"Who are you? What do you call yourselves?"

The Ponca replied, "We call ourselves Ponca. You speak our language, are you of our tribe?"

The other said, "No. I speak your language as a gift from a Ponca spirit. One day I lay on a Ponca grave after a battle. Then a man rose from the grave and spoke to me. So I know your language."

Then it was agreed to make peace. The tribes visited each other. The Ponca traded their bows and arrows for horses. They knew where the Padouca lived. Then the Padouca taught the Ponca how to ride, and how to put burdens on the horses.

When the Ponca had learned how to ride, and had horses, they went to war again. They attacked the Padouca in their own village. They attacked them so many times and stole so many of their horses that at last the Padouca fled. We do not know where they went. The Ponca followed the Platte River toward the rising sun; then they came back to the Missouri, and they brought their horses with them.



DAKOTA BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS

Dakota

The Dakotas have names for the natural divisions of time. Their years they count by winters. A man is so many winters old, or so many winters have passed since such an event. When one goes on a journey, he says he will be back in so many sleeps. They have no division of time into weeks, and their months are literally by moons.

The Dakotas believe that when the moon is full, a great number of small mice begin to nibble on one side. They nibble until they eat up the entire moon. So when the new moon begins to grow, it is to them really a new moon; the old one has been eaten up.

The Dakota mother loves her baby as well as the white woman does hers. When the spirit takes its flight a wild howl goes up from the tent. The baby form is wrapped in the best buffalo calfskin, or the best red blanket, and laid away on a scaffold or on the branch of some tree. There the mother goes with disheveled hair and oldest clothes, the best ones having been given away, and wails out her sorrow in the twilight, wailing often until far into the cold night. The nice kettle of hominy is prepared, and carried to the scaffold where the spirit hovers for several days. When the kettle has remained there long enough for the wanagi, the spirit, to inhale the food, the little children of the village are invited to eat up the rest.

When a hunter dies, the last act of the medicine man is to sing a song to conduct the spirit over the wanagi tacanku, the spirit's road, as the Milky Way is called. The friends give away their good clothes. They wear ragged clothes, with bare feet, and ashes on their hands. Both within and without the lodge there is a great wailing. "Micinski, micinski, my son, my son," is the lamentation in Dakota land as it was in Israel.

The dead hunter is wrapped in the most beautifully painted buffalo robe, or in the newest red and blue blanket. Young men are called and feasted, and their duty it is to carry the body away and place it on a scaffold, for the dead remain not long in the tepee. In more recent times they bury it. The custom of burial immediately after death, however, was not a Dakota custom. The spirit did not bid farewell to the body for several days after death, and so the body was laid on a high scaffold or in some tree crotch where it would have a good view of the surrounding country, and also be safe from wolves.



WHY THE TETONS BURY ON SCAFFOLDS

Teton

In the olden days, the people buried some men on a hill. Then they removed their camp to another place. Many winters afterwards, a man visited the hill; but there were no graves there. So he told the people.

Then many men came and dug far down into the hill. By and by a man said, "There is a road here."

There they found a road, a tunnel, large enough for men to walk, stooping. Other roads there were. They followed the first road and they came to a place where a strange animal had dragged the bodies of those who were buried in the hill.

Therefore the people refused to bury their dead in the ground. They bury them on scaffolds where the animals cannot reach them.[M]

FOOTNOTE:

[M] At the present day, the Teton gives three reasons for not burying in the ground: animals or persons might walk over the graves; the dead might lie in mud and water after rain or snow; wolves might trouble the bodies.



THE GHOST'S RESENTMENT

Dakota

Long, long ago, a Dakota died and his parents made a death lodge for him on the bluff. In the lodge they made a grave scaffold, on which they laid the body of their son.

Now in that same village of Dakotas lived a young married man. His father lived with him, and there were two old men who used to visit the father and smoke with him, and talk with him about many things.

One night the father of the young man said, "My friends, let us go to the death scaffold and cut off summer robes for ourselves from the tent skins."

The young man said, "No! Do not do so. It was a pity the young man died, and as his parents had nothing else to give up for him they made the death lodge and left it there."

"What use can he get from the tent?" asked the father. "We have no robes, so we wish to use part of the tent skins for ourselves."

"Well, then," said the young man. "Go as you have said and we shall see what will happen."

The old men arose without saying a word and went to the lodge on the bluff. As soon as they were gone, the young man said, "Oh, wife, get my piece of white clay. I must scare one of those old men nearly to death."

But the woman was unwilling, saying, "Let them alone. They have no robes. Let them cut off robes for themselves."

But as the husband would not stop talking about it, the wife got the piece of white clay for him. He whitened his whole body and his face and hands. Then he went to the lodge in a course parallel to that taken by the old men. He went very quickly and reached there before they did.

He climbed the scaffold and lay on it, thrusting his head out through the tent skins just above the doorway.

At last the old men approached, ascending the hill, and talking together in a low tone. The young man lay still, listening to them. When they reached the lodge, they sat down.

The leader said, "Fill your pipe, friends. We must smoke this last time with our friend up there."

"Yes, your friend has spoken well. That should be done," answered one of them.

So he filled the pipe. He drew a whiff, and when the fire glowed, he turned the pipestem toward the seam of the skins above the doorway. He looked up towards the sky, saying, "Ho, friend, here is the pipe. We must smoke with you this last time. And then we must separate. Here is the pipe."

As he said this, he gazed above the doorway and saw a head looking out from the tent.

"Oh! My friends!" he cried. "Look at this place behind you."

When the two looked, they said, "Really! Friends, it is he!" And all fled.

Then the young man leaped down and pursued them. Two of them fell to the ground in terror, but he did not disturb them, going on in pursuit of his father. When the old man was overtaken, he fell to the ground. He was terrified. The young man sat astride of him. He said, "You have been very disobedient! Fill the pipe for me!"

The old man said, "Oh! My grandchild! Oh! My grandchild!" hoping that the ghost would pity him. Then he filled the pipe as he lay stretched there and gave it to his son.

The young man smoked. When he stopped smoking, the old man said, "Oh! My grandchild! Oh! My grandchild! Pity me, and let me go. We thought we must smoke with you this last time, so we went to the place where you were. Oh! My grandchild, pity me."

"If that be so, arise and extend your hands to me in entreaty," said the young man.

The old man arose and did so, saying continually, "Oh! My grandchild! Oh! My grandchild!"

It was as much as the young man could do to keep from laughing. At length he said, "Well! Begone! Beware lest you come again and go around my resting place very often! Do not visit it again!" Then he let the old man go.

On returning to the burial lodge, he found the two old men still lying where they had fallen. When he approached them, they slipped off, with their heads covered, as they were terrified, and he let them go undisturbed. When they had gone, the young man hurried home. He reached there first and after washing himself, reclined at full length.

He said to his wife, "When they return, be sure not to laugh. Make an effort to control yourself. I came very near making them die of fright."

When the old men returned, the young people seemed to be asleep. The old men did not lie down; all sat in silence, smoking together until daylight. When the young man arose in the morning, the old men appeared very sorrowful.

Then he said, "Give me one of the robes that you and your friends cut off and brought back. I, too, have no robe at all."

His father said, "Why! We went there, but we did not get anything at all. We were attacked. We came very near being killed."

To this the son replied, "Why! I was unwilling for this to happen, so I said, 'Do not go,' but you paid no attention to me, and went. But now you think differently and you weep."

When it was night, the young man said, "Go again and make another attempt. Bring back a piece for me, as I have no robe at all."

The old men were unwilling to go again, and they lost their patience, as he teased them so often.



THE FORKED ROADS

Omaha

Long ago, in the days of the grandfathers, a man died and was buried by his village. For four nights his ghost had to walk a very dark trail. Then he reached the Milky Way and there was plenty of light. For this reason, people ought to keep the funeral fires lighted for four nights, so the spirit will not walk in the dark trail.

The spirit walked along the Milky Way. At last he came to a point where the trail forked. There sat an old man. He was dressed in a buffalo robe, with the hair on the outside. He pointed to each ghost the road he was to take. One was short and led to the land of good ghosts. The other was very long; along it the ghosts went wailing.

The spirits of suicides cannot travel either road. They must hover over their graves. For them there is no future life.

A murderer is never happy after he dies. Ghosts surround him and keep up a constant whistling. He is always hungry, though he eat much food. He is never allowed to go where he pleases, lest high winds arise and sweep down upon the others.



TATTOOED GHOSTS

Dakota

If a ghost wishes to walk the Ghost Road safely, then during living the person must tattoo himself either in the forehead or on the wrists. An old woman sits in the Ghost Road and she examines each ghost who passes. If she finds the tattoo marks, then the ghost travels on at once to Many Lodges. If the tattoo marks are not there, the old woman pushes the ghost from a cloud and he falls to this world again. Then he wanders all over the world. He is never quiet. He goes about whistling, with no lodge, and people are afraid of him.

When these ghosts visit the sick, they are driven away by smoke from the sacred cedar, or else cedar is laid outside the lodge. When a person hears a ghost whistling he goes outside the lodge and makes a loud noise. If a ghost calls to a loved one and he answers, then he is sure to die soon.

If a ghost meets a man who is alone, he will catch hold of him and pull his mouth and eyes until they are crooked. Indeed, a ghost did this to a person who only dreamed about one.



A GHOST STORY

Ponca

A great many persons went on the warpath. They were Ponca. As they approached the foe, they camped for the night. They kindled a fire. It was during the night. After kindling a bright fire, they sat down; they made the fire burn very brightly. Rejoicing greatly, they sat eating. Very suddenly a person sang.

"Keep quiet. Push the ashes over that fire. Seize your bow in silence!" said their leader. All took their bows. And they departed to surround him. They made the circle smaller and smaller, and commenced at once to come together. And still he stood singing; he did not stir at all. At length they went very near to the tree. And when they drew very near to it, the singer ceased his song. When they had reached the tree, bones lay there in a pile. Human bones were piled there at the foot of the tree. When persons die, the Dakotas usually suspend the bodies in trees.



THE GHOST AND THE TRAVELER

Teton

Once an Indian alone was just at the edge of a forest. Then the Thunder Beings raised a great storm. So he remained there for the night. After it was dark, he noticed a light in the woods. When he reached the spot, behold! there was a sweat lodge, in which were two persons talking.

One said, "Friend, someone has come and stands without. Let us invite him to share our food."

Then the Indian fled because they were ghosts. But they followed him. He looked back now and then, but he could not see them.

All at once he heard the cry of a woman. He was glad to have company. But the moment he thought about the woman, she appeared. She said, "I have come because you have just wished to have company."

This frightened the man. The woman said, "Do not fear me; else you will never see me again."

They journeyed until daybreak. The man looked at her. She seemed to have no legs, yet she walked without any effort. Then the man thought, "What if she should choke me." Immediately the ghost vanished.



THE MAN WHO SHOT A GHOST

Teton

In the olden time, a man was traveling alone, and in a forest he killed several rabbits. After sunset he was in the midst of the forest. He had to spend the night there, so he made a fire.

He thought this: "Should I meet any danger by and by, I will shoot. I am a man who ought not to regard anything."

He cooked a rabbit, so he was no longer hungry. Just then he heard many voices. They were talking about their own affairs. But the man could see no one.

So he thought: "It seems now that at last I have encountered ghosts."

Then he went and lay under a fallen tree, which was a great distance from the fire. They came around him and whistled, "Hyu! hyu! hyu!"

"He has gone yonder," said one of the ghosts. Then they came and stood around the man, just as people do when they hunt rabbits. The man lay flat beneath the fallen tree, and one ghost came and climbed on the trunk of that tree. Suddenly the ghost gave the cry that a man does when he hits an enemy, "A-he!" Then the ghost kicked the man in the back.

Before the ghost could get away, very suddenly the man shot at him and wounded him in the legs. So the ghost cried as men do in pain, "Au! au! au!" At last he went off, crying as women do, "Yun! yun! yun! yun!"

The other ghosts said to him, "Where did he shoot?"

The wounded ghost said, "He shot me through the head and I have come apart." Then the other ghosts were wailing on the hillside.

The man decided he would go to the place where the ghosts were wailing. So when day came, he went there. He found some graves. Into one of them a wolf had dug, so that the bones could be seen; and there was a wound in the skull.



THE INDIAN WHO WRESTLED WITH A GHOST

Teton

A young man went alone on the warpath. At length he reached a wood. One day, as he was going along, he heard a voice. He said, "I shall have company." As he was approaching a forest, he heard some one halloo. Behold, it was an owl.

By and by he drew near another wood, and as night was coming on he lay down to rest. At the edge of the trees he lay down in the open air. At midnight he was aroused by the voice of a woman. She was wailing, "My son! my son!" Still he remained where he was, and put more wood on the fire. He lay with his back to the fire. He tore a hole in his blanket large enough to peep through.

Soon he heard twigs break under the feet of one approaching, so he looked through his blanket without rising. Behold, a woman of the olden days was coming. She wore a skin dress with long fringe. A buffalo robe was fastened around her at the waist. Her necklace was of very large beads, and her leggings were covered with beads or porcupine work. Her robe was drawn over her head and she was snuffing as she came.

The man lay with his legs stretched out, and she stood by him. She took him by one foot, which she raised very slowly. When she let it go, it fell with a thud as though he were dead. She raised it a second time; then a third time. Still the man did not move. Then the woman pulled a very rusty knife from the front of her belt, seized his foot suddenly and was about to lift it and cut it, when up sprang the man. He said, "What are you doing?" Then he shot at her suddenly. She ran into the forest screaming, "Yun! yun! yun! yun! yun! yun!" She plunged into the forest and was seen no more.

Again the man covered his head with his blanket but he did not sleep. When day came, he raised his eyes. Behold, there was a burial scaffold, with the blankets all ragged and dangling. He thought, "Was this the ghost that came to me?"

Again he came to a wood where he had to remain for the night. He started a fire. As he sat there, suddenly he heard someone singing. He made the woods ring. The man shouted to the singer, but no answer was paid. The man had a small quantity of wasna, which was grease mixed with pounded buffalo meat, and wild cherry; he also had plenty of tobacco.

So when the singer came and asked him for food, the man said, "I have nothing." The ghost said, "Not so; I know you have some wasna."

Then the man gave some of it to the ghost and filled his pipe. After the meal, when the stranger took the pipe and held it by the stem, the traveler saw that it was nothing but bones. There was no flesh. Then the stranger's robe dropped back from his shoulders. Behold, all his ribs were visible. There was no flesh on them. The ghost did not open his lips when he smoked. The smoke came pouring out through his ribs.

When he had finished smoking, the ghost said, "Ho! we must wrestle together. If you can throw me, you shall kill the enemy without hindrance and steal some horses."

The young man agreed. But first he threw an armful of brush on the fire. He put plenty of brush near the fire.

Then the ghost rushed at the man. He seized him with his bony hands, which was very painful; but this mattered not. The man tried to push off the ghost, whose legs were very powerful. When the ghost was pulled near the fire, he became weak; but when he pulled the young man toward the darkness, he became strong. As the fire got low, the strength of the ghost increased. Just as the man began to get weary, the day broke. Then the struggle began again. As they drew near the fire again, the man made a last effort; with his foot he pushed more brush into the fire. The fire blazed up again suddenly. Then the ghost fell, just as if he was coming to pieces.

So the man won in wrestling. Also he killed his enemy and stole some horses. It came out just as the ghost said. That is why people believe what ghosts say.



THE WAKANDA, OR WATER GOD

Yankton

A man and his wife had only one child, they say, whom they loved very much. He used to go playing every day, they say; and one day he fell into the water. His father and mother and all his relations wailed regularly. His father was very sad, they say. He would not sleep within the lodge; he lay out of doors, without any pillow at all. When he lay on the ground with his cheek on the palm of his hand, he heard his child crying. He heard him crying down under the ground, they say. Having assembled all his relations, he spoke of digging into the ground. The relations collected horses to be given as pay; they collected goods and horses. Then came two old men who said they were sacred. They spoke of seeking for the child. An old man went to tell the father. He brought the two sacred men to the lodge. The father filled a pipe with tobacco. He gave it to the sacred men, and said, "If you bring my child back, I will give all this to you."

So they painted themselves; one made his body very black, the other made his body very yellow. Both went into the deep water. So they arrived there, they say. They talked to the wakanda. The child was not dead; he was sitting up, alive.

The men said, "The father demands his child. We have him; we will go homeward," they said.

"You have him; but if you take him homeward with you, he shall die. Had you taken him before he ate anything, he might have lived. Begone ye, and tell those words to his father."

The two men went. They arrived at the lodge, they say.

"We have seen your child; the wakanda's wife has him. We saw him alive, but he has eaten of the food of the wakandas. Therefore the wakanda says that if we bring the child back with us out of the water, he shall die."

Still, the father wished to see him.

"If the wakanda's wife gives you back your child, she desires a very white dog as pay."

"I promise to give her the white dog," said the father.

Again the two men painted themselves; the one made himself very black, the other made himself very yellow. Again they went beneath the water. They arrived at the place again.

"The father said we were to take the child back at any cost; he spoke of seeing his child."

So the wakanda gave the child back to them; homeward they went with him. When they reached the surface of the water with him, the child died. They gave him back to his father. Then all the people wailed when they saw the child, their relation.

They plunged the white-haired dog into the water. When they had buried the child they gave pay to the two men.

After a while, the parents lost another child, a girl, in the same way, they say. But she did not eat any of the wakanda's food, therefore they took her home alive. But it was another wakanda who took her, and he promised to give her back if they would give him four white-haired dogs.



THE SPIRIT LAND

Arapahoe

The spirit world is toward the Darkening Land, higher up, and separated from the world of living by a great lake. Now when the spirits came back to this world [in the ghost-dance excitement] Crow was their leader. That is because Crow is black; his color is the same as that of the Darkening Land. Crow was followed by all the Indians. But when they reached the edge of the shadow land, below them was a great sea.

Far away, toward the Sunrise Land were their people in the world of living. So Crow took a pebble in his beak. He dropped it into the water, and it became a mountain, towering up to the shadow land. So the Indians came down the mountain side to the edge of the water.

Then Crow took some dust in his bill. He flew out and dropped it into the water, and it became solid land. It stretched between the spirit land and the world of living.

Then Crow flew out again, with blades of grass in his beak. He dropped these upon the new made land. At once the earth was covered with green grass.

Again Crow flew out with twigs in his beak, and he dropped these upon the new earth. At once it was covered with a forest of trees.

Again he flew back to the base of the mountain. Then he called all the spirit Indians together. Now he is coming to help the living Indians. He has already passed the sea. He is now on the western edge of the world of living.



WAZIYA, THE WEATHER SPIRIT

Teton

The giant called Waziya knows when there is to be a change of weather. He is a giant. When he travels, his footprints are large enough for several Indians to stand in abreast. His strides are very far apart; at one step he can go over a hill.

When it is cold, people say, "Waziya has returned." They used to pray to him, but when they found he paid no attention to him, they ceased to do it.

When warm weather is coming, Waziya wraps himself in a thick robe. But when cold weather is coming, he wears nothing at all. Waziya, the giant god of the north, and Itokaga, the god of the south, are ever battling. Each in turn wins the victory.



KANSAS BLIZZARDS

Kansa

When there is a blizzard, the other Kansa beg the members of the Tcihaci gens to interpose, as they are the Wind People.

They say, "Oh, grandfather, I wish good weather. Please have one of your children decorated."

Then the youngest son of one of the Wind People, but one half grown, is selected. He is painted all over with red paint. Then he goes out into the storm and rolls over and over the snow, reddening it for some distance. This stops the storm.



[Notes: "KILLED TWO ARIKARA CHIEFS"

(Indian drawing)

The rank of the chiefs is shown by the white weasel skins attacked to their costumes. The arrow in the thigh of the horseman indicates that he was wounded.]



[Notes: MANY TONGUES, OR LOUD TALKER

Oddly enough, the name is given as that of the vanquished, not of the victor, although the balloon of sound would seemingly indicate otherwise. The pipe between the two indicates that the victor is entitled to celebrate his victory.]



IKTO AND THE SNOWSTORM

Teton

Ikto was the first person in this world. He is more cunning than human beings. He it was who named all the animals and people. But sometimes Ikto was tricked by the beings he had created.

One day Ikto was hungry; just then he caught a rabbit. He was about to roast him.

Suddenly Rabbit said, "Oh, Ikto, I will teach you a magic art."

Ikto said, "I have created all things."

"But I will show you something new," said Rabbit. Therefore Ikto consented. He let go of Rabbit.

Rabbit stood in front of Ikto and said, "Elder brother, if you wish snow to fall at any time, take some hair such as this,"—and he pulled out some of his rabbit fur—"and blow it in all directions; there will be a blizzard."

Rabbit made a deep snow in this way, though the leaves were green.

At once, Ikto began to pull his own fur and say magic words. Rabbit made a long leap and ran away. Ikto pulled his fur and blew it about. But there was no snow. Then he pulled more fur, and blew it about. Still there was no snow. It was only rabbit fur that made the snow.



THE SOUTHERN BRIDE

Cherokee

North went traveling, and after a long time, and after visiting many tribes, he fell in love with the daughter of South.

South and his wife said, "No. Ever since you came the weather has been cold. If you stay we will all freeze."

North said he would go back to his own country. So South let his daughter marry him. Then North went back to his own country with South's daughter. All the people there lived in ice houses.

The next day, after sunrise, the houses began to leak. The ice began to melt. It grew warmer and warmer. Then North's people came to him. They said, "It is the daughter of the South. If she lives here all the lodges will melt. You must send her back to her father."

North said, "No."

But every day it grew hotter. The lodges began to melt away. The people said North must send his wife home. Therefore North had to send her back to South.



THE FALLEN STAR

Dakota

A people had this camp. And there were two women sleeping out of doors and looking up at the stars.

One of them said, "I wish that that large and bright shining star were my husband."

The other said, "I wish the star that shines less brightly were my husband."

And immediately both were immediately carried upward, they say. They found themselves in a beautiful country which was full of beautiful twin flowers. And they found that the star which had shone most brightly was a large man; the other star was only a young man. So the two stars married the two women and they lived in that beautiful Star Country.

Now in that country was a plant, the Teepsinna, with large, attractive stalks. The wife of the large star wanted to dig them. Her husband said, "No; no one does so here."

Then the camp moved. When the woman had pitched her tepee, and came inside to lay the mats, she saw there a beautiful teepsinna. She said to herself, "I will dig this; no one will see me." So she took her digging stick and dug the teepsinna; but when she pulled it out of the earth, the foundation of the Star Country broke and she fell through with her baby. So the woman died; but the baby was not injured. It lay there stretched out.

An old man came that way. When he saw that the baby was alive, he took it in his blanket and took it to his own lodge. He said to his wife, "Old woman, I saw something today that made my heart feel badly."

"What was it?" she asked.

"A woman lay dead; and a little baby boy lay beside her kicking."

"Why did you not bring it home, old man?" she asked.

"Here it is," he said. Then he took it out of his blanket.

The wife said, "Old man, let us adopt this child."

The old man said, "We will swing it around the tepee." He whirled it up through the smoke hole. It went whirling around and around and fell down, and came creeping into the tent.

Again he took up the baby and threw it up through the smoke hole. It got up and came into the tent walking. Again the old man whirled him out. In came a boy with some green sticks. He said, "Grandfather, I wish you would make me arrows."

Again the old man whirled him out. No one knows where he went. This time he came back into the tepee a long man, with many green sticks. He said, "Grandfather, make me arrows of these."

So the old man made him arrows, and he killed a great many buffaloes, and they made a large tepee, and built up a high sleeping place in the back part of the tepee, and were very rich in dried meat.

The old man said, "Old woman, I am glad we are well off; I will proclaim it abroad." So when morning came, he went to the top of the tent, and sat, and said, "I, I have abundance laid up. I eat the fat of the animals."

That is how the meadow lark came to be made, they say. It has a yellow breast and black in the middle, which is the yellow of that morning, and they say the black stripe is made by a smooth buffalo horn worn for a necklace.

The young man said, "Grandfather, I want to go visiting."

"Yes," said the old man. "When one is young is the time to go visiting."

The young man went and came to a people, and lo! they were engaged in shooting arrows through a hoop. And there was a young man who was simply looking on. By and by he said, "My friend, let us go to your house."

So they came to his lodge. Now this young man also had been raised by his grandmother, and lived with her, they say.

"Grandmother, I have brought my friend home with me; get him something to eat," said the grandson.

Grandmother said, "What shall I do?"

Then the visiting young man said, "How is it, grandmother?"

She said, "The people are about to die of thirst. All who go for water will not come back again."

Fallen Star said, "My friend, take a kettle; we will go for water."

"With difficulty have I raised my grandchild," objected the old woman.

"You are afraid of trifles," said the grandson. So he went with Star-born.

They reached the side of the lake. By the water of the lake stood troughs half full of water.

Star-born called out, "You who they say have killed every one who has come for water, where have you gone? I have come for water."

Then immediately whither they went is not manifest. Behold, there was a long house which was extended, and it was full of young men and women. Some of them were dead and some were dying.

"How did you come here?" asked Star-born.

They replied, "What do you mean? We came for water and something swallowed us."

Something kept striking on the head of Star-born.

"What is this?" he said.

"Get away," they replied, "that is the heart."

Then he drew out his knife and cut it to pieces. Suddenly something made a great noise. In the great body, these people were swallowed up. When the heart died, death came to the body. Then Star-born cut a great hole in the side, and came out, bringing the young men and the young women. All came to life again.

So the people were thankful and offered him two wives.

But he said, "I am journeying. My friend here will marry them."

Then Star-born went on, they say. Again he found a young man standing where they were shooting through a hoop. He said, "I will look on with my friend," and went and stood beside him.

Then the other said, "My friend, let us go home," so he went with him to his tepee.

"Grandmother, I have brought my friend home with me," he said. "Get him something to eat."

Grandmother replied, "How shall I do as you say?"

"How is it?" said Star-born.

"This people are perishing for wood," she said; "when any one goes for wood, he never comes home again."

Star-born said, "My friend, take the packing strap; we will go for wood."

The old woman protested. "This one, my grandchild, I have raised with difficulty," she said. He answered, "Old woman, what you are afraid of are trifles," and went with the young man. "I am going to bring wood," he said. "If any wish to go, come along."

"The young man who came from somewhere says this," they said, so they followed him.

They had now reached the wood. They found it tied up in bundles. He ordered them to carry it home, but he stood still and said, "You who killed every one who came to this wood, where have you gone?"

Then, suddenly, where he went was not made manifest. And lo! a tepee, and in it some young men and young women; some were eating, and some were waiting.

He said to them, "How came you here?"

They answered, "What do you mean? We came for wood and something brought us here. Now you also are lost."

He looked behind him, and lo! there was a hole.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Stop!" they said. "That is the thing itself."

He drew out an arrow and shot it. Then suddenly it opened out and behold! it was the ear of an owl in which they had been shut up. When it was killed, it opened out. Then he said, "Young men and women, come out," so they went home.

Again they offered him two wives. But he said, "My friend will marry them. I am traveling."

Again he passed on. And he came to a dwelling place of people and found them shooting the hoop. There stood a young man looking on. He joined him as his friend. While they stood there together, he said:

"Friend, let us go to your home." So he went with him to his tepee.

The young man said, "Grandmother, I have brought my friend home with me; get him something to eat."

She said, "Where shall I get it from, that you say that?"

"Grandmother, how is it that you say so?" asked the stranger.

She replied, "Waziya treats this people very badly. When they go out to kill buffalo, he takes it all, and now they are starving to death."

Now Waziya was a giant who caused very cold weather and blizzards.

Then he said, "Grandmother, go to him and say, 'My grandchild has come on a journey and has nothing to eat; so he has sent me to you.'"

So the old woman went and standing at a distance, cried, "Waziya, my grandchild has come on a journey and has nothing to eat; so he has sent me to you."

He replied, "Bad old woman, get you home; what do you mean by coming here?"

The old woman came home crying, and saying that Waziya had threatened to kill some of her relations.

Star-born said, "My friend, take your strap; we will go there."

The old woman interfered: "I have with difficulty raised my grandchild."

Grandchild replied to this by saying, "Grandmother is very much afraid." So the two went together.

When they came to the house of Waziya, they found a great deal of dried meat outside. He put as much on his friend as he could carry, and sent him home with it; then Star-born entered the tepee of Waziya, and said to him, "Waziya, why did you answer my grandmother as you did when I sent her to you?"

Waziya only looked angry.

Hanging there was a bow of ice. "Waziya, why do you keep this?" he said.

The giant replied, "Hands off; whoever touches that gets a broken arm."

Star-born said, "I will see if my arm breaks." He took the ice bow and snapped it into many pieces, and then started home.

The next morning all the people went on the chase and killed many buffaloes. But, as he had done before, the Waziya went all over the field, gathered up all the meat, and put it in his blanket.

Star-born was cutting up a fat cow. Waziya came and stood there. He said, "Who cuts this up?"

"I am," answered Star-born.

Waziya said, "From where have you come that you act so haughtily?"

"Whence have you come, Waziya, that you act so proudly?" he retorted.

Waziya said, "Fallen Star, whoever points his finger at me dies." The young man thought, "I will point my finger at him and see if I die." He pointed his finger, but it made no difference.

Then Fallen Star said, "Waziya, whoever points his finger at me, his hand loses all use." So Waziya thought, "I will point my finger and see." He pointed his finger. His forearm lost all use. Then he pointed his finger with the other hand. It was destroyed even to the elbow.

Then Fallen Star drew out his knife and cut up Waziya's blanket, and all the buffalo meat he had gathered there fell out. Fallen Star called to the people, "Henceforth kill and carry home."

So the people took the meat and carried it to their tepees.

The next morning, they say, it was rumored that the blanket of Waziya, which had been cut to pieces, had been sewed up by his wife. He was about to shake it.

The giant stood with his face toward the north and shook his blanket. Then the wind blew from the north. Snow fell all about the camp so that the people were all snowed in. They were much troubled. They said, "We did live in some fashion before; but now this young man has acted so we are in great trouble."

But he said, "Grandmother, find me a fan."

Then she made a road under the snow, and went to people and said, "My grandchild says he wants a fan."

"What does he mean by saying that?" they asked and gave him one.

Now the snow reached to the top of the lodges, and so Fallen Star pushed up through the snow, and sat on the ridge of the lodge. While the wind was blowing to the south, he sat and fanned himself and made the wind come from the south. Then the heat became great. The snow went as if boiling water had been poured over it. All over the ground there was a mist. Waziya and his wife and children all died with the great heat. But the youngest child, the littlest child of Waziya, took refuge in the hole made by the tent pole, where there was a frost, and so he lived. So they say that is all that is left of Waziya now, just the littlest child.



QUARREL OF THE SUN AND MOON

Omaha

"I am out of patience with you," said Moon to Sun. "Although I bring people together, you scatter them. Thus many are lost."

"I have desired many people to grow," said Sun, "and so I have scattered them; but you have been putting them in darkness and thus have you been killing many with hunger. Ho! ye people!" called the Sun. "Many of you shall mature. I will look down on you from above. I will direct you, whatever you do."

Then Moon said, "And I, too, will dwell so. I will collect you; when it is dark, you shall assemble in full numbers, and sleep. I myself will rule you, whatever you do. And we shall walk in the road, one after the other. I will walk behind him."

Moon is just like a woman. She always walks with a kettle on her arm.



WHY THE POSSUM PLAYS DEAD

Cherokee

Rabbit and Possum each wanted a wife, but no one would marry either of them. They talked over the matter and Rabbit said, "We can't get wives here. Let's go to the next village. I'll say I'm messenger for the council and that everybody must marry at once, and then we'll be sure to get wives."

Off they started for the next town. As Rabbit traveled the faster, he got there first. He waited outside the village until people noticed him and took him into the council lodge. When the chief asked his business, Rabbit said he brought an important message: everyone must be married at once. So the chief called a great council of the people and told them the message.

Every animal took a mate at once, and thus Rabbit got a wife.

But Possum traveled slowly. Therefore he reached the village so late that all the men were married and there was no wife for him. Rabbit pretended to be sorry. He said, "Never mind. I'll carry the same message to the next village."

So Rabbit traveled ahead to the next village. He waited outside until they invited him to the council lodge. There he told the chief he brought an important message: there had been peace so long, there must be war at once. The war must begin in the council lodge.

The animals all began to fight at once, but Rabbit got away in just four leaps. Then Possum reached the lodge. Now Possum had brought no weapons. So all the animals began to fight Possum. They hit him so hard that after a while he rolled over in a corner and shut his eyes and pretended to be dead. That is why Possum pretends to be dead when he finds the hunters after him.



BOG MYTH

Dakota

Bogs are very mysterious. Strange things, with thick hair, remain at the bottom of a bog. These things have no eyes, but they eat everything which comes to them, and from their bodies water flows always. When one of these Beings wishes, he changes his place of abode. He lives at a new place. Then the old place where he lived dries up; but a fresh spring of water gushes from his new lodge. The water of this spring is warm in winter; but in summer it is as cold as ice. Before one dares drink of it, he prays to the water, else he may bring illness on himself for irreverence.

In the olden days, one of the Bog Beings was pulled out of a bog and carried to the camp. A special tepee was built for him. But so much water flowed all around that the people were almost drowned. Then those who were not drowned offered him food. He sat motionless, gazing at them. But the food vanished before they could see it go; and no one saw the Bog Being eat it.



COYOTE AND SNAKE

Omaha

Coyote was going in a straight line across the prairie. While he was seeking something, a person said suddenly, "Stop!" Coyote thought, "Who can it be?"

He looked all around but saw no one. Then he walked on a few steps, when some one said, "Walk around me!" Then Coyote saw it was Snake.

"Humph!" said Coyote. "When I walk here, I do not wish to walk around anyone at all. You go to one side. Get out of my way!"

Snake replied, "I am here. I have never thought for a moment of giving place to anyone!"

"Even if you think so," said Coyote, "I will run over you."

"If you do so, you shall die," said Snake.

"Why should I die? There is nothing that can kill me," said Coyote.

"Come! Step over me. Do it in spite of me," said Snake. Then Coyote stepped over him. And Snake bit him. But Coyote did not feel it.

"Where is it? You said that if I stepped over you, I should die. Where have I received my death blow?" said Coyote.

Snake made no reply and Coyote walked on. After some time he came to a creek. As he was about to drink, he saw himself in the water. He seemed very fat.

"Whew!" he said. "I was never so before. I am very fat." Saying this, he felt himself all over; but that was all he did. Then he walked on until he felt sleepy. He said, "I am very sleepy." So he pushed his way into the thick grass and fell asleep. Coyote did not wake up. Snake had told the truth.



WHY THE WOLVES HELP IN WAR

Dakota

Once upon a time an Indian found a wolf den, and began digging into it to get the cubs.

Wolf Mother appeared, barking. She said, "Pity my children," but he paid no attention to her. So she ran for her husband.

Wolf Father soon appeared. He barked. Still the man dug into the den. Then Wolf Father sang a beautiful song. He sang, "O man, pity my children, and I will teach you one of my arts." He ended with a howl which caused a fog. When the Wolf Father howled again, the fog disappeared.

The man thought, "These animals have mysterious gifts." So he tore up his red blanket into small pieces. He tied a piece around the neck of each of the wolf cubs, as a necklace. Then he painted them with red paint and put them back into the den.

Wolf Father was very grateful. He said, "When you go to war hereafter, I will go with you. I will bring about whatever you wish." Then the man went away.

After a while the man went on the warpath. Just as he came in sight of the village of the enemy, a large wolf met him.

Wolf said, "By and by I will sing. Then you shall steal their horses when they least suspect danger."

So the man stopped on a hill close to the village. And the wolf sang. After that he howled, making a high wind arise. The horses fled to the forest, but many stopped on the hillside. When the wolf howled again, the wind died down and a mist arose. So the man on the warpath took as many horses as he pleased.



HOW RABBIT ESCAPED FROM THE WOLVES

Cherokee

Once upon a time, Wolves caught Rabbit. They were going to eat him, but Rabbit said he would show them a new dance. Now the Wolves knew that Rabbit was a good dancer, so they made a ring around him.

Rabbit pattered with his feet and began to dance around in a circle, singing,

On the edge of the field I dance about, Ha' nia lil! lil! Ha' nia lil! lil!

Then the Rabbit stopped a minute. He said, "Now when I sing 'on the edge of the field,' I dance that way"—and he danced over in that direction; "and when I sing 'lil! lil!' you must all stamp your feet hard."

The Wolves liked that. They liked new dances.

Rabbit began singing the same song, dancing nearer to the field, while all the Wolves stamped their feet. He sang the song again, dancing still nearer the edge of the field. The fourth time he sang it, while the Wolves were stamping their feet as hard as they could. Rabbit made one jump off and leaped through the long grass. The Wolves raced after him, but Rabbit ran for a hollow stump and climbed inside. When the Wolves got there, one of them put his head inside, but Rabbit hit him on the eye and he pulled his head out. The others were afraid to try, so they went away and left Rabbit in the stump.



HOW RABBIT LOST HIS FAT

Omaha

At first all the four-footed animals were fat. The one who made them wished to know if they looked well so fat. So he called all the four-footed animals together. He seized by the head each one who did not look handsome with the fat, and scraped it all off.

At length someone took Rabbit to him.

"Fat makes me handsome," said Rabbit "I will be the one."

"Let me see! Come here!" said the one who made the animals. Then he made Rabbit fat. Then he looked at him. "Fat makes you ugly beyond measure."

So he seized Rabbit by the head and scraped off the fat from the base of his neck. But he pulled suddenly at the flesh in the space between the shoulders. Therefore, ever since then Rabbit has had a hollow space between his shoulders, and only in that place is there a piece of fat.

At length the person who made the animals saw that Raccoon was the only person who looked well when fat. So he made the whole body of Raccoon fat.



HOW FLINT VISITED RABBIT

Cherokee

Long ago, in the old days, Flint lived up in the mountains, and all the animals hated him because he had helped to kill so many of them. All the arrowheads were made of flint. They used to have councils. They tried to think of some means of killing him. But everybody was afraid to go near to his house, until at last Rabbit, who was the boldest, offered to try to kill Flint.

So Rabbit asked the trail to Flint's house. At last he reached the house.

Flint was standing at the door of his lodge when Rabbit reached there. He said, "Siyu! Hello! Are you the fellow they call Flint?"

"Yes; that's what they call me," said Flint.

"Is this where you live?"

"Yes; this is where I live."

All the time Rabbit was looking at the lodge and all about him. He was trying to think how to kill Flint. Rabbit had expected Flint to invite him into his lodge. But Flint only stood in the door.

Rabbit said, "My name is Rabbit. I've heard a good deal about you, so I came to see you."

Flint said, "Where is your lodge?"

"Down in the broom-grass field near the river," said Rabbit.

Flint said, "I will come and visit you after a while."

Rabbit said, "Come now and have supper with me."

So Rabbit coaxed Flint until he said yes, and the two started down the mountain side together.

When they came near Rabbit's hole, Rabbit said, "There is my lodge, but in summer I stay outside here, where it is cooler."

So he made a fire and they had their supper on the grass. When supper was over, Flint stretched out on the grass to rest. Rabbit picked up some heavy sticks and his knife, and cut a mallet and wedge.

Flint looked up and said, "What is that for?"

"Oh," said Rabbit, "I like to be doing something and they may come in handy."

Flint lay down again and soon he was sound asleep. Rabbit spoke to him once or twice, but he did not answer. Then Rabbit came over to Flint and with one blow of the mallet drove the stake through Flint. Then he ran with all his might for his own hole. But before he reached it, there was a loud explosion, and pieces of flint flew all about. That is why we find flint in so many places now. One piece struck Rabbit and cut him just as he dived into his hole. He sat listening until everything was quiet again. Then he put his head out to look around, just as another piece fell. It cut his lip, just as we see it now.



HOW RABBIT CAUGHT THE SUN IN A TRAP

Omaha

Once upon a time Rabbit dwelt in a lodge with no one but his grandmother. It was his custom to go hunting very early in the morning. But no matter how early in the morning he went, a person with a very long foot had been along, leaving a trail. Rabbit wished to know him.

"Now," he thought, "I will go in advance of that person." Having risen very early in the morning, he departed, but again it happened that the person had been along, leaving a trail. Then Rabbit went home.

"Grandmother," he said, "though I arrange for myself to go first, a person goes ahead of me every time. Grandmother, I will make a snare and I will catch him."

"Why should you do it?" she asked.

"I hate the person," he said.

Again Rabbit departed. And again had the footprints gone along. So Rabbit lay waiting for night to come. Then he made a noose of a bowstring, setting it where the footprints were commonly seen.

Next morning Rabbit reached the place very early, to see what he had caught in his trap. And it happened that he had caught the Sun. Running very fast, he went homewards to tell about it.

"Grandmother," he said, "I have caught something or other but it scares me. Grandmother, I wished to take away my bowstring, but I was scared every time."

So he went there again with a knife. This time he got very near it.

"You have done wrong. Why have you done it? Come and untie me," said the Sun.

The Rabbit, although he went to untie him, kept going past him a little on one side. Then he made a rush with his head bent down and his arm stretched out, and cut the bowstring with his knife. And the Sun rose into the sky. But Rabbit had the hair between his shoulders scorched yellow by the heat of the Sun as he stooped and cut the bowstring. Then Rabbit arrived at his lodge.

"I am burnt. Oh, grandmother! the heat has left nothing of me," he said.

Grandmother said, "Oh, my grandchild! I think the heat has left to me nothing of him!"

From that time Rabbit has always had a singed spot upon his back, between his shoulders.



HOW RABBIT KILLED THE GIANT

Omaha

When Rabbit was going on a journey, he came to a certain village. The people said, "Halloo! Rabbit has come as a visitor."

On meeting him, they said, "Whom did you come to see?"

"Why, I will go to the lodge of any one," said Rabbit.

"But the people have nothing to eat," they said. "The Giant is the only one who has anything to eat. You ought to go to his lodge."

Yet, the Rabbit passed on to the end lodge and entered it.

"Friend, we have nothing to eat," said the host.

"Why, my friend," said Rabbit, "when there is nothing, people eat anything they can get."

At length the Giant invited Rabbit to a feast.

"Oh ho!" called the man whose lodge Rabbit had entered. "Friend, you are invited. Hasten!"

Now all the people were afraid of the Giant. No matter what animal anyone killed, the Giant kept all of the meat.

Rabbit arrived at the lodge of the Giant. As he entered, the host said, "Oh! Pass around to that side." But Rabbit leaped over and took a seat. At length food was given him. He ate it very rapidly but left some which he hid in his robe. Then he pushed the bowl aside.

"Friend," he said to the Giant, "here is the bowl." Then he said, "Friend, I must go." He sprang past the fireplace at one leap, at the second leap his feet touched the chest of the Giant's servant, and with another leap he had gone.

When Rabbit reached the lodge where he was visiting, he gave his host the food he had not eaten. The man and his wife were glad to eat it, since they had been without food.

Next morning, the crier passed through the village, commanding the people to be stirring.

They said, "The Giant is the one for whom they are to kill game." So they all went hunting. They scared some animals out of a dense forest and shot at them. Rabbit went thither very quickly. He found Giant had reached there before him and taken all the game. When Rabbit heard shooting in another place, he went thither, but again found the Giant was before him.

"This is provoking!" thought Rabbit.

When some persons shot at game in another place Rabbit noticed it, and went thither immediately, reaching the spot before the Giant.

"Friend," he said to the man who had killed the deer, "let us cut it up."

The man was unwilling. He said, "No, friend, the Giant will come by and by."

"Pshaw, friend," said Rabbit. "When one kills animals, he cuts them up and then makes an equal distribution of the pieces," said the Rabbit.

Still the man refused, fearing the Giant. So Rabbit rushed forward and seized the deer by the feet.

When he had only slit the skin, the Giant arrived.

"You have done wrong. Let it alone," Giant said.

"What have I done wrong?" asked Rabbit. "When one kills game, he cuts it up and makes an equal distribution of the pieces."

"Let it alone, I say," said the Giant.

But Rabbit continued to insert the knife in the meat.

"I will blow that thing into the air," said the Giant.

"Blow me into the air! Blow me into the air!" said Rabbit.

So the Giant went closer to him, and when he blew at him the Rabbit went up into the air with his fur blown apart. Striding past, the Giant seized the deer, put it through his belt, and departed. That was his custom. He took all the deer that were killed, hung them on his belt, and took them to his lodge. He was a very tall person.

At night Rabbit wandered around, and at last went all around the Giant's lodge. He seized an insect and said to it, "Oh, insect! You shall go and bite the Giant right in the side."

At length when it was morning, it was said the Giant was ill. Then he died.

The people said, "Make a village for Rabbit!"

But Rabbit said, "I do not wish to be chief. I have left my old woman by herself, so I will return to her."



HOW THE DEER GOT HIS HORNS

Cherokee

Long ago, in the beginning, Deer had no horns. His head was smooth like a doe's. Now Deer was a very fast runner, but Rabbit was a famous jumper. So the animals used to talk about it and wonder which could go the farther in the same time. They talked about it a great deal. They decided to have a race between the two, and they made a pair of large antlers to be given to whoever could run the faster. Deer and Rabbit were to start together from one side of a thicket, go through it, and then turn and come back. The one who came out of the thicket first was to receive the horns.

On a certain day all the animals were there. They put the antlers down on the ground to mark the starting point. Everyone admired the horns. But Rabbit said, "I don't know this part of the country; I want to look through the bushes where I am to run."

So the Rabbit went into the thicket, and stayed a long time. He was gone so long the animals suspected he was playing a trick. They sent a messenger after him. Right in the middle of the thicket he found Rabbit, gnawing down the bushes and pulling them away to make a clear road for himself.

The messenger came back quietly and told the animals. When Rabbit came back, they accused him of cheating. Rabbit said, "No," but at last they all went into the thicket and found the road he had made. Therefore the animals gave the antlers to Deer, saying that he was the better runner. That is why deer have antlers. And because Rabbit cut the bushes down, he is obliged to keep cutting them down, as he does to this day.



WHY THE DEER HAS BLUNT TEETH

Cherokee

One day after the race which they did not run, Rabbit stretched a large grapevine across the trail, gnawing it nearly in two in the middle. Then he went back on the trail, took a run, and jumped up at the vine. He did this again and again. At last Deer came along and asked him to tell what he was doing.

"Don't you see?" said Rabbit. "I'm so strong I can bite through that grapevine at one jump."

Deer said, "Do it." Rabbit ran back, made a long leap, and bit through the vine where he had gnawed it before.

Deer said, "Well, I can do it if you can."

So Rabbit stretched a larger grapevine across the trail but without gnawing it in the center. Deer ran back as he had seen Rabbit do, made a spring, and struck the grapevine right in the center. It only flew back and threw him over.

Deer tried again and again, but he was only bruised and hurt.

"Let me see your teeth," said Rabbit. They were long like a wolf's teeth but not very sharp.

"No wonder you cannot do it," said Rabbit. "Your teeth are too blunt to bite anything. Let me sharpen them for you so they are like mine. My teeth are so sharp I can cut through a stick just like a knife."

And Rabbit showed Deer a black locust twig, of which rabbits gnaw the young shoots, which he had shaved off as well as a knife could do it.

So Deer let Rabbit sharpen his teeth. But Rabbit got a hard stone with rough edges and ground down the Deer's teeth until they were blunt.

"Now try it," said Rabbit to Deer. So Deer tried it again, but he could not bite at all.

"Now you've paid for your horns," said Rabbit as he sprang through the underbrush. That is why the Deer's teeth are blunt.



LEGEND OF THE HEAD OF GOLD

Dakota

A man had four children. And they were all young men, but they were poor and it seemed as if they would die of laziness. The old man said, "Behold! old woman. I have the greatest pity for my youngest child, and I do not wish him to die of poverty. See here; let us seek the Great Mystery, Wakantanka. If we find him, behold! I will give the boy to him to train up well for me."

"Yes, old man; you say well. We will do so," said the old woman. So at once they went toward the Darkening Land, seeking Wakantanka. They came to a very high hill; and as they came to it, behold! another man came there also.

The stranger said, "For what are you seeking?"

"Alas, my friend," the old man said, "my child, whom I pity, I wish to give to Wakantanka, the Great Mystery, and so I am seeking him."

"Yes, friend. I am Wakantanka," said the man. "My friend, give him to me. I will take him to my home."

So when the father gave up the boy, the Great Mystery took him to a house that stood up like the clouds. He said, "Look at this house as much as you like. Take good care of these horses. But do not look into the little house that stands here."

Having said this, he gave him all the keys. He added, "Yes, have a watch of this. Lo, I am going on a journey." He said this and went away.

It was evening; he came home with a great many men, who sat down, filling the house. When they had been there a good while one of them said, "The boy is good; that is enough." Saying this, he went out. In like manner, all the men went home.

Then again Wakantanka said, "Behold, I go on a journey. Stay here and keep watch." So again he went away.

While the boy was watching, one of the horses said, "Friend, go into the little house where you are commanded not to look, and inside in the middle of the floor stands something yellow. Dip your head in that and make haste—we two are together. When he brings home a great many men, they will eat you, as they will eat me, but I am unwilling—we two shall share the same," he said.

So the boy went into the little house. In the middle of the floor stood a round yellow thing into which he dipped his head. Immediately his head became golden and the house was shining and full of light.

Then he came out and jumped on the horse that had talked to him and they fled.

They went very fast. Now when they had gone a long way, behold! there came after them the one who called himself Wakantanka. He shouted, "You bad rascals, stop! You shall not live! Where will you go in such a small country as this?"

Saying this he came toward them and they were much frightened. Again he shouted, "You bad rascals, stop! You shall not live." And indeed it seemed as if they could not live.

Then the horse said, "Take the egg you have and throw it behind us." The boy did so. At once the whole country became a sea. He who followed was obliged to stop. He said, "Alas, my horse, have mercy on me and take me to the other side. If you do, I will value you very highly."

"Oh, I am not willing to do that," the horse replied. But he continued to urge. Then he threw himself down from above the water, so that when he came to the middle of it, he went down and both he and the horse were drowned. But the boy passed safely on.

So he came to the dwellings of people and remained there. But from behind they came to attack and fought with them. But the boy turned his head around, and his head was covered with gold; also the horse he sat upon was golden, and those who came against him were thrown off their horses and only a few remained when the battle was over. Again, when they returned to the attack, he destroyed them all. So the boy was much thought of by the people.



THE MILKY WAY

Cherokee

Now the Indians had a corn mill, in which they pounded the corn into meal. Several mornings when they came to the stone in which the corn was pounded, they saw that some of the meal had been stolen. Therefore they looked at the ground. They found the tracks of a dog.

The next night, the people watched, and when the dog came from the north, they saw him begin to eat meal out of the stone bowl. Then they sprang out and whipped him.

The dog ran howling back to the north, dropping the meal from his mouth as he ran. Therefore he left behind a white trail where we now see the Milky Way. But the Cherokees called it "Where-the-dog-ran."



COYOTE AND GRAY FOX

Ponca

Gray fox was very fat. Coyote said, "Younger brother, what has made you fat?" "Elder brother," said the Gray Fox, "I lie down on the trail in the way of those who carry crackers, and I pretend to be dead. When they throw me in the wagon, I lie there, kicking the crackers out. Then I leap out and start home eating. It is the crackers which make me fat. Elder brother, I wish you would do likewise. Elder brother, you have large feet, so I think will knock out a great many crackers."

Coyote went to the place and lay down in the trail. When the white man came along, he threw Coyote into the wagon. The white man thought, "It is not the first time he has acted in this way," so he tied the feet of Coyote. Having put the Coyote in the wagon, the white man went to his house. He threw Coyote out near an old outhouse. Then the white man brought a knife, and cut the cords which bound Coyote's feet. He acted as if Coyote was dead, so he threw him over his back and started off for the house.

But Coyote managed to get loose and ran homeward. He went back to get even with Gray Fox.

"Oh, younger brother," said Coyote, "you have made me suffer."

"You yourself are to blame," said Gray Fox. "Be silent and listen to me. You brought the trouble on yourself as you lay down in the place where the white man came with his load of goods."

"Oh, younger brother, you tell the truth," said Coyote. But Gray Fox had tempted him.



ICTINIKE AND THE TURTLE

Omaha

Ictinike was journeying. When he came in sight at a bend of a stream, Big Turtle was sitting there in a sheltered place warmed by the sun. Ictinike drew himself back out of sight, crouching at intervals as he retraced his steps, and ran down the hill to where Big Turtle was.

"Why! How is it that you continue to pay no attention to what is going on? It has been said that yonder stream is to dry up so that all the four-footed animals that frequent the water have kept close to the deep water," said Ictinike.

Big Turtle said, "Why! I have been coming here regularly, but I have not heard anything at all. I usually come and sit in this place when the sun gets as high as it is at present."

"Hurry!" said Ictinike, "for some of the young men died very soon for want of water. The young otters died, so did the young muskrats, the young beavers, and the young raccoons."

"Come, let us go," said Big Turtle. So Ictinike departed with him. As he accompanied him, Ictinike sought for a dry bone. Having found one that would be good as a club, Ictinike said, "Friend, go on. Mingam."

When he was alone, Ictinike seized the bone, and before long overtook Big Turtle, walking along beside him.

"Friend," said he, "when a person walks, he stretches his neck often."

So Big Turtle began to stretch his neck very far, and he was walking with his legs bent very much. As he was going thus, Ictinike gave him a hard blow on the neck, knocking him senseless, and he did not stop beating him until he had killed him.

"Ha, ha!" said Ictinike, as he carried Big Turtle away. "There are some days when I act thus for myself."

He kindled a fire and began to roast Big Turtle. Then he became very sleepy, and said, "Ho! I will sleep, but you, O, Ijaxe, must keep awake. Big Turtle, when you are cooked, you must say, 'Puff!'"

So he went to sleep. Now Coyote came along, very cautiously. He seized Big Turtle, pulled one of the legs out of the fire, and sat there, biting off the meat. When he had eaten all the meat on all the legs, he pushed the bones back just as they had been before, arranged the fire over them, and left after putting everything just as he had found it.

At length Ictinike awoke. He pushed into the ashes to find Big Turtle, took hold of a leg, and pulled it out. Only that leg came out. "Pshaw!" said he. Then he tried another leg, with a like result, and still another, but only the bones appeared. When he had pulled out the fourth leg, he was astonished. All at once he exclaimed, "Surprising! I had already eaten the Turtle, but I had forgotten it."



ICTINIKE AND THE CREATORS

Omaha

Ictinike married and dwelt in a lodge. One day he said to his wife, "Hand me that tobacco pouch. I must go visit your grandfather, Beaver." So he departed.

As he was entering Beaver's lodge, Beaver said, "Ho, pass around to one side." And they seated Ictinike on a pillow. Beaver's wife said, "We have been without food. How can we give your grandfather anything to eat?" Now Beaver had four young ones.

The youngest Beaver said, "Father, let me serve for food." So the youngest Beaver served for food. Beaver's wife therefore gave some of the meat to Ictinike, who ate it. But before letting him eat it, Beaver said to him, "Be careful lest you break even a single bone by biting! Do not break a bone!" Yet Ictinike broke one of the toe bones.

After the meal, Beaver gathered the bones, put them in a skin, and plunged them beneath the water. In a moment the youngest Beaver came up from the water, alive again.

When the father said, "Is all right?" the son said, "Father, he broke one of my toes by biting." Therefore, from that time, every beaver has had one little toe (the next to the little one), which has seemingly been split by biting.

When Ictinike was about to go home, he pretended he had forgotten about his tobacco pouch, which he left behind. So Beaver said to one of the children, "Take that to him. Do not go near him, but throw it to him when you are at a great distance from him, as he is always very talkative."

Then the child took the tobacco pouch and started after Ictinike. After getting in sight of the latter, Little Beaver was about to throw the pouch, when standing at a great distance; but Ictinike called to him, "Come closer! come closer!" When young Beaver took the pouch closer, Ictinike said, "Tell your father that he is to visit me."

When young Beaver reached home, he said, "Oh, father, he said you were to visit him."

Beaver replied, "As I feared that very thing, I said to you, 'Throw it to him while standing at a great distance from him.'"

Then Beaver went to visit Ictinike. When he arrived there, Ictinike wished to kill one of his own children, as Beaver had done, and was making him cry by hitting him often. Beaver was unwilling for him to act thus, so he said, "Let him alone! You are hurting him!" Then Beaver went to the stream where he found a young beaver that he took back to the lodge, and they ate it.

On another day, Ictinike said to his wife, "Hand me that tobacco pouch. I must go call on your grandfather, Muskrat." So he departed. As he was entering Muskrat's lodge, the host said, "Ho, pass around to one side." And Ictinike was seated on a pillow.

Muskrat's wife said, "We have been without food. How can we give your grandfather anything to eat?"

Muskrat said, "Fetch some water."

The woman brought the water. He told her to put it in the kettle and hang the kettle over the fire. When the water was boiling very fast, the husband upset the kettle, and instead of water, out came wild rice! So Ictinike ate the wild rice.

When Ictinike departed he left his tobacco pouch, as before. Then Muskrat called one of his children, and said, "Take that to him. Do not go near him! Throw it to him when you are a great distance from him, as he is always very talkative."

So the child took the tobacco pouch to return it to Ictinike. When he was about to throw it to him, he said, "Come closer! Come closer!" When the child took the pouch closer, Ictinike said, "Tell your father he is to visit me."

When the young Muskrat reached home, he said, "Oh, father, he said that you were to visit him." Muskrat replied, "As I feared that very thing, I said to you, 'Throw it to him while standing at a great distance from him.'"

Then Muskrat went to see Ictinike. And Ictinike said to his wife, "Fetch water." The woman went after water. She filled the kettle and hung it over the fire until it boiled. When Ictinike upset the kettle, only water came out. Ictinike wished to do just as Muskrat had done, but he was unable. Then Muskrat had the kettle refilled, and when the water boiled he upset it, and an abundance of wild rice was there, which he gave to Ictinike. Thereupon Muskrat departed, leaving plenty of wild rice.

On another day, Ictinike said to his wife, "I am going to see your grandfather, Kingfisher." When he arrived there, Kingfisher stepped on a bough of a large white willow, bending it down so far that it was horizontal; and he dived from it into the water. He came up with a fish, which he gave to Ictinike to eat. And as Ictinike was starting home, he left one of his gloves, pretending he had forgotten it. So Kingfisher directed one of his boys to take the glove and restore it to the owner. But he charged the boy not to go near him, as Ictinike was very talkative and might detain him too long. Just as the boy was about to throw the glove, Ictinike called, "Come closer! Come closer!" So the boy carried the glove closer. And Ictinike said, "Tell your father that he is to visit me."

The boy said to his father, when he reached home, "Oh, father, he said you were to visit him." Kingfisher replied, "As I feared that very thing, I said 'Throw it to him while you stand at a great distance from him.'"

Then Kingfisher went to see Ictinike. When he arrived there, the host climbed upon a bough of a large white willow, bending it until it was horizontal. Then he leaped from it and plunged into the water. It was with great difficulty that Kingfisher seized him and brought him to land. Ictinike had swallowed more of the water than he liked. Then Kingfisher plunged into the stream, brought up a fish, which he gave to Ictinike. But Kingfisher departed without eating any portion of it.



[Notes: OMAHA ASSAULT ON A DAKOTA VILLAGE

(Indian drawing)

The single tepee represents the Dakota village; the single horseman, covered by a shield, and hanging behind his horse's neck in a characteristic way, represents the attacking Omahas. Bullets are flying, the direction indicated by the head.]



HOW BIG TURTLE WENT ON THE WARPATH

Omaha

The people dwelt in a very populous village. Big Turtle joined them. And people dwelling at another village came regularly to war against them. Having killed one person they went homeward. Big Turtle cooked for the warpath. He caused two persons to go after guests. The servants whom he sent after guests were Redbreasted Turtle and Gray Squirrel. He made two round bunches of grass and placed them at the bottom of the stick to which the kettle was fastened.

Now they were coming. They came in sight.

"Ho, warriors!" said Big Turtle. "Warriors, when men are injured, they always take revenge. I cook this for the warpath. I cook sweet corn and a buffalo paunch. You will go after Corn Crusher for me," saying this to his servants. "Call to Comb, Awl, Pestle, Firebrand, and Buffalo Bladder also," said Big Turtle.

The two men went to call them. They called to Corn Crusher. "Corn Crusher, be sure to bring your bowl! Corn Crusher, be sure to bring your bowl! Corn Crusher, be sure to bring your bowl! Corn Crusher, be sure to bring your bowl!" Four times they called.

They called to Comb. "Comb, be sure to bring your bowl!" So they called four times.

They called to Awl. "Awl, be sure to bring your bowl!" So they called four times.

Then they called to Pestle. "Pestle, be sure to bring your bowl!" So they called four times.

They called to Firebrand, too. "Firebrand, be sure to bring your bowl!" So they called four times.

Then they called to Buffalo Bladder. "Buffalo Bladder, be sure to bring your bowl!" So they called four times to him.

Then the criers reached home, having invited the guests.

"Oh, war chief," they said, "all heard it."

All those who were called arrived at the lodge of Big Turtle.

"Ho! Oh, war chiefs! Corn Crusher, Comb, Awl, Pestle, Firebrand, and Buffalo Bladder, though those people have been injured they do not seem to stir. Let us go on the warpath for them," said Big Turtle. "Let us go in four nights."

He commanded Corn Crusher to cook. "O war chief, Corn Crusher, you will cook. And you, O Comb, will cook on the night after that. And you, O Awl, will cook, and complete the number."

That many war chiefs, four, cooked. They were war chiefs. The rest were servants.

The people of the village said, "Why! Of the persons who have been called, who is cooking for the warpath?"

And one said, "Why! Big Turtle cooked. Pshaw! Has he gathered all those who cannot move well enough, those who cannot move fast enough? Pshaw! If the foe find them out, they will destroy them. When a war chief has sense, he will carry on war."

Corn Crusher cooked. He cooked turnips, and he cooked a buffalo paunch with them, just as Big Turtle had cooked one with sweet corn. Awl cooked wild rice. Comb cooked other things.

Big Turtle said, "Time enough has passed. Let us go at night."

So they departed. Big Turtle made leggings with large flaps. He tied short garters around them. He rubbed earth on his face and he reddened it. He wore grass around his head. He put white feathers on top of his head. He took his gourd rattle thus. He rattled it. He sang the song of the war chief:

"Big Turtle is coming back from touching the foe, it is said, you say. He is coming back from touching."

He walked, stepping very lively in the dance. He walked around them. As they went, it was day.

At length a young Buffalo Bull came. "Warriors, wait for him," said Big Turtle.

He said to Buffalo Bull, "While I walk on a journey, I am in a great hurry. Speak rapidly. Why are you walking?"

"Yes, war chief, it is so. As they have told of you while you have been walking, I thought that I would walk there with you, and I have sought you," said Buffalo Bull.

"Do so," said Big Turtle. "I wish to see your movements."

Buffalo Bull rolled himself back and forth. He arose suddenly. He thrust repeatedly at the ground with his horns. He pierced the ground and threw pieces away suddenly. He stood with his tail in the air and its tip bent downward. An ash tree stood there. He rushed on it. Pushing against it, he sent it flying through the air to a great distance.

"O war chief, I think I will do that, if they speak of vexing me," he said.

"Look at the persons with whom I am traveling. There are none who are faint-hearted in the least degree. You are not at all like them. You have disappointed me. Come, begone," said Big Turtle.

Again Big Turtle sang the song. "Big Turtle is coming back from touching the foe, it is said, you say. He is coming back from touching," said he.

Again they departed. "Warriors, pass on!" said he.

There before them lay a stream, which was not small. They crossed it. Firebrand was ahead, walking with a great effort. At length, because he was weary, he plunged into the water and was extinguished.

"O war chief, I am not going beyond here with you," he said.

"Remain here for a while," said Big Turtle.

Having reached the other side, they departed. At length a Puma came.

"Warriors, wait for him. I suspect what he will say. Stand in a row," said he. "Speak quickly," he said, addressing Puma.

"Yes, O war chief," said Puma. "It was told of you regularly, saying you walked on a journey. And there I wish to walk, so I have sought you."

"Yes?" said Big Turtle. "Let me see your ways."

Puma made his hair bristle up all over his body. He bent his tail backward and upward. He went leaping to the bottom of a small hill. Having caught by the throat a fawn, about two years old, he came back, making it cry out as he held it in his teeth.

"I think I will do that, O war chief, if anything threatens to vex me," he said.

"Do something else," said Big Turtle.

"No, O war chief; that is all," said Puma.

"You have disappointed me," said Big Turtle. "Look at these persons with whom I am. Where is one who is imperfect? You are very inferior. Come, depart. You have disappointed me."

They departed. At length when they reached the foot of a hill, Black Bear came.

"O war chief, again one has come," said the warriors.

"I suspect what he will say, warriors. Wait for him. Stand in a row," said Big Turtle. "Ho," he said, addressing Black Bear. "Come, speak quickly. What is your business? When I walk on a journey, I am in a great hurry," said Big Turtle.

"Yes, O warrior, it is so. It was told of you regularly that you walked on a journey. And as I desired to walk there, I have sought you diligently," said Black Bear.

"Ho! Do something," said Big Turtle. "You may have thought how you would do it. I wish to see your ways."

Black Bear pierced the ground with his claws, and threw lumps of earth to a great distance. And there stood an oak tree which had been blackened by fire. He attacked it. Having hugged it, he threw it with force to a great distance.

"O war chief, if anything vexes me, I think I will do that," said Black Bear.

Big Turtle said, "Ho! warrior, you have disappointed me. These persons with whom I am—look at them. There is none who is faint-hearted in the least degree. You have disappointed me. Come, depart. Thus do I regularly send off the inferior ones."

They went into a dense undergrowth. At length Buffalo Bladder was torn open, making the sound, "Qu'e." "Alas! I am not going beyond with you," said he.

"Ho, warrior. I will come back very soon. Remain here for a while," said Big Turtle.

Again they departed. As they went, they reached a bad path. Very high logs were lying across it. Redbreasted Turtle failed to step over them.

"Ho, O war chief," he said. "I am not going beyond here with you."

"Ho, warrior. I will come again very soon. Remain here for a while," said Big Turtle.

Again they departed. As they went, behold, a Big Wolf came.

"O war chief, again one has come," said they.

"I suspect what he will say, warriors. Wait for him. Stand in a row," said Big Turtle.

"Ho," he said, addressing Wolf, "Come, speak quickly, whatever may be your business. When I walk on a journey, I am in a very great hurry."

"Yes, O war chief. It is so. It was told of you regularly, saying that you walked on a journey; and as I desired to walk there, I have sought you," said Wolf.

"Ho! Show me what you can do," said Big Turtle. "You may have been thinking about it. I wish to see your ways."

Wolf decorated himself. He reddened his nose; he reddened all his feet. He tied eagle feathers to his back.

"Well, do so. Do so. I wish to see your ways," said Big Turtle.

Wolf turned himself round and round. He went to the attack by the wood on a small creek. He killed a deer. He brought it back, holding it with his teeth.

"O war chief, I think I will do that, if anything vexes me," said Wolf.

"You have disappointed me," said Big Turtle. "See these people with whom I travel. There is none who is faint-hearted in the least degree. Come, depart. Thus do I regularly send off the inferior ones.

"Warrior Gray Squirrel, go as a scout," said Big Turtle. Gray Squirrel went as a scout. At length he was coming back, blowing a horn.

"Ho, war chief, he is coming back to you," they said. Big Turtle went there. "Ho, warrior. Act very honestly. Tell me just how it is," said Big Turtle.

"Yes, O war chief, it is just so. I have been there without their finding me out at all," said he.

"Let us sit at the very boundary of their camp," said Big Turtle. He spoke of going. "Warriors, I will look around to see how things are, and how many persons there may be there," he said.

He came back. "Warriors, let us go in that direction. This far is a good place for sitting," he said. So they moved forward. Then he said, "O war chief Corn Crusher, go to the end lodge of the village before us, and sit on the outside."

Corn Crusher did so. A woman came out of the lodge. When she saw him, she said, "Oh! Heretofore have I desired mush. I have found for myself an excellent corn crusher." But when she pounded on the corn with it, she hurt her hand. Then she threw it out. "Bad Corn Crusher!" she said.

He came back to Big Turtle, who was near. "He whom you call 'Corn Crusher' has come back," he said, "having killed one right at the lodge."

Big Turtle said, "O war chief Comb, make an attempt. Sit in the door of the lodge where Corn Crusher sat."

Comb did so. He was very handsome. Then a woman came out of the lodge. She found Comb. "Heretofore I have been without a comb. I have found a good comb for myself," she said. Very soon she combed her hair with it. Comb pulled out all the hair on one side by the roots.

She said, "A very bad comb, but I thought it was good." She threw him away at the door. Then he went back. He went back with the hair he had pulled out.

"He whom you call 'Comb,'" he said, "has come back, having snatched all the hair from one at the lodge."

"Good!" said Turtle. "O war chief, when we reach home, we shall cause the women to dance."

Then Big Turtle said, "O war chief Awl, make an attempt. Go sit in the door of the lodge where war chief Comb sat."

Awl was very handsome. He was very good to look at. He sat in the door of the lodge. A woman passing out, found him. "Oh! I have found a good awl for myself," she said. "Heretofore I have had no awl. It makes me thankful." She went back to the lodge with him. She spoke of sewing her moccasins with him. "I will sew my moccasins with it," she said. She sewed them. She pierced her fingers with him. She missed in pushing him, sending him with force. There was much blood from her fingers. She threw him away at the door. "The awl is indeed bad. I have indeed hurt myself. I have wounded myself badly." She threw him far out from the door, sending him homeward.

"He whom you have called 'Awl,' O war chief," he reported, returning to Big Turtle. "I stabbed one right at the lodge; I killed her." He returned with his spear very bloody.

"O war chief," said the others to Big Turtle. "Awl is coming back, telling his own name. He has killed one."

Big Turtle said, "Ho! O war chief. You make me thankful. Since it is you, I will blacken my face. The village shall be joyful. Ho! O Pestle, make an attempt. You will lie in the door of the lodge where Awl lay."

Now Pestle was very handsome. Then he arrived there. He lay where he was commanded to lie. A woman went out and found Pestle. "Oh! I have found a very good pestle for myself. I had no pestle heretofore," she said.

She took him back to the lodge. She took some corn. She filled the mortar and pounded the corn. She beat it fine. She thrust Pestle beyond, right on her knee. She missed the mark in pushing, sending him with force, and so she struck him on her knee.

"Oh! A very bad pestle," she said. She threw him outside, sending him homeward suddenly.

"You have been used to saying 'Pestle.' He is coming, having stabbed one right at the lodge. He has killed one," said Pestle, returning. He reached Big Turtle again. "O war chief, I have killed one."

"You make me thankful," said Big Turtle. "Ho! warrior Gray Squirrel, make an attempt."

"O war chief, how can I do anything?" said Gray Squirrel. Now the lodges were placed among the trees.

"You will pass along the trees above the smoke holes of the lodges. If they find you, they will shoot at you. Do your best. Do your best to evade the blows or arrows. If one goes aside, rush on him," said Big Turtle.

At length a boy found Gray Squirrel. "This moving one is a gray squirrel," he said. They went in a great uproar. They shot at him. They even hit him with sticks. One boy stood aside. Gray Squirrel attacked him and bit him. They said, "Wonderful! Heretofore the gray squirrel has been very easy to approach, but we have failed. He has bitten us; we have done nothing to him," they said.

"He whom you used to call 'Gray Squirrel' is coming back, having killed one right among them," he called. He told it to Big Turtle.

"Ho! real warrior, act very honestly," said Big Turtle.

"O war chief, it is just so. I have killed one," said he.

"Ho! warrior, you make me thankful," said Big Turtle.

"Ho! warriors," said Big Turtle again. "I, even I, will make a trial. I shall not come back for some time. Beware lest you go homeward. Beware lest you leave me and go homeward."

He arrived there. Some ashes had been poured out. They were extinguished. At length Big Turtle pushed his way through. He went within. He sat within, with his eyes sticking out, looking around. A woman approached when it was morning. She stood very close to where Big Turtle sat.

"You will tread on my shield," he said. The woman looked around. "From what place does he speak?" she thought; therefore she looked around. Again he said to her, "You will tread on my shield. Stand further away." And the woman found him.

"Oh!" she said.

"Stand still. I send you with a message," said Big Turtle. "Go home and say, 'Big Turtle says he has come to war. He says he has come desiring the chief's daughter, whose body has been placed on the bough of a tree.'"