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diff --git a/22083.txt b/22083.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fbbc5a0 --- /dev/null +++ b/22083.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5416 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Myths and Legends of the Great Plains, by Unknown + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Myths and Legends of the Great Plains + +Author: Unknown + +Editor: Katharine Berry Judson + +Release Date: July 16, 2007 [EBook #22083] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND LEGENDS *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was +produced from scanned images of public domain material +from the Google Print project.) + + + + + + + + + + MYTHS AND LEGENDS + OF THE GREAT PLAINS + + SELECTED AND EDITED BY + + KATHARINE BERRY JUDSON + + AUTