-Wings turned into a soft downy feather, and as the large rock fell it brought the wind down with it, and the wind blew the downy feather inside before the rock could fall upon it. From the feather Without-Wings arose and the old witch was surprised to see him standing there. She told him that he would have to hunt his wife. There were many other cows with his wife, and the witch did not think that he could tell his wife from the others. He went among the cows and selected his wife, for he saw the mark that his boy had promised to put upon his mother's tail. The old Buffalo cow then said: "Without- Wings must be tired. I want him to go into the sweat-lodge." The little calf asked Without-Wings if he wanted to go into the sweat-lodge, and he said, "Yes, I would like to go." The old witch brought the stones and put them on the fire so that they would be red hot. Without- Wings went into the sweat-lodge, and then the old Buffalo cow went and invited six bulls to come and lie around the sweat-lodge, so that the BUFFALO-WIFE AND CORN-WIFE. 67 man could not get out. Then she went into the sweat-lodge. She took a large buffalo-horn spoon and dipped water from a bucket and poured the water upon the hot stones. The steam began to come down upon their naked bodies, and when it became too hot the man turned himself into a Badger and dug into the ground so that only his mouth and head stuck out of the ground. While the witch was grunting and making her medi cine upon the hot stones, Without-Wings would call to her and say, "Pour some more water on the stones, old woman, for this is not warm enough for me." The witch thought that by pouring water upon the red-hot stones she could scald the man to death, but she found that she was getting the place too hot for herself, and so she asked that they get out of the lodge. They left the lodge and the man saw the Buffalo bulls around the sweat-lodge. When the bulls saw the man coming out uninjured they jumped up and ran away from the place. A few days afterwards the old witch told Without-Wings that he must go after some wood, and she sent him to a place where there was a tree with an Eagle's nest upon it. It was a place where no one had ever been before, but Without-Wings went. When he came near to the tree where the Eagle's nest was, a storm began to brew in the sky right overhead, and the lightning struck all around him. Without- Wings spoke to the Eagles and told them who he was, and then the light ning stopped and the storm passed. He gathered the wood and took it to the old witch, who was greatly surprised, for she thought that the lightning would kill him, as it had all others who had tried to go there. A few days afterwards the old Buffalo cow challenged Without- Wings to run a race with her. Without-Wings thought that she would run about forty or fifty yards, but when she explained the length of the race, he knew that she was going to run to the four world quarters. She said: "If you should beat me, then the people will be allowed to live upon the buffalo. If I beat you, the buffalo shall live upon the people." When they got ready to run the race, Without-Wings turned himself into a Magpie. When they started the witch had a cane, and this cane she pointed as far as her eyes could see, and then she was there. Again she pointed the cane as far as her eye could see and again she was there. In this way she traveled, going at a single step as far as her eye could see, and so she was far ahead of Without-Wings. He commanded the Badgers to dig holes all around so that she would fall into these holes while he would gain on her. The Badgers began to dig and soon the witch began to fall. She fell so often that Without-Wings finally passed her and left her away behind. He continued running and finally he went all the way around the world 68 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. and came back. When Without-Wings came back the witch also came back. She went to her lodge and spoke to the stone over the entrance, so that it would not fall upon her. Then she called the Buffalo and they came out from the earth. She tried to get the Buffalo away, but Without-Wings ran into the cave and chased them out, and so many came, that they seemed to cover the earth. Without-Wings then came outside of the cave, and whenever he saw a Buffalo that he thought was no good he drove it back into the cave. There was one Buffalo that had two heads. Without-Wings drove it back into the cave. There came out some spotted Buffalo, and these Without-Wings did not like and so drove them back. He forgot, how ever, to drive back some of the white Buffalo which came out with the other Buffalo. When the earth was covered with Buffalo, the old witch pushed back the stone into the cave and closed it up. After that she tried to make love to Without-Wings. She treated him very kindly and she told him that he must not drink any poor, ragged woman's water. One day while Without-Wings was walking around he saw an old, rag ged woman coming with water. He thought he would get a drink, and after he had drunk from the woman's water, the village became excited, saying, "Without-Wings drank the chief's water." The woman who was bringing the water was the chief's wife. Then the chief became angry, and he began to dig up the earth and throw the dust up into the air. His body was nothing but bones, but he ruled over the village of Buffalo. Without-Wings fixed his arrow and went against the chief. He heard a mocking-bird singing, and it said: "There is an open place upon the chest of that bony Buffalo chief. If you shoot into that opening you will kill him. If you miss that hole then you will be killed." Without-Wings took aim and shot the skeleton Buffalo in the chest and killed him. Then the Buffalo had no chief. They told Without-Wings that they had no leader any longer and so they would form into herds and go their way. After they had divided into many herds and scattered, Without-Wings went back to his own people. 17. THE POOR BOY WHO MARRIED THE CHIEF'S DAUGHTER.1 There was a village of people. In the village was a boy who was very poor. He had no home. He was very dirty and had hardly anything with which to cover himself. When the people moved away from their village and went upon a hunt, this boy would always be left 'Told by Little-Chief, Chaui. This is a true tale related during the intermission of the ceremony, and presents all the elements of a hero tale. It especially teaches the poor boy the possibility of success through great effort, and also serves as a warning to maidens of the higher classes not to make fun of the poor boys. THE POOR BOY WHO MARRIED THE CHIEF *S DAUGHTER. 69 behind. The boy would go through the village picking up pieces of sinew and pieces of meat which had been dropped by the people. These he ate and then followed on. When he would arrive at the camp he would enter some of the lodges for something to eat. The poorer class of people were very good to him, but the people who were well-to-do did not like the boy. One day the boy decided that he would enter the tipi of the chief. As soon as he entered the tipi the chief's daughter spoke and said to the poor boy: "You dirty, good-for-nothing boy, go on out. I do not like you. I do not want you in our lodge." The father of the girl said to the boy: "You may be seated. When the girl cooks something to eat you shall have some of it." The girl was angry and refused to cook. She told the poor boy that if he wanted anything to eat he had to go for water for her. The poor boy went for the water. After the boy had eaten something from the tipi of the chief, he went through the village and slept at another place. After that, although the girl did not like the boy, the boy went to their tipi. She called him names and made him do things for her, such as carry wood and pack water. One time the poor boy, on entering the lodge of the chief, saw the girl by herself. The girl saw the poor boy come, and she said, "You dirty, good-for- nothing boy, go on out of this tipi or I will get a stick and drive you out." The boy did not move. The girl picked up the stick, went up to the boy, and hit him upon the back several times. The boy ran out and went through the village crying. He went outside of the village and there he stood upon a little hill and cried. The next day when the people broke camp there was left behind a poor, broken-down, crippled horse. This horse was a bay horse. It had been a very fine horse, but somehow the horse had its ankle unjointed and it had grown large. The horse became very poor, for the people who owned it never took any more care of it. This pony was left behind by the owners. The boy saw the horse, went up to it, and spoke to it. Then he took his robe and with his knife he cut his robe into strings, so that he had a lariat rope for the pony. He led the pony on. The pony could hardly walk. When he came near to the village he left the pony in the valley where there was good grass. He went into the village and there he remained. When it was daylight he went to where his pony was. For several days they traveled behind the people, but soon the pony began to gain, so that now it had flesh. At this time the boy was quite large, so that when he entered the village many people called to him to do work for them. He never would go near the tipi of the chief any more. 70 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. On one of the journeys, as the boy was leading the pony along, the pony said to him: "My son, I have taken pity on you. lunjointed my ankle so that the owners would give me up. There is nothing wrong with my ankle. This evening when we get to the village, tie me close to the village and walk toward the village. Go straight to the tipi of the chief and there you may sit down at the entrance. If the girl tells you to go for water, you must go. If she tells you to get wood, you get it. From this night On this girl is to think about you and she shall not rest until you have married her. I know she hates you, but that hatred will now turn into love." When they came to the village the boy left the pony outside and walked into the village. As soon as he saw the chief's tipi he walked fast. He entered the tipi and sat down. The girl said: "You dirty, nasty thing. What brought you here? Go out of this tipi or I will hit you with this stick again." Her father said, "No, do not drive the boy away from this lodge." Then she said, "If he wants anything to eat let him go and get some water for me and I will then give him some meat." The boy went down to the creek and brought up the water. When he entered the lodge he placed the bucket of water close to the fireplace. Then he came out and went away without receiving any thing to eat from the girl. The girl began to look for the poor boy, for she had some meat for him, but she could not find him. She kept look ing around for the boy until at last she went into the tipi and picked up her robe and went out. Then she went from one tipi to another hunt ing for the boy. The boy was not to be found in the village. Then she went to where his pony was tied. There she found him lying down near to the pony. She went up to him and shook him. The boy told the girl to go away, that he wanted to sleep. But the girl put her arms around the boy and said: "Poor boy, do you know that I have been thinking about you? I have gone around through the village thinking of you and I could not sleep. I have been thinking of you all this time. Make haste. Let us get away from this place, for the people will make fun of me for marrying you, but from this day on you shall be my hus band." The boy said, " You must go and get your awl, sinew, bow and arrows, and knife." The girl said, "I can get them." She went into her tipi and brought out the things which the boy wanted. They went down into a ravine where the timber was thick, close to the village, and there they remained. The next day the people hunted for the girl, but they could not find her. After four days the people gave her up and they noticed also that the poor boy was missing. Some people said, "That poor boy THE POOR BOY WHO MARRIED THE CHIEF *S DAUGHTER. "JI must have stolen the chief's daughter." Others made fun of him. In a few days, however, the enemy attacked the village. The boy was spoken to by the pony. It said to the boy, "Make haste; we must go and join in the battle." The boy took the quiver filled with arrows, put it over his shoulder, got on the pony, and went to the scene. The people were already fighting. When the people saw the poor boy com ing on his poor horse they made fun of him. But when the poor boy saw an enemy in the center he rode right into the enemy, and as he rode up against the enemy the people thought that his horse had fallen and that he had got up and got on a horse belonging to the enemy. But this was a trick of the poor pony so that the people would not recognize it as the poor crippled pony. After the boy had counted coup, and it seemed as if he had taken a pony from the enemy, he returned to the village and then to the hollow. Some of the men said, "I wonder where that boy came from?" After the battle the poor boy disap peared. In a few days the enemy attacked the village again. This time the boy went up to the village. He had red clay all over his body. The clay had been given to him by the horse. He got upon the horse and entered the line of fighters. There he killed an enemy and took his horse. Then he rode back into the timber where his wife was. He gave the pony which he had taken from the enemy to his wife. The people wondered what had become of the poor boy. A few days afterwards the village was again attacked by the enemy. This time when he went into the fight the people knew him. He killed another enemy, took his scalp, and went to his place. The fourth time when the enemy attacked the village the boy remained in the battle. Then the people knew that it was the poor boy who had done all the killing in the other fights. After the fighting was over, and the people had had three or four days' rejoicing for killing the enemy, the old man who was the crier for the people went through the village and notified the people that the next day they were to break camp and leave. The next day as the people were breaking camp the poor boy and the girl came out from their hiding place and entered the village. The boy was all dressed in buckskins and so was his wife. When the people saw the poor boy with the daughter of the chief, the young man who tried to marry her thought that her mind was not right because she had married the poor boy. When the chief heard that his daughter was married to the poor boy he was glad of it, for he said, "This poor boy is a great warrior and he has shown it in battle." After all the poor boy married the girl who hated him. 72 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 18. THE CANNIBAL WITCH AND THE BOY WHO CONQUERED THE BUFFALO.' There was a lonely tipi upon a prairie, and in it there lived an old woman who was known as the Witch-Woman. There lived with her a poor boy who had great powers. They had four powerful dogs. One of the dogs, which was large and bob-tailed, was named Afraid-of-Nothing. The woman wore a black skirt which was made from black buffalo-hide, and black moccasins. About her waist she wore a piece of black buffalo- hide. The boy wore black moccasins and buckskin leggings. The hair of the buckskin was not scraped off, so that the leggings had hair on the outside. He had no shirt, but always wore a buffalo-robe that was painted yellow. The boy had a black bow with white bowstring. The bow had only four arrows, and they were all black. The boy was a great hunter. He killed many deer and buffalo. Once in a while the Buffalo came close to their tipi, then would run away. The old woman often said: "Grandson, go and kill a man for me; I can not eat the kind of meat you eat, for it is very tough; I am hungry and want to eat some thing tender; the human meat is so much like liver that I like it." The boy would go far into another country, and when he came to a village of people he would hide and wait. When a man came his way the boy would kill the man, throw him upon his back, and then would run. The people often pursued the boy, and when they had nearly overtaken him he would take one of his arrows and shoot. As the arrow flew, the boy and his load would disappear, for he sat upon the point of the arrow, so that the arrow carried him and his load. The people would turn back and the boy would safely reach the tipi of the old Witch-Woman, and she would eat the human flesh. The Buffalo were aware that the old woman was eating human flesh and they became angry. They held a council and the chief of the bulls, who had a white spot on his forehead, said: "Let us bring the young man here and kill him, so that the old woman will have to stop 'Told by Curly-Hair, Kitkehahki. The story recounts the deeds of a wonder ful boy who lived with Witch-Woman and overcame the buffalo, whereby man thereafter lived upon buffalo and corn and the buffalo no longer ate human beings. The story is supposed to be true. It also explains the origin of the Pawnee, an agricultural people, on the one hand, and other tribes, such as the Cheyenne, Arapaho, etc., the nomadic buffalo-hunting, warlike tribes, on the other. The story is frequently told by grandmothers to their grandchildren, both boys and girls, during the winter nights. It secures their interest in wonderful events, and inspires the hope in them that they too may some day roam over the prairie and learn the wonderful powers of some animal, and ultimately become great medicine-men. The Chaui have a version of this tale not represented in this collection, in which the four dogs of this tale are represented by the wild-cat, bear, mountain-lion, and wolf, which it may be noted are the warriors of the Morning-Star and the representa tives of the gods of the four world quarters. THE CANNIBAL WITCH AND THE BOY WHO CONQUERED THE BUFFALO. 73 eating people." The Buffalo all said, " Nawa." It was decided to send two young Buffalo cows to the boy's tipi to tell him that the Buffalo wanted him. While the Buffalo were sitting in council, planning how they could kill the boy, the boy sat on a high hill, and kept swaying his head from right to left, and as he swayed his head he listened. All at once he arose and said: "Someone wants me." He went down to the tipi and said: "Grandmother, I am going on a long journey; is there anything you want?" The old woman looked at the boy, and said: "Look, my grandson; here is only a small piece of human meat for me. Go and kill four men and bring them to me, so that I shall have plenty tc eat, and in the night I will sleep in the midst of the dead men." The boy was glad. He started at once and went to a village, where he killed one man. He carried the dead man to old Witch's tipi without any trouble. He went back to the village and killed another man, but some of the people saw him and went after him; but they were too late, for the boy had disappeared and had taken the man to his tipi. His grand mother was glad, for now she had two men. The boy went again to the village, and this time he found it hard to kill anyone, but finally he suc ceeded in killing a young man. He ran, the people following him. When the people came close to the boy he took his bow and shot. Again the people lost the boy. He went home and told his grandmother of his narrow escape; but his grandmother said: "My grandson, you have but one more to kill; you may be gone a long time, and I shall use up my best meat in the meantime." The boy took courage and went back to the village. The first man he saw he killed, threw him upon his back, and fled. The people ran after him, but whenever the boy ran over a hill he disappeared, and came up on another hill. The people were so close to the boy that they could see that he wore deerskin leg gings and had a yellow robe over his body and they thought that he must be a deer. The young man reached his tipi and threw down the dead man. He was angry and said: "Grandmother, I do not see why you want to eat people; I feel sorry for those people;" but the old woman said: "Grandson, go and kill one more for your grandmother and she will be happy." The boy said: "No; now I can go on my long journey. Tie up the dogs, and, after I am gone, untie all of them except Afraid-of-Nothing. Keep him tied." The old woman tied up the dogs and the boy went off towards the west. For many days he traveled, but during all of that time he never saw any game, so that he was very hungry. Just as he was about to climb a hill he saw two Buffalo coming up on the top of the hill. The boy hid until the Buffalo came close to his hiding place, then he rose up and shot one through the sides, so that it fell and died. The other ran away to a 74 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. ravine close by. The boy went to the dead Buffalo and cut into its back in such manner that he cut out one of the kidneys and was about to eat it raw, when some one spoke to him. The voice came from behind him and said: "Son, I am sorry you cut her in that way. Put back what you have in your hand, and be sure to put it in its place, then walk away and do not look." The boy turned around and there stood a woman. The woman had a new buffalo robe over her. Her hair was not plaited. The woman said: "That Buffalo and myself came after you, and now you have killed her. Walk away." The boy walked away. The woman turned to the Buffalo, fell down, and pushed the dead Buffalo around until the dead Buffalo moved and rose up. The woman who had spoken to the boy was a Buffalo, the mate of the other. As the two Buffalo circled, one staggering, the other pushing, the boy looked around and there were two Buffalo going around in a circle. The boy stood and watched. After the Buffalo that was killed walked away, the other came and said: "It is all right now; go to yonder hollow and wait and we will come, for we want to talk with you." The boy went to the hollow and waited. The two Buffalo went to another hollow; there they rolled upon the ground and turned them selves into women. Then they went where the young man was, and the two women sat down beside him. When they had seated themselves one of the women said: "We understand that you have wonderful powers. When you go and kill people and the people pursue you, you do something and you get away from the people. Is this all true ?" The boy said, "Yes, it is true." The women said, "Tell us what you do." The boy said: "I will tell you. You see my arrows? When I am running from anybody, I shoot one of these arrows, and at the same time I sit upon the flint point, so that the arrow carries me far away, and the people lose me." "How many times can you do this?" the women asked. The boy said, "Four times, for you see I have four arrows." "What do you do when you have shot your last arrow and the people are still after you." "Well," said the boy, "I keep on until they are about to overtake me; then I throw this bow upon the ground, and I get away from them by traveling upon the bow, and when the bow stops, I stop." "How would they find you then?" "I hide in a fine meadow, where there is thick grass, and if they were to cut all the grass I should be in the center." "Now," said the women, "when they find you, then what?" "O," saidtheboy, "Iruntoa pond and hide there. If the people should throw the water out of the pond I would be in a mud hole, and there I would be killed." The women were satisfied. Then the two women and the boy arose and started THE CANNIBAL WITCH AND THE BOY WHO CONQUERED THE BUFFALO. 75 to journey westward. When they were upon the prairie, the two girls said: "Young man, we came after you; will you go with us; will you keep up with us?" The young man said, "I will try." "Well," said the girls, "suppose we walk fast; can you keep up with us?" "Yes," said the boy, "I can." "If we trot, can you keep up with us?" "Yes," said the boy, "I can keep up with you." "If we run very fast will you keep up with us?" "Yes," said the boy, "I will keep up with you." The girls were satisfied, and said, "We will now set out for our country." The girls started, the boy following. When they went out from the ravine, the boy saw that they were again Buffalo. He followed and finally ran and caught up with the Buffalo. One of them said, "See yonder hills; let us try and get to them by noon." The boy said, "All right." The three ran, the boy keeping up with the Buffalo. The Buffalo then tried to leave him behind, but he staid with them. When they came to the hills, the Buffalo again said, "Let us get to yonder mountains that you see far away." The boy said, "All right." The three ran again as fast as they could until they came to the mountains. The two Buffalo were then willing to rest, but the boy said, "Go on." The boy touched the Buffalo and they all started off again. They ran through the valleys and over the mountains. About midnight they were on top of a mountain. There they stopped. The boy lay down to rest, then the two Buffalo turned into girls again, and the two girls came and lay by the boy. The girls again questioned the boy as to how, if the Buffalo should run after him, he could get away. The boy told all the secrets of his traveling upon the arrows and the bow. He said: "The black arrows that I have are all little blacksnakes, the bow is a large blacksnake; the bowstring is the backbone." "Well," said one of the girls, "suppose the Buffalo were to run after you; what would you do when you first shot the arrow and the Buffalo did not find you?" "I would keep on." "Then," said the girl, "if I were there, I would say, 'Keep on; you will find him; he is still going on.'" "Yes," said the boy, "you could say that each time." "When the arrows have all been shot," said the girl, "what would you do?" "I would throw the bow upon the ground and get upon the bow, and stay upon the bow until the bow stopped traveling, in a broad meadow filled with thick grass." "What would the Buffalo then do?" said the girl. "Well, then tell all the Buffalo to surround the grass and eat it. When the Buffalo have eaten the grass, then choose one bull, who will go to the bunch of grass and let it blow its breath; I shall then jump out and run to a pond." "What shall I say then?" said the girl. "Tell the Buffalo," said the boy, "to drink out of the pond until they come to a small hole where 76 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. there will be water. I shall be there. Let one big Buffalo come and let him blow his breath. I shall then jump out and the Buffalo will kill me. That is all." The girls were then satisfied. They told of a wonderful bull with a white spot on his forehead, who was the leader of all Buffalo. Then they all slept. As the dawn came in the east, they arose and began to run. They went over high mountains and through valleys and again over mountains. The Buffalo then said: " You will soon see clouds of dust. It marks the place where our people are." They came to a valley, and as they climbed up the hill they began to see clouds that they knew were not rain clouds, but clouds of dust. When they arrived at the top of the hill, the girls said: "You may stay here; we will go down to our people and tell them that you have come." The boy sat down on the hill and watched the two Buffalo go down the hill. He saw at a distance many tipis, as he thought, and at a distance he thought he saw many Buffalo playing with sticks. While the boy was watching all these things, he saw many Buffalo gather together where the two girls were, and they seemed to be talking with the girls. While he sat there someone spoke to him and said, "My son, where do you come from, and who has brought you here?" The boy looked around and saw an old Buffalo standing by him. The boy then said, "Two women brought me here." "Yes," said the Buffalo, "I know, my son; the Buffalo wish to kill you. The Buffalo are angry with you, for you have been killing people, and your grandmother eats them instead of eating the Buffalo. I am chief of the Buffalo who come from where the sun sets. I know you have not eaten any people, so I will help you. Come to where my people are." The boy followed the old Buffalo down the side of the hill, and he took him to his tipi. The bull then said: "My son, the first thing you want to do is to rise early to-morrow morn ing, and go to the pond in front of the tipi of the Buffalo with the white spot on its forehead. There you must dive four times, then come out. If you let White-Spot-on-Forehead get into the pond first, then you must die; but I am to help you and I shall fight with you." Early the next morning, before daylight, the boy was down to the pond, and dived four times, then came out. As the sun was coming up in the east, White- Spot-on-Forehead came out and went down to the pond to swim. When the bull got to the pond and smelled, he stopped, snorted, and said, "I smell a man in the water; I shall not swim." White-Spot-on-Forehead Bull did not swim. Between morning and noon the Buffalo began to gather on all the open prairie. The boy and his followers were on one side, while on the other side were White-Spot-on-Forehead and his fol- THE CANNIBAL WITCH AND THE BOY WHO CONQUERED THE BUFFALO. 77 lowers. There they stood for some time. The Buffalo on one side were herded by the boy and the old bull, while the Buffalo on the other side were herded by White-Spot-on-Forehead. The Buffalo came together on each side as if to try to hook one another. The boy watched all the time so that he could send one of his arrows through the side of White-Spot-on-Forehead, but they did not come together, but scattered. The boy and the old bull went home. As they entered the tipi, the old bull said: "My son, White-Spot-on-Forehead challenges you to smoke with him to-morrow. You and the bull will each smoke. When you take a big puff of smoke, try to send it up a high, dry cottonwood tree. If the bull sends his smoke higher than you do, then you will be killed, and my people will also be killed. If you beat White-Spot-on-Forehead, you will take your bow and arrows and kill him.'' The boy listened carefully and he thought of what he would do. He thought of running away, and again he thought he would stay and see how things would turn out with him among the Buffalo. Early the next morning the Buffalo gathered around the dry cotton- wood tree. White-Spot-on-Forehead appeared as a man. He brought a large-sized tobacco pouch and a large pipe. As the Buffalo gathered, White-Spot-on-Forehead said: "Nawa, you, boy, and I are to smoke and see who can send the smoke the highest up this dry tree. If your smoke goes higher than my smoke, then you are to kill me, but if my smoke goes higher than yours, then I am to kill you." "Nawa," said the boy. White-Spot-on-Forehead put all of his people on one side, and the old bull's people went on the boy's side. White-Spot-on-Forehead said with a loud voice, "I now cut tobacco." All on his side said, "Nawa." Again White-Spot-on-Forehead spoke and said, "The bowl will now receive a coal." "Nawa," all said on his side. "Now I in hale smoke." All on his side said, "Nawa." "Now I send smoke up the tree." All on his side said, "Nawa." The smoke was blown at the base of the cottonwood tree, and it began to roll up the tree. All on his side kept crying, "The smoke is going to reach the top." Those on the boy's side kept saying, "The smoke fails to reach the top of the tree." All watched the smoke roll up the tree, and as the smoke was about to reach the fork of the tree it scattered. It was the boy's turn. He took the pouch and pipe, cut the tobacco and said, "I now cut and mix tobacco with sumach leaves." All on his side said, "Nawa." Then the boy filled the bowl of the pipe and said, "I now fill the pipe." All on his side said, "Nawa." "I inhale smoke," said the boy. All on his side said, "Nawa." "Now I start the smoke," said the boy. All on his side said, "Nawa." The boy blew the smoke at the base of the tree, and as the smoke began to 78 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. roll up the tree, the yelling and hallooing began. White-Spot-on-Fore- head yelled, "The smoke will not reach the top." The smoke rolled up the tree, went over the fork, and came down on the other side of the tree, and as the smoke scattered at the base of the tree, the boy's people made a rush at the others. The boy jumped at his bow and arrows, and was about to shoot at White-Spot-on-Forehead, when the bull said: '' Not yet, give me another chance; to-morrow we drink out of the pond, and whoever fails to drink all the water out of the pond shall be killed." The boy said, "All right." When the boy went home the old bull said: "I will help you; White-Spot-on-Forehead will drink first, and he will drink all the water in the pond; then he will blow the water all back in the pond. Take these horns I give you. When your turn comes, you must put your arms into the water, holding a horn in each hand. These horns will suck up most of the water, so you will not be obliged to drink too much water." The next morning the Buffalo came together around the pond. White-Spot-on-Forehead was the first to drink from the pond. He drank all the water, leaving only mud-water. The Buffalo threw up the water, and the pond was filled again. There was great rejoicing on his side. The boy went to the pond with the buffalo horns, one in each hand. He knelt down on his knees and put his arms into the water. His hands touched the bottom of the pond. The boy seemed to drink the water, but the horns sucked up most of it. The boy seemed to drink all of the water, for the pond was made dry. There was now great rejoicing on the boy's side. As soon as the boy had thrown up all the water, he jumped back, took his bow and arrows and tried to kill White-Spot-on-Forehead. White-Spot-on-Forehead begged for another chance, and said: "To-morrow we select runners from our sides, and there will be a race." The boy agreed. Seven runners were selected on each side; three were short-distance runners and four were long-distance runners. The old bull selected six Buffalo on his side, and the boy made the seventh. These Buffalo went north for a long distance to the starting place. They went over several hills until the Buffalo could not see the racers. For a long time the Buffalo watched, and all at once a great shout was heard. All the Buffalo looked, and there were the runners coming over a hill. When the runners came over the second hill, White-Spot-on-Forehead's side gave a great shout, saying, "All our runners are in the lead." This was true, for all of the boy's partners were behind, and the boy was the last to come over the hill. The boy had on his yellow robe and also wore his buckskin leggings. As the running Buffalo came to a long stretch of valley the boy lifted his robe over his shoulders, and then took the THE CANNIBAL WITCH AND THE BOY WHO CONQUERED THE BUFFALO. 79 bowstring off from his bow. With the bowstring he whipped his legs, so that he could run fast. As he caught up with one of his Buffalo part ners, he whipped the Buffalo's legs and the Buffalo was made to run fast. The boy kept whipping his legs until he reached another one of the Buffalo; then he would whip his legs. The boy caught up with all of his partners, and made them run fast by whipping their legs. The boy was now in the lead of all his partners, and they were running well. After a short time they passed the others, and were in the lead. White- Spot-on-Forehead's people were walking around, throwing dirt upon their backs with their hoofs and looking fierce, for they were ready to fight. Some of the bulls were locking horns as if beginning battle. Then they would stop and watch the hills. As the runners came up over the second hill a boy appeared, and not a Buffalo. This time there was great rejoicing on the boy's side. All of the boy's partners came over the hill first; then the others began to appear. As the boy came to the foot of the next hill he stopped, pulled out his bow, put his string on it, and as all of his partners came up to him he would tell them to stand by him. As the other Buffalo came up and tried to pass the boy, he would shoot an arrow through their sides and in that way he killed all of them. Then the boy and the Buffalo went over the last hill, and there the Buffalo were fighting. The boy ran among them and killed many. On his way through the herd of fighting Buffalo he came to where the old bull was fighting a young bull. The boy killed the young bull. White-Spot-on-Forehead's people were furi ously enraged. The bulls began to hook one another. The boy's side were few in number and were overpowered. The Buffalo started out after the boy. He ran fast, for his deer leggings gave him great speed. The deer's power gave out. Then the boy took his bow and one of the arrows and shot the arrow far away. He disappeared. The Buffalo stopped and hunted the boy, but could not find-him. Someone said: "Where are the two female Buffalo who went after him?" Another answered, "They are coming behind." The Buffalo waited until the two girls came up. One of the Buffalo said: "What did he say he would do if we got after him?" One of the girls said: "Proceed; he is still going on ahead." The Buffalo again started and saw the boy far ahead. The Buffalo ran after him and when they were nearly up to him, the boy again shot an arrow and again disappeared. The Buffalo stopped and waited for the two Buffalo girls and asked them, "What did the boy say he would do?" They said, "Proceed; he is going on ahead." The Buffalo ran and again saw the boy. 80 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. They ran fast, but just as they came close to the boy, he shot one of his arrows and disappeared again. The Buffalo said to the Buffalo girls "What did the boy say?" Both girls said: "Proceed; he must be going on ahead." The Buffalo went on. Again the Buffalo saw the boy, and as they again came upon him he shot his last arrow and disappeared. The Buffalo girls came up and said, "Proceed; he is on ahead." The Buffalo went on farther and came close to the boy. The boy took his bow and threw it upon the ground and stood upon it. The bow turned into a blacksnake, which ran swiftly. Again the Buffalo lost sight of the boy and said: "Girls, where will the boy be?" The girls said: "Keep straight on until you come to a fine meadow, where there is grass." The Buffalo ran until they came to a meadow, and the girls said, "Stop here." The Buffalo stopped. The girls said: "Surround the meadow, and let every one of us eat this grass, so that there will be only a bunch of grass left standing." The Buffalo all began to eat of the grass and came nearer the center as they ate. When they had eaten all but a little bunch of grass in the center, the girls said: "Now choose one bull who has a strong breath and let him blow his breath upon the bunch of grass, and the boy will come out from the grass." One bull was chosen and he went to the bunch of grass and blew his breath, and the boy jumped out from the grass, but disappeared at once. The Buffalo tramped and hooked at one another, until they saw that the boy was not there. Then they said:'' Where will the boy be now, girls?" The girls said: "Go to the pond, and you will find him there." All the Buffalo went to the pond and the two girls said: " Now let all drink until the water is gone, for the boy is in the pond.'' All the Buffalo went into the pond and began to drink. They drank so much that nearly all the water was gone. The turtles came crawling up and fish lay upon the mud. There in the center was a mud-hole. The Buffalo chose an other bull with strong breath. As he blew his breath the boy jumped and came upon the dry land. The Buffalo closed in upon him and again the boy disappeared. "What now?" said the Buffalo. The girls said: "We have killed him, for he has now used up all of his power." The Buffalo went into the timber and sat under the shade of the trees. The boy was up in a tree. He was kept up the tree so long that he wanted to urinate. He was afraid that if he should get down from the tree the Buffalo would take after him, so he gathered up his robe and urinated in the robe. The boy held the water in the robe until it began to seep through, so that drops fell upon the head of a bull that was sitting under the boy. The drops kept falling and the bull looked up towards the heavens and said, "We killed a wonderful boy, and that is the reason raindrops are falling on my head. I do not see any clouds; this boy THE CANNIBAL WITCH AND THE BOY WHO CONQUERED THE BUFFALO. 8l must have been a wonderful boy." While the bull was talking to him self the water had made a hole through the robe, so that it poured down on the head of the bull. The bull looked up and there was the boy sitting up in the tree. The bull rose, and grunted, as much as to say, "Here is the boy." Every one of the Buffalo rose and gathered around the tree. The Buffalo saw the boy and said: "We must get him this time, so that he will never kill any more men for food; but will kill our people. What shall we do to get the boy down?" One of them said: "Let us select five great bulls to run against the tree, and the tree will fall down and we will get the boy." Five large bulls were selected, who ran against the tree, and two fell dead at the bottom of the tree. Then the Buffalo said: "This will not do." One of the Buffalo said: "Let us hook at the ground with our horns and dig up the roots." They tried this plan, but their horns were broken off, so they gave it up. One of them said: "Let us hook the tree and take out piece by piece until we can get it down." One bull ran up and hooked the tree with his horn, so that the bark of the tree fell off. The others tried, and the bark came off easily. They kept on hooking and some of the Buffalo broke their horns, but they kept on until the tree became small at the base and began to quiver. The boy became frightened and gave a loud yell. Again he gave a loud yell; then he waited. When he gave the yell the dogs at home be gan to run about, but they did not seem to know where the voice of the boy came from. The old woman, the boy's grandmother, also stood up and ran around. She finally went up to the bob-tailed dog and released it, and said, "Afraid-of-Nothing, your brother is in danger; lead us to where he is." The dog gave a loud yelp and ran west, the other dogs following, the old woman close behind them with a club. The dogs reached the Buffalo herd and the Buffalo felt them upon their heels, so that they began to run. Sometimes the dogs would bite their legs, so that they fell. The old woman, when she came up to them, hit the Buffalo with her club, and she killed many. As they ran past the tree, it fell down easily, so that the boy was not hurt. When the Buffalo had all gone away the boy said: "Grandmother, cut up some of these Buffalo, so that we can get something to eat; and you, my grandmother, must eat this kind of meat and do not eat people any more." The old woman cut up some of the Buffalo and roasted the livers for herself. She said: "Grandson, this tastes like man's flesh. Hereafter, old women of my age shall eat liver, for it is soft and good." "Now, grandmother," said the boy, "we must go home, for there we must separate." The boy took his grandmother home. When they reached home the boy said: "Grandmother, you must go north; 83 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. take this sack with seeds in it and this hoe, made from the shoulder- blade of a buffalo. You shall plant these seeds, and whatever you raise in the fall always eat that. The dogs I turn loose; they may go where they wish. I will put on my leggings, moccasins, robe, and this lariat rope, made from buffalo hair, and I will go to the land of the Sun. From this time forth I shall be known as a great warrior." The old woman put her sack upon her back and went north. The boy, after putting his clothes on, put the lariat rope around his shoulders and went south. In the meantime the Buffalo sat down in a valley and had a great council. "The people will live and they will kill many Buffalo and eat of our meat. White-Star-on-Forehead, who is our chief, shall make his home in the north and shall stay there. Henceforth we shall scatter all over the country. In all things we were beaten by the boy. In smoking the boy beat us; so the people will do the smoking, and they will send us only whiffs of smoke. In drinking of the water from the pond, the boy was given horns to help him drink the water; so from this time the peo ple shall make spoons from our horns, and eat with them. In the running of the race the boy beat us; so that the people will always beat us in run ning and will kill us; and when the people are hungry we will seek fresh grass, so that they can find us. On hot days we will seek ponds to drink from, that the people may find us and kill us, so they can eat meat. When the people have multiplied, they will take pieces of buffalo robes and cut them up for the babies to lie on, so that the children will urinate upon our robes." Thus by the boy overcoming the Buffalo the people were to kill Buffalo. White-Star-on-Forehead was killed; so were the Buffalo girls. They were given a place in the north, where the three were to stand as gods and to send buffalo to the people. The old woman went north. Her descendants all had seeds, while the boy's descend ants became warriors and never planted any seeds in the ground. 19. THE WARRIOR AND THE BLACK LIGHTNING ARROW.1 Many years ago several young men went on the war-path. They went into the western country, and for many moons they traveled until at last they became weary and discouraged, for they had gone to a mountainous country and there was no game or fruit to eat. They began to find fault with the leader of the war party, and to blame him for their misfortunes. At last he told them that if they would stay in •Told by Sun-Chief, a young chief of the Pawnee whose father was a prominent chief of the Skidi band. The story describes the origin of a warrior bundle, the chief part of which was a wonderful, so-called, black lightning arrow. The story especially teaches obedience to the heavenly gods. THE WARRIOR AND THE BLACK. LIGHTNING ARROW. 83 the valley he would go up on a high hill, and would pray to the gods to give him power and to help him to be successful in finding the villages of the enemy. The other young men promised to stay in the valley while he went up onto the hill, and so he started. His absence gave the warriors a chance to hunt through the ravines and upon the mountains, and they were successful. They killed game and brought it into their camp. In the meantime the leader of the war party was upon the high hill praying. He went up on the high hill in the afternoon, and he stood there until dark, offering his prayers to the different gods in the heavens. When night came he ceased praying and began to cry. For three days and three nights he stood crying and asking help from the gods in the heavens. The fourth night he noticed a dark cloud com ing up from the west. Then he cried louder. After a while the cloud passed all over the sky and darkness overspread the earth. The young man faced the west. He had his robe over his shoulders, tied around his waist with a buffalo-hair lariat rope. As he stood thus the light ning flashed and then it thundered, and as it thundered the boy fell over and knew no more. In the morning he awoke, as he thought, from a deep sleep. He found upon his breast a little black arrow about six inches long, with a point of the finest flint and shaft of black stone, and the end of stone so fine that it looked like feathers. The young man knew that Light ning had given him this arrow, to let him know that he was to be suc cessful in all his undertakings while upon the war-path. The boy took the arrow and hid it under his robe and went down the hill. The other warriors saw him coming and they were glad. They seated him by the fire, gave him water that they had brought up in a buffalo bladder, washed him, and gave him some meat to eat. After he had eaten he told the warriors that he had received something from Light ning, the wonderful god. After he had eaten he sat down to the west of the fireplace and placed the arrow in front of him, then asked for a pipe and some native tobacco. When he received the tobacco he arose, lighted the pipe, and began to smoke. He stood west of the fireplace, and blew one whiff straight up to the sky, then four to the west, at the same time thanking the gods in the west for the arrow that they had given him. After thanking the gods he walked up to the arrow and gave it four whiffs, saying: "My brother, you came to me from the gods and I am thankful that you are with me. I shall always carry you upon my body. If I neglect to care for you, then you may return to the gods." When he had finished he dumped the ashes out in front of the arrow and waved his hands over the arrow four times. Then he sat down. He took a 84 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. piece of the buffalo lariat rope and tied it upon the arrow, and then he placed the arrow upon his breast and tied the rope behind his neck so that the arrow hung from it upon his breast. The young men then started again upon their journey, and trav eled west until the night overtook them; then they made camp. The leader of the war party, the man with the arrow about his neck, had a dream during the night. He saw a man. The man had a buffalo robe around him and upon his face were streaks of white clay. Upon his legs were leggings with scalps hanging from the sides and also eagle feathers. This being told the young man that he was the god of all the warriors, and that he had given him the arrow so that he should always keep it with him, for it would bring him success. He also told the young man to go to the south side of the mountains and there he would find the villages of the enemies. The next morning after they had eaten he told the warriors that they were to travel towards the south. They traveled south but a few days when they came to a village of Comanches. The young man then selected scouts to look over the ground and see where their ponies were placed. In the night the scouts returned and told their leader where the ponies were. Other men were then selected to go and capture the ponies. The men brought in many ponies, and the leader told all the warriors to get on the ponies at once and make a run for home. It was night and they had only the north star to guide them, but they got out of the enemy's country safely. They traveled for many days and nights, and at last when they came into their own country they stopped and rested. The next day the leader of the party went up to one pony, cut some hair from the mane and tail, and strung it on a pole. This pole he placed on a high hill, and while he was on the hill he said to the god who gave him this arrow, "I am making you this offering of horse hair." He placed the stick in the ground and went down to the camp. The ponies were then divided among the warriors, and they went to their village singing their war-songs and giving the war-whoops. The people in the village arose and went out to meet the warriors. They told all that they had done, and of the wonderful arrow that the gods had given to the young leader. The people waited a long time to see what the young man would do. They were anxious to see the wonderful arrow. At last it was told through the village that the young man with the wonderful arrow was about to go out upon the war-path. Many people went, even the old people, for they were anxious to see the arrow. When they had been gone three days and three nights from the village they made their THE WARRIOR AND THE BLACK LIGHTNING ARROW. 85 camp somewhere upon the Platte River. Then the leader was told by his scouts that there were some buffalo at a short distance from them. The leader, instead of sending others to kill the buffalo, said, "I will go and shoot, and if I kill the buffalo you people must come and skin and cut the meat." He took the arrow from his neck and placed it in another man's hands. As he went he thought of his arrow. The buffalo were west, so that the young man looked towards the west always as he went to kill the buffalo. As he raised up to aim at a buffalo he saw a dark cloud coming from the west. He shot at the buffalo, threw down his bow, and ran to the place where the other warriors were, and when the warriors saw him coming they were frightened. They thought that he had seen enemies, but when he called for the arrow they knew that something was wrong. As soon as he took the arrow he told the people to get on top of him and to try to help him to keep the arrow. The people drew around him and climbed on top of him as the dark cloud came rapidly from the west. The lightning struck all around where the people were, and there was a great noise of wind coming through the air like the flapping of many large wings. The man with the arrow at the bottom of the crowd called to the others: "Press down hard on me; the arrow is slipping from me." The people began to pile closer on top of him, but somehow they rolled off, and as they rolled they pulled the man with the arrow over, and the arrow slipped through his hands. It went back into the clouds and became a part of Lightning again. The young man cried and mourned on account of the loss of the arrow. He stood for many days and at last he went to sleep. The same man whom he had seen in his dream before, he saw in his dream again. This man said: "I intended to make you a great warrior. I did not make you promise me, but you made the promise yourself, and said that the arrow should always be present with you. You broke your promise. The gods have taken the arrow back, but they will make you a great warrior anyway; but you will never become a chief. Go. Your party shall be successful. You shall capture many ponies." When the young man awoke he told the people that they were to continue on the war path. They went, and in a few days they found a village of enemies and there they captured many ponies. After the young man lost his arrow he went upon the war-path only when the strange being appeared to him in a dream and told him that he would be successful. If the being told him that a party would not be successful, he would always tell the men and persuade them not to go. He became a great warrior, but not as great as he would have been if he had kept the arrow. He was never made chief. 86 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 20. SPOTTED-HORSE; A BRAVE AND A CHIEF.1 A long time ago, when the Skidi had their village upon the Loupe River in Nebraska, a Skidi had a wonderful dream. He saw a man in his dream. The man had a robe over his body and the robe was turned out so that the man could see the drawings upon it. The robe had drawings of spotted ponies. The man also had around his shoulders a buffalo lariat rope. In his arms he carried a small bundle. This man spoke to the Skidi man and said: "Go and stand upon that high hill four days and four nights, and these things that I have here will be explained to you." The next day the man went upon the hill and mourned for four days, and on the fourth night the being appeared to the man in another dream and said to him that he had done as he told him to do, and said: "I give you this." It was a round thing which looked like a sun-glass. The being said: "Use this when you light your pipe, just before attack ing the enemy. I will teach you how to make the pipe. The bowl must be of blue stone. The stem must be about seven inches long and is to have no hole through it. You must kill a certain animal that you will find in the southern country. Place these things in a bundle and call it holy-bundle, and carry this bundle whenever you go on the war-path." This man went home and a few days afterwards he found a blue stone and made the bowl for the pipe. This bowl was very small. He took a limb of ash and made a stem, not putting any hole through the stem. In his wanderings he found the thing that looked like a sun-glass. The man knew that this must be what the being told him he would find, and that he must light his pipe with it. He went on the war-path, and while he was gone he wandered away from the others and he found the animal that the being showed him in the dream. The animal was sitting upon a limb sleeping. The man took his bow and an arrow and shot the animal and killed it. He skinned it and carried it around while on the war-path. When they stopped for rest the man would pick up stones and rub upon the skin, so that it became tanned and soft. When this man returned home he invited a few of his friends and told them of what he saw upon the hill. He told his friends that now he 'Told by Good-Chief, who at the time of his death last year was the oldest chief of the Skidi. His father, in turn, was in his time hereditary head chief of the Skidi and was the keeper of the chief's bundle. This tale is traditional history and is explanatory of the warrior's bundle, the most interesting feature of which was a small pipe with a holeless stem. When near the village of the enemy the owner held the filled pipe towards the sun, and attempted to smoke it. If successful it was an omen from the gods that he was to be victorious. If he did not succeed in smoking it the war party returned to their homes. The bundle differs from the ordinary warrior's bundle and is supposed to have had its origin from the sun. SPOTTED HORSE J A BRAVE AND A CHIEF. 87 had the things which were shown him in the dream, and that he wanted to try what he was told to do. The skin was spread, and the things were spread upon the skin. The skin was like that of a wild-cat, only the tail was long, and there were many horse-hoof prints upon the hide. The man filled up the pipe and went to where the ray from the sun was. He sat down and rested the sun-glass upon the bowl. He puffed with his mouth and the smoke was seen going up from the bowl, then through the stem, though there was no hole in the stem. "Nawa! Nawa iri! "(thanks! thanks!) the men said. After emptying the pipe, he wrapped up the bundle, putting some native tobacco in with the other things. A few days after this he invited some of his friends to come to his lodge. The men came to his lodge and they sat down with him. The owner of the bundle spoke and said: '' My friends, some time ago, here in my lodge, I had a wonderful dream, and in the dream I saw a mysterious being. This mysterious being commanded me to stand upon the hill in the west; so the next morning I went up on the hill and stood there for several days. When I became hungry I saw the same being again, and it commanded me to do certain things and to find certain things. I also saw the being smoke a little pipe, which was lighted by the aid of the sun. I have found the things; here they are. I have tried the smoke after lighting it from the sun and am sure of being successful if I go out with a war party." One by one, each man arose and stood before the owner of the bundle. "Nawa! Nawa iri! Take pity on us and allow us to join you, that the being who has taken pity upon you may also take pity upon us, for we are poor." The owner of the things spoke as each man passed his hands over his head and arms, and said: "My friends, I take pity upon you; but it is not I; it is these things before me, although they are dead, and the Sun who must help you." It was agreed to go on the war-path. The owner was the leader and carried the bundle. When they started the owner of the bundle went over on the east side of the main body of men. They made camp and the owner of the bundle came in from the east. In his journeys he went on the east side, so that people would not get in his way. The man became a great warrior; he had many fine ponies, and with these ponies he killed many buffalo and took the meat to the priests' lodge. The meat was made holy and was jerked and dried. This man became a chief. He had no children and so he turned his bundle over to his wife when he died. She kept the bundle until a certain boy grew up who was related to the former owner of the bundle. The boy was taught how to carry the bundle and when to open it; and he was told to always 88 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. walk all day on the east side of the company, and if anyone passed in front of him to turn back and go home. As this boy became a man he took his bundle and went on the war-path with some other men, and was suc cessful. He changed his name from Yellow-Bird to Proud-Fox, for he was very proud because he had been successful in capturing ponies the first time. He stayed at home but a short time, then went out again with another party. He captured more ponies and changed his name again to Spotted-Horse. This name he kept until one time when he captured many more ponies. Among these ponies was a fine spotted horse. This spotted horse seemed to be the chief of ponies. He changed his name to Spotted-Horse-Chief. While Spotted-Horse-Chief had that name men looked upon him as a great warrior. Soon after he came back with many ponies, another party of warriors from the Sioux country came and cap tured many ponies from the Pawnee. Spotted-Horse-Chief sat in his lodge and invited only a few of his friends. He told them that he intended to go on the war-path; that he was going to try to get the ponies back. The other men said that they would go with him. The company started out very early in the morning. When they had gone far from the village, they stopped to rest. Scouts were on the hills, and they kept making signs to the company that some more men were coming. The men arrived and joined the others. They came to the Platte River and the ice had broken so that large cakes were floating down the river. The leader with the bundle stopped on the east side of the company, and said, "Come, follow me, men!" With all his cloth ing on he started to wade the river. As he went where the current was swift he had to push away the cakes of ice that were coming down the river. He crossed the river and stood upon the bank. All of his fol lowers were where he had left them, although he had commanded them to follow him. He thought to himself: "Well, I wanted to come on the war-path alone; those men followed me; and there they are afraid to cross the river." He then sang a warrior Coyote song. When the men heard Spotted-Horse-Chief sing, they said: "It is true. Spotted-Horse-Chief sat in his lodge planning to go out; we heard of it; our sisters and aunts fixed our moccasins, with pemmican and corn; we crawled up to his lodge and waited until he started out; then we followed Spotted-Horse-Chief. He did not ask us to follow him; now he asks us to follow him through this river. He has crossed the river; he is a brave man; let us cross and follow him through the enemy's country." The men all waded through the river, although the water was cold. Cakes of ice were floating down the stream, but the men did not mind them. They crossed the river and stood on the bank where Spotted-Horse-Chief had kindled a fire, so SPOTTED HORSE; A BRAVE AND A CHIEF. 89 that the men might warm themselves. Spotted-Horse-Chief and the men then started on their journey south, all of the men going on the west side of Spotted-Horse-Chief. One day scouts came back and said: "Enemy's camp in sight; squat down!" The men obeyed. One man was sent to notify Spotted-Horse-Chief. He overtook him and waved a blanket at him. Spotted-Horse-Chief came to the company. He sat on the south side. He untied his bundle. He took the pipe, filled it with native tobacco, and took out the sun-glass. The men all looked at him. It was cloudy, but the sun came out as if to say: "I will come out and light your pipe." The sun came out and the smoke came out through the stem. The sun disappeared. Spotted-Horse-Chief then sang a vic tory song; he then stood up and spoke to his warriors: "My men, the gods in the heavens have looked upon us with favor; even the sun has blown his hot breath upon the bowl of my pipe; the winds helped me to draw my breath; the smoke passed through the stem without a hole. Think of the many warriors who have had success upon these prairies. The gods helped them and they will help us and guide us to success; we will get many ponies. Our names must be changed; you said the enemy saw us, but the gods will blind them; they will not see us. Each one of you now take your rawhide lariat rope, stretch it out, so that the gods will know that we have accepted what they have put in our way." Every man stretched his lariat rope in front of him on the ground. In the afternoon Spotted-Horse-Chief sent scouts to the village of the enemy. The scouts came back and reported that there was no stir in camp and that the enemy were driving their herds of ponies away from camp. After night Spotted-Horse-Chief selected men to go and capture ponies for him. These men went to the camp, found no ponies; then they went east of the village and found many ponies along a stream of water. These men drove all the ponies to where Spotted-Horse-Chief was and gave them all to him. Spotted-Horse-Chief commanded the warriors each to lariat a pony and drive them as fast as they could. They trav eled four days and four nights without stopping to rest. When they did stop the men fainted and were sore, for they rode without saddles. Many ponies were captured and all the young men received new names and ponies. After that whenever Spotted-Horse-Chief sat down to organize a war party many young men joined him. Spotted-Horse Chief in a battle with the Sioux was wounded and, although the men of the Buffalo Society doctored him, he died. The bundle, pipe, sun-glass, and skin were left with an old woman. This woman died at Pawnee Agency, Oklahoma, in 1879, arjd all these things were buried with her. 90 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 21. THE BOY WHO WAS GIVEN POWER TO CALL THE BUFFALO. (See Abstracts.) [Told by Thief, a Kitkehahki. The interest in this tale is chiefly in the lesson which it is supposed to convey, viz, that the gods of the heavens watch over the pregnant woman and protect the new-born child from harm and disease. The relating in the tale of the deeds of the young man who delivers his people from hunger, overcomes the enemy, and slays the monsters, furnishes of course the characteristic features of a hero tale. The connection of this story with the bundle is through the fact that the north wind, who assisted him in his search for food, ultimately gave him a bundle, and it is believed that through the rites enacted during the performance of the bundle ceremony the gods are moved to render similar assistance. Two additional versions of the tale are presented in Nos. 22 and 23.] 22. THE SON OF WIND, READY-TO-GIVE.1 The people were preparing to leave their permanent village and go on a buffalo hunt. While the women were putting their corn and squash into the cache holes and stopping them up, they saw that one of the most beautiful young girls of the village, who was helping them, was preg nant. She had kept her secret to herself for a long time, though she could not understand it, for she knew that she had not been with any man. When it was known, her uncles scolded her and tried to make her tell what man she had been with, but the girl would not say any thing. Her father scolded her and drove her and her mother and the grandmother out of the lodge, saying that he would have nothing more to do with womankind. It was noised through the village that these people were outcasts and that nobody should have anything to do with them. The people started upon their buffalo hunt, leaving these three women alone in the deserted village. They put up a grass-lodge to live in, and then went to several cache holes and opened them up and took corn and squash. After a few months the girl gave birth to a male child. The day that the child was born there was a great wind from the north. When the women found out that the child was a boy they were very thankful. The child grew fast and it was not long until he could walk. Then his grandmother made him a little bow and some arrows. As he grew older the grandmother made a larger bow and arrows. One day the little boy went into the timber, and while he was there a voice spoke to him and said: "My son, I am glad to see you. I am your father. From this 'Told by Yellow-Bird, the Chaui leader of the Buffalo Society, who died in 1904. This is the Chaui version of tale No. 21. and this tale, it is said, was told on former occasions during the performance of a Chaui bundle ceremony. THE SON OF WIND, READY-TO-GIVE. 91 day on you must come to the timber and I will bring you something to eat. Take this bird home and roast it." The boy took the bird home and gave it to his grandmother. She roasted it and told him that he should eat only the head of the bird, and then he would have luck to kill many more birds. The body of the bird the grandmother ate. The next day the boy went back to the timber and soon he heard a voice speaking to him. He looked about, but could see no one, but could hear these words: "My son, I am glad that you came. Take this rabbit home and let your grandmother cook it." A rabbit fell in front of him and he picked it up and took it home. The women did not question the boy as to how he got the rabbit, for they supposed that he was old enough to kill it with his arrows. They were thankful for the rabbit, for they had lived only on corn for so long that they were hungry for meat. They cooked the rabbit and ate it. The next day the boy went back to the timber. He heard the voice speak to him again. It said, "My son, take this home and let your peo ple cook it." A young fawn fell before him. He took it home and the women were glad, for they thought that the boy had killed it. Every day the boy went to the timber and each time he carried home larger game, until at last a buffalo was placed before him and he had to go and get the women to help him skin the buffalo and carry it home. When the boy went back into the timber the next day the voice spoke to him and said: "Come with me." As soon as he said "Come with me," the boy looked and there stood a man. The man was painted with red ointment and had a buffalo robe over his shoulders. His leg gings were of antelope skin, but the moccasins were made of buffalo hide with the hair inside. Over his shoulder was an otter-skin quiver and he carried an ash bow. The man took the boy far into the timber to a soft sandy place, and there began to tramp upon the soft ground. Then he said: "My son, remove some of the dirt where I have been stamping." The little boy began to dig into the earth with his hands, and there he found a rat's nest, and as he dug deeper into the ground he came to a rat's hole and there he found a big pile of ground beans. The boy gathered the beans up in his robe and took them to the women, and when they saw the beans they wondered how the boy could have found them, for they had been to the timber many times trying to find these beans, but were never successful. The next day the boy went back to the timber. He saw the man again and went with him. When they came to a soft place in the ground the man told the boy to dig. The boy began to dig and he found many artichokes. He dug them up, placed them in his robe, and went home and gave them to the women. They were surprised, for they had tried 92 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. many times, but could never find any artichokes. The next day the boy went back into the timber. The man spoke and said: "My son, I give you these leggings. I also give you these moccasins, and this robe that I have on. I also give you this quiver filled with arrows and the bow. From this day on you must kill your own animals for meat. You must go and tell the women where to dig these artichokes and beans. In the spring I shall return and shall teach the women how to plant the corn, squash, and beans. My son, I am your father. I am one of the gods and I stand in the north. My name is Ready-to-Give. When the peo ple are hungry for buffalo, I blow my breath upon the land. My breath drives the buffalo to the people, and they slaughter many. The people made me angry, for they made you an outcast, my son, and so I have driven all the buffalo and game out of the country where they are trav eling. The game and the buffalo will circle around and will come into this country. The people will roam over the plains for many years, and then they will think of you. They will think of your mother and the other women. They will wonder if you are still living. The people will be com ing to open up their caches to get something to eat, for I shall make them hungry. Go to your mother and tell your mother that you have seen your father; that your father is the Wind which blows from the north, Ready-to-Give.'' The boy gathered up his things and went to the grass- lodge. When he entered the lodge he gave his things to his mother and said: "Mother, put these things away. I have seen my father. My father says his name is Wind, Ready-to-Give. It was he who was with you. The Wind touched you and you did not know it. He has gone, but he has promised to come back to help me kill buffalo and game, and in the spring he is to come back again to teach us how to put our seeds into the ground." The women were astonished at the talk of the boy. When they wanted meat they told the boy to take his bow and arrows that he had received from his father and go out to the timber and kill some game. Whenever the boy went out a long way from home his father would meet him, and they would go together until they came to a buffalo herd. The boy would walk right in among the herd and would kill a buffalo, then the father and his son would skin the buffalo and cut up the meat, then they would carry the meat to the boy's home. After a while Ready-to-Give entered the lodge. The women knew him, and the mother of the boy gave him a seat close by. When Ready-to-Give spoke to the women, he said: "I shall be gone. I know where the people are. They are starv ing, but it is their fault. They made you people outcasts because this woman brought my child into the world. They will be coming back soon THE SON OF WIND, READY-TO-GIVE. 93 and they will bless my boy. They will pray to him and beg him for some thing to eat. My boy shall rule the people and he shall call the buffalo whenever the buffalo are not to be found, by saying: ' Ready-to-Give, blow your breath upon the land that it may touch the buffalo and make them to come to our village.' My son is now old enough to kill game. I shall have to go, as it is now winter and I shall have to stand in my place in the north, for it is my time to send food to people. You know where to go and dig artichokes and beans. The boy will not have to go very far to kill buffalo. I am gone." There was a noise of wind in the lodge, and there was a little dust from the ground which went up to the opening on the top of the lodge and with it the man disappeared. After that the boy went to the timber, and sometimes beyond the timber, to hunt. Every day the boy killed three or four buffalo and sometimes three or four deer, so that the women had all they could do to tan the buffalo and deer hides, and to jerk and dry the meat. They made parfleches from the buffalo hides and in them they put the dried meat. When the women had many buffalo hides they agreed that they should make a tipi, for the grass-house was getting old and was not fit to live in. They scraped the hair from the hides, and made a fine large tipi. Then they made beautiful buckskin dresses. In the spring while the boy was out hunting he met Ready-to-Give. They went home together. Ready-to-Give told the women that they should go into the bottom lands and clean them up; that he had brought corn and squash seeds and beans for them; that they must put them into the ground. He gave the white corn to his wife to plant, and the yellow corn he gave to her mother; the red corn and squash seeds he gave to his wife's sister, and the dark corn and the beans to the old woman. Then Ready-to-Give sat down and talked to the boy. He told the boy that he must make a bundle. He said: "You must carry home fire sticks and place them in the bundle. Then you must take some flint and place it in the bundle. When you have gathered the white corn you must place some in the bundle, for the white corn you shall always call 'Mother.' Then you must place a hawk skin in the bundle, for the hawk represents a great warrior. Next, you must gather some sweet grass, braid it, and put several strings into the bundle. This bundle shall be known as the ' Ready-to-Give bundle.' When you kill a buffalo bull in the winter time, place tobacco in its nostrils, and also place some at the root of the ears and upon the top of the head. Place this tobacco upon the head of the buffalo bull as an offering to the gods in the heavens. The gods will notice that an offering of tobacco has been 94 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. made upon the skull, and they will know that their spirit is to dwell in the buffalo skull. Then you must skin the head of the buffalo bull and take only the skull to your home. Place the skull upon some high hill until the flesh is gone and nothing but bone is left. Then take the skull and place it west and outside of the lodge, but when you are inside the earth- lodge place the skull on the west side of the lodge under the bundle When you have ceremonies place the skull to the north side of the fire place, so that when the people are making offerings to the gods they will always remember to make a separate offering to the god who stands in the north, and who is always ready to send the people something to eat. I shall always dwell in the skull, for you now know that I am the Wind." For many months Ready-to-Give remained, teaching his son the cere monies of the bundle. In the fall Ready-to-Give saw that the women and boy had plenty of meat, corn, squash, and beans to eat; then he said: "Winter is now coming and I must go away to my place. The people are now thinking of returning to this place. Have nothing to do with your uncles, for they left you behind to die." One of the hunters made up his mind to go to the deserted village, for his children were starving, and he intended to open one of the cache holes to get some corn. The boy had been away from their place hunt ing. When he came back with some meat he said: "Mother, there is a man coming toward our camp. He is from our people." The women said, "How do you know?" and the boy said, "My father told me." Several days afterwards the boy told the women to watch, that the man was coming to their place. The women watched and sure enough they saw a man coming over the hills. He hunted around through the village looking for the cache holes, but he could not find any. He climbed one of the lodges, sat upon the top, and looked over the country. He saw the smoke coming up from the timber, came down from the lodge, and walked down to the place where the smoke was coming from. When he came the women met him. He was not one of their relatives, so they took him in, gave him something to eat, and when he was filled he said: "Women, who are you? Where did all these things come from which I see around here?" The women said, "Our son kills buffalo and that is why we have plenty of meat." The women then told the man that they were the women who were made outcasts on account of the girl's condition. The man remembered. The boy was sent for. He came into the tipi and sat down. The man looked at him and he could see that the young boy had mysterious powers. He had a soft downy eagle feather stuck in his hair. His eyes looked strange. The boy said: "I am very sorry that the people left my people behind, THE SON OF WIND, READY-TO-GIVE. 95 but as you see now Tirawa has given me plenty. Though the people through me have plenty, they shall yet have more. Even though the people threw me away, yet they are my people. Tell them to come. Tell them I have plenty of meat for them. They shall come and they shall be my people." He told his mother to take some dried meat, wrap it up, and give it to the man, so that he could take the meat to his people. The man did not stay over night, but returned at once to the camp. When the people heard of the women and the strange boy and the abun dance of food they traveled fast. When they arrived the man who sent the women away came and cried, and the boy went out and said: "I am now a man. Do not cry. You shall learn many things. Tell the people to come and make their home close by. Tell the women to come, so that these women may give them meat." The chief of the people then told the uncle to ask the boy to come and make his home with him; that he had a daughter who was old enough to be married, but the boy said, "No; I must feed the people first." He had the people make him a new tipi, and when they had finished it he hung the bundle which his father had promised him in the tipi, and placed the skull on the other side of the fireplace. Then he sat down and told the people, through the chief, that he was going to send for buffalo. On the fourth night he told the men to get on their ponies, go out, and surround the buffalo. They did and returned with much meat. The boy called the buffalo four times. After that he said, "I must go on the war-path." The boy went and came back with many ponies. Then the boy married the chief's daughter, and he lived until he was a very old man and then died. 23. THE MAN WHO CALLED THE BUFFALO. (See Abstracts.) [Told by White-Horse, the leading medicine-man of the Pitahauirat and the owner of the stone-man's medicine. This is the Pitahauirat variant of Kos. 21 and 33.] 24. THE WONDERFUL BOY.1 A long time ago there were no other people known in the world but the Skidi. The Skidi were living somewhere on the Loupe River. In the village were many people. Different games were given to the people. The women also had different games which were given to them. Among the games was a stick and ring game. There was one young man who was well-to-do, and who had many things to bet with the gaming sticks. 'Told by Good-Eagle, a Skidi medicine-man. This tale is somewhat similar to the preceding and may be considered as the Skidi variant. 96 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. Every day he was out where they played. In the evening he came home and entered his father's lodge. He gambled away everything he had. The boy gambled away buffalo robes, leggings, moccasins, and other things, so that he now had nothing. Ponies at this time were not known. In the night when he lay down he had only half a buffalo robe to cover himself with. One day he went out to the gaming grounds and he lost many things, among them trinkets belonging to his sister and also her robe. The sis ter gladly gave them up. When night came the sister and brother had to lie together and over them was spread the half buffalo robe which the boy had not gambled away. When the morning came the father arose, and as he walked by the bed, he saw that the young man was sleeping with his sister and had only a half robe over them. He became very sad. He went out. When he returned to the lodge he became angry. He went to the bed, took the covering from the boy, woke him, and said: '' My son, it looks very bad for you and your sister to lie together, and to have only this half of a buffalo robe over you. Get up, go to the gaming grounds, lose everything we have. When you have lost everything, then go away to some other place and never return." The young man jumped up and tried to cry. The sister caught him and said: "My brother, do not cry. What my father has said is true. He is angry with you because you have lost all my things. Some day I may get them back. Now, do not cry and do not go away from us." The young man did not say anything. He did not go to the gaming grounds, but sat inside of the lodge all day. As night came he went to his sister and said: "My sister, fold up some dried meat and make it into a bundle. Tie several moccasins upon it, for I am about to start on a journey to a place I do not know. Take some arrows from my father's quiver and put them in my quiver. I shall now go." The girl said: "My brother, you must not go yet. Let me go to our uncles and see if I can not get several bear moccasins and a robe for you." She went and after a while returned with a buffalo robe, leggings, and several pairs of moccasins. The boy was glad. He put on the leggings and moccasins and with his bundle and quiver started west. For several days he traveled without seeing any human being. At last he came to a village. When he entered he asked where the tipi of the chief was, and they showed him. The boy entered, and when he sat down the chief asked him where he was going. He said: "I am going west. Are there any more people in the west?" The chief said, "You will travel so many days and you will find more people." The boy started again and in a few days he came to another village. Here he was THE WONDERFUL BOY. 97 received by the chief, given plenty to eat, and was told to continue on his journey, as there were other people in the west. He came to the people; he was treated very kindly and meat and other things were given him. He was told to go on, as there were other people in the west. After a while this boy came to a village of people. The people were naked, had no bows and arrows, but had sticks. Every day the people went rabbit hunting and killed some, and lived on this kind of food altogether. The people looked wonderingly at the boy and asked him where he came from. They thought he was funny because he wore the leggings, carried a bow and arrows, and had a robe. They tried to keep him, but the boy said, "No; I must go, for I am going on a long journey." After a while the boy came to some people and when he got into their lodge he found they had no mouths. They fed him with meat. He ate. They looked funny at him, for he ate the meat. When these people became hungry they put dried meat upon the pole and placed it over the fire. When it was smoking they would take the meat and place it against their noses and smell of it. When they were filled, they would throw the meat to one side. They talked with the sign language. The young man left the people and went west. He came to other people who were very small, and these people had stones to throw. The stones were tied with strings and with these they killed their game. When they saw the boy with the bow and arrow they challenged him to shoot at a hide. The hide was stretched some feet away and a man selected to throw the stones. The stones were thrown at the hide and they went through the hide. The boy was told to shoot at it with his bow and arrows. He did this and shot through the hide. When they saw him shoot they thought it was wonderful. They began to examine the bow and the arrows. They kept the boy at their village so that he could teach them how to make the bow and the arrows. The boy taught them. After several days he asked if there were any more people and they said that they did not know of any more. The boy said, "I shall now go on." He started. When night came somebody said to him: "My son, I will now let you know that you are beyond all people. It was I who brought you. I am the North-Wind. I shall take you now to the place where you are going. To-morrow we shall travel fast; towards the evening you will see a high peak. There you must go and you will see what the mound is." The next day the boy traveled swiftly. Some time in the afternoon he saw a high peak in the distance. He ran towards it and in the even ing when near to it he saw many eagle feathers strewn over the ground. When he reached the hill he saw that the point of the hill was a pile of 98 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. eagles high up in the sky. The same voice said to him, "Takesome brown eagle feathers, some downy feathers, and carry them with you to where we are going." They went on. They came to a steep bank and there the boy was told to lie down. Before the sun came up in the morning he was awakened by the Wind, who said, "Let us travel on." They went on. They came to a steep bank and there they stood, for at the bank the boy saw water. At some distance was a thick fog. Then the North-Wind said: "My son, although you do not see me I am always near you and I am always with you. I have been with you all this journey. I made you come to these different people and you have been treated well by them. I have kept them from killing you. We have come to the horizon. Here under the bank towards the south sits the Buffalo who controls this big water. Go. Stand upon the bank and throw the black eagle feathers to the Buffalo and say: 'My grandfather, I have come from a far-away country. I wish to take a look at you and ask your permission to let me go beyond this horizon.' The Buffalo will jump up from the edge of the water and will start on a trot some distance to the north and will come up on dry land. There you must give it some native tobacco and some feathers. The Buffalo will say to you, 'You must go beyond this horizon and when you have seen the people who live beyond, tell them that you have seen the people who live here and have my permission to pass on.' When they talk to you, and you re turn to me where I sit in the water, you must let me know and I will help you to take the Buffalo to your people." The boy did as directed, and when the Buffalo gave its permission for him to proceed, the boy thrust some feathers into the Buffalo bull's hair on the head and placed native tobacco upon its head. Then the boy said, "Grand father, I must be going." The Buffalo went along the path to the big water and went to the south and sat down in the water again. The boy returned to the bank. As soon as he got to the place the Wind said: "Take off your leggings, your moccasins, and the robe, and also your quiver; put them all in the robe, hold them in your hands, and wade into the water. From here I must now take you upon your journey." The boy placed his things in the robe and went into the water. When the water reached to his arms the Wind blew down, took him up, and carried him on for some time. At last the Wind said: "Here we are. This is the place where you want to go. Place your robe and things on the ground. You must go on the north side and the far east lodge you must enter. That is where the four gods in the west sit. There they will teach you many things. I will be in the lodge and they shall know that I brought you." The boy left his things and went on west to the lodge. When THE WONDERFUL BOY. 99 he came close he saw that there were three gardens—one on the north side of the entrance, which was filled with pumpkins; one on the south side with many beans; and one on the west of the lodge, which was a field of corn. When the boy entered the lodge they gave him a seat near the entrance, and the four gods in the west said: "Where do you come from, my son?" The boy said: "I came from a long distance." One of the four gods said: "We know. It was through us that the North- Wind brought you here. We know that you are a great gambler. You have lost everything you had. Look in the south of the lodge and there sits the South-Wind, who brings bad luck and is always in the way of some young man." The boy looked in the south and there sat an ugly-looking man. His skin was rough. He looked rather white. His hair was not brushed, but mixed up in every way. The god said: "That is the man who does harm to young men, and he is the one who goes to the earth and scares the Buffalo away from the people. Yonder in the north is the man who brought you to this place. You see his skin is like yours. The buffalo grease is on him. He is the good wind which drives the buffalo to the people. He has brought you here so that you may receive ceremonies and the seeds from us. We are representatives of Tirawa,1 and you are in the home of Tirawa, but you can not see him. What we tell you will all come true." Then one of the priests said: "Errand man, you must go to the garden in the north and take a squash and bring it in.'' The squash was brought in, placed on the north side, cut open, the seeds taken out and placed near to the fireplace. The squash was cooked and given to the man to eat. When he was full they sang some songs which they were teaching the young man. After singing they sent another errand man out to bring beans into the lodge. They were put into a pot and boiled. These were given to the young man and he ate of them. Some of the beans were left over and not boiled. These were placed with the squash seeds. Again the priests sang. After singing they sent the other errand man and he brought in a small watermelon from the south side. It was cut open and the seeds were placed with the other seeds. The old priests sang again. Then they sent the errand man out for some corn. He ate some of the corn and some was left and placed with the other seeds. The priests began to sing again, and after the singing they took some dried buffalo meat, placed it in a pot, and boiled it. The young man ate of it, and he was then told that it was now time for him to go to his people, as his people were starving. In the first place he 'These four gods are Clouds, Lightning, Thunder, and Wind; they are often spoken of as the messengers of the evening star. 100 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. must feed them and then call the buffalo, for the people were now to kill them. They asked the boy, on entering, if he had seen the Buffalo sitting in the water. They told him to return to the place and see the Buffalo again and it would speak to him. The gods began to sing, and after singing they said: "My son, it is now time for you to return to your people. The North-Wind will take you back. We now give you a buffalo robe, and in all that you want to do for the benefit of the people use the robe." The young man put the robe on his back and went out. He was told to put the seeds and things in the robe for the people. When he reached his clothes he took them up and started eastward. After he was gone a little way the North-Wind came and said, "We must go to a certain place." They went to a certain place. The wind then seemed to cover the boy up and they disappeared. The wind had told the boy to hold his things in his hands as he had done before. After a while the boy was dropped into the water where the horizon touched the ground. It was like a fog. The water came up to his arms; he waded through the fog and finally reached the bank. Then the Wind said, "We must go now to the Buffalo." The boy dressed and went to the Buffalo. He threw down some feathers and asked the Buffalo to come up. He came up and stood on the bank, and said, "Grandchild, have you been to the place where the gods dwell?" The boy said, "I have." He told the Buffalo that he had the robe which was given to him by the people above and that the seeds were also given him. When the Buffalo saw the robe it was satisfied and said: "You have now all the power from me which I possess and the Buffalo people will go to your people. I now must return to my place." The boy put a few feathers again on the head of the buffalo and went on. The Wind then said to the boy: "We must go to the mound of the eagles. You must get all the feathers that you can." They got to the mound. The boy gathered many feathers, made a bundle of them, and then they went on. They did not go to the different villages which the boy had visited, but the Wind took the boy on and at last they were seated on the side of the hill at night time. The Wind then told the boy to go into the village and to bring him blue beads, eagle feathers, paint, sweet grass, and native tobacco. The boy started to the village, but when he came near to it he smelt the people and could not stand it. He ran back to where the Wind was. There he remained with the Wind all night. The next day when the people went outside of the village they saw foot prints of buffalo. They did not know what to make of it. The next night the boy attempted to enter the village again, and when he came THE WONDERFUL BOY. IOI near he could not go farther. He returned to where the Wind sat. The next morning the people saw the footprints of the buffalo close to their village. They followed the track, but soon lost it. The third night he tried again, but did not enter. The fourth night he went into the vil lage and entered the lodge of his father. He went to his sister and said: "Sister, I am now here. Do not make any noise. Before you make fire waken up my father and tell him to go through the village and bring me blue beads, feathers, paint, sweet grass, and native tobacco." The father got up, went through the village, and brought all the things. The sister gave them to the brother and the boy said: "Sister, I will return. Watch." He took the things and gave them to the Wind. The Wind sent the boy back to his people. As he entered the lodge he called for his sister, told her to make a fire, and she did so. When the father saw the boy he jumped out of bed and was about to put his arms around him. The boy stopped him and said: "Do not touch me yet. I knov/ that my people are starv ing. They want something to eat. Go through the village and let them know that I have come back." The man went out and told the people that his son had come back. When the people heard it they went out and ran to the lodge of the young man. He told them that he had brought some things for them from the west. Then he told them that he knew that they were hungry and that he had hastened to come and feed them. He placed the robe in the north and then sat down. He said: "Now, my people, come to me one at a time and I will give you meat. You must take the meat home and eat it." The boy placed his hand under the robe and every time he took out his hands he had meat. The next day the people talked about it. At night he told the people again to come and get meat. The third and the fourth nights he gave them meat. On the fifth night he told the chiefs to send scouts to the hills in the northwest and there they would see buffalo. The scouts were sent out and as soon as they got on top of the hills they began to throw up their robes, which is a sign of good news. The peo ple ran with excitement through the village. They saw the men com ing down from the hill. They came into the village and said that there were many buffalo on the other side of the hills. For several years there had not been a sign of buffalo in the surround ing country and now there were plenty nearby. The people went out and killed the buffalo. They took some of the buffalo to the lodge of the young man. There he sang the songs which he had heard in the lodge above. The people killed the buffalo four times. Then he told them that they must hunt for the buffalo themselves. 102 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. In the spring he told his mother and sister to plant the seeds which he had. In the fall when they gathered in their crops they did not have many to divide with other people. They planted again next spring and in the fall they had more. The boy divided the seeds among the people, giving a few grains to each family. In the spring they all planted and they had plenty of corn after that. They also had plenty of buffalo, and the people say that this is the way they got their seeds—it was through the man who was a great gambler. 25. THE BOY WHO PREFERRED WOMAN TO POWER.1 A long time ago, when the Skidi were living upon the Loupe River, there was a young man in the village by the name of Coming-Sun. One night Coming-Sun had a dream. Some one spoke to him and said: "To-morrow I want you to stand upon that high hill. You shall stand up there for four days and nights." He then awoke, and early in the morning he took his robe and told his friends that he was going up on a high hill and that they should not look for him. He went up on the high hill and cried all day and all night. The second day and night he cried, and the third day and night he cried, but did not see any signs of mysterious beings. The fourth day and night he staid there and in the night he stood and cried. When he felt weak, he lay down and some one came and said, "Stand up; I have now come." Coming-Sun stood up and there by him was a man who said: "I promised to take pity upon you if you would come to this hill. Now look in yonder valley." Coming-Sun looked, and he could see, as plainly as though it were day, a man come up from the ravine and go toward the spring. The myste rious being told Coming-Sun to run down and try to head off the man. Coming-Sun then ran down, but before he could catch up with him the man disappeared in the ravine. The man was dressed like a warrior; he had the otter on, with the hawk and mother-corn attached to it. As soon as the man disappeared Coming-Sun went back to the hill. He again cried, and after a time he heard the same voice that had spoken to him, and he looked and there stood the man again. He said: "You can not run. You did not head off the man. Now look down 'Told by Roaming-Scout, the most learned of the Skidi priests living. The tale relates to a historical event at the time when a devout man known as Coming- Sun communicated with Pahohatawa, who gave him great power; so that he taught the people that Pahohatawa still lived, was one of the gods in the heavens,and that he should be worshiped with the other heavenly gods. By the fact that Coming- Sun lost his power by preferring woman, which he had been warned not to do, it shows that reverence for the gods and obedience to their commands is to be held higher than the desire for women. THE BOY WHO PREFERRED WOMAN TO POWER. IO3 in the valley." When Coming-Sun looked he saw some warriors driv ing ponies. The voice said: "Run as fast as you can and head them off." Coming-Sun ran down, and just as he was close to them the war riors drove their ponies into the ravine and disappeared. Then Coming- Sun went back to the hill and cried. The voice spoke to him again. He looked, and there was the mysterious being, who said: "You can not run. This time I want you to do your best to head off some of the people who are coming. Look," he said, "they are coming." Coming- Sun looked, and there was a great crowd of warriors coming with long poles with scalps upon them. Coming-Sun ran, and before he caught up with them they disappeared into the ravine. Coming-Sun returned to the hill and continued to cry. It was nearly morning when the mysterious being came to him and said: "I will make myself known to you. I am Foot-Prints-upon-Bank-of- River. Have you no bag of medicine about you?" Coming-Sun said that he had not. The man said: "Why, look at me; I am a wonderful being; I am North-Wind, I am all kinds of birds, I am also all kinds of animals; even the grass and the trees; and here I carry a little bag of medicine upon my belt. Now, I give you this bag of medicine. I tried to make a warrior out of you, but you can not head off the warriors- I then tried to give you many ponies, but you could not head them off. I then tried to help you scalp the enemy, but you could not head them off. I will make you a medicine-man, and make you brave so that you can count coup on your enemy. Whenever you join a war party it will be successful, for you are among them and you have seen these things that I have shown you, but you can never be a leading warrior. Go to your home, for it is now daylight. Hereafter I shall visit you at night. Take this downy feather and wear it upon your head. When you want to call the buffalo put this downy feather upon a pole, and set the pole in the direction where you want the buffalo to come from." Coming-Sun became a great man. He invited his brothers and told them where to go to capture ponies. They went, and he went with them, and whatever he told them came true. He prophesied many things and they came true. The mysterious being visited Coming-Sun each night, and each time brought him some things that were wonder ful. One night he brought some buzzard feathers. If the enemy found the people, they were to stick the buzzard feathers on their heads in a circle, and the company of warriors were to stand in a circle and great clouds of dust were to rise, and they were to be covered up and hidden, so that the enemy would not find them. When the people saw the powers that Coming-Sun had, they asked him to call the buffalo. He 104 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. placed his tipi apart from the others and he put the downy feather upon a pole and set it in the ground. He then told a company of men to go to a certain place and call buffalo. They went, and they found the buffalo as he had told them they would. Once a big drove of buffalo was brought by Coming-Sun, and the people killed them. One night after he had been talking to the mysterious being in his tipi, a woman came into his tipi and told him that she was going to stay with him. While the woman was in his tipi, another young man came and took down the feather that he had upon the pole and carried it off. When he tried to call the buffalo he failed. The wonderful being came and told him that he was sorry that he thought more of women than of powers he was receiving from him, for he had made him a great medicine-man and a brave man. The being left Coming-Sun and went to other parts of the country and visited other people. Coming-Sun felt very sad and regretted his foolishness. In a few years he became blind and died. 26. BUFFALO GAMING STICKS.1 After Tirawa had placed men upon earth he gave them the game of ring and sticks and told them how to play it; he also told them that they were to sing certain songs before and after playing the game. It was evening when the first game was played. The next morning when they went to play they saw marks on the gaming field, but they did not know what the marks were. They took out the sticks to play and one of the young men went to the opposite end of the field to play. There he met a young woman, with whom he had intercourse. After a while she went away, and gave birth to a buffalo calf. After a time a party went out on a hunt. As they traveled along they saw a snow bird. They shot at it with their arrows, but missed it. The bird flew on in front of them, and they came near to it and shot at it again, but could not hit it. They traveled all day, trying to kill the snow bird, but did not succeed. It seemed to be leading them on. 1 Told by White-Eagle, an old Skidi and the owner of the Left-Hand bundle and the Skull bundle. This is a variant of the story of the origin of the buffalo game, other variants being found in the other bands. White-Horse, a Pitahauirat medicine-man, in his version claims that formerly a set of the gaming implements formed part of a sacred bundle and that the playing of these implements was sup posed to bring the buffalo near to the village. This story may be told only in the lodge where sacred bundles are suspended, or upon the buffalo hunt. When told under the latter condition it is with the hope that their hunt will be successful, as was the hunt an account of which is presented in the story. It was believed that the relating of this tale would inform the spirits of the buffalo that they were talking about them, so that they would come and permit themselves to be slaugh tered for the benefit of the people. BUFFALO GAMING STICKS. 10$ Night came and they could not see the bird, but in the morning it was there as before. They followed after it until all were tired out except the young man who had met the girl at the end of the game field. He continued to follow the bird until it led him to a ridge, where from the summit he could see a herd of buffalo approaching. He was tired and so he sat down and watched the thousands of buffalo approach. The young woman and her child, the buffalo calf, were among the herd of buffalo. The little calf was always crying for his father, for he heard the other buffalo calves cry for their fathers, and they came. One time he heard the bulls talking among themselves, saying, over and over, that his father must die, for they would not have him around. The boy's mother also told him that the bulls would kill his father. The buffalo gathered around the young man, and the boy calf came up to him and told him that the buffalo bulls intended to kill him, but that he would save him. "The calves," he said, "will be placed in a row and you will be told to find your son among them. When you come around to look in our faces I will wink; then you say, 'This is my child,' and then they will not kill you." It happened as the boy said. The calves were arranged in a row and the bulls asked the young man to ex amine them. He walked around them three times and looked up and down the line, until he saw one of the calves wink. Then he said, "This is my son," and they did not kill him, but they put him to another test. They placed all the cows of the age of the calf's mother in a row. The calf ran to his father and said,"I will put a cockle burr on mother's tail, and when you see it, say, 'This is my wife,' and then they will not kill you." When the young man went to examine the cows up and down the line, he came to one with only one burr in her tail, and he chose her and said, "This is my wife." The bulls said to him, "You are all right; now you go home." In a few days he arrived at their village. There he told his people: "In four days the buffalo will come in great numbers; we will kill them and have plenty of meat, and fat with which to grease the poles for our game." Then they played the game and thanked Tirawa for the game and for the buffalo that he had given them. This was in the spring. IO6 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 27. THE BOY WHO CALLED THE BUFFALO AND WENT TO NORTH-WIND.1 A long time ago, when the Kitkehahki lived upon the banks of the Republican River, they suffered from hunger one season. The crops failed, and they did not know what they were going to do for something to eat. The chief gave orders that they at once prepare to go west to hunt buffalo. The people began to hunt for their cache holes to get out their corn. They took everything out from their cache holes, and went west to hunt buffalo. They traveled for many days, but found no buffalo. At last they came to thickly timbered country, and there the chief told the people to make a permanent village; that they must live there. The people made earth-lodges for their village. From the village scouts were sent out to see if they could find any buffalo in the country. Toward evening the scouts came and reported that there were no buffalo in the country, not even their tracks could be seen upon the ground. The people became hungry; the children cried for something to eat. The scouts were ordered to go forth into the country, but every time they returned they reported that there were no buffalo in the country. The people became scared, for it was winter, and the snow was on the ground and they had very little to eat. Some of the people had nothing to eat. The chief sent for the crier and told him to tell the men that he wanted several men to go out and hunt buf falo. The chief said, '' Our people are now starving and you men must go out far into the country, even if you are gone several days." Several men got together and said, "Let us go and be gone several days; it may be that we may find buffalo." Each man then asked his relatives to make moccasins for him. In one of the tipis there was a woman making moccasins. By the side of this woman sat a young boy. The boy was Coyote, and he played with the other children. The woman said: "These men are going far into the country to find buffalo. We are all getting very thin and weak, for we have nothing to eat." The boy sat looking at the woman as she made the moccasins. He lifted up his head and said: "Mother, make me moccasins. I want to go with the men and hunt buffalo." The mother began to make the moccasins. At the same time she doubted if the boy would go, for he was not yet a man; but when the moccasins were finished and the men ready to start »Told by Mouth-Waving-in-Water, Kitkehahki. Told both during bundle ceremonies and while upon buffalo hunts, that the participants might meet with the same good fortune as was encountered in the tale. The tale, like all those which have preceded it, is supposed to be true, or to record an event which really happened, and like many of the preceding tales it is a spur to young men to hope to achieve something great, and also to hold the implements of the buffalo game in a spirit of reverence. THE BOY WHO CALLED THE BUFFALO AND WENT TO NORTH-WIND. 107 the boy joined them. The mother came to the boy and said: "My boy, come home at once, for the clouds are coming, and if it snows I am afraid you will get lost." The boy said nothing, but followed the men. The men went straight west. The boy kept up with them for three days, but as they had nothing to eat he became very tired and hungry. In the night it snowed very hard, but the men kept on. The next day was clear, the sun was out, and the men went on. In the evening the boy fell behind, for he could go no farther, for he was now very hungry. He sat down to rest. The men did not wait for him. They went on. The boy saw the clouds come up from the west. The clouds he saw were snow clouds, and while he sat there it began to snow. Something dropped in front of him and he reached for it and picked it up. The thing was an artichoke. The boy ate the artichoke and felt better. While he was sitting down, someone spoke to him. The boy looked around, but saw no one. He heard a striking noise. The unseen being spoke again and said, "Do you feel better now?" The boy said, "Ye.-;, I feel better." The unknown voice then said: "Myson.it was I who gave you life. I left you alone until you should become this old. I made you come here. I am the Snow-Storm. I came with the snow and dropped you the artichoke that you have eaten. Now I am here. Look, and you will see me." The boy looked and there stood a man with a buffalo robe about his shoulders. The robe had snow upon it. He also had a fox-skin cap with a feather at the end of the tail. The wind blew and made the feather whip the robe, thus producing the noise that the boy had first heard. The strange man said: "Now, my son, I want you to go back to your people and ask them for certain presents that you must give me. These are the red paint, blue beads, black eagle feathers, and native tobacco. You must again scratch upon the earth and you will find artichokes. Take them home to your father and mother and let them boil and eat them. I have blown my breath upon you, so that you can travel as fast as I do." The boy gathered the artichokes and started home. He did not seem to be traveling, he glided along so easily. Soon he came to the village and entered and went straight to his tipi. He woke his father and mother. He gave his mother the artichokes and told her to boil them. She put them in a vessel over the fire. The boy told his father to invite his relatives. When the relatives came into the tipi they were glad to smell the boiling artichokes. The boy spoke and said: "My friends, I came from a long journey. These things that you are about to eat were given to me by a strange being. Now, I ask you to give me the things that I shall name: Red paint, blue beads, black eagle feath- 108 TRUE STORIES OP THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. ers and tobacco." The people looked at the boy, and some of them whispered to one another, and said: "The things that he asks for are what the gods in the heavens like. Some god has taken pity upon him." After the relatives had eaten the artichokes they went out and brought in the things the boy wanted. The boy took the things and carried them outside of the village, and there he met the strange being. The boy gave the things to the man and he was glad to get them. He then gave the boy the fox-skin cap with the eagle feather on the tail. He said: "You shall be called 'Whipping-Feather.' In a few days you will travel as I do, and you will meet me driving Buffalo. Then you must tell the people to kill." They parted, the boy going home and the strange man disappearing. Next morning the boy said to his father and mother, "Go to the timber and dig some artichokes." The old people did not like to go, but as they felt the boy had some kind of power they took a bag and hoe and went off; and as they dug along the sunny side of a bank they found a rat's path-way. They followed it until they came to timber, and there they found a pile of ground beans. When the parents came home with the beans the boy took them and placed them in his robe and told his father to go outside and tell the people to come and get a hand ful of ground beans. The man went and the women came with their sacks. The beans were given out by the boy so that all the families received some of them. The next day the boy went out by himself. He was gone but a short time when he came back carrying a deer upon his back. He took the deer and placed it under his robe. The boy then told his father to tell the people to come and get a piece of the deer meat. The people all came and each took a piece of meat, leaving only the ribs. These ribs were then put into a vessel and boiled. Then the chiefs and leading men were invited to the boy's tipi. After eating the ribs they all stayed in the tipi for several nights. The young man went off in the night and was gone for some time. When he came back he told the chief to call in the crier. When the crier came in the boy told him to go through the camp and tell the peo ple that there were some Buffalo close to the camp. Some of the young men were selected to go out to see if they could discover them. The men went out and as they stood upon the hills they saw some Buffalo bulls. They ran back to the village and told the young man and he told the chief to tell the crier to go through the village and tell the men to get their ponies and surround the Buffalo. The men went out, found the Buffalo, surrounded them, and killed all of them. After this killing the young man went out again. While he was gone on the prairie he THE BOY WHO CALLED THE BUFFALO AND WENT TO NORTH-WIND. 109 met the strange being driving Buffalo. The boy and the strange being drove the Buffalo towards the camp. The boy then came to the vil lage. He told the people that there were some bulls for them to kill again. The men went out and killed the Buffalo bulls. The third time the young man went out, and he again found the strange being driving the Buffalo. The young man went home and told the people that there were many Buffalo cows upon the hills. The men went out and there in a valley they found the Buffalo cows, which they surrounded and killed. The fourth time the young man went away and found the strange being driving Buffalo. The young man went home and this time he told the people to go and find the buffalo. This time the people found all kinds of Buffalo—bulls, cows, and calves. The people killed many and still there were many left. The Buffalo then scattered over the country. The young man married. One day he called the people together and told them that the wonderful being had given power for him to be born; that when he was born the being watched over him; that at a cer tain age the being had driven all the Buffalo away; that the being had made him go a long distance to the place where he was; and that the being had helped him get the Buffalo. So the boy said, " I shall now go away to the being who is North-Wind." The boy went off and never returned. 28. THE MAN WHO MARRIED A BUFFALO.1 The people went on a hunt at one time and they found many Buffalo. Among the people on the hunt was a young man who did not like the women. He had several chances to marry some of the young girls, but he rejected them. One day the people went out to surround the Buf falo. This young man went with them. When the people ran after the Buffalo there was a bunch of about five Buffalo cows which broke away from the people, and the young man who disliked women ran after this bunch of cows. He ran these Buffalo into a mud-hole and one of the young cows got fast in the mud. The young man saw the Buffalo fast in the mud, so he jumped off from his pony, went into the mud, and lay with the cow. The young man went home and left the cow in the mud. After a long time the cow worked herself out from the mud and went away to the other Buffalo. It was then some time early in the spring. Early the next spring the cows in the Buffalo herd began to have young calves. Among those who were to have calves was the cow •Told by White-Horse, Pitahauirat. This is a variant of a story in which a man marries a Buffalo, has offspring, etc. The object of the story is to teach that human beings are related to the Buffalo, and it is believed that by relating the story it will cause the buffalo to come and offer themselves to be slaughtered. 110 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. which had had connection with a man. She had a little bull-calf. When the calf grew up it noticed other cows went with their husbands and the calves followed their fathers around. The calf asked the mother where his father was. The mother did not want to tell the calf, but he begged so hard that finally the mother said: "Your father is far away and can not see you." The calf began to cry, for he wanted to see his father, so the mother said: "We will go and see your father." They started and went towards the east. For many days they went east until at last they came to the village of the people. They stopped in a ravine. There the Buffalo cow turned herself into a woman and she turned the calf into a young boy. The woman had a fine buffalo robe over her and was a fine-looking woman. The boy had a calf robe with hoofs on it over him. The woman and the boy walked to the lodge of the man and there they sat down near the entrance. It was night. A woman came out and saw the woman and the child. This woman went to them and said: "Woman, what do you want? Do you want to see my brother?" for this woman was the sister of the young man. The Buffalo woman said: "Yes; I want to see the young man." The woman went into the lodge and said: "Brother, there is a woman outside who wishes to see you." The young man went out and there sat a woman. Her hair was not braided and he knew at once that she was not one of the tribe. The young man spoke to the woman and said: "Woman, do you want to see me?" The woman said: "Yes; I want to see you, for this boy is your son and I have brought him to you, for he wants to see you." The young man stood still and studied, for he had never been with any woman. The young man said: "Woman, I know no woman yet; you must be mis taken." But the woman said: "This boy is your son. Think and you will find out that you lay with me, and this is your son." The young man studied, but could not remember. The woman then said: "Do you not remember a long time ago, when you ran after Buffalo I jumped into a mud-hole? You came and lay with me." The boy then stooped down and took up the boy in his arms and said: "My son, my wife, I remember. Come, go with me into the lodge and see my father and mother and my sisters." The young man led the way into the lodge and said: "Father, mother, and sisters, this is my son and this woman is my wife." When the old people saw the woman and child they knew that the woman and the boy were not human beings, and they would not touch the woman, but the boy they caught and caressed. The woman re mained inside of the inclosed bed, for she did not want people to see her. Four days after this she began to be like other people. Then she told THE MAN WHO MARRIED A BUFFALO. Ill the old people to watch over the boy; that he was bad and might hurt some of the children. She meant that if the little boy should strike some of the children his hands would turn into a calf's hoofs, and they would hurt the children badly. The Buffalo woman also said: "Watch the boy closely. Do not let him fall upon the ground, for the boy will then get away from us." The woman meant that if the boy should fall down upon the ground he would turn into a Buffalo calf and would run away. The woman and the boy remained with the people and were happy. Every day the young man went to where the people were playing with the gambling sticks. When the sun became hot and it was noon, the boy would take a bucket of water to his father. One day the young man went out to the gambling grounds and played with the sticks. He began to lose nearly everything that he had and he became angry. When the boy came with the water he stood to one side of the gambling grounds with the water, but the man would not go to his son to drink. The mother was sitting in the lodge. Something seemed to touch her. She arose and went out of the lodge. She sat down near the entrance and she saw her son with the water standing near his father. The man never went to drink and the woman became angry. The boy came home and his mother took him and went into the lodge. She took up her robe and that of the child and they went out. The grandmother saw them go out. She went right out and went to where her son was playing with the sticks. She called to him and said: "My son, stop playing. Come home. See, yonder go your wife and your child." The man looked, and when he saw his wife and child going away he threw down the sticks and went home. The young man entered the lodge and sat down. He asked for his leggings and moccasins. He put them on and went out. As he went upon the hill he saw the two going, not as human beings, but as Buffalo. He followed for a long distance. The calf would come back and jump around its father, and then would run again to its mother. In the night the Buffalo would sit down in a hollow while the calf would come and lie beside the father. One day the calf came and said: "Father, are you hungry?" The man said: "lam." The calf said: "Father, strike me upon the forehead, not so very hard." The man hit the calf upon the forehead. As soon as he struck the head, pemmican fell from the head and dropped upon the grass. The man sat down and ate of the pemmican. When he had eaten enough he put away what was left. Then he went on again. The calf came to him again and said: "Father,are you thirsty?" The man said: '' Yes, I am thirsty.'' The calf then began to paw into the ground. After a while the calf's hoof began to work out from the ground. The water 112 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. began to come out of the ground. The calf started on and the man drank out of the hole. Thus the calf took care of the father, but the Buffalo cow never tried to help the man, for she was angry with him. When they had traveled for four days the calf came to his father and said: "Father, on yonder hills live my people." The calf went on. When they arrived at the hills the man saw in the bottom many Buffalo. He saw his wife and child run right through the crowd and disappear. The next day the calf came to the father and said: "Father, my mother is angry with you because you would not come to me when I took water to you. My people are angry with you, but I shall stay with you. To-day you are to look for my grandfather. There will be put in line twenty Buffalo. They will let you pass in front of these Buffalo that are to be put into line and then they will let you pass behind. When you have come to my grandfather you will see my tongue mark upon his hips. As soon as you see that mark you must remember that I have made the mark. Then you must lay your hands upon the Buf falo and say that he is your father-in-law. If you fail to find my grand father all the Buffalo will jump on you and kill you." The next day the young man was taken from the hill and placed where the Buffalo were. There were placed in line about twenty Buffalo and all looked alike. The young man went in front of the Buffalo, but he could not tell where his father-in-law stood. Then he went behind and saw one bull standing among them with a mark upon his hips, and he knew that the mark was made by the tongue of the calf. The man went up to the bull and said: "This is my father-in-law." The Buffalo were surprised and said: "He must be a wonderful man, but we will kill him anyhow." Then the calf said: "My father, to-morrow you are to hunt my grandmother. You are to pass first in the rear and then in front. When you have passed in the rear and are going along the line on the front side, you will notice one Buffalo cow with two cockle burrs between the horns on top of the head. This is your mother-in-law. You must touch her and say that this is your mother-in-law." When this was done the Buffalo said: "This must be a wonderful young man." Then the calf went to his father and said: "Father, to-morrow you are to hunt my mother. There will be several Buffalo standing beside one another. These Buffalo will all look alike, but when I play with my mother I shall put two cockle burrs on the end of the tail, and also two at the root of the tail. When you have seen these burrs you may know that she is your wife." The man passed along in front of the Buffalo that he could see her and then in the rear. He found one cow with the cockle burrs. He said: "This is my wife." The Buffalo said: "This must be a wonderful man." THE MAN WHO MARRIED A BUFFALO. 113 After the young man had found his wife the calf came to him and said: "To-morrow you are to hunt me. There will be many calves placed in line and I will be among them. You are to pass down the line in the rear and then in front. When you are coming near where I shall be I shall wink at you. While I am winking at you, you will notice a cockle burr right over my eye. You must touch me and say that I am your son." Then the calf went back to the Buffalo. The next day the Buffalo were gathered together and they selected about twelve young bull calves, all of the same size, height, and color as the boy calf. They were placed in a line. The man went in the rear of the calves, then he went in front. The calf watched and as soon as he saw his father coming he began to wink at his father. The father looked at him and right over the eye was a burr. He knew at once that this was his son. He touched the calf and said, "This is my son," and the calf began to jump around, for the calf was pleased to know that his father had found him. The Buffalo then agreed that the man should be with them always. Several Buffalo bulls got together and they ran up towards the young man as if to hook him, but when they ran against him they met another bull, for the young man had turned into a Buffalo bull. Then the people said: "We will send a drove of Buffalo to your village, for the people are hungry. We want you to bring some feathers, some native tobacco, blue beads, and clam shells." Twenty Buffalo were selected, and the young man, his wife, and son joined the drove and went towards the village. They traveled several nights and at last they came to the village. The twenty Buffalo squatted down in the ravine, while the woman, her child, and her husband turned into human beings and entered the village. The young man awoke his father and said: " Father, send for my uncles, and when they come in tell them that I want eagle feathers, native tobacco, blue beads, and clam shells." The old man went out and gathered up his relatives. When they were all together the people said that they would go and get the things. In a short time the people began to come in with the things. They gave the things to the young man. The young man then told the people that he knew that the Buffalo knew that they were starving for meat. He told them to go to a certain place in the morning and they would find the Buffalo there. He said that most of the Buffalo who had come with him were sitting in a certain place, and that the people were to kill those Buffalo and make them holy. He said that those Buffalo came to receive smoke, but they knew also that they were to be offered as a sacrifice to Tirawa. The young man, his wife, and child disappeared. 114 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. The next day the people were told that the young man had been there and that they were promised some Buffalo at a certain place. They sent several of the young men to the place to see. When they went they found the Buffalo sitting in a ravine. They went back and reported. The people got ready, went out, and surrounded the Buffalo and killed all the Buffalo. Most of them were sacrificed to Tirawa. The young man took the things to the Buffalo people and they were thankful. Then the Buffalo people said: "You will now send more Buffalo." The young man took another bunch of Buffalo to the people and they killed this bunch, and the young man returned and received another bunch of Buffalo. Four times the young man brought Buffalo to the village. Then the Buffalo scattered over the country. One time when the people attacked the Buffalo they unknowingly killed the Buffalo who had once been a man. They consecrated him, and then they found out that he had been a man, because the hide that they took off had feathers all over it. 29. HOW THE WITCH-WOMAN WAS KILLED.1 There was a village of people and on the east side lived alone a Witch-Woman. She had no children. Sometimes she cured people when they were sick. At other times she was very mean to people and would let them die of disease. Sometimes she took some of her medi cine, sat in her lodge, and threw the medicine into the air. The medicine would fly through the air and would enter into the people and kill them. On account of these tricks the people called her Witch-Woman. In the village was a wonderful man known as White-Moccasins. A child was born in his family and it was a boy. The women in the village were very fond of this child. Each morning one woman would come into the lodge and pack the little child around on her back. After she became tired another woman would be ready to carry the child. Every day the child was taken out of the lodge, but the parents knew that it was safe. One morning a young girl came into the lodge and took the child out. After she became tired she gave the child to another woman. A woman came near where the women were. This woman looked at the child and went on. The women looked at her and they knew that it was Witch-Woman. They said nothing to the parents of the child. 1 Told by Leading-Sun, Kitkehahki. The tale marks the end of the life of a group of supernatural beings who had been dreaded and feared and who were held responsible for many troubles, including sickness, etc. The connection of the story with the sacred bundle is not at first evident, but it is to be noted that the Witch-Woman was killed by the Hawk, who was the special guardian of the war riors, a skin of a hawk being always present in the warrior's bundle. HOW THE WITCH-WOMAN WAS KILLED. 115 It seems that the old woman knew that the child was born under the protection of some minor god in the heavens. She disliked the child, and so one beautiful morning the old woman went to the creek, picked up a clam and said: "I want you to take my place as the Witch-Woman and travel with these people wherever they go. I will remain behind, for I want to take the child away from its parents." Witch-Woman blew her breath upon the clam shell. She turned into an old woman with a very wrinkled face. She was left in the place of Witch-Woman. The next morning before daylight the real Witch went into the tipi of White-Moccasins. She took the little child upon her back and went out of the lodge. She went to the Witch-Woman and said: "You must remain here and if the people move away follow them. You are in my place. I shall go far away with this child, so that in time I may kill the child and it will never know that it had a father and a mother." The Witch-Woman carried the little boy far away to where the sun rises. The people in the village missed the child. The parents went throughout the village hunting their child. Everybody turned out, but they could not find the child. The people all began to mourn. They mourned so much that some of them would tear down their tipis and move away. The people kept moving away from their village until only White-Moccasins and his immediate family were left behind. The peo ple were now scattered all over the .land. The real Witch-Woman carried the boy far away. They came to a big water and stopped there. Here the Witch-Woman built a grass- house and made a garden. The boy and the woman remained in that place for a number of years. The boy grew to be large, and the Witch- Woman made a bow and some arrows for him. The boy went out hunt ing every day and brought in game. He believed that this old woman was his mother, for she called him her son. The woman saw that the boy had grown up and that he had many wonderful ways about him. She told the boy not to go far to the west; that wild animals would find him and devour him. One day while the boy was out playing with his bow and arrows he saw a Crow sitting upon a tree. The Crow began to cry out and the boy heard what it said. The boy thought that the Crow said: "Boy, you do not belong here. Your people live west from here. Their village site is beyond here." The boy did not pay any attention to the words of the Crow, but the Crow said: "I saw that woman take you away. I know all about it. You do not belong here. There are many people out west where you belong." The boy paid no attention to this. The next day he went out hunting. When he came to a timbered country 116 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. he saw a red Hawk sitting upon a limb. The Hawk made a screeching sound and the boy thought that the Hawk was calling him. He followed the Hawk. Whenever the boy looked at the Hawk, he thought he saw a scalp hanging down from its claw. The Hawk also seemed to carry a war club. Around its breast seemed to be a buffalo-hair lariat. The boy liked the dress of the Hawk, and when it made the screeching sound the boy followed it. The Hawk would fly from one limb to another, and when the Hawk saw that the boy was not coming it would fly towards him, circle around him, and fly west again. The boy saw that the Hawk wanted him to follow it, so he followed. After a while they came to a prairie country. They went over this prairie country, and after a while the boy saw the Hawk flying in a circle. Then he saw the Hawk drop something. When the boy went to the place he found the things he had seen. The Hawk then flew up into the sky and the boy sat down on the village site. He lay down, for he had come a long way and was tired. As soon as he went to sleep he heard the insects under the ground. They sang: "Here lies the child of White-Moccasins. Here lies the child of White-Moccasins.'' The young man woke up and looked around, but could see nothing. He lay down again. Just as the dawn appeared the young man arose and stood on the village site. While he was standing there the whole village site seemed to say, "This is the child of White-Moccasins." He looked around for the voices. He went to the tipi poles and here the voices seemed to be. The fireplaces also said: "This is the son of White-Moccasins." The grass which had grown over the village site was speaking and saying that this was the child of White-Moccasins. Even the old moccasins which had been left behind were saying that this was the child of White-Moccasins. The boy stood still, looked around and said to himself: "I must be the child of someone else." He walked around through the village and still the voices came from every direc tion. Finally he went to one place and here was a clam shell. It said: "My boy, I was placed here by a Witch-Woman to follow your people and act as a Witch in her place. When the people broke camp I tried to follow them. The power which the Witch-Woman had given me was gone and I turned into a clam shell as you now see me. I called upon all the gods to send you back to this village site so that I could tell you where your people were. All the gods helped me. You have come. Take me up, follow this trail, and you will find your people. When you reach the first stream of water, drop me into it and there I shall remain." For some time the boy followed the trail and at last came to another HOW THE WITCH-WOMAN WAS KILLED. 117 village site. It was now dusk. When he entered the village site the voices came up from everywhere. The grass, the weeds, the insects, tipi poles, all shouted and sang: "Here comes the son of White-Moccasins. He was carried away from a village by the Witch-Woman, This is truly the child of White-Moccasins.'' The boy lay down and he heard the singing all around. It was kept up all through the night. The next day he followed the trail. If there was anything dropped by the people, a feather, a moccasin, a piece of sinew, a piece of an arrow, all these things sang the song he had heard at the village site. For many days the boy traveled west until at last he saw a village. When he came to the village everything seemed to sing about the child of White-Moccasins. As soon as the boy went into the village the people said: "Here comes the child of White-Moccasins." The chief took him into his tipi and asked him where he came from and who he was. When White-Moccasins found out that his son had arrived at the village he went to the tipi of the chief and demanded the boy. The chief said: "This boy is now in my tipi. He shall be my son, for I see that he has great powers." The boy said: "I can not do that, for I know that my father is living. The Crow was first to tell me of him. The Hawk led me to the village site from where I was stolen, and there everything sang of my father, White-Moccasins. The insects, the grass, the weeds, the trees, all sang to me of my father who was called White- Moccasins, and told me that I was his child. I shall go with my father." The chief said: "I do not mean that you shall be my son and remain with me, but I have a daughter who is old enough to be the wife of some one. I call you my son because I want you to be my son-in-law." The boy said: "I can not do that, for I am too young." The boy told the people that on his journey he had picked up a clam shell, and that it had told him that the Witch-Woman had put it in the village in her place. He told them how he had taken the clam shell and placed it in the stream of water. The boy went back to his father and told him that instead of traveling west they would move to the south. The boy had discovered that the people were starving, for they had not found any buffalo. Through the boy the people found many buf falo. When they had plenty of buffalo meat they talked of return ing to their country. The people went back to their old home. When they reached the village the young man sat down in his lodge and invited several other young men to go with him on the war-path. Several of the young men joined him. He put the buffalo-hair lariat rope about his Il8 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. breast. He did not carry the scalp nor the war club. He left these in another bundle. He led the war party. They found the camp of the enemy, attacked the village, killed two enemies, took their scalps, and captured many ponies. When the war party returned to the village the people turned out to receive them. The chief then invited the young man to his tipi. The young man said: "No; I cannot go there." When the young man had gone on the war-path four times, and was successful each time, he said to his father: "It is not yet time for me to take a woman for my wife. I have to make four buffalo holy and take them to the lodge of the priests. When I have done that I am ready to marry." The young man sat down again and planned another war party. He said: "My friends, I go towards the east, where the sun rises. I have an enemy there. I must kill her. If any of you wish to go with me you may." Some of the young men joined him and they went away. When they had traveled for some time they came to a big water and there they saw a grass-lodge. The young man told the others to remain behind, for he wanted to visit the grass-lodge him self. The boy turned into a Hawk and flew to the grass-lodge. When the old woman found out that the Hawk had visited her lodge she turned into an Owl. She remained in the lodge. The Hawk flew inside and with his right wing struck the Owl upon the head. Instead of the Owl being killed it turned into a Witch-Woman. The Witch-Woman laughed at the Hawk, but the Hawk jumped down to the ground and stood there as a young man. This time he had the club. He struck the woman upon the head, smashed her skull, and killed her. The young man now invited the other men to come. They took the old woman, placed her in a cache hole which she had dug, and buried her. The owl feathers, claws, and all her medicine bags they placed upon the fire and burned them. The warriors returned to their village. Every time the young man went down to the creek he would hear the clam shells singing about him. At last the clam shells said: "We are ready to receive some of your people, and to teach them our power. We want some of your people to become medicine-men. We live in the mud. The mud in which we live has power to cure. We want to give this mud to the people." The young man at this time had a friend who went with him everywhere. He placed him on the banks of the water and told the clam shells to talk to the boy. The young man went home, and remained there. After a while the other young man returned and said: "I have some magic power now, so that I can do some won derful things. If any of our people get sick I will doctor them." The young man was glad to hear this. He said: "It is now time that we go and hunt buffalo." HOW THE WITCH-WOMAN WAS KILLED. 119 The people went on a hunt and while on this hunt the young man killed four buffalo and made them holy, so that they could be sacrificed to the different gods. After he did this he married the daughter of the chief. This young man became a great warrior, while the other young man became a great medicine-man. The young man then told the peo ple that he was born under the protection of the sun; that this woman who was now killed was the last of the witch-women in the country. The young man then told the people that from that time on they must call him White-Sun; so he was afterwards known by this name. He did not become a chief. He was a great warrior and did not care to become a chief. 30. PURSUIT BY A RATTLING SKULL; THE PLEIADES.1 One time, while the people were on a buffalo hunt, they made their camp near a stream of water. A young girl in the village went off to gather some wood. She strayed and wandered around until she was lost and could not find her way back to camp. A Skull found and cap tured her and took her to its earth-lodge. When the girl was seated in the lodge, the Skull rolled up to her and told her that it had captured her so that she might wash it and keep it clean; that she was to eat the scales that came off from it, and if she did this her life would be spared. The girl was not allowed to eat anything but the scales from the Skull. The girl began to cry, but the Skull spoke and said: "There is no use for you to cry, for you are with me now, and you must begin to clean me." The people missed the girl. They hunted and hunted for her, but they could not find her. For many days they hunted. At last the chief told the crier to cry through the village that they must break camp and move to another place. The people then moved away and gave up all hope of ever finding the girl. When they had been gone for some time the Skull spoke to the girl and said: "You must remain in this lodge. I am going far away." When the Skull was gone the girl began to cry. The Skull did not stay very long, but came back and rolled up to the girl and she had to take the scales off from it and eat them. Several times the Skull went off. Each time it came back in a short time. When the Skull found out that the girl would not leave, it told the girl that it was going to be gone for several days. The Skull rolled out and 1 Told by White-Sun, whose grandfather was the leading medicine-man of the Kitkehahki. He was a famous story-teller. The object performing the magic flight in this tale is literally a rattling skull, and is not to be confused with the round individual mentioned in tale No. 5. This more nearly approximates the usual form of this tale among the plains tribes. 120 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. went off. After one day the girl went out of the lodge and went away out into the country, and stood upon a high hill and cried. A myste rious looking man came to the girl and said: "My girl,why are you cry ing?" She told him that a human Skull had captured her, that she was keeping its lodge in order, and that whenever it entered the lodge it rolled up to her and she had to take the scales from it and eat them, and that she wanted to get away from it and return to her own people. The man then said: "I can help you, but I can not do everything. After I have helped you all that I can, you must try and get help from some one else. Here is an arrow, a bladder, and a cactus. Take them and flee. The Skull will pursue you, but when it is about to overtake you first drop the cactus, then sing this song: My brother, the angry Skull is coming after me. Yonder it is coming over the hill-tops. My brother, the angry Skull is coming after me. My brother, the angry Skull is coming after me. The animals in the country will hear you singing and will come to help you, and if they can not help you, keep going on. When the Skull is about to overtake you again, drop the bladder, but first you must put a little water in it. If the Skull still follows you, call, sing the song again, and the animals will come to your assistance. If they can not help you, and the Skull is about to catch you, then stick this arrow into the ground." The girl took the arrow, the cactus, and the bladder. She then went down to the creek and put some water into the bladder. She began to run towards the northern country. In the meantime the Skull had gone back to its lodge and found that the girl was gone. Then it ran to the open country, saw her running and began to pursue her. After a while the girl saw the Skull coming over the hills. Then she began to sing. A Mountain-Lion appeared and took pity upon her. The Mountain- Lion asked the girl who it was that was coming after her, and when she said that it was a human Skull, he said: "I can not do anything for you, my girl. This Skull is a wonderful Skull. Go on. Some other animals are beyond here and they may perhaps help you." The girl ran on and soon the head came in sight again. When it was nearly up to her the girl dropped the cactus. As soon as she dropped the cactus the cactus spread out until there were many all over the ground, and the human Skull could not go over the cactus. Then the girl went on. After a while she turned around and saw that the human Skull had in some way rolled over the cactus and was rapidly gaining on her. PURSUIT BY A RATTLING SKULL; THE PLEIADES. 121 She began to sing the same song that she sang before. The Bear heard her singing, and came to help her. The girl told the Bear that a person was after her. "Who?" said the Bear. "A human Skull," said the girl. The Bear shook his head and said: "My girl, I am not afraid of anybody or anything but this Skull. It is wonderful and I can do nothing. Go on. Other animals are beyond here and they may be able to help you. I can not help you." When the Skull came in sight of the Bear, it began to call the Bear bad names. The girl ran on. The Skull continued to follow and just as it was about to catch up with the girl, the girl dropped the bladder with the water in it. When the bladder struck the ground and the ground gave way, there was a wide river with steep banks on both sides. The Skull saw many logs float ing down the river and so it jumped upon a log and drifted down the river for a long way. The girl went on and met a Buffalo bull. The girl sang her song. The Buffalo listened, and took pity upon the girl and determined to help her, but when he was told that it was the human Skull that was after her, he told the girl to go on; that he could not help her. He said: " Go yonder. There are several brothers who live there. They may be able to help you." The girl looked around and there came the human Skull again. Just as the Skull was about to over take her she stopped and stuck the arrow into the ground, and many thick, thorny trees sprang up, so that the Skull could not go through. Then the Skull turned and called the Buffalo names for helping the girl. The Skull worked around through the timber, and at last it blew its breath and a fire went forth from its mouth and burned the trees so that a pathway was made. In the meantime the girl had found the lodge where the brothers lived, and she began to sing her song. Three little boys came out and listened to her. The youngest seemed to be about eleven years old, the other thirteen, and the oldest about fifteen years old. The boys had their quivers over their shoulders, and each boy carried a war club. They invited the girl into their lodge. The boys did not listen to the singing of the girl, for they had their eyes upon the human Skull. As the Skull came close to their lodge the eldest boy jumped out and with his war club struck the Skull so that the Skull broke into pieces. The girl was then told to come out and look at the human Skull. When she came out she picked up large stones and threw them upon the Skull and broke the Skull into many smaller pieces. Then she made a big fire, picked up the pieces of the Skull and put them upon the fire and burned them. The boys told the girl that all their brothers were not at home, and that she could live with them until their older brothers came home. 122 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. The girl had some grains of corn in her belt, and also some squash seeds and beans. She took the brothers to the bottom land and made them clean a place, and there she planted some corn, beans, and squash. When they were planted the girl told the boys not to visit the field again until she told them to do so. Every morning the girl would go into the field and work. In the fall there was plenty of corn, squash, and beans in the field. The girl gathered corn and took it home and cooked it. The boys ate of the corn and they were satisfied. The girl then told the boys that she would have to cure some of the corn to keep for the winter. She took the boys into the corn-field and they gathered the corn while she made a big fire to cure it. After the corn was dried she gathered the squash and beans and told the boys that they must make a place for her to store away the corn, squash, and beans. The boys dug a hole in the ground and there they stored away the corn, squash, and beans. In the winter the little brothers told the girl that their brothers were coming. The youngest ran and told his brothers about the girl. When the older brothers came, they said: "We shall have to send this girl away. What shall we do with her?" The brothers wanted to send the girl away, for it was not the intention that a girl should be among them, but the other three brothers said that the girl had given them corn, squash, and beans to eat and they could not very well send her away. They asked that they also eat of the things that she had. The girl prepared some corn, squash, and beans and gave them to the older brothers to eat. When they had eaten of the things they were satisfied. Then they said: "We will now decide what we shall do with this girl." They sent the girl out of the lodge, and then they began to talk about her. All the brothers left it with the youngest brother to decide what should be done with the girl. The little boy stood up and said: "We saved this girl from being killed, and in return she has given us plenty to eat. The girl has a right to be with us. I de cide that she be our sister and that she remain with us." All the other boys said: "It is well. She shall be our sister." There were six of them and the girl made seven in the family. In the night the girl found out that the boys disappeared. In the morning they came back. After a while the youngest brother told the girl that he and his brothers traveled through the sky in the night. After the girl had lived with them for some time the brothers decided to take her with them on their nightly journey through the sky country. At night she may be seen as the seventh star of the Pleiades. THE POOR BOY AND THE MUD PONIES. 123 31. THE POOR BOY AMD THE MUD POMES.1 A long time ago there were no horses. Dogs were the only animals that helped the people carry their burdens from one place to another. In those times there was a very poor boy in the village. He went from one tipi to another trying to get something to eat. Sometimes he was chased out, but at other times he was taken in and fed. Once in a great while he would go into the lodge of the chief, and when the chief would see him he would feel sorry for him and sometimes he would give him moccasins; at other times he would give him leggings. Some people would speak against the boy and try to keep the chief from giving him any presents, but the chief would say: "Tirawa knows that this boy is living. As he is growing up he will watch over him and the boy may some day rule over us." But the people laughed at the chief for saying this. The boy had a dream about ponies. He thought that two ponies were dropped down from the heavens and that they were for him. He so plainly saw the ponies in his dream that he knew their shape, and how their tails and manes looked. Often when the people broke camp and traveled along he would stay behind and would take mud and make ponies. Then he would place the ponies in his robe and follow the peo ple. Before he would arrive at the village he would place the two mud ponies outside of the village. He would go into the village and go from tipi to tipi trying to get something to eat. Wherever he got a chance to stay over night, he would lie down in the tipi. Early in the morning he would go to where his mud ponies were. Then he would take the mud ponies down to the creek and pretend that they were drinking. He did this for many months, until the people had returned to their permanent village. Then he took the mud ponies down from where they stood, carried them a long way from the village, and stood them by a pond. He would go away and stay for a while and then return and make believe the ponies needed water. Then he would take them to where there was good grass and place them there. One night the boy entered the lodge of the chief. The chief gave him something to eat and also a place to sleep. That night the boy had a dream. He thought that Tirawa had opened the sky and dropped two ponies for him. Then he thought in his dream that he heard Tirawa singing and he remembered well the song, for when he awoke he went out from the lodge and went up on a high hill, and there he sang the song. 1 Told by Little-Chief, Pitahauirat. This is a variant of a well-known Plains tale and tells of the origin of the chief's society. 124 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. The people heard him singing and they wondered what the song meant. While the boy was singing, a mysterious voice said: "This song was given to you by Tirawa. Tirawa has given you a certain kind of a dance. You should become a chief. Go this night to where your mud ponies are and there you will find two live ponies." The boy went back into the village, to the lodge of the chief, and borrowed a lariat rope. He then ran to the place where his mud ponies were. When he arrived there he saw two ponies. The two ponies came to the boy and he caught both of them. The boy took the ponies to the village and tied them just outside of the village. He went into the lodge of the chief and told him that Tirawa had given him two ponies. Others, when they heard, said that the boy made the ponies out of mud, and that the mud ponies had turned into ponies, but the boy himself believed that Tirawa had given them to him. The people went out to see the ponies and almost worshipped them, for they were the first that they had ever seen. The boy finally became the chief's son-in-law. He then went on the war-path alone upon one of his ponies. In a few days he brought back many other ponies. Then he sat down and sang the song that they had heard him singing on the first night.1 The young men came from everywhere in the village to listen and be near him, for they knew that he was making up his mind to go again on the war-path. The young man led out a big war party and brought back many ponies. It was not long until he became a chief. He then started a society known as the Chief's Society and he was at the head of it. The songs which he introduced were the songs which he heard while on the hill. The songs and the dance were kept up by the Chaui and Pitahauirat. This dance became extinct in 1887 when Chief-Sun died. He was the keeper of the songs and the dance. 32. ORIGIN OF THE BUFFALO BUNDLE.2 A long time ago the Buffalo agreed to go to the home of the people. The leader of the herd was a bull who had white spots on him. The cow to whom he was married was also spotted white. On their journey the cow gave birth to a female calf, and the calf was the color of snow. The little white calf carried the sacred bundle. Each morning when they were about to start on the day's journey, the calf decided how far they should go. They came to a place where the people were, and they gave 1 The words of this song have no meaning; the music will be found in Part II. "Told by Mouth-Waying-in-Water, Kitkehahki. This story, as its title in dicates, relates to the origin of the so-called Buffalo bundle. The story especially teaches that respect should be shown to the sacred bundle. ORIGIN OF THE BUFFALO BUNDLE. 125 a certain number of buffalo to the people to kill. The people killed the buffalo and made many buffalo holy. They also captured the sacred bundle that the girl carried. When the bundle was captured by the people the buffalo were satisfied and agreed to go back to their country in the west. During this time a young buffalo bull had taken away the white buf falo calf and had lain with it. When the Buffalo were about to return to their country the white Buffalo girl was missing. The Buffalo waited for the girl to come and decide how far they should go the first day. They called for her and she came up from a ravine where she had left her calf. She took her place and gave a command that the people should journey a certain distance. The Buffalo began to march and they jour neyed for several days as the girl directed. Early one morning, just as the girl was about to tell the Buffalo how far they were to journey, there was a great noise from behind. The Buffalo turned and saw three buffalo bulls. In their midst was a poor little calf singing: "I am hunting my mother. My mother's name is White-Frost." Then it sang again: "I am hunting for my father. My father is White-Bull." The three bulls made fun of the calf and said: "You think White- Frost is your mother, and that White-Bull is your father!" but the calf went on through the herd singing until it reached its mother. The mother would not claim the calf, and would not let it suck, although it was apparent that she had a calf. The calf cried and said: "If you will not let me suck, I will turn your milk black and from this time on there shall be no more white Buffalo." The calf returned to the village and turned into a boy. The little boy was given a home and lived with the people. He grew up to be a wonderful man. He then took charge of the bundle that was captured from the Buffalo. He told the people that when they killed Buffalo they must put fat upon the bundle, for the bundle belonged to Tirawa and the fat also belonged to him. The pipe and the raccoon penis went together in the bundle, for the pipe was used to give smoke to the gods, while the raccoon penis was used in offering the fat to the gods. He also told the people that when they should capture arrows from the enemy they should put these arrows upon the bundles, and when they made sacred pipe offerings they should use the enemy's arrows to tamp the pipe with, so that the smoke going to Tirawa would be offerings of the enemy; that they must never press the tobacco with their fingers, for if they did they would be offering themselves to the gods and would soon die. 126 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 33. THE LAST OF THE WHITE BUFFALO. (See Abstracts.) [Told by Thief, Kitkehahki. This apparently is only a fragment of the more extended story which the informant learned from his Chaui wife. Among the Chaui it is known that there formerly existed a ceremony, the altar of which con sisted of four white buffalo skins.] 34. THE WIFE WHO RETURNED FROM SPIRIT LAND.1 Many years ago, when the people were in Nebraska, there was a young man who was well off and who had become a warrior when a mere boy. This young man was always away from his village on the war-path and he never cared to be with women. Every time he came to the village he would climb up on the mud-lodges and would look over the village and watch the girls who went to the spring for water. One time he saw a girl that he liked, and after that time he went down to the spring every day and tried to get a chance to talk to her. He met the girl near the spring several times, and he found out that she was the girl he wanted to marry, but he knew that he could not marry her until he had captured a certain number of ponies, and so he made up his mind that he would go on the war-path again and would try to capture some ponies. He heard of a great warrior who was going on the war-path. The warrior invited several young men to come to his lodge, and he told them to get a dry buffalo hide for a drum and some drumsticks, for they were to sing coyote warrior songs. While these men were singing the young man in the village heard the singing and he knew at once that the war rior was going to lead a war party. The young man went to the lodge with his bow and arrows and moccasins, and joined the party. This war party went out and started towards the southern country to hunt the Comanche, for these people had many ponies. The girl missed the young man, but she did not know that he had gone upon the war-path. She looked for him every day, and when she did not see him she was sad. She kept thinking of this young man until finally she became sick. Just as the people were getting ready to go on a buffalo hunt the girl died. The people took her up on a high mound close to the graveyard and there they dug a hole about two feet deep and then they set up two forks, one on the east side and one on the west side. They placed a pole across it and then put poles against this pole. Then they took the girl up there and placed her upon the platform, with 'Told by White-Horse, Pitahauirat. The tale not only illustrates, in a fairly complete manner, the belief of the Pitahauirat in the future land, but shows, like other tales already noted, the dire results of disobedience to the supernatural powers. THE WIFE WHO RETURNED FROM SPIRIT LAND. 127 many presents of buffalo robes and all her dresses. They covered the place with grass and then with sod, so that the grave formed a little mound. The people went on a buffalo hunt and killed many buffalo. While they were camped at one place they heard that certain warriors who had gone out were returning with many ponies. Among them was the young man. It was noised through the village that the young man had captured most of the ponies and had more than any other man. When he arrived at his father's lodge he sat down, and his mother began to tell him the news of the village. The mother, however, forgot to tell the young man that a certain girl had died. The next day she began to talk again and to tell the boy the news of the people, and she said: "My son, I forgot to tell you that a certain girl died in the village and was buried." The young man put his head down and the mother saw that he was sad. The day before, the young man had mounted one of his best horses and rode around the place where the people dipped up their water from the creek. He did not see the girl, and so when he was told that a girl had died he knew that it was the one he liked. The young man lifted up his head and said: "Mother, fold up some dried meat for me and give me a new pair of moccasins." When he put on his moccasins he told his mother that he was going off again and that she must not worry about him, as he would return. The young man started towards the village. As soon as he started he began to cry and he cried all the way. When night overtook him he stood upon a high hill and cried. When he was tired he lay down and slept. He came into the country where the girl's grave was and there he cried again. He walked up the high hill on which was the grave and stood there several days and cried. When night came he made up his mind that it would be better for him to go into the village and stay there over night. He thought that some of the people might be in the village and that they would give him something to eat. When he came near the village he noticed that there was one lodge where smoke was coming out from the opening at the top. He went to the lodge. He peeped in and saw a young woman sitting upon the ground facing west, so that he could not see her face. He kept looking in and he saw many buffalo robes and other things that the people had placed in the grave for the girl. After a while the young woman said: "You have been standing there a long time. Come into the lodge, but do not come near me. Sit down near the en trance. " The young man seated himself near the entrance and she let him stay. The boy was thin and hungry, for he had had nothing to eat for many days. He sat there all night and the next day and all of the 128 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. next night. The next night the young woman told the young man to come to the first post in the lodge. There he remained over night. The next night she told him to approach the fireplace, as there was a kettle on the fire. She told him to dip up some meat and eat, and when he had had enough to put the meat back on the fireplace. Every night the girl would invite the boy to move nearer to her. At last the boy went up to where she was sitting, but she told him not to touch her. She said that her dead relatives would not consent to have him touch her yet. She made him get into the bed and lie there. She told him that there were some things which were to happen and if he was brave and did not run away he might he able to keep her as his wife. She told him that she was not a real thing; that she might disappear at any time; but if he would do everything as she said, she thought that perhaps he would be able to keep her. One night the girl told the boy to watch, as something was going to happen, and not to be afraid. In the night the boy heard drumming in the village. He also heard shouting, yelling, and singing. In the lodge there was fire in the fireplace and the fire never went out. The fire was kept up by the dead people. The fire burned low. When the drumming came near he heard a lot of little children running ahead of the drummers and they all rushed into the lodge. He heard the chil dren talking and playing and they seemed to seat themselves around in the lodge. The drummers came into the lodge and the girl said: "When these people cease dancing here they will say that they have smoked and you must say 'Nawa.' " The invisible people came in and danced and after a while the leader of the dance said, "Now we have smoked." The young man said "Nawa." Then the children seemed to rush out of the lodge, though he could not see them; then the dancers went out. The next night the drumming sound was again heard, only a little earlier. The sound came into the lodge and the boy could see the feet of the children as they rushed into the lodge. Next came the dancing and drumming and as the dancers circled around the fireplace he could see their feet. They danced for some time and then the leader of the dance said, "We have now smoked," and the young man said "Nawa." Then he saw the feet of the children rushing out of the lodge and then the dan cers left. Early the next night the drumming was heard again. This time when the people entered the young man could see their bodies. They kept on dancing and when the leader said, "We have smoked," the young man said "Nawa," and they went out. The next night the drumming came again and the dancers came in and he could see them plainly. They danced around the fireplace, and when the dancing was over the leader of the dance said: "Young man, when you first started THE WIFE WHO RETURNED FROM SPIRIT LAND. 129 from the village where your people are you began to cry. We knew what you were crying about. You were poor in spirit because this girl had died. All of us agreed that we would send the girl back. You can see her now, but she is not real. You must be careful and not make her angry or you will lose her. You have been a brave man to stay with the girl when we came in, but this is the way we are. You can not see us, but some time we can turn into people and you can see us, though we are not real. We are spirits. There is one thing you must do before this girl can stay with you. We have now smoked." They then went out. Then the girl said: "These people who were in here are all my relatives. They are anxious to help you to take me back, for they feel sorry for you. They have given you permission to talk with me and to be close to me, but we can not be together yet." There was no more dancing, and no more affrights for the young man. Every day the young man went into the corn-fields of the people and found corn. He brought the corn up and they ate of the corn. The woman dished out meat to the young man. The young man began to gain flesh. One day while they were sitting in the lodge the girl said: "The people have decided to return to the village. They have started back. My uncles have started on ahead. Each of my uncles, four in number, has a little piece of buffalo meat and a piece of fat to place on my grave. They are now on the way." Every day after that the girl would tell the young man where her uncles were and at what place they were now camped. One day she told the young man that her uncles were close to the village; that the next day they would arrive; that in the afternoon they would walk up to the grave to place the buffalo meat in the grave. "My uncles are now crying every day, for they are near my grave." The next day the woman said: "You remember what the leader of the dancers said about one more hard thing for you to do. To-morrow is the time when you shall have to do that thing." The next day the woman told the young man that he must use all his strength; that when the uncles should walk up the hill to the grave, they would go outside of the village and there they were to stand. When she gave command for him to take hold of her he must use all his strength to hold her, for when she saw her uncles she was going to try to disappear and to go from him. "Four times this shall happen and if I get away from you every time then you shall lose me. When we are out there and you get hold of me, you must call as loud as you can so that my uncles will hear you and they will come down and help you." The next day the girl told the boy to rise, that her uncles were now coming to the grave. They went outside of the village 130 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. and when they stopped they saw the uncles of the girl going up to the grave. (The reason why the girl was trying to get away was because people were going to her grave and it was best that her spirit should not be troubled by human beings.) As soon as she saw her uncles place the meat on the grave she said: "Pick me up quick." The young man took hold of the girl and held her with all his strength, but the girl jumped up and down and the young man was thrown upon the ground and she got away. While the young man held the girl he called at the top of his voice, but as the uncles were crying they could not hear his voice. After the young man got up he went into the village and went into the lodge and there the girl was standing laughing. She said: "Why, young man, you have no strength at all. I am sorry to tell you that if I get away four times you shall never see me again, for, as I have said, I am not real. Let us now go out again and you must use all your strength to hold me." The girl and the boy went out of the village again and as soon as they were out she told him to take hold of her. The young man then held her about the arms, put his legs around her body, and then began to call to the men to come and help him, but the men did not come. The girl tried to get away and she did get away the second time. The boy ran back into the village and when he entered the lodge she stood there laughing at him and said: "You are not strong. Now we will go for the third time. You must hold me just as tight as you can. If my uncles hear you calling they will come and if they touch me then I must stay with you." They went outside of the village again and stood there. The girl said: "Now catch hold of me." The young man took her as before and he began to call to the men at the grave, but they would not come. The girl began to jump up and down and she got loose again. Then the young man felt sorry and returned to the lodge. There he found the girl standing laughing at him. She said: "Young man, if you care for me and want me to stay with you, you must use more strength than you have shown. This is the last time, and if I get away from you then I am gone and you shall never see me any more." They went out, and before he could catch hold of her he began to shout. About this time the men at the grave had stopped crying. As soon as the girl gave command for him the young man caught her and jumped. He put his legs around her and he reached out his hands and caught her hair so that her hair was twisted in his hands. Then he shouted for the men to come. She began to jump up and down. Some times she remained up in the air for several minutes. The boy hung on to her hair and down they would come upon the ground. The men THE WIFE WHO RETURNED FROM SPIRIT LAND. 131 upon the grave saw them and they ran. The girl was up in the air as if swinging with the boy and the men ran as hard as they could. Among the men was one good runner. The girl came down with the boy and as they struck the ground this man reached them. He jumped upon her and the girl flew up again. When they came down again another man was there and he also hung to her and the girl went up and in a short time she came back to the ground and the other two were there. All took hold of her. When they had hold of her the girl took a long breath and said: "Uncles, you have held me. I will stay with you. I will not go away from you." Then she told them to let her loose, but the uncles would not let her go. They went along, still holding her, towards their lodge. When they entered the lodge they saw her bed. The bed was covered with the robes which were placed in the grave. She told her uncles to go into the field and to bring her corn, beans, and squash, for she was going to eat, and that she should always be with them. The uncles would not leave her, so she had to go down into the fields with them. They came back with the corn and other things. She sat down and her uncles boiled some of the corn, beans, and squash for her. When she had eaten, she said: "I have eaten with you; I shall now stay with this young man." After that the girl told her uncles that they could stay four days and four nights with them, and that they must then return to their people. After four days had passed, the men went into the field and gathered some corn, beans, and squash to take to their people. These men then started back to where the people were coming with the buffalo meat. They traveled for several days, and one day while they were journeying they met the procession coming. As soon as they met the people one of the uncles shouted and said: "My niece lives in the village with the young man who disappeared from our village." As soon as the people in the lead heard this they shouted back to others who were behind and so on until everyone knew. The girl in the lodge with the young man told all that the uncles had told the people, and she said: "They are nearing our village." In a few days the people came to the village and instead of cleaning out their lodges and entering them the people went into the lodge where the girl and the boy were. The lodge was filled with people and when they saw her they knew that what the uncles had said was true. Then the people began to move into their lodges. One night the girl noticed her mother looking closely at her. The old woman got up and took her hoe and went out. She went up on the top of the hill where the grave was and she began to dig into the grave. 132 THE TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. When she had dug down she found the bones and all the things which were placed in the grave were still there, and she thought to herself, "Well, this can not be my daughter, for here she lies and all the things are here with her bones." When she went down and entered her lodge, the girl said: "Mother, I know what you have done. You do not believe that I am your daughter; but, mother, I am your daughter. My body lies up there, but I am here with you. I am not real, and if you people do not always treat me properly I will suddenly disappear." The woman knew that although her body lay in the grave, she was living with them as a spirit. The young man was happy with his wife and for many years they lived happily together. Once in a while the young man would go on the war-path and would bring back many ponies. The woman gave birth and the child was a boy. The woman was not allowed to cook or to make moccasins for her husband, so that her relatives had to do the cooking and the making of moccasins for the young man when he wanted to go on the war-path. His son grew to be large, but the relatives of the woman never allowed him to touch the earth. They packed him upon their backs every day, and only when night came was the child allowed to lie upon the bed with his mother. As soon as it was daylight some of the relatives were there to put the child upon their backs. When one became tired packing the child, then another woman was ready to take him. The mother had told her relatives that they must not allow the child to play with other children, for in running around he might fall down, and if he did, it would be a signal for his disappearance. One night the young man came into the lodge where his wife was, and he said: "My wife, I think it is time that I take another woman for a wife." The woman said: "No; do you not know that I told you a long time ago that I took pity upon you because you were poor in spirit and came back from Spirit Land to be with you? My relatives helped me to come back to you, and you promised never to take another woman for a wife." The man insisted upon taking another woman for a wife and he begged the woman so hard that she finally consented, although she had told her husband that if he should marry another woman, some day the new wife might get angry and call her a ghost-wife, and then she would know what was said about her. But she finally gave her consent for him to marry this other woman; so the man mar ried another woman. For several years they lived happily. One day the man went to the human wife and she gave him a pair of moccasins. The man put on the moccasins, but somehow they did not fit him, and he took the moccasins THE WIFE WHO RETURNED FROM SPIRIT LAND. 133 off and threw them away. Then the man went up to his ghost-wife and she had a pair of moccasins for him which her relatives had made for him. She gave the moccasins to him and he put them on and found that they were just right. The next day he went into the lodge of his other wife and she saw that he had a pair of moccasins on that his ghost-wife had given him. She went up to him, took the moccasins off of his feet and threw them away. She said: "You threw my moccasins away and I will throw away the moccasins of your ghost-wife." The man became angry, took the moccasins, put them on, and returned to his ghost-wife's lodge. When he entered and was seated she said: "I know all that happened in the other lodge where your wife is. She threw away my moccasins and called me a ghost-wife. Now you see what I told you has all come true." The man became angry, spoke harsh words to his wife, and pushed her to one side. She said: "You must not do this; you must not strike at me. You know what I told you." But the man was angry and he struck at her. She said: "Do not strike at me any more, for you know what I told you. For one thing I am glad, and that is I have a child. If I had remained in the Spirit Land I should never have been allowed to have a child. The child is mine. You do not love my child. You let that woman throw away the moccasins which I put upon your feet." The man became angry again and struck the woman on the face. The woman said: "Do not strike at me any more." The man was angry and struck at her. She said: "I love my child. When I am gone I shall take my child with me." As the man lifted his hand to strike her again she disappeared and where she was sitting a whirlwind formed, and the whirlwind arose and went straight up in the lodge and whirled around and went out of the opening at the top of the lodge. The man felt sorry for what he had done. The people scolded the man and he said nothing. He sat down near the fireplace and bowed his head. Towards evening he arose and went up on the high hill and there he stood near the grave crying, begging his wife to return to him. He cried and cried, and he stayed there upon the hill that night. The people took the child and put it to bed. In the morning they found the child dead. The people took the child up on the hill, opened its mother's grave, and placed the child there. Then the man cried all the more. For four days and four nights he stood there. The woman appeared to him again and said: "Always remember that when we die we live again. My people took pity upon you and I came to you. You struck at me several times. I am gone away from you. From this time on no more dead people shall come to our people, for you did wrong in striking me. Arise, walk down into the village and stay there. 134 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. Do not stay around the grave here, for you shall never see me, and I am not coming back to you." Then the woman turned into a whirlwind again and disappeared. The man was broken-hearted. He stayed around the grave, and although the other wife came up he waved her to one side and would not listen to her. The man remained around the grave and would not eat anything, and so he starved to death. The people did not bury him beside the woman. They took him and buried him in another place. The woman went back to the Spirit Land with the child after the man died. 35. HOW THE WORLD IS TO COME TO AN END.1 Many years ago, when I was a little boy, I used to watch the old men sitting in the tipis, and sometimes in the lodges, rattling the gourds and singing. Several times I asked my father what the old men were singing about. My father would say: "Those old men are singing about Tirawa. When you grow up you will learn more about the songs of these old men." I was anxious to know more about the sacred bundle and the singing of the old men. When night came and I lay down with my grandmother, I said: "Grandmother, why do the old men sit in the lodges, rattle the gourds, and sing?" My grandmother then told me the following story: My grandchild, many years ago, before we lived upon this earth, Tirawa placed wonderful human beings upon the earth. We knew of them as the wonderful beings or the large people. These people lived where the Swimming Mound is in Kansas. The bones of these large people were found upon the sides of the hill of the Swimming Mound. The old people told us that at this place the rain poured down from the heavens, and the water came from the northwest upon the earth so that it became deep and killed these wonderful beings. When these people were killed by the flood, Tirawa placed an old buffalo bull in the north west, where the water had come in from the big water so that it overflowed the land. The buffalo bull was put at this place to hold the water back, so that it would not overflow the land any more. This buffalo was to remain at this place for many years. Each year this buffalo was to drop one hair. When all the hairs of the buffalo had come off then the people would not live upon the earth any more. There were four things which Tirawa said he would do to kill the people, but he had promised that he would never send the flood upon 1 Told by Young-Bull, at present the leading medicine-man among the Pita- hauirat and the owner of the Buffalo ceremony. The tale is interesting because it explains the Pawnee belief regarding the manner of the end of the world, at which time the south star, or god of death, reigns supreme. HOW THE WORLD IS TO COME TO AN END. 13$ the land any more. Tirawa said there were other ways of destroying the people on the earth. There were several ways of sending storms so that they would kill the people. There was one thing that Tirawa was not sure of doing, and that was sending fire from the sky to burn up the people. The gods in the heavens who were placed by Tirawa would have to sit in council and select a day when all things would end, and decide in what way all things should cease to be. We are told by the old people that the Morning-Star ruled over all the minor gods in the heavens; that the Morning-Star and the Evening-Star gave life to people on this earth. The Sun and the Moon also helped to give life to the people. The old people told us that the Morning-Star said that when the time came for the world to end the Moon would turn red; that if the Moon should turn black it would be a sign that some great chief was to die; that when the Moon should turn red the people would then know that the world was coming to an end. The Sun was also to shine bright and all at once that brightness would die out and the end would come. The Morning-Star also said that the signs would be made; that as they gave life to the people they could also hold life back, for they had not the say as to when the world should end. The Morning-Star said further that in the beginning of all things they placed the North Star in the north, so that it should not move; it was to watch over the other stars and over the people. The North Star is the one which is to end all things. The Morning-Star told the people that the North Star stood in the north and to its left was a pathway which led from north to south; that when a person died they were taken by the North Star and they were placed upon the pathway which led to the Star of Death—the land of the spirits—the South Star. The Morning-Star also said that in the beginning of all things they gave power to the South Star for it to move up close, once in a while, to look at the North Star to see if it were still standing in the north. If it were still standing there it was to move back to its place. The Morning-Star spoke to the people and said that in the first great coun cils when it was decided where each god should stand in the heavens, two of the people became sick. One was an old person and one a young per son. They were placed upon stretchers, were carried by certain stars, and these two stretchers are tied on to the North Star. These two stretch ers go around the North Star all the time.1 The North Star continued to tell the people that whenever the South Star came up from the south it would come up higher; that when the time approached for the world to •Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. 136 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. end the South Star would come higher, until at last it would capture the people who were carrying the two people upon the stretchers; as soon as the South Star captured these two people upon the stretchers they were to die. The North Star would then disappear and move away and the South Star would take possession of the earth and of the people. The old people knew also that when the world was to come to an end there were to be many signs. Among the stars would be many signs. Meteors would fly through the sky. The Moon would change its color once in a while. The Sun would also show different colors, but the sign which was to be nearest to the people was that the rivers and the creeks were to rise. The animals, such as otter, beaver, and others, were to drift down the streams. While they were drifting down these animals were to cry out and their cry was to be like that of people. When the people would go swimming in these streams of water, clam shells were to cry out to them, and when the people should try to get away from the clam shells some of them would get on their clothing, and when they would see the clam shells they would be in the shape of birds. They would be, however, clam shells and would cry out like babies. My grandchild, some of the signs have come to pass. The stars have fallen among the people, but the Morning-Star is still good to us, for we continue to live. The Moon has turned black several times, but we know that the Morning-Star said that whenever the Moon turned black it would be a sign that some great chief or warrior was to die. My grandchild, we are told by the old people that the Morning-Star and the Evening-Star placed people upon this earth. The North Star and the South Star will end all things. All commands were given in the west and these commands were carried out in the east. The command for the ending of all things will be given by the North Star, and the South Star will carry out the commands. Our people were made by the stars. When the time comes for all things to end our people will turn into small stars and will fly to the South Star, where they belong. When the time comes for the ending of the world the stars will again fall to the earth. They will mix among the people, for it will be a message to the people to get ready to be turned into stars. My grandchild, I remember one time when a man sat down and invited other warriors to go upon the war-path. As he took the things from the sacred bundle which he was to wear, he first filled the sacred pipe and offered the smoke to the different gods in the heavens and to Tirawa. Then he blew a few whiffs to the things which he was to wear. Then he was told by one of the priests that he must put on the things and go out of the lodge, so that the stars in the heavens would look down on him and HOW THE WORLD IS TO COME TO AN END. 137 that Mother-Corn would look down on him and give him power. The man was helped up by two other warriors. They walked out of the lodge with the man and there he stood with the pipe in his left hand. The otter-skin collar was upon his breast and the ear of corn was upon his left shoulder; the hawk skin on his right shoulder. The downy feathers were placed upon his head. As he stood outside of the lodge he looked around through the heavens and said,"Brothers, where is Mother-Corn?" The other two said: "The Moon has turned black. It was bright moonlight a little while ago and now it is dark." Then the three men went back into the lodge. When they entered, the two other warriors said to the priest, "The Moon has turned black." Other warriors went out to see the Moon and sure enough the Moon had turned black. The priest then said: "Leader, take the things off which you have upon you. Mother-Moon has disappeared in the heavens and it is a warning to you to stay at home. We know that the old people used to say that when ever the Moon disappeared and it was dark some big chief or some great warrior was going to die." But the warrior said: "No; I am dressed in a warrior's costume. Mother-Corn's path into the country of the enemy is plain. I will follow that path. The gods will look down and see me carrying the Mother-Corn and the hawk. They will help me to overcome the enemy." Some of the young warriors backed out and remained at home. Several of the great warriors and chiefs joined the war party. They went out and in a few days they met the enemy, who were on their way to attack the village. They were surrounded and only one man got away. He came home and told us that all of the rest of the warriors and chiefs were killed. This was one of the signs that the old people spoke of, and although they saw the sign plainly the men went out any way and nearly all were killed. Now, my grandchild, go to sleep and think no more of what I have told you, for you are young yet and must not think about these things. 36. THE TALKING MEMBRUM VIRILE.1 When the Indians were upon the plains hunting buffalo, one young man was selected as a scout to look for buffalo. He went away off from the others, and as he climbed up a high hill he saw many buffalo in the valley. Then the man began to talk to himself about seeing the buffalo. He wanted to urinate. When he was through he held up his membrum and said, "Do you see them?" The man would hit his mem- "Told by Thief, Kitkehahki. The interest in the tale is due to its moral teaching, which has added emphasis in the fact that the man who thus suffered misfortune was sent out from the priests' lodge to look for buffalo which were to be offered during the ceremony. 138 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. brum on the side and would again say, "Do you see them?" He kept on hitting it on one side and then on the other. After awhilehismembrum began to speak and it said: "I see them. I see them. I see them." The man said: "Well, that is enough. Do not say that any more." But it kept on saying: "I see them. I see them." The man saw that it would not stop speaking and he became scared. He went along to where he saw the people making their village. As he went down it kept saying: "I see them. I see them." He went into his lodge and sat down and it kept saying: "I see them. I see them." The people wondered what it was. After a while the man told them that when he was upon the hill looking for the buffalo he had asked his membrum to say that it saw the buffalo; that it had spoken and that it was speaking all the time. They tried in every way to make it stop speaking. After a while it said: "My mother-in-law must come and touch me and then I will stop." His mother-in-law went up to it,touched it, and said: "Please stop speaking," and it stopped. The next day the man was mad and ashamed and he left the village and went off and was never heard of again. 37. THE HERMAPHRODITE.1 There was a village and in this village lived a fine-looking young man. The young man never cared anything for women; but one night a young girl came to his bed and they lay together. After they had lain together for a while, the young man sent the girl away. He then went to a fine spring that was gushing forth from the side of a hill, and took a bath. Then he went home and lay down. That night in a dream he saw Spider- Woman sitting with her legs spread out, and a spring of water was com ing out from between her legs. Spider-Woman told the boy in his dream that as he had come and washed after having connection with the woman, from that time on he should be like a woman. The boy woke up; he could not sleep any more. The next day the dream worried him, and for several days he felt as though he were sick, and he had a medicine man come and wait on him. The medicine-man could not tell what was the matter. One time they sent for one of the medicine-men who, on examining him, told him that he was turning into a woman. The med icine-man told the relatives of the young man that he was turning into a woman, and that Spider-Woman was the cause of it; that the only way •White-Sun, Kitkehahki. The common belief in the fact that springs take their origin from spider-women is emphasized in this tale. The teaching of the •tory is the warning given to young men not to bathe in springs after sexual inter course—that is, while unclean. Not only must this be done for the good of the tribe, but also because the spider-woman, representing one of the supernatural earthly beings, must be treated with a certain amount of respect. THE HERMAPHRODITE. he could cure the young man was by having the relatives of the boy go to the creeks, springs, or any streams of water, and get the green moss from the bottom of the streams and bring it to him. The people went to the streams of water, but there was not any moss to be found. The medicine man said: "Spider-Woman knows that I can cure the young man if I can get this moss; she has caused all this moss to disappear, so I can not cure him." When the boy heard that the medicine-men could not do anything for him, he was so ashamed that he committed suicide, rather than be half woman and half man. 38. THE SCALPED MEN.1 A long time ago some men went from their village on the war-path. The leader of the war party carried the sacred bundle upon his back. He carried the sacred bundle upon his back all the time and never offered any smoke to the gods in the heavens. Some of the warriors complained; they thought that they should offer some smoke to the gods on the way. When they came near to a village the leader took the bun dle and placed it before him. He called the warriors and told them to be seated close to him. Instead of opening the bundle and offering smoke to the gods, he told the warriors that he had come to attack the village and to kill some of the enemy. When he said this all the other men agreed to attack the village. The leader got up, put the bundle upon his back, and led the warriors to the village. The scouts who had been out returned and reported that the village was a small one, but when the warriors attacked the village they found that instead of a few tipis there were many others in the valley. They were soon surrounded and all scalped but not killed. When the enemy left them upon the battle field they all jumped up and gathered together. The leader was there with his bundle and they found that all of the warriors instead of being killed were only scalped. The leader then spoke to them and said: "There is not one of you who would want to go back to your people. Let us now go into a strange country and live there always." They all agreed to live away among the hills and there make their homes. For many years the people looked for them to come home, but they never came. One day a man went hunting and as he climbed a high hill he heard people singing. He looked down in the valley where there •Told by Bright-Eyes, a Skidiwoman, who,at the time of her death recently, was the keeper of the Big-Black-Meteoric-Star bundle. The story is interesting on account of its expression of the belief, widespread among the Pawnee, that men scalped in warfare were not killed, but wandered off through the country, leading an independent existence, and as such were reckoned among the supernatural beings. Their home was supposed to be in the south, and occasionally, as noted in this and other tales, they conferred their magic power on some favored individual. I4O TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. was a grove of trees, and there the warriors were dancing around in a circle. They were singing this song: "Scabs from the sore head drop." Whenever one scab fell off they all yelled, "There is the scab upon the ground." They sang this again and again. The man went down and saw that the warriors who were dancing were the same ones who had gone away upon the war-path and had not returned; that now they were scalped men. The man shot over them, so that they ran through the tim ber. He lost sight of them, but he knew they were living. He followed them up and at last he came to a big cave where their home was. The man was now afraid and did not go into the cave, but returned to his home and told the people that he had seen the men who had gone upon the war-path. He said that they were now scalped men and would never return. II. TALES OF READY-TO-QIVE. The tales presented in this group are known by the Pawnee as Ready- to-Give tales. They correspond to the group of tales in "The Tradi tions of the Skidi" known as hero tales. These stories, like those in the preceding group, are, as a rule, told during intermissions in ceremonies, and while some of them are considered as true and relating to events which actually happened, others are clearly recognized as of a fictitious nature. But in all the tales the hero, usually a poor boy, overcomes the enemy or dangers and thus benefits the tribe, or he brings the buffalo to the famishing village, or performs some act which is of general tribal benefit. Thus the hope is expressed that by the relating of the tales the corresponding amount of bravery and fortitude will be shown, but espe cially that some similar element of good fortune may result. The tales are known as Ready-to-Give, because Kawaharu, the god of the north, as explained in another place, is the especial patron of the hunter, and to him for success the hunters always appeal. Often these stories are told under certain circumstances while on the march toward the hunting grounds, at which time a grass-lodge is erected for the priests, and the girls of the village are encouraged to prepare a feast, when the priests sing and open one of the bundles. At such a time it is appropriate that tales such as these should be told. Thus in general it may be said that these tales as a group encourage heroic thoughts on the part of young men, because good fortune is desired to befall the tribe, and that through the relating of the tales respect is shown to the gods of the heavens and of the earth. These tales fall into three natural divisions: Those numbered from thirty-nine to fifty are boy hero tales proper, and especially are explana* tory of rites or ceremonies, and they are supposed to foretell or relate to things which are to happen. Those in the second group, numbered fifty- one to sixty-six, have to do with the calling of the buffalo. They are especially related during ceremonies by the priests, with the direct idea of bringing the buffalo nearer to the camp, because it was believed that the buffalo liked to be shown respect and often would voluntarily offer themselves to be killed in order that they might be offered to the gods. The tales of the third group, numbered sixty-seven to seventy-six, relate to the minor gods or wonderful beings, especially the witch-women and the spider-women. These had power over certain games. The upshot of ' the stories of this division as a whole is, that the witch-woman is trans ported to the moon, and the spider-women take up their abode in the sides of hills and become springs. 141 142 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. 39. HANDSOME-BOY AND AFTER-BIRTH BOY.1 A long time ago the Indians had their village upon the Wide River. There was one poor boy among the people, but somehow this poor boy was liked by the chief's daughter. One day the girl was out with her ponies. On her way to the village she saw the poor boy going to the creek. She rode fast, caught up with him, and called to him. The boy did not want to talk to the girl, for he knew that if he were caught with her he would be either whipped or killed by the relatives of the girl. But the girl spoke to the boy and said: "I want you to come to my lodge to-night and sit in the entrance. I will be there to meet you." The boy said: "No; I will not go there. Your father might kill me if I were caught in his lodge." They separated. That night the girl left her bed and went to the lodge where the poor boy stayed. The poor boy always had his bed upon the ground. The girl went to the boy's bed and they lay together. The girl begged the boy to sit up, for she wanted to talk to him, but the boy would not do it. After a while the girl said: "I know you think that you can not marry me, but there is a way for us to be married. I can take my meat bag and fill it with dried meat and fat. We can then go away to some far-away country and there we can live together." The boy became interested in the girl's talk. Then the boy said: "I have no bow and arrows with which to kill game." The girl said: "I will get my brother's quiver and bow and arrows." The girl then told the boy that she would see him out on the prairie the next day; that she would go for her father's ponies again, and there they would make arrangements to run away. The girl then left the boy's bed and went to her home. The next day the girl watched over the village for the poor boy, but she could not see him. But while the girl was looking for the boy he was sitting on top of the lodge watching for the girl to go for her ponies. Some time in the afternoon the boy saw the girl go out from the village. The boy saw the girl catch one pony and ride it with the others to the water. After she had taken the ponies back to where she got them, in stead of leaving them there she drove them over several hills. Then the boy went down from his lodge and went over the hills. He met her and they agreed to run away that night. The girl promised to be at a certain place in the village and the boy was to meet her ther •. They went home. •Told by Woman-Newly-Made-Chief, Skidi. daughter of Scabby-Bull, a famous medicine-man. This is an interesting variant of the widespread tale generally known as After-Birth-Boy, the after-birth in this case not being thrown into the river but placed at the foot of an elm tree. Cf. Nos. 40 and 41. HANDSOME-BOY AND AFTER-BIRTH BOY. 143 As soon as it was dark the girl went to the place where she had prom ised to be and after a while the boy met her there. Then they traveled towards the south until they came to a big, wide stream of water heavily timbered on both sides. There they built a little grass-house. The boy would go out every day and kill game, so that they had plenty of meat. They were all alone, for the people were now far away. The young boy had wonderful ways about him. When he came upon some wild animals or strange beings he got away from them and went back to where his wife was. For some time they lived together in the grass-lodge. At last the man told his wife that he thought it was time for them to build a small earth-lodge, so that he could make a strong entrance and fix it so as to cover the doorway at night and to prevent wild animals coming in. They began to build a small earth-lodge. At last the lodge was completed. The man went hunting one day. He found a big buffalo bull and killed it. He took off the hide and took it home with him. The hide was stretched upon the ground and when it was dry it was very hard. This was then used to close up the entrance at night. For many years these people lived together here, and after a while the woman began to show signs of pregnancy. The man stayed close to the lodge and hunted. He did not go very far, for he wanted to be near to his wife. One day the woman told the man that she would like to have some milk bags to roast on hot coals. She told him to try to kill a buffalo with a fresh bag. The boy went out and he could not find any buffalo near. He went far away over the hills and at last he found a herd of buf falo. He killed one of the cows, took the bag and some of the meat, and carried it to his home. When he entered the lodge he found that his wife was confined and was about to give birth. He threw the meat down upon the ground and ran into the lodge. He waited on his wife and after a while she gave birth to the child and it was a boy. Then the man took the after-birth, carried it out from the lodge, went into the timber, and came to a big elm tree. He dug in the dirt under the side of the tree and placed the after-birth there, and then went home. Every morning after the man and the woman had eaten they would place some meat upon sticks which were placed near the fireplace so that the meat would be roasting. The child grew up. The man was very proud of it. The child began to crawl around. After a while it began to stand tip and to walk. The child now had teeth and could eat meat. After a while the child got so that it played around inside of the lodge, and after a while it went out of the lodge and played. One day the man placed some meat around the fireplace upon the sticks. Then he went 144 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. away on a hunt. He told his wife that he would be away for some time. The woman and the child were left in the lodge by themselves. About noon the child came into the lodge and went to sleep on his mother's lap. She took the child, went to the bed, and placed it there. She covered the child with a robe. The child could not be seen if any one entered the lodge. While the woman was sitting by the fireplace she heard strange voices outside of the lodge. She did not say anything, neither did she run, for she knew if they were enemies they would find her anyway and would kill her. If they were friends they would not kill her. When she heard the voices near by, talking in her language, she turned around and looked at the entrance. After a while she saw a person come inside, then another and another, and after a while they all stood at the entrance. These strange people were very queer-looking. They had sharp elbows. On all their joints were long spines sticking out. At their heels also there were long spines. They had big eyes, and when they turned around the woman noticed that they also had another eye in the back part of their heads, so that these people really had three eyes—two eyes in front and one behind. Then they said: "The husband is gone. We can go in here and find something to eat. If she keeps quiet and does not call us bad names we will spare her. If she makes any fuss, or calls us names, we will kill her and take her to our home and cook her." They came in, found the meat around the fireplace, and they began to eat of it. While they were eating they would say, "Watch the woman, and if she calls us bad names we will kill her." They ate all the meat and then went away. The woman was watching them as they went away and she thought that all had gone out, but there was one that had not yet left, when she lifted up her hand and pointed at them and said: "The dirty, ugly-looking things, they have eaten up all my meat." As soon as she spoke the one behind saw her with his rear eye. He called the others and said: "The woman is calling us bad names and shaking her hand at us." Then they all rushed in, pierced her with their sharp elbows and heels, and carried her away to their place. These strange beings did not see the little fellow upon the bed or they would have killed him, too. After the boy's mother was killed and carried away, the boy woke up, got down from the bed, and went to the fireplace. He began to eat of the bones which the people had left. About this time the father came in for some meat. He saw that the mother was missing; that there was blood upon the ground where she had been sitting, and he knew then that some bad people had come and killed her. HANDSOME-BOY AND AFTER-BIRTH BOY. 145 He followed the trail of the people and for many miles he followed their tracks until at last the tracks led into a thick timber. In the. tim ber was a grass-lodge, and near it the leaves were all red. When the man was near to the grass-lodge he heard some one say: "Look into the pot, and see if the meat is done. It is nearly time for us to eat," The man then knew that his wife had been killed by these people and they were going to eat her He had to slip away from the place or the strange beings would get him also and kill him. He went to his lodge, cooked some meat for the child, and then he placed the child upon his back and carried it around through the woods. For several days he stayed with the child. When their meat was about all used up the man thought to himself: "If I do not get some meat we shall starve. I must go and get some more meat." The man cooked some meat for the boy and told him that he was going on a hunt. That afternoon the man brought in some meat. After he had placed the meat in the lodge he went into the timber. There he found a hollow log. This he took into the lodge and split it open. He began to clean out part of the log. He placed at each end of it a lot of tallow. He brought water in skins and placed the water in the hollow log. Then the man told the child that whenever he became thirsty he must dtirjk out of the trough. The next morning the man filled the trough with water again. He placed some meat around the fire and told the child that when he got hungry to go to the meat and eat it and also to drink of the water. One day when the father had fixed the meat and placed the water in the trough for the boy he went away upon the hunt. The child was alone in the lodge. Suddenly the child heard somebody singing outside of the lodge. After the song some one would begin to cry. The boy in the lodge was afraid. After a while a child appeared in the entrance. The song which the child sang was something like this: "Handsome-Boy, your father loves you. He kills game for you and takes it to your lodge and you have plenty. Your father threw me away. My grandmother came and took me into their lodge. You eat meat all the time. I do not eat meat, but I eat things such as the ground beans, artichokes, grapes,and plums." When the boy came inside he said: "Handsome-Boy, let us play." Then Handsome-Boy tried to get the other boy to enter the lodge with him, but the boy would not go in. The strange boy also remained some distance from Handsome-Boy. They played together outside of the lodge and all at once the boy jumped up and said: "Your father is com ing, " and he ran away and disappeared in the timber. As the boy 146 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. jumped to run into the timber he said to Handsome-Boy, "Forget." Handsome-Boy would forget all about the strange boy and how he had played with him. He never spoke to his father about the strange boy. For several days the boy came and played with Handsome-Boy. Every day he would come closer to Handsome-Boy. One day they were play ing in the lodge when the boy jumped up and said: "Your father is com ing and I must go." The boy ran out of the lodge and the man saw him. This time the boy forgot to say to Handsome-Boy, "Forget." The man went into the lodge and when he saw that the meat and water were all gone, the father asked the boy how it was that every day the meat and water were all used up. Handsome-Boy told his father that a strange boy came to the lodge every day and before he appeared he sang and then cried. He said that in the singing the strange boy would say: Your father loves you, but he threw me away. He brings you much meat to eat. Grandmother gives me artichokes, grapes, and plums. Then the man said: "What does the boy say?" Handsome-Boy said: "When we play he says to me, 'Your father loves you. He took me and placed me at the roots of a big elm tree.' " The man knew that that was where he placed the after-birth; that there must have been a child in the after-birth. He said: "My son, we must try to catch this boy, so that the boy can play with you all the time. I must go far away to hunt." One day the man hid in the lodge, thinking that the boy would enter and he would be able to catch him. When the boy came, as soon as he reached the entrance he sniffed and said: "I smell your father. Your father is in the lodge." He then ran away into the timber. The man tried many ways to catch the boy, but he could not get him. The man took a strip of buckskin from the nose of the deer down to the tail. This he cut into small strings. The man gave the boy these buckskin strings and told him to tie them upon the boy's hair on top of his head. Each day the boy came in to play with Handsome-Boy. After they had played with the bow and arrows, eaten and drunk, then the strange boy would say, "Let me look into your hair and pick out the lice." Then Handsome-Boy would lie down and let the strange boy hunt the lice in his head. When the strange boy became tired, he told Handsome-Boy to look at his head. One day while Handsome-Boy was looking for lice in the boy's head, he took the buckskin strings which he had and tied a bunch of hair on top of his head. He tied it very tight. While he was doing this the boy tried to jump up several times to run away, but as soon as the hair was HANDSOME-BOY AND AFTER-BIRTH BOY. 147 tied fast Handsome-Boy said, "Come, father, come." Then the boy got hold of the mysterious boy and just as his father came the boy slipped away from him. He caught the buckskin strings, pulled them tight, and pulled out some hair from his head. The boy fell into the arms of the father. Handsome-Boy took the buckskin strings and the hair and placed them in the sacred bundle. After a while the strange boy was conquered. He said: "Father, I will stay with you. I am your son and Handsome-Boy is my brother." The boy stayed. For many years these three lived at this earth-lodge. Every day the man went hunting. The two boys were now big and made their bows and arrows themselves. They made a sinew ring and tied it at each end. This sinew they placed in the dirt and shot at it. They were now big. They wandered over the timber. The father knew it. He was afraid they might come upon some wild beasts or strange people who inhabited the country. One day when the father was ready to go out hunting, he said: " Now, my sons, you must not go to the river at a certain place, for at that place is a bull-boat. The bull-boat is stationed there. When a person enters it the boat starts across the river. When it gets into the middle of the stream where it is deep then the waves roll up and the bull-boat is upset and the person is thrown out into the water. As soon as the person gets into the water the bull-boat moves back to where it was upon the bank." The man went off on a hunt. After a while the strange boy said: "Handsome-Boy, you know what your father said about going to that boat. Let us now go. He said we could go." Handsome-Boy said: "No; we must not go, for there is danger there." The two boys began to quarrel. One wanted to go and the other did not. At last the strange boy said: "Handsome-Boy, you are a coward. Give me my hair so that I may return to my grand mother." Handsome-Boy said: "No, brother I will not give you the hair and I will not let you return to your grandmother. I would rather die than to have you leave me. I will go with you." The strange boy was happy. They ran to the river and when they reached the bank they saw the boat. As soon as he saw the boat he ran down and jumped into it. Then he yelled to his brother and said: "Come, Handsome-Boy, quick; this is fine." Handsome-Boy ran down and jumped into the boat. The boat then started across. When it reached the middle of the river it began to roll up and down, for the waves became very high. Then Handsome-Boy became scared and cried. The strange boy said: "Watch me, watch me. You must do whatever I do." When the boat was about to upset the strange boy stretched out his arms and began to 148 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. move as if he were flying. After a while the strange boy flew up, for he had turned into a goose. The other boy began to cry. The goose which was flying overhead said: "Do as I did, you coward. Move your arms. Fly up as I did." After a while Handsome-Boy also flew up and the bull-boat went down into the river, came up again, and went back to the bank. The boys flew over the dry land and turned into human beings again. Then the strange boy said: "Handsome-Boy you are a coward. When I tell you to do anything you must do it. If you do not do what I tell you, you will get lost and you will be killed." They went home and told their father that they had ridden in the boat. The father said: "Children, I am glad that you did not get killed. I am glad that you came back. You must be careful in your wanderings over this country. There is one place where I do not want you to go. It is near the river. There is a steep bank there and at the bottom of the bank is the place where people do not dare to go." The next morning after the man had gone away to hunt the strange boy said: "Handsome-Boy, you remember what our father said about going to that place. Let us now go." But Handsome-Boy said: "Father said not to go there." Then the strange boy said: "We must go." Handsome-Boy did not care to go. The strange boy said; "Give me back my hair. I must go back to my grandmother's." Then Hand some-Boy had to give up and go with the strange boy. They came to the steep bank and they looked down and there in the bottom were many snakes. Handsome-Boy began to cry, but the strange boy said: "Oh, stop crying. Those things are nothing and we shall kill some of them and take them home to our father." The strange boy then told Handsome- Boy to sit down. He put his hands upon his legs and upon his feet. Then he said: "Now stand up." When the boy stood up he felt that his legs and feet were very heavy, for the strange boy had covered his legs with flint stone. Then the strange boy began to stamp upon the ground. When he started to do this the soles of his feet were like the skin of a horned toad. His legs were covered with the shells of a turtle. They walked down to where the snakes were and they stepped upon the heads of the snakes. When the snakes tried to bite them their teeth could not go through them. They killed four of the largest snakes with rattles on. These they took up on the hill and skinned them, leaving the rattles upon the skins. Then the strange boy said: "Handsome- Boy, we will place two of these snakes at the bottom of the doorway, one in the middle and one on the top. When we play we will run against the doorway. Then these rattles will rattle and it will sound nice. Our HANDSOME-BOY AND AFTER-BIRTH BOY. 149 father, when he returns, will run against the door and the door will shake so that the rattles will make a noise and he will like it." They arrived at their lodge and placed the snakes upon the doorway. When the father came with meat he ran into the doorway and he heard the rattles sounding. He was scared. After he placed the meat upon the ground in the lodge he went and examined the entrance way and saw the snakes there. He was afraid. He said: "Boys, take these snakes away from the entrance. If you leave them on the doorway they will smell and rot." Handsome-Boy was willing to do this, but the other boy did not like to throw away what he had brought home for his father. After the snakes were thrown away they all went into the lodge and had something to eat. The man said to them: "My sons, I must say it, and I mean what I say, I do not want you to go to that high hill. The people who go there get killed by lightning. The animals who go there are struck by lightning. Now I ask you boys not to go there, because it is not an animal who kills the people, but it is the lightning in the heavens that does the killing." The next day after the father had gone away the children began to play with their bows and arrows. All at once the strange boy threw down his bow and arrows and said: "Handsome-Boy, let us go to where father told us to go." Handsome-Boy said: "No; he did not say for us to go; he told us not to go there." The strange boy kept on. After a while the boy consented and they went. The hill was not a large one, but it was very high. When they reached the foot of the hill the clouds began to fly over the hill and they could see the clouds fall upon the hill. All at once the boys heard thunder, and then they saw lightning. Handsome- Boy was crying and telling the strange boy that they were lost. The strange boy said: "Stop crying. We must go there to the side of the hill where you see that high tree. That tree is hollow. There on the top of the tree is where the four wonderful beings live who send the lightning and who make the thunder." When they got to the tree the thunder began to sound and then lightning seemed to strike the tree, and the smoke caused by the lightning would come out at the bottom of the tree. The strange boy climbed the tree and got on the top. Then he reached down and he pulled out a human being. The human being was painted red. It was covered with a buffalo robe and a black lariat rope was tied around its waist. The boy held the human being by the arm and said: "So you are the wonderful being, are you, and what is your name?" The wonderful being said: "My name is Thunder." Then he said: "Now, Handsome-Boy, be ready to catch him." He then threw him down. Then the strange boy reached down again into the hollow log 150 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. and he pulled out another. He held him up and said: "And what is your name ?" This man was also a human being. He wore the robe and the red paint, but upon his forehead was painted the picture of lightning. He said: "My name is Lightning." Then he pulled out another. He also was painted. "What is your name?" the boy said. He said: "My name is Loud-Thunder." Then he dropped him in front of his brother. Then he reached in again. This time he pulled out another human being. He held him up and said: "What is your name?" This being said: "My name is Wonderful-Lightning." "So your name is Wonderful- Lightning ? I have taken your lightning from you. You shall go to my home with me and you shall work there for my father." He dropped him down in front of Handsome-Boy and then the strange boy came down. When he got down he spoke roughly to the four beings. He took two of them by the arm and said: "Here, Handsome-Boy, you take these two and I will take the other two." Then they went to their earth- lodge and placed the four beings near the lodge. After a while the father came. The boys ran to him and said: "Father, we have brought Lightnings and Thunders, four in number, and they shall work for you." The father said: "Children, you have done wrong. They are from the heavens. They are not to be molested. You must take them back to the place where you got them." Then the strange boy said: "No; Tirawa did not intend that these things should be upon a tree always, where they could kill whoever came near them." Then the boy took one of the beings and said: '' Now you must fly in the west. You must be in the west always and you shall be the one who shall thunder first early in the spring." Then he took one of the Lightnings and he said: "Go with the Thunder, and when the thunders first sound you must also lighten around the circle of the heavens." Then he took the other Thunder and said: "You must stand in the south, and you, Wonderful-Lightning, must go with this one. There will be times when you travel over the earth. The thunders will sound loud and the lightnings will be thick. Sometimes you will kill people." These beings were glad and they promised to do as the boy had said. They disappeared and were never to remain upon the earth any more. Now these boys had scattered the thunders and lightnings. The father of the two boys was now becoming afraid of them. One day the father sat down with the two boys and he began to talk to them. He told them of the many wonderful places where he had told them not to go, but they had gone anyway and had destroyed those places. At last they had destroyed the gods and he thought that was too much. The man said: "There is but one more place where I do HANDSOME-BOY AND AFTER-BIRTH BOY. I $ I not want you to go. When I tell you not to go to a place, you go any way. I will ask you to go to that place to-morrow." The next day the man cooked much meat and he told the boys that he would be away for some time and for them not to worry about him. Before he started he said, "Now, boys, go to that place, for there the people dwell who killed your mother." The boys heard what their father said. Then they went away to play. The father went off, but he intended to run away. He watched the boys. The boys never went to the place. Then he said to himself: "I told the boys to go, but they are not going. I do not understand them." Then the man tried to run away, but he found that the strange boy knew that he was trying to run away, so he gave it up. In the evening he returned to the lodge and here he found the boys. The next morning the man said: "Boys, I am going hunting. You must not go to that place." Then he went away on a hunt. The boys took their bow and arrows and went away and played upon the ground. After a while the strange boy threw the bow and arrows upon the ground and said: "Handsome-Boy, you remember what our father said about going to that place. Let us now go and see what kind of people they are. Our father said they were the people who had killed our mother." Handsome-Boy would not go. He said that his father had said that they should not go there, for the people who were there were ugly and dangerous. But the strange boy said: "Let us go." Finally the boy gave in and they went. They started out on the run to the place. They kept running toward the timber. Once in a while Hand some-Boy tried to stop, but the strange boy was so glad to go to the place that he kept coaxing the boy on. After a while they got into the timber. They walked through the timber for some time. Soon they came to a place where the trees seemed dead. The leaves were yellow. They walked on until they came to an opening and there they saw a grass-lodge. They stood still, and one of the sharp-elbow people said: "Our grandchildren are here. They have come to visit us. Place the kettle upon the fire and put some water in it, so that we may boil some meat for them to eat." Handsome-Boy began to cry. The strange boy whispered to him and said: "Stop crying. If you cry these people will kill us. If you keep still they will not kill us." Then the people in the grass-house began to get ready to bring the boys in. The strange boy then told Handsome-Boy that when they were taken into the grass-lodge they were to be given seats on the north side of the fireplace. The sharp-elbow people were all to be sit ting around watching them. The strange boy said: "When they get ready to kill us, then I will touch you. As soon as I touch you, you I S3 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. must reach for the kettle, place your right foot upon the rim, and do not be afraid of getting burnt. Then jump up. I will do the same. Then we will disappear and the sharp-elbow people will do the rest of the work necessary for killing themselves." One of the sharp-elbow men came out and invited the boys in. The kettle was swung over the fire. The boys were given seats on the north side of the lodge. The sharp-elbow people began to question the boys as to where they lived and where their people were. The strange boy answered them. One of the sharp-elbow people said: "The water is boiling over the kettle. Be ready now to get the meat to put into the kettle." All the while the sharp-elbow people were touching one another to indicate that they were to jump upon the boys, kill them, cut them up, and put them into the kettle. When they were ready to jump on to the boys the strange boy knew it. He touched his brother and they both arose and said: "Grandfathers, we will now go home." The two boys stood up and placed their feet upon the rim of the kettle, and the sharp- elbow people ran to them, but the boys disappeared. The sharp-elbow people began to stick the sharp points of themselves into one another. The kettle overflowed with the hot water, so that when the sharp-elbow people fell down they were scalded. While they were striking the sharp points into one another, the two boys were standing outside laughing at them, for the sharp-elbow people became angry with one another and they fought and scattered the hot coals so that the grass-house was burned up. The boys could see them from where they stood. The strange boy then went to where the sharp-elbow people lay and he took the leader by the arm and told him to stand up. The sharp-elbow leader stood up. He touched him again and said: "You are now dead as a human being. You shall again take life and become a locust tree." Then he took the other people and placed them in different places in the timber as locust trees. Then he told them that people, when they saw the trees, would remember that they were once people with sharp elbows and had sharp spines all over their bodies. The boy also cut off four thorns before he turned them into trees, and he took them home and told his father that he had brought four awls for him. The man thanked the boys and gave them something to eat. In the night the man could not go to sleep, for he was thinking of the wonderful powers which the strange boy possessed. He would say: "I am wonderful myself, but this boy beats anything I have ever seen. He has killed all bad animals throughout the country. Even the light nings and thunders he has killed. These strange sharp-elbow people he has killed and they were the last to be killed. There are no other bad HANDSOME-BOY AND AFTER-BIRTH BOY. 153 people. The next thing the boys will do will be to try to kill me. I had better run away." He had tried to run away when the boys started to go to the grass-lodge of the sharp-elbow people, but somehow the man found out that the power of the boy was watching him. He knew also that the boy knew that he was about to run away. Then the man came back to the lodge. One day the father went hunting. He stayed for several days. When he returned he had a deer upon his back. He went back into the timber and brought another deer. He brought several deer and buffalo. Then the man began to jerk the meat and cook it. After all the meat was cooked he took some skin bags, brought up water and placed it in the trough. At this time the boys were away in the timber, so that for several days they did not come to the lodge. The man thought to him self, "This is a good time for me to go," so he went away. The strange boy said: "Handsome-Boy, our father has run away. He is afraid of us." Handsome-Boy, however, would not believe this. They went back to their lodge. When they entered the lodge the strange boy said: "Handsome-Boy, do you know how we got away from those sharp-elbow people?" Handsome-Boy said "No." Then the strange boy said: "When both of us stepped upon the rim of the kettle I said that we should turn into charred leaves, and as such we flew up and out of the opening. When the leaves were outside they came down upon the ground. When they struck the ground we were boys again. That is the manner in which we got away from the sharp-elbow people. Now let us find our father." Handsome-Boy said: "No; our father will come back." The strange boy said: "No; he is gone." Then the strange boy said: "Handsome-Boy, let us go to my home." They went home and when they arrived at the elm tree the two boys disappeared and there they were in a lodge under the ground. The lodge was really a wood rat's nest. There Handsome-Boy found the bow and arrows and other things which the strange boy had taken away from h m. The strange boy said: "Handsome Boy, this is where I received my powers. The wood rats are my grandmothers. They fed me with pecans, grapes, plums, and ground beans. I was never hungry. Here where we sit dwelt all the animal gods. Among them was one strange being who seemed to have lightnings in his hands, lightnings in his eyes, and lightnings in his mouth." He said: "This Lightning man spoke to me and said that there were some human beings who pretended to be lightnings from the sky; that they had killed many people; that it was time that they were taken away from this earth and power would be given them to stand in the heavens as thunder and lightning." 154 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. The strange boy again said: "Handsome-Boy, this is why I was not afraid of the thunder and the lightning which I captured in the hollow log on the side of that high mound." After they had been there for some time a woman came to the lodge with a black robe upon her shoulders and a black skirt. She gave the boys some ground beans and then she went away. The boys ate of the beans and then they left the place. The boys went through the timber hunting for their father. Every animal they met the boy asked if it had seen their father. The ani mal would say "No." The boy would look at it and would tell the animal that if it was lying to him he would kill it. The animal would say: "I have not seen your father. He did not go this way." The insects which the boys met were also asked if they had seen their father. The insects would say "No." When they met the bugs the boy would ask them if they had seen their father and the bugs would say "No." They went all over the country, but they could not find their father. They finally went back into the lodge. A little Mouse came out from the side of the lodge. The boy asked the Mouse if it had seen their father and where he was. The Mouse said: "Yes; I know." The Mouse went from the fireplace to the wood mortar standing near the entrance. The boy went to the mortar. He picked it up from the ground and said: "Did you help my father to get away from us?" The mortar said: " Yes; I did." The boy threw the mortar away and said: "I shall not place you upon the fire so that you will burn up. The people will have use for you in the future. ' The two boys went to the hole where the mor tar stood. They went into it and there they found their father's trail. They came to the under-ground world. They could see plainly. They traveled on. After a while they came to a big village of people. They went through the village asking people if they had seen their father. The people said: "Yes; he passed through here." They traveled on and on until they came to another village of people. They went through the village asking for their father. Everyone they asked said that the father had passed on through the village. The two boys traveled on and after a while they came to another village. The strange boy said: "These people are very bad. We must kill them in the under-world. If our father is in this village they will not tell us. Now, Handsome-Boy, I want you to twist your head around." The two boys twisted their heads around and their heads rattled as if they were two gourds. Then the strange boy said: "Hand some-Boy, when we enter the village you must go through one way and I will go another. You must speak on the way and tell the people that if they look at you they will die; that if they do not look at you they will die anyway. If the people look at you they will die and if they do not HANDSOME-BOY AND AFTER-BIRTH BOY. 155 look at you they will die just the same." The two boys started to go through the village. The strange boy started from the west side and Handsome-Boy from the east side. As each one went along he saw the people dying. Each said as he passed through the village: "Look at me or you will die. If you look at me you will die." When they reached the center of the village all the people had been destroyed. Then they went on. They came to a stream of water and there they found the tracks of their father where he had tried to cover them up. The two boys crossed the stream of water and just as they were about to climb up the bank a strange being came out from under a rock and said: "Wonderful boy, I know you. You have great powers, but I am like you. I also have great powers. I will not let you pass here and kill these people as you have been doing. Your father passed through here, but you shall not pass." Then the boy looked at the strange being and said: "Very well; if you have power to kill me, go ahead." The strange being jumped at the boy and the strange being dropped away and began to beg of the strange boy not to kill him, and that it would let them pass through the under-world. This strange being was a Lizard. Then the strange being told the boys that their father had passed that way; that he tried to help the man, but as the boy had more power than he had he could not do anything. When the strange being jumped at the strange boy the strange boy had urned his legs into flint stone so that the strange being could not bite him. The boys traveled on and came to a village. When they entered the village they were more cautious, for they knew that their father was in the village. They went through the village, twisting their heads as they went and their heads rattled like gourds. They killed the people. After a while they came to their father. They had already killed him and so they stopped killing the other people. Then the two boys took their father and carried him away up on a high hill, then went into the timber. They secured four dry willows, four cottonwood, four box- elder, and four elm poles. They took these poles up on the high hill. First they placed the willows at the bottom; then they placed the cot tonwood crosswise over the willows; then they placed over these the box-elder; then they placed over these the elm. Then they set fire to it, and when it began to burn well they took their father and placed him on top of the burning timber, and as the smoke went up into the heavens the boys lifted themselves up in different directions towards the heavens. What they burned this man for no one knows, and where the two boys went no one knows. 156 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. 40. LONG-TOOTH BOY. (See Abstracts.) [Told by Thief, Kitkehahki. This is one of the many versions of the well- known Pawnee hero tale. It is not supposed to be a true story, but is told to the children that they may know that the animals have power to teach the people to do wonderful things. In the story is supposed to be an explanation of the tawnee custom of erecting upon the pole the scalp of an enemy taken in war.] 41. LONG-TOOTH BOY. (See Abstracts.) [Told by Leading-Sun, Kitkehahki. This is another and much more complete version of the preceding story, though by the Kitkehahki it is regarded as a dif ferent tale.] 42. BURNT-BELLY AND HIS DREAMS.1 A long time ago there was a village of Indians. In the village was a wonderful man and his sister. They lived away from the village, always making their camp on the east side. In the village was an orphan boy who was very poor and nearly naked. Having no robe, he would sit close to the fire in order to warm himself and his belly became scorched, and so he was called Burnt-Belly. Some man took pity on him and gave him half of a buffalo robe with which to cover himself. He never washed his face nor brushed his hair. The little boy would go through the vil lage, entering one lodge after another, carrying water and wood for the people. In this way he got something to eat. Every evening he went into the lodge of the wonderful man. As soon as the boy entered the lodge and sat down near the fireplace, the young man would say: "Here comes my brother-in-law. My sis ter, you must feed your husband." The girl would laugh and would feed the boy. After the boy had eaten the wonderful man would say: "Boy, I hear people say that you are a great warrior, that you wear a war bonnet, and that you are now a handsome man. The people tell that you are my brother-in-law." The wonderful man would talk in this way to the boy so much that he would leave. The wonderful man said these things to the poor boy, for he was making fun of him. One evening when the wonderful man was talking in this way to the boy, the boy went out from the lodge and went to the stream of water. He lay down upon the bank, went to sleep, and had a dream. He saw a fine-looking young man standing on the water. The young man wore fine buckskin leggings, fine moccasins, a fine shirt, a fine robe, and a quiver of otter skin with arrows and a bow. He had on his head a fine •Told by Little-Chief, Chaui. Teaches the wisdom of refraining from making fun of the poor boys, for they may become great warriors or even chiefs. BURNT-BELLY AND HIS DREAMS. 157 war bonnet. This man said to the boy: "My boy, I feel sorry for you. You are poor; the people make fun of you and call you all kinds of names. They even make fun of you and say that you are to become a warrior and a chief. You see how I am dressed and that I stand here on the water. Before very long you are to dress just as I am dressed. You shall become a great warrior and shall marry the sister of that won derful man. The wonderful man has dreams about the sun. In the dreams the sun told him to make a shield. Through this shield the young man thinks he is wonderful. In a few days a war party will start out and you must go to the lodge of this wonderful man and ask him for his shield. He will let you have the shield. You must follow the war party, and, although they shall try to send you home again, keep right on with them. I will protect you and will help you to overcome the enemy. When you have returned from this war party you must come down to this stream of water and I will speak to you again." The poor boy woke up, stood upon the bank, and prayed to the being he had seen in his dream that all might come true. He went back to the village and there he went from one lodge to the other trying to obtain something to eat. A few days after the dream he heard that a party of warriors were going on the war-path. He went into the lodge of the wonderful man, and as he sat down the wonderful man began to tell him that he was to become a great man and that he was to marry his sister; that he was to become his brother-in-law. The boy did not pay any attention to it, but said: "My brother, I wish you would lend me your shield. I want to join the war party which is going out." The wonderful man sat for a while and at last said: "I will lend you the shield. You shall go and join the war party." He took the shield and gave it to the poor boy. The poor boy followed the warriors, who had already started on the war path. When he caught up with them they scolded him and told him to return to the village, as he was too young to go with them. But some of the warriors who saw that he carried the shield of the wonderful man said: "Let him stay with us. If he gives out we will leave him. See, he has the shield of the wonderful man upon his back. It may be that he has wonderful power from the owner of the shield. It may be that the wonderful man has given him power to travel." They let the boy go with them. A few days afterwards they reached the camp of the enemy. The warriors attacked the village. The young man went into the village, killed a man, and took the scalp. He returned to where the other war riors were. The scalp he gave to the leader of the warriors. When the fighting was done, the warriors found out that the only man who had 158 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. killed an enemy was the boy and that he had also taken a scalp. They sat in council and said: "Let us not tell that the boy killed the enemy and took the scalp. Let us make the people think that some one else did this." When they reached their village the poor boy was not spoken of. He returned the shield to the owner. The women began to dance scalp dances and somehow it was learned that the poor boy alone had killed an enemy and taken the scalp. When the wonderful man heard the news in his lodge, he said: "They are making fun of my brother-in- law. The warriors did not say that the young man had taken a scalp." The boy continued to be a poor boy and went from one lodge to another. A few days after his return from the war party he went down to the bank of the stream and there lay down. He went to sleep and had a dream. He saw this man again on the stream. He spoke and said to the boy, "My son, stay here on the bank of the stream for three days." The boy remained three days and when night came he had another dream. The fourth night the man on the water told him that he must wade into the water and dive four times; that he must walk out from the water and stand upon the bank for a short time; that he was to go to the lodge of the wonderful man; there he would meet the sister of the won derful man with a bucket going to the stream; when the girl should return with the water, he was to ask her for a drink; then he was to go a short distance from the lodge and the girl herself was to follow him. The stream would say to him that he was the stream of water and the girl would be thinking of him. The next day he sat on the bank. In the night he did as he had been told. He went into the water and dived four times. When he came out he felt strong. When he felt him self he found that he wore leggings, moccasins, buffalo robe, shirt, and quiver. He also had the war bonnet upon his head. He stood for a while and then turned around and went to the lodge of the wonderful man. Before he reached the lodge he met the sister and she stopped to see who the young man was. On her return with the water the boy met her again and talked a while and took a drink. She entered the lodge with the water. She could not rest. She went out and followed the young man. When she reached his side she told him that she wanted him to go to her lodge. The young man went with her and they sat down together in the lodge. Her brother was away at this time. In the morning when they got up from the bed her brother saw them. He was well pleased to have a brother-in-law. The young man was fine-looking had fine clothing, and a fine quiver of otter skin, with bow and arrows Soon after this the enemy attacked the village. The boy fought with thein and drove away the enemy after killing several of them. After a BURNT-BELLY AND HIS DREAMS. 159 while the young man himself led out a war party. They attacked the village of the enemy, killed many, taking many scalps and bringing home many ponies. When he brought the ponies home he began to give them away. The people wondered who this man was. The people would say, "What has become of Burnt-Belly." The boy stood up and said to the people: "We went on the war-path, we attacked the village, we killed many people, took many scalps and many ponies. The people are well off through it. You are anxious to find out who was the leader of this war party. It is the boy whom you all despised; the boy whom you called Burnt-Belly. It was this boy who led the party." Then the people knew at once that it was the poor boy, and when the wonder ful man heard of the boy he said to himself: "All things that I have said to the boy have come true. It is wonderful. When he became my brother-in-law I would ask for Burnt-Belly." The people chose him for a chief and they knew him as a great warrior. 43. THE BOY WHO WORE A WOODPECKER CAP.1 There was a village upon the prairie with a stream of water running on the south side. On the west side were many little ponds and lakes. Upon one of the islands the people saw a strange being. This strange being was a little boy. He wore a woodpecker cap. Around the rim circle were many woodpeckers' heads. This little boy also had a quiver made of otter skin. The bow was of osage orange and it was black with age. The arrows were black and were feathered with the yellow feathers of a woodpecker. The leggings were made of antelope skin. Eagle feathers were tied upon the leggings, and here and there hung owls' heads. Every time he was seen upon the island in the night the people would hear the owls hoot about him. One day the boy saw a strange woman swim across to the island where he was. The people in the village had never attempted to swim across the lake to the island, for there were many strange animals in the water, and people were afraid to swim across the lake. The woman came to the island where the boy was. The woman said: "My grand child, it is now time for you to go among your people. I left you here upon the island so that the animals might take care of you and teach you their mysteries, and that some day you might be able to help your peo ple. I have brought you an arrow. Whenever you want to cross the lake take this arrow, shoot it over the lake, and when the arrow falls 1 Told by White-Horse, Pitahauirat. The practice of certain Pawnee medicine men of wearing a cap or head dress bearing a circular band of woodpecker scalps is explained by this story. The moral of the story for children is that they should take care of their fine clothing. l6o TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. upon the ground there you will stand. When you want to come back take the same arrow and shoot it over the lake and you will return to this island." The boy wore a buffalo robe which was not very large. Around the edge of the robe were many holes. The animals had given the boy many sweet-smelling weeds. These he tied upon the robe. The woman said again: "I came across this lake, for I am not a human being. I came over as a swan. I am not a woman. I am the Moon. I watch over the people and help them in getting food for themselves." As the night came the woman said: "Now do as I have told you about the arrow. Go across and come back. I am gone." The boy took the arrow in the night, shot it over the lake, and he was then across. He went into the village. The people ran out of their lodges and said: "Here goes the boy with the woodpecker cap. The owls are hooting about his legs." He entered one of the lodges. One man reached for his quiver, but as he reached for it he noticed that the black bow was not a bow at all, but was a black snake. Then he moved away and sat down. The Woodpecker-Boy motioned to a young woman to place his things upon a hook. She came and took the things and the snake permitted her. After he had taken off his things he sat down by the fire. One of the men then spoke and said: "Woodpecker-Boy, we are sorry, for we can not give you anything to eat. The people in the village are starving. We go out into the timber. We hunt for arti chokes, ground beans, and pecans which the animals have buried, but we find nothing. We go out to hunt game, but we find none." The boy said nothing. He got up, went to his things, took his cap, and put it upon his head. He put on his leggings and moccasins. Then he took the quiver and put it over his shoulder. As he went out the people could hear the owls hooting upon his legs. Woodpecker-Boy went off into the timber and was gone nearly all night. He came back in the morning. Now, while he was gone he went into the timber and there he scratched around where the animals had hidden their ground beans, their pecans, and their artichokes. He also made images of raccoons, deer, and turkey. After he had done this he went around the timber and gave four yells. After this he entered the village. Early in the morning the boy sat down and he told the man in whose lodge he was to send for the chief. The chief was sent for and he came. He sat down near the boy, and the boy said: "Chief, I am sorry for the people, but I can not do anything. I have been out to a place in the timber, and I have worked all night. Now, you go through the village and tell the people to go and surround the timber. Tell the women to take their hoes and bags and when they surround the timber and the chief gives the command they must run into the timber. Everybody THE BOY WHO WORE A WOODPECKER CAP. l6l must kill whatever comes in their way." The people went out to the place and they surrounded it. When the command was given them they rushed into the timber. Some women found nests of ground beans. While they were digging out these things their sisters came across rac coons. The men found plenty of deer jumping around through the timber. The people killed much game and dug many ground beans and artichokes. They brought the meat and everything home with them, and the people talked about Woodpecker-Boy. In the night the boy disappeared. The people asked about him. They wondered where he was. The chief wanted him, but the next day the boy was again seen upon the island. Several days afterwards the boy returned. Again he entered the lodge where he was before and he told the people that he was going out to the timber, and that he wanted them to be ready in order that they might surround more game. The boy went over into the timber at night and returned early the next morning. The people surrounded the timber and this time they found larger game. When the people brought their meat home they talked about Woodpecker-Boy and said that he was wonderful. While they were talking about him the chief thought that it would be best to invite the boy to his lodge. The chief sent his servant to invite Woodpecker-Boy to his lodge. When the servant asked for Woodpecker-Boy the people said that he had disap peared. The next day he was seen upon the island again. A few days afterwards the boy thought that the people were hungry and he crossed the lake again. For the third time he told the people to go into the timber. When they went they found buffalo. The men surrounded the buffalo and killed many of them. They carried the meat home and Woodpecker-Boy was again missing. The chief sent a crier through the village and asked the people if they had seen Woodpecker- Boy; the chief wanted him at his lodge, as he had decided that he should become his son-in-law. There were many men in the village who would have liked to be in the place of the boy. In the village was a strange-looking man. He was always painted red, with a small robe upon his shoulders. He had bears' claws about his neck. This person had been watching Woodpecker-Boy. He went down late in the evening to where the boy always came across from the island. There he began to dig a hole. This man was a Bear-Man. When the boy shot his arrow over the lake the arrow fell into the hole which the Bear-Man had dug. There the boy found himself in the hole. The Bear-Man came and said: "My son, hand up your clothes first. I will take you out of this hole. The chief is looking for you and I know by taking you out he will reward me." The boy took off his things and 162 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. handed them to the Bear-Man. The Bear-Man put the things on. The leggings he put on and the owls upon it would not hoot. Then he put the robe on, but when he put on the cap the woodpeckers commenced to peck his head. He did not mind their pecking at his head for some time. When he put the quiver on his back he noticed that the arrows and the bow were snakes, and the snakes did not like it because the Bear-Man had them. Bear-Man went through the village with the boy's clothing on. Every time he took a step he would hoot like an owl, for the owls had stopped hooting for him. He was seen through the village and the peo ple took word to the chief that Woodpecker-Boy was now in the village. The chief sent for him and when Woodpecker-Boy came he placed him in the lodge upon a cushion. He told his girls to sit with him. The youngest of the girls would not go. The two older ones went and sat by the supposed Woodpecker-Boy. Several days afterwards this supposed Woodpecker-Boy tried to make it appear that he could do the same things as the other boy had done. He would disappear in the night and return in the morning. He would tell the chief to surround the place, and when the people would surround it there would be no game and nothing could be found. About the fifth day the boy in the hole had begun to get hoarse from crying and yelling. He was also very thin and very weak, for he had had nothing to eat during all this time. On the west side of the village lived an old woman with her grand child. The grandchild went towards the lake shooting birds. He heard some one crying. He went to the hole and there the boy was standing. Woodpecker-Boy told the other boy to take him out. The boy ran to the lodge and said: "Grandmother, there is a poor boy in a hole. He is nearly starved to death. Let us go and take him out. He shall be my nephew. He shall call me uncle." The boy and the old woman went to the hole and there they found the boy. The woman pulled the boy out from the hole and took him home. She went through the vil lage begging here and there for corn. Some people gave her a handful and others did not give her any. She went home and made mush for the boy. Every day the woman and the boy would go through the village beg ging for some corn. After a while the boy became strong. Then he said: "Uncle, tell your grandmother to go and cut an ash tree and four dog wood sticks and bring them to me." The old woman went into the timber and brought back the ash stick and the four dogwood sticks. The boy then began to make a bow and four arrows. When he made the four arrows he said: "I am strong now, uncle, so let us go into the timber." They went into the timber, but they did not see any game. When they THE BOY WHO WORE A WOODPECKER CAP. 163 saw a rat's nest, the boy shot at the nest and said: "Uncle, get the arrow and you will find a rat which I have killed." The boys took the rat home and the old woman cooked it for their supper. The next day they went out. In the timber they found a porcupine sitting on a limb. The boy shot it and they brought it home. The grandmother cooked it for their supper. The next day they went and they found a raccoon. The boy killed it and they took it home. The old woman cooked it for their supper. The next day they went out and the boy killed several quail. The following day they went out and the boy killed some prairie chickens. Another day they went out and the boy killed some turkeys. Then the boy told his uncle to save the turkey feathers, for he must make arrows. The next day they went out and they saw a young fawn. The boy killed it and they brought it home. The next day they went out and killed a deer. The next time they went out the boy killed an elk. The last time they went out the boy killed a buffalo. They came back and told the grandmother to go and bring the meat home. The grand mother brought the meat home. Every day these boys went out and they killed game. Now they had plenty to eat. The old woman also had many skins and she built a fine tipi. The people saw the change in the old woman's place. Some of them went there and peeped in. They saw that the inmates were eating much meat, while the other people in the village were starving. Some people went to the chief and said: 'Woodpecker-Boy is in the tipi of the old woman. This man that you have here must be an impostor." The little girl, the youngest daughter of the chief, heard this. She went to the tipi and got some meat. She made her home there. Then Wood pecker-Boy told the girl that the man who was in her lodge was Bear- Man; that he had robbed him of his clothing and had thrown him into a hole; that he would not go to the chief's lodge until the man was killed. The girl got up and went to her lodge. She went up to the things which were hung there, reached for them, and the people inside did not say anything. Whenever anybody reached for the things the snakes would try to bite them. But this time when the girl reached for them the owls began to hoot and the snakes were glad, for they knew they were going back to their owner. She took the things to the boy, and the birds and the animals were glad to see the boy again. The people rushed into the lodge of the chief to catch the man, but he had turned into a Bear and chased the people out. The people ran the Bear out of the village with fire sticks, so that the Bear became scared and turned into a bear again and went from the people for all time never to return to live with them any more. 164 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. After the boy had settled down and was strong again, he told the chief to send the people out into the timber. They went out and began to kill game and they found plenty of artichokes, ground beans, and game. When they brought in their meat the boy said: "This is the last time I shall do this for your people. It is the fourth time I have done it for you. Now you must move away from here and go far into the country, where you can find game for yourselves." In a few days the people moved away from the village and went west, hunting for buffalo. They found the buffalo and killed many. After they came back from the buffalo hunt the boy gave them seeds to plant. The boy taught them to put the seeds in the ground, and after the seeds were put in the ground they were to hunt buffalo. The people learned how to plant corn in the spring, hunt in the summer, and gather their crops in the fall and then hunt again. The boy who visited the lodge said: "People, in your dancing you must wear my cap made of heads of woodpeckers. Then other people will know that there was a time when the Bear-Man wore my cap." The people had plenty to eat and were taught many things by the boy. Afterwards the boy disappeared, first singing to the poor boy who was now to take his place: Pa-ool My uncle yonder came. You are now sitting high up in the top of a tall tree. 44. THE SHOOTING OF THE SQUIRREL'S NOSE.1 There was a village near a small stream of water. The chief's tipi was placed on the north side by itself. Close to the tipi was a ravine, and at the head of the ravine was a tall cottonwood tree which was forked near its top. On the east side of the timber was a little grass-house where there lived a poor woman with her grandchild. When the peo ple went out to urinate they went to the grass-house and urinated on it. The old woman was not old from age, but she was poor and therefore was called an old woman. She took this little boy into her grass-lodge, for he had no home. She called him her grandchild. The boy wore half of a buffalo robe. This was the only bedding he had and it had a bad odor, for he often urinated on it. His hair was never brushed and he was always dirty. When the children of the chief went out to play they went to the cot tonwood tree and there they would scare a squirrel. The squirrel would Told by Leading-Sun, Kitkehahki. The story teaches that the daughters of chiefs should not despise the poor boys of the village, because ultimately they might become worthy to be their husbands. J SHOOTING OF THE SQUIRREL'S NOSE. 165 run up the tree and when the children began throwing at it with sticks, other children came and joined them in throwing at the squirrel. The squirrel would run up the tree and would lie at the fork. When the children looked for it all they could see was the nose of the squirrel. This happened many times. Then the oldest of the girls said one day: "Father, let the crier go through the village and let him tell all the boys to get their bows and arrows ready, so that when we scare the squirrel up the tree they can shoot at it. Whoever shall hit the squirrel's nose and kill it shall become our husband. The skin we will use as a receptacle for our seeds." The chief sent for the crier and told him to cry through the village. He said that when his daughters chased the squirrel up the tree everyone must come with their bows and arrows, and whoever should shoot the squirrel upon the nose should marry the daughters of the chief. As soon as the young men heard of this they began to make bows and arrows. Every young man in the camp soon had bows and arrows. Everybody waited each day until the daughters of the chief went out to play, and as soon as they ran the squirrel up the tree the boys of the village began to gather around the tree and shot at the squirrel until sundown, and then they would give it up. This was car ried on for many days. Little Burnt-Belly-Boy, who lived with his grandmother, made a little ring. This ring was made of buffalo hide. He also had a bow and arrows, made for him by his grandmother. Every morning the boy would sit outside of the grass-lodge and would say to his grandmother, "Roll the ring out of the lodge." This the woman did, and when the ring came rolling out of the lodge the little boy shot at it. Then he would yell and run into the lodge. He would say, "Grandmother, go and see what I have killed." The grandmother would go out and there would find a young buffalo. The woman would jerk the meat and dry it in their lodge. After she would fill a parfleche with dried meat she would bury the parfleche under the ground. The bones were placed around the fireplace and were cooked in that way. One day the boy told the grandmother that he was going over to shoot at the squirrel's nose. The grandmother laughed at the boy, but he went anyway. As soon as the young people saw that the boy was coming they laughed, pointed at him, and said: "Here is the boy who is going to shoot the squirrel on the nose." Everybody shot at the squirrel. The boy then stood up, shot, and hit the squirrel right on the nose. The boy ran to get the squirrel, but a man with bear claws around his neck picked up the squirrel and shouted: "I killed the squirrel." The boy picked up his arrow and with it several hairs of the squirrel, and when l66 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. he went into his grass-lodge he said: "Grandmother, I killed the squirrel. Here it is." The boy handed the squirrel to the woman. Now, when the man with the bear claws picked up the squirrel he took it straight to the chief's lodge. The squirrel which the man took was of brownish color and made no colors about the lodge. The squir rel which the boy had killed was of a bluish tint and it made the lodge bluish in color. The impostor married the two oldest daughters, while the youngest one would not consent to lie with the man, for she said that some one else had killed the squirrel. One day the man with the bear claws promised the people buffalo. He told them to go out on a certain hill and that they would find buffalo there. When the people went they could not find any buffalo. Then he said: "It is because you do not give me the girl." The chief scolded the little girl and she ran away to the home of Burnt-Belly-Boy. She sat outside. She smelled the burning meat. After a while she slipped into the grass-lodge and sat down beside the woman. The woman knew her. She took pity on her and said: "Why did you not stay at home and become one of the wives of that man?" The little girl said: "No; I am the youngest, but I have more sense than my older sisters. I do not believe that the man killed the squirrel. I came here for I believe that this boy killed the squirrel. Now I know that it is true, for I see the squirrel skin here. I also know that this boy who stops here with you is a wonderful boy. I came and smelt this burning meat. I came into your lodge. Now I find that you have meat, and bones are roasting." The girl ate some of the meat which was being roasted. She was sent home. The next day the boy sent his grandmother to ask the chief for the young girl. The woman went into the lodge and asked the chief if her grandchild might marry the little girl. The chief was angry and said: "She refuses to marry this man. I do not believe that she would marry your boy. I shall leave it with her. Daughter, will you have that dirty little boy in that grass-lodge?" She said: "Yes, my father; I will take him." The chief was angry, but when he saw that the girl was in earnest he gave his consent. The boy was brought to the lodge of the chief and he was given a seat near the entrance. The two older daugh ters made fun of him and their younger sister. After the fourth day Burnt-Belly-Boy went away and when he returned he came as an eagle. When he turned into a human form his robe was covered with eagle feathers and his leggings were fringed with eagle feathers. He also wore an eagle cap. Upon the back of his buf falo robe was painted the sun. When the boy came to the lodge of the chief the two oldest sisters tried to leave their husband, but the young SHOOTING OF THE SQUIRREL'S NOSE. l6? boy said: "No, you are married. Stay with your husband." Then Burnt-Belly-Boy told his wife to tell her father that in a day or so he would have the buffalo near, so that the people might kill them. The next day Burnt-Belly-Boy asked the chief to have the crier tell the people to come with him. They went into a thick timber. There the people found skunks, badgers, raccoons, deer, rats' nests, ground beans, and pecans. The people returned to their homes with a great many things to eat. The two oldest girls were mad because their husband could not do these things. After the boy had helped the people to kill deer and other small game, he told them to go west and there they would find buffalo. The people went out, found buffalo, surrounded them and killed many. When the people returned they brought meat to the lodge of the boy to feast upon. After this the boy was given a new tipi. He brought his grandmother, placed her in there and he took his wife and lived with her in their new tipi. Always after that he lived away from his father-in-law. 45. THE ORIGIN OP THE CLAM SHELL1 There was a village, and in this village was a man who was all the time hunting along the streams of water. One day, while around some ponds, he saw a young duck diving in one place and coming up in an other. He watched it, and once in a while he would see the young duck take the weeds from the dry land and dive with them in its mouth. The man caught the young duck and took it home. He kept it for a while, but his wife told him to turn it loose. The man took the duck back to the pond and turned it loose. The woman gave birth to a child, and the child was called Young- Duck. The girl grew up and as she grew her parents noticed that she had mysterious ways and liked to be around ponds and in the water. She was very proud. Her parents talked together, and the mother said: "Now, you see our child is like the duck, because you watched it and brought it here before our child was born. Let her have her way and be satisfied." One day the girl came into the tipi and commenced to dig in the west part of the tipi. She made a hole about the size of a small bowl. She went out towards the ponds and stayed there for some time, and when 1 Told by Bright-Eyes, Skidi. Apart from the story of the origin of the clam shell, as related in the tale, its interest is of a wider nature, because the clam shell was used largely by the Pawnee medicine-men, especially as a mortar in which to mix medicines as well as paints. The clam itself is regarded as a wonderful being, cleanly in its nature, although it lives in the mud. The moral of the tale is that widowers should not remain single. 168 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. she came back she brought some flag roots with tops on them, and some peppermints with their roots and tops. These she took to the hole and planted at the bottom of it. The next day she went to the hole and it had water in it. She told her mother to take a little wooden bowl, and to dip water from the hole and wash her face and head every day with that water. "I am to sit upon that pool," she said, "when I am not doing anything." The mother took the wooden bowl and dipped some water. She smelled of the water and it smelled sweet. She washed the girl's face and wet her hair with it. As she grew the girl became very pretty. Her hair was long, extending down to her knees. Every day her head and face were washed from the pool, and she sat upon it every day. She had dreams, and in her dreams a voice spoke to her and told her what to do. One day she went to the ponds, and when she came back she had a stick, about three feet long, with a hook at the end. She also had some long, dried, rawhide carrying-strings, with a head-band which was decorated very prettily. One day the girls in the village went after wood and this girl went with them. The girls thought she was very pretty. They asked what her name was and she told them her name was Young-Duck. When they went far into the woods, she stopped at a dry cottonwood tree and told the girls to go and get their wood. There were about six or seven girls. They went and picked their wood, and while they were gone the girl lifted her stick and said: "Now grow long; stretch up to that dry limb and pull it down for me." The stick reached the limb. When she had pulled down enough to make a load, she trimmed the limbs and tied them up with her strings. She would then sit down and wait for the girls. When the girls came they were surprised to see her wood all tied up. They went home together and the girl threw her wood all down near the entrance of their tipi and untied it. She then tied up her strings, then hung the stick and strings in the lodge. Her mother then went to get the bowl, dipped some water from the pool, and washed the girl's face and head. The girl then went to her pool and sat on it. The mother filled the little bowl with pemmican, which she had prepared for her daughter. This she ate very slowly. She did not talk very much. After the girls had parted with Young-Duck, they talked about her and all agreed that she should lead them. Every day the girls came to her tipi and said: "Young-Duck, let us go after wood." "Nawa," she would say; then she would reach for her stick and strings. As she came out the girls would fall in line and she would lead them into the timber. Every time she came to a cottonwood tree she would stop and tell the girls to go on and gather their wood and take no notice of her. THE ORIGIN OF THE CLAM SHELL. 169 She would then lift her stick and say, "Stretch and break that limb for me." This she did until she had plenty of them. Then she would sit down and wait for the other girls. When the girls came she would lift her wood on her back and lead the girls into camp. She was very neat, and her wood was always piled up in an even pile. The boys of the village noticed her and tried to court her. A young man with game sticks brought his game near her tipi, so that she would notice him. Other young men passed by her tipi and shot their arrows, so that she would see how well they could shoot; but she would not look at them. In the night young men turned out with their flutes, but she did not listen. A dance was to be given in the village. On the morn ing of the dance she saw a Hawk sitting on a limb, and she knew him. "Yes; you may come and see me, but you must become a man." The Hawk went where the animals dwelt and begged them to transform him to a man. This was done; then he visited the girl and she knew him. She told her mother to tell her father that she would many this young man. This was agreed upon and Hawk married the girl. The girl con tinued to sit on the pool of water, and when the girls came she went with them and gathered wood with them, and when she went home she piled her wood up in an even pile. Then the water was dipped, her face was washed, her hair was wet with it and combed. Then she would dip some water and wash her husband's face and head. After washing, she would sit on her pool, her husband by her. Pemmican was handed them in a bowl and they ate very slowly. Every day the girls came and Young-Duck went with them after wood. Her husband would go up on a high hill and watch them. One day, as the girl returned home, she noticed a strange woman in their tipi, but she went on with her work. Her mother dipped water for her and she washed her face. When she had finished, she sat down on her pool of water, and pemmican was brought and handed to her and to her husband by her mother. The strange old woman saw all that was going on and she wished that she might marry the young man. She said: "I wish that I were in that girl's place, instead of having so many children to look after," and when she went outside she made up her mind to watch the girl; for she was a Witch. She went into the timber and cut a dogwood stick, about two feet long, whittled it down to a sharp point, and burned the point so that it was hard; then dried it. One day she went into the timber where the girl generally gathered her wood. She hid in the brush, and after a while Young-Duck came. The other girls went on by, but Young-Duck stopped under the cotton- wood trees. When she had her wood all tied up and ready to return home, she sat down on her wood to wait for the girls. She looked up 170 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. and saw the strange woman coming towards her. Said the old woman: "My dear! My dear! You are my daughter. I have been looking for you. You are so good and beautiful. Come and sit down by me." The girl sat down and all at once the old woman took her sharp stick and jammed it into the girl's ear, and thought she killed her. She blew her breath into the girl's mouth, so that her skin, from her waist up, came off. The old woman crawled into the skin, and put her own dried-up skin on the girl. She then dragged the girl and threw her into a stream. She hurried back to the wood and commenced to yell for the girls, for she was hungry. This was something unusual. Young-Duck would never call for the girls, and never yelled. The girls hurried back and came to her, and they noticed that she looked very wild and did not act like Young-Duck. They went home, and as the old woman got to the tipi, she threw her wood down and went in and said: "Mother, I am tired and hungry." This was also strange; for Young-Duck would never throw her wood down, nor say that she was hungry. Instead of washing her face and combing her hair, she went and sat upon the pool and said: "I am hungry, mother; bring me something to eat!" The mother took the meat to her and her husband, and she ate all the meat before the man knew it. At night the man suspected that something was wrong, for from the waist down the old woman was her own self, and her legs were not round like those of a girl. The next day the girls came as usual, and they went after wood. As they went along, the old woman kept hallooing and talking. The girls did not like it. They came to the tall trees, and the old woman stopped. The others went on. The old woman took the stick and raised it and said, "Hook that limb," but the stick would not stretch. "Stretch," she said; "come, now, stretch," but the stick would not stretch. She tried it on the north side, on the south and on the west, but the stick would not stretch. She was afraid that the girls would be coming, so she cut a lot of green willows and tied them, and swung them on her back; then yelled for the girls to come. The girls came with their wood and when they saw the girl with green willow they said one to another: "Why, Young-Duck has never done this. Listen, she talks all the time." They went home and the old woman threw her wood down and ran into the tipi and said: "Mother, I am tired, and my head aches." She then went to the pool of water, but the water had dried up. That night she could not eat anything, but was always jabbering and talking. The next day she was worse, for the girl's skin was rotting and was making her feel sick. It was noised around that Young-Duck was sick; THE ORIGIN OF THE CLAM SHELL. 171 so medicine-men were sent for, but they could not help her. She would not let them touch her for fear they might find the false skin over her. All the medicine-men, one by one, were sent for, and none could help her. The young man, who all this time thought the woman to be his wife, felt badly. He said there was nothing now to be done; all the medi cine-men had been sent for and they could not help her. "There is one more medicine-man that we have not sent for," said he, "and that is the man who lives in the west." He was sent for and he came. He entered the tipi and, although the people gave him a place by the woman, he squatted by the entrance. The woman had a bad color, for the skin over her was rotting. As the man came in, the woman saw that his face was painted black, and in his hand he held a black gourd. The old woman said: "You black-eyed Crow, I know you; you are going to find me out; I know you are going to find me out." The medicine-man sent the man after a bucket of water, saying, "Dip the water with a motion towards the west." This the man did and he heard some one saying: Now, Hawk Chief, here I stand in the water. I, Young-Duck, stand here in the water. He heard the voice and knew it and looked all around, but could not see his wife. He went back to the lodge and told Crow. "Good," said Crow; "now you shall hear what I have to say." The old woman was now very sick, for she knew that she was found out. Crow sang this song: Now, crazy old woman, Your outer skin is rotten. Crow flew and knows. Crow flew and knows. Crow kept on singing, for he was telling what the witch had done. Hawk went to the creek and stood around there in the night, and he heard a woman sing this song: Here now stands Young-Duck. Here now stands Young-Duck. Yonder is Hawk Chief. She sang several times and then disappeared in the water. The boy went home, and Crow made the announcement that the woman was a witch and that she had killed the girl and had thrown her in the water. The people took the old woman out, and although she cried for mercy, they killed all her children. The boy went off to the water and listened and listened and listened for his wife's song again. He turned into a Hawk and flew up and down the creek, crossing over from one side to the other, hunting the girl. For four days he flew around, until he was tired and hungry. On the evening of the fourth day he lighted on a high hill to rest. He saw smoke coming up in 172 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. the valley. He went to it and there he saw a tipi. He went in and there was a man, woman, and four girls, and his wife, Young-Duck, who had covered herself up so that Hawk could not see her. She had told the people not to tell him that she was there; so that when he asked about her they said they had not seen her. The man kept asking and the youngest girl pointed to the place where she was lying. The man looked, and he saw his wife's feet. He reached for her, but she would not let him see her. He was glad to find her. She said: "You can not see me, for I am changed." The man insisted upon seeing her and she finally gave up. He saw that from her waist up she was an old woman. Her ears hung down. She told him that the old woman had bewitched her and that she was now changed, and would always live that way; and that he must tell her father and mother not to weep for her; and she also told her husband not to weep for her. She said: "You see what I am now. You will marry again some girl who will be good to you, but first you are to lift me up in the sky. Put me upon your back and fly high, then drop me. Then watch, and where I drop, fly there and find me and you will see what sort of creature I am." The man stayed near her all night. Although she was changed he did not care, for he had hunted for her and had found her. She was also very thin, for all this time she had eaten only ground beans. The next day they went out together and climbed the same hill that Hawk had rested on the day before. He turned into a Hawk again and the girl climbed on his back, and said: "Fly. You are strong; I am not heavy." The Hawk flew up in the heavens and gave a little turn, and the girl fell. The Hawk watched and flew where the girl fell; and there he found her, and she was a clam shell already open. The outside of the shell was rough, like the old witch's skin that had been on the girl. The inside was smooth and delicate like the skin of the girl. 46. THE POOR BOY WHO TURNED INTO AN EAGLE.1 In the beginning there were no people upon the earth. The stars in the heavens wanted to put people upon the earth and show them how to live. Morning-Star spoke and said; "Put two people down there on the earth among the animals, and see what they will do." The stars in the heavens agreed to put two people upon the earth. Moon agreed to send her woman down, and Morning-Star agreed to send his younger brother. The boy, although younger, called the woman his niece. The 'Told by Cheyenne-Chief, Skidi. The story points the moral that children, especially brothers and sisters, should not quarrel among themselves. The tale also foretells the sacrificing by the Skidi of a maiden. THE POOR BOY WHO TURNED INTO AN EAGLE. 173 stars carried the woman and the boy to the ground, and placed them near a stream of water. The stars gave corn, squash, and beans to them, and during the winter brought meat to them. The woman saved some of the meat and tried to save as much corn as possible. When spring came she arose each morning and went to the bottom land and cleared a place to plant corn. One morning she put a few grains of corn into a dry bladder of a buffalo and tied the grains up and hung them on the wall and said, "My uncle, do not touch these, for they are seeds." The woman then went down into the bottom land and began to work, softening the ground and making hills for the corn. While she was working the little boy walked up and began to look for something to eat. He could not find anything, and so he climbed up and took the bladder with the seeds in it, untied it, and said to himself, "I will eat one of these grains of corn and put the rest back." He took one kernel and parched it on a hot coal and then ate it. He ate another and another until he had eaten all the seeds, then he hung the bladder up again where it had been. The boy was young and lazy; his head was bushy, and his face and hands always dirty. When the woman came in and saw that her seeds were gone she kicked the boy and said: "Uncle, arise. What have you done with the seeds? I have worked hard, and here you have eaten up the seeds." She gave him a whipping, and he cried. Then the woman took some other corn which she had and began to pound it, for she was going to make some mush. The boy stopped crying, and began to sing: My sister, something is about to happen. My sister, something is about to happen. They will talk to you. Your seed corn; your seed corn is very fine. Something is about to happen; My toes are turning into eagle's claws. ***** My feet are turning into eagle's feet.1 ***** My legs are turning into eagle's legs. ***** My body is turning into an eagle's body. ***** My nose is turning into an eagle's beak. ***** My arms are turning into eagle's wings, Then the boy gave one scream, threw his robe to one side, and the woman saw that her uncle had turned into an Eagle. She ran and tried to catch him, but the Eagle flew around the lodge and out of the hole at the •The first five lines of the remaining five verses are the same as the first verse. 174 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. top of the lodge. She ran out following, crying as she went, "My uncle, my uncle, return to me, for I am all alone. Stay with me, and I shall not scold you any more." But the Eagle flew on and on. The woman began to cry, but still followed the Eagle. It flew on until it came to the lodge of the Badgers. The woman followed until she, too, came to the lodge of the Badgers. They took her in and said: "Why do you cry so?" and she said: "My uncle and I are alone. There are no other people in the world, and now he has turned into an Eagle. I want to catch him and take him back to our home." The Badgers said: "Let us help this woman, and get the Eagle for her." The Badgers dug a hole and placed this woman in it, and spread some limbs over the hole. They killed a Badger, cut the bowels open, and spread them out upon the limbs over the hole; then the Badgers all disappeared into their holes. After a while the crows, magpies, coyotes, and other animals came to the hole to eat of the dead badger. Soon a big flock of all kinds of birds came and flew around where the badger was lying, and then lighted upon the ground, and they said: "He is coming; he is coming. We shall have to wait until he tastes of the badger." After a while a great wind was heard above, and then a scream. It was the cry of the golden Eagle, which came and lighted near all of the birds. The Eagle looked around at all the birds, the magpie, and coyote and then sang: "I am not will ing; I am not willing to taste of this animal which is cut open. Some thing is wrong; something is under that." Then the Eagle flew up, and as the Eagle flew up all the other birds flew away. Even the coyotes walked away. Once in a while they turned to look at the badger which was lying upon the limbs. After a while the Badgers came and said: "Woman, come out. We are powerless. We can not help you. You see what we have done, and your uncle knew that you were there." Then the woman began to cry and she went on. All kinds of animals tried to catch the Eagle for the woman in the same way, but the Eagle would not eat of the dead animal and would sing; "lam not willing; lam not willing to eat of the animal." Then all the other birds would fly away. At last the woman came to a lodge of Elks. The Elks took her in and said: "Woman, it is easy. We can call any animal that we want. The Eagle is easy to catch." They killed one elk. They cut out its bowels and spread it out upon the hole. The fat looked very fine. The woman was placed in the hole, under the Elk. The birds came, and the Eagle came and it said: "I am not willing to eat of this meat. I am not willing." It flew away. The Elks were surprised. They were sure that the Eagle would eat of the meat. The woman began to cry. She went a long distance. THE POOR BOY WHO TURNED INTO AN EAGLE. 175 After a while she came to the home of the Buffalo. There were arbors and other places as if people had camped there. There was a creek on one side, and upon the side of a hill were many Buffalo. When the girl went to them they said: "We can help you. We know who this bird is. Although he is your uncle, he is not a human being. His only desire and wish is that he have human flesh. He is Morning-Star. Morning-Star is the chief of all the gods in the heavens. The other gods are willing that animals and buffalo meat should be offered to them, but Morning-Star wants human flesh offered to him. We might kill ourselves and place ourselves on these high hills near the streams of water, but he would know that we are trying to catch him. He wants human flesh. We will help you to catch your uncle, and you yourself shall catch him. Now watch. We will send big droves of buffalo into this stream of water. Many of them will get stuck in the mud and die. Others will drown. There will be many dead people. It will seem so, but they will not be dead. The animals and the birds in the air will all come together and they will want to eat of the buffalo, but they must wait for the golden Eagle. We will now take you. We will cut you open, and put your bowels on one side. Your breast shall be torn open. The golden Eagle will come and will want to eat the fat from your heart. When he lights upon your breast, and reaches for your heart, then his time has come. Then is the time for you to take hold of his legs. Then you shall have your uncle back." The Buffalo gave commands for the droves to run into the streams of water. Some went into the mire and into the mud and others were drowned. There were apparently many dead buffalo along the stream of water. Near the village was a little arbor and in this they placed the girl. They cut her open and put her bowels to one side. Her breast was torn open and she lay like one dead. The old buffalo went upon the hill and sat down as if they were sleeping. After a while the magpies came, then the crows came, and then the coy otes. Other animals came creeping. All kinds of birds came, and a large flock of eagles came and lighted upon the dead buffalo, but they dared not touch or eat any of the meat. After a while the birds screamed. Then a big noise of wind came, and the golden Eagle lighted upon the ground. It sat upon the arbor. It looked down and saw the dead person in the arbor. All the animals listened to the golden Eagle. He sang: I am now willing To eat this person lying there. I am now willing To eat this person lying there. As soon as he had sung that, all the animals and the birds began to eat of the buffalo. The golden Eagle flew into the arbor, sat upon the 176 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. breast of the girl, and looked under the breast for her heart. When it was about to reach for the heart the girl took hold of the legs of the eagle and she said: "Where is the heart that you shall eat? It is I, your poor niece, who has cried many days over the prairies and tried to catch you. I shall take you back and you must remain with me forever." The instant the woman touched the legs of the Eagle, the Eagle turned into the boy again. He screamed and yelled and said: "My niece, I will return with you to your place. Myniece.it shall be so. When the people are living upon the earth there will be a time when they shall capture an enemy and the captured woman shall be offered to the Morning-Star. But this offering shall not be made unless several buffalo shall be killed and made holy and offered to the gods as a sacrifice to the Morning-Star." When the woman and the boy went to their field, dark clouds came and covered them up and they disappeared from the earth, and they were no more upon the earth. The woman had returned to the Moon, and the boy had returned to the east to stand behind his brother. 47. THE POOR BOY WHO LOST HIS POWER.1 There lived in a village, that the people had deserted, a woman who was very poor. There lived with her a little boy who was known as Burnt-Belly. She loved the little boy. She went out into the fields and gathered corn, squashes, and beans for him. One day the little boy got his robe all white. The woman, though she loved the little boy, became angry and took a stick and hit him on the head. The boy cried; then she scolded him for crying. All at once the boy took the little white robe and wrapped himself in it, leaving only his head out. He then began to sing: Something fly towards me, my niece. Now my toes are turning to something, Are turning to handsome eagle's claws, Are turning to handsome eagle's claws. Then he sang again: "My aunt,my legs shall turn into eagle's legs." Then he sang again: "My aunt, my body shall turn into an eagle's body.'' Then the woman turned around and hit the boy on the head, and said: "You will turn into an eagle!" The boy kept on singing and said: "My aunt, my arms shall turn into an eagle's wings." Then he sang again, and said: "My aunt, my neck shall turn into eagle's neck." 1 Told by Thief, Kitkehahki. This story is similar to the preceding and points the same moral, viz, the value of obedience to the gods. It may also be regarded as a Kitkehahki variant of tale No. 46. THE POOR BOY WHO LOST HIS POWER. 177 Then the woman turned around and said: "Turn to an eagle!" Then the boy sang again and said: " My aunt, my head shall turn into an eagle's head." Then he sang again and said: "Myaunt, my nose shall turn into an eagle's nose." Then he sang again and said: "My mouth shall turn into an eagle's mouth." Then, as he sang, "My aunt, I shall fly up as an eagle," the woman turned around with her stick, ready to strike the boy; but he turned into an Eagle, threw off the robe, and flew up into the sky. The woman cried and begged the boy to come back. The Eagle would not come back, but did not go far away. It stayed around where the woman was. The woman cried and cried, but the Eagle would say: " I will not come down, for you were mean to me.'' Then the Eagle would fly away, and when it came back it would tell the old woman that the people were coming. At last the old woman begged the Eagle so hard that it came back to her and turned into a boy again. The boy was older and was stronger than he was before he turned into an eagle. The woman had made a bow and arrows for him and was always careful not to scold him again. The boy took the bow and arrows and went into the timber to hunt. He killed rabbits and brought them to his aunt. After a while he learned to kill deer. Then he said: "My aunt, you must make me a strong bow and better arrows." The woman made them and the boy killed many deer, so that after a while the woman made a tipi out of the deer hides. She dried the meat and they had plenty to eat. When the people came with very little buffalo meat they found these people with plenty of meat and corn. When the people came to the village the young man told his aunt that they must move into the timber and stay. They moved into the timber and the young man kept killing game. After a while the people visited this tipi and they found meat and dry hides around it. The chief was told about it. The chief invited the young boy and said: "Can you help us to get buffalo, so that we may also have meat?" The boy said that he could; then he went back to his tipi. He told his aunt that he was going to see the chief's daughter. She said nothing, for fear she might hurt his feelings. The young man disappeared as an Eagle and was gone several days. When he came back he said to his aunt: "I am going to take the people over the hills, for I have brought the buffalo for them. They will bring some meat back with them." The young man went and told the chief that he wanted the people to follow him over the hills. The chief told the people to go and so they followed him, and when they went on top of the hills they saw many buffalo. The people killed many buffalo and took the meat home. The boy was then told to tell his aunt to move his tipi up into the village. The young man told the chief that he could not do this, but that if they wanted to they could 178 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. move to the place where he lived. The people moved into the timber and the chief then invited the boy and said: "My son, I give you my daughter to marry." The young boy said: "The chief is good, but I can not take her just now." The chief insisted and said: "The girl shall go to your home." The girl went to the boy's home and stayed all night. The next time the boy tried to get the buffalo he found that his power was gone from him, for he had lain with a girl and had no more power. If he had killed buffalo four times for the people he might have mar ried and still kept his power; but before killing buffalo four times he married and so he lost his power. 48. THE FLINT MAN.1 A man went alone to a far-away country. For many, many days he traveled and at last he came to a prairie country. As he was going through the prairie country he saw something at a distance that spar kled. He went up to the object that sparkled, and found that it was a man made of flint. The flint man spoke to the man and said, "Nawa," and then spoke again and said: "Sitdown and smoke with me." The flint man reached and took a pipe which was made from a stick, for there was no stone bowl at the end. The stone man filled the stick with native tobacco, gave it to the man, and told him to light it. The man began to smoke, and as the smoke got into his eyes, the stone man spoke and said: "You shall not see me for a while." The man looked to the place where the flint man sat, but could not see him. He again heard the voice of the flint man saying: "I can see people far away. I am made of flint, but I have powers from the gods to transform myself into anything that I want to be. Now I want to turn into a man." The man looked and saw a man sitting in the place where the flint man had been. The man then said: "I shall give you power to turn into stone, and I shall also give you power to call the rain. When there is no rain, and the people need the rain very badly, then take this flint that I shall give you and lift it to heaven and then place it on the ground, sprinkle water on it, and clouds will form in the west, and the clouds will come and it will rain. You are poor, but I shall make you a powerful man. I shall now become a piece of flint, and shall go with you wherever you go. When you have returned to your people, heal the sick by placing me upon the pains. I will remove the pains and the sick will become 'Told by White-Sun, Kitkehahki. The tale illustrates the respect paid by the Pawnee to the flint which they used in arrow heads, knives, etc. It especially teaches, on the part of boys, respect for flint and_ the belief in general that flint had its origin from the powers in the west, especially in lightning. THE FLINT MAN. 179 well. Now I shall turn into a small stone. Take me and carry me to your people. Smoke with me and talk to me and I will listen to your prayers." The man who was sitting down turned into flint and the stone grew smaller and smaller until it became a very little stone. The man picked it up and he saw that on one side of the stone was the picture of the sun; on the other side, the picture of the moon and several stars. He took the stone home and placed it on the altar in the west of the lodge. He invited several of his friends, and as his friends came in they brought presents of black handkerchiefs and buckskin to make a cover ing for the stone. The man who found the stone filled his pipe and gave four whiffs to the stone, four whiffs to the ground, and then dumped the ashes in front of the stone. Then he wrapped a black handkerchief about the stone, and then wrapped buckskin about it for an outer cover ing. The bundle was tied and placed to the side of the lodge. The possessor of the stone heard of a wonderful being that lived close to a big lake. He was told that the monster lay upon the banks of the great lake, and killed all who came near. This man made up his mind that he would go and visit this monster. He started, and when he got close to the lake he saw the monster lying upon the banks of the lake. He saw many human bones and skulls scattered around the monster. As the man came nearer, the monster began to groan as if in pain. The man went close to the monster and asked what the trouble was. The monster said: "I have a pain in my back. If you will be kind enough to step upon my back I will be thankful." The man said that he would do so, but before he did he spoke to his stone and said: "My brother, turn me into flint so that I may kill this monster." The man jumped on the monster and as he jumped he saw several sharp bones sticking up from the monster's back. Instead of sticking into the flesh of the man, the bones broke as they struck him, for he had turned into flint. After all of the bones were broken by striking against the man of flint, the man walked to the monster's head and jumped until he had pounded the monster's brains out with his flint feet. The man went home and told the people that he had killed the mon ster which was upon the banks of the lake. The people went there and found the monster dead. They cut the monster up, took fat and flesh from different parts of its body, and mixed their medicines with it. The man heard that in a certain part of the country there were seven spotted calves that tried to kill people and were very dangerous. He went to the place and saw the spotted calves sliding down a hill on sleds strung together with buffalo ribs. When the spotted buffalo calves saw the man coming they asked him if he would like to slide down the hill with them, and he said that he would. They gave him a sled and l8o TALES OP READY-TO-GIVE. told him to take the lead and that they would follow. The man was sus picious of the spotted calves, and so he spoke to his brother, the flint, and asked him to help turn him into stone, as he thought the spotted calves were going to try to kick him to death. The man got into his sled, and the spotted calves followed him down the hill. They kicked him in every way, but they could not hurt him or even make a mark on his flesh. When they reached the foot of the hill, the man said: "Now it is my turn. You take the lead and I will follow." Then the man asked of the spotted calves why there were so many human skeletons at the bottom of the hill. They did not answer, but he knew that they were the bones of the people whom they had killed. They went up the hill again, and the calves got into their sleds and started down first. The man followed, and whenever he was close enough he would reach out and kick one of the calves. Whenever he kicked one it fell from the sled and was killed. By the time the man reached the foot of the hill he had killed all. He went to the village and told the people that he had killed the seven spot ted calves. Some of the men went and skinned the spotted calves, and brought them to the village, so that the people knew that the spotted calves were no longer living, but that the man had killed them. Several days afterwards the man was told that there was a certain being in the west who ate so much that nothing was left for the people, but if that being were killed or removed the people would then have plenty to eat. This man went to the place and when he arrived there he found a Buffalo bull standing upon a hill. When the Buffalo bull saw the man it grunted, rolled, and groaned. Then it hooked the earth; dug up pieces of earth with its horns. It ran towards the man, but the man had turned into stone. When the poor bull tried to hook him it only broke its horns on the hard stone. The man killed the Buffalo with his arrows. No sooner had he killed it than he found out that the bull was chief of all the Buffalo. He was frightened and went home. He told the people that he had killed the buffalo, and for them to make haste and prepare arrows, for they must try to kill some of the Buffalo. The man's father became frightened and said: "My son, what shall our people do to be'saved? You have killed the chief of all the Buffalo. They will now come and try to kill us." The man went to work and took stones from the hillsides and placed them around the village, about three feet apart; then he told the people to stay inside. The stones grew and made a high wall around the village, with many openings, through which the peo ple could shoot their arrows. All at once the people saw a cloud of dust in the west reaching up to the sky. They then knew that the buffalo were coming. The buffalo THE FLINT MAN. l8l came and in their fury they did not see the stones which encircled the village, and they ran into them and broke their horns and skulls against the hard wall. They became wild with excitement and began to kill one another. After that they ran in every direction and scattered all over the land. The next day the stones which were around the village had become small again and were their natural size. The people left these stones in a circle and went off to another country to kill buffalo. The stones were left in a circle, to remind the people that at one time one of their number had placed them in a circle to save his people from being destroyed by the buffalo. Years afterwards the man lost the stone which he had in his posses sion. He tried to find it, but he could not, for some one had stolen it from him. The gods in the heavens were angry at him because he had lost the stone. They sent a rain storm from the west. He saw the storm coming and told the people that Lightning was going to take him and that he was to be placed in the heavens as one of the gods. The storm came and lightning struck the man and killed him instantly. The people were afraid to touch him, and so they let him alone, and moved away to another country. 49. THE TURKEY RITUAL.1 One day the crier ran out and shouted, so that all of the people in the village could hear, that there were a great many warriors coming to the village. When the people who were left inside the lodges heard that warriors were coming they all turned out. Even Spider-Woman, who had her lodge farther away from the village, went with them. The peo ple went outside of the village to meet the great company of warriors. As they came near they saw that they were Turkeys. The old man shouted and said: "Everybody keep quiet and we will hear from these warriors where they have been." Old Gobbler began to sing: Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Far away by walking we will arrive. There where the blue clay lies under the earth. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. And that is why Our coats are shiny and oily. 1 Told by Thief, Kitkehahki. This tale is similar to many others in which the buffalo voluntarily offer themselves to people for food. Besides the interesting references in the tale which afford explanations of certain rites, the story is in teresting because it teaches the young men that a prophet is without honor in his own country. In other words, to obtain the favor of the young women they must go off into the enemy's country and perform deeds of valor. The paints referred to in the tale are supposed to be those found in the color of the turkey's coat. l8a TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. Then the old man cried out and told the people what the Turkeys said: "These people have been where the blue clay lies under the earth, and that is why their coats are shiny and oily." Again the Gobbler sang: Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Far away by walking we will arrive. There where the red paint is buried under the earth. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. And that is why Our legs are painted red. Then the old man cried out and told the people what the Turkeys said: "These people have been where the red paint is buried under the earth, and that is why their legs are painted red." Again the Gobbler sang: Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Far away by walking we will arrive. There where the white clay lies under the earth. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. And that is why Our coats are spotted with white. Then the old man cried out and told the people what the Turkeys said: "These people have been where the white clay lies under the earth, and that is why their coats are spotted with white." Again the Gobbler sang: Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Far away by walking we will arrive. There where the yellow clay lies under the earth. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. And that is why Our mouths are painted yellow. Then the old man cried out and told the people what the Turkeys said: "These people have been where the yellow clay lies under the earth, and that is why their mouths are painted yellow." Again the Gobbler sang: Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Far away by walking we will arrive. There where under the ground we found salt. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. And that is why We have dandruff on our heads. Then the old man cried out and told the people what the Turkeys said: "These people have been where the salt lies under the earth, and that is why they have dandruff on their heads." THE TURKEY RITUAL. 183 Again the Gobbler sang: Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Far away by walking we will arrive. There where rocks abound. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. Yonder are acorns hanging upon the trees. And that is why Our feet are flat and rough. Then the old man cried out and told the people what the Turkeys said: "These people have been where the rocks abound, and that is why their feet are flat and rough." Then the old man told the people that the Turkeys were going to the land in the south where the rocks abound and where there were many acorns; that they wanted the people to know that there they would always live, so that the people could come there and hunt and kill them. 50. THE BOY WHO TURNED INTO A PRAIRIE DOG.1 There was a village upon the side of a hill. Near this village, towards the east, was a creek. Across the creek was a Prairie Dog town. In the village was a little boy whose name was Black-Eyes. The boy was good-looking and everyone liked him. He grew up and was now a young man. He saw a nice-looking young girl in the village. Every day the boy stayed around the place where the people dipped their water from the creek. He waited there for the girl. One day the girl came. The boy talked to her, and she scolded him. The boy did not mind the scolding and followed her toward the village. Just before they entered the village she stopped the boy and said: "Boy, I want you to know that I do not care for you. I can never marry you and, I do not want you to talk to me any more." The boy was sorry, and told his mother about it. While he was tell ing his mother about the matter he nearly cried. The mother told him not to cry, as there were many other girls in the tribe. The boy took his bow and arrows and said: "Mother, I am going." The boy went out from the lodge and traveled east. He crossed the stream of water and as soon as he got over to the other side he began to cry. His tears dropped on the ground. He entered the Prairie Dog town. In the center of the 1 Told by Thief, Kitkehahki. The tale illustrates the breadth of the feeling of relationship on the part of the Pawnee to the animal supernatural beings, the re lationship to the prairie dogs being brought out in this special tale, and for this reason the Pawnee told their children they live in earth-lodges, which they compare to the so-called prairie-dogs' lodge. 184 TALES OF READY-TO-GIVE. Prairie Dog town stood a young girl. The boy went there; she took him in and there they lived together in her lodge under the ground. The woman hunted for her son. She traveled east. She saw his foot prints just before he entered the stream of water. Then she began to sing: Yonder, truly, is my poor boy, His eyes like grains of black corn. Here and there are his tear-drops. Yonder, weeping, I go. She crossed the stream of water, and as she did so she looked upon the bank and there she saw his tear-drops upon the sand. She began to sing again: Truly, he went along here, my poor boy, His eyes like grains of black corn. Here are his footprints. Yonder, weeping, I go. She went on and she saw his footprints plainly. Then again she sang: Truly, he went along here, my poor boy, His eyes like grains of black corn. Here, across the stream, I see many marks of his tears. Yonder, weeping, I go. The woman went into the village of the Prairie Dogs, and there in the center was a big hole and the footprints ended there. The woman began to cry. She cried for several days. In the day time she saw two Prairie Dogs come out from the hole where the footprints ended. After she had been there for several days she lay down and had a dream. She thought she saw a woman who was very young and beautiful. She was not tall. She was small and was very handsome. In the dream this girl said: "Woman, you must not cry any more for your son, for he is married to me. The girls of your people refused to marry him. He came to our village; I took him in and married him. We are living together and are happy. There is but one way by which you can get your son. Your son has forgotten all about your people. Go to your home. In his quiver there is one black arrow which the boy made him self and of which he thought a great deal. Bring that arrow, and lay it near the hole. You must then lie down." When the woman awoke she went to her home and found the arrow of which the girl had spoken. She took the arrow, went back to the Prairie Dog town, and placed the arrow near the hole. In the morning the woman lay down near the arrow. Two Prairie Dogs came out. As the boy Prairie Dog came to where the arrow was he saw it, and jumped at it, and as soon as he caught the arrow the Prairie Dog turned into a boy again. The woman got up, took him, and said: "My son, I have been crying for many days, for I had lost you." Then the boy said, "Mother, we shall go home, but I must take my wife with me, for she is soon to bear THE BOY WHO TURNED INTO A PRAIRIE DOG. 185 a child." The boy then spoke to the female Prairie Dog, and she came to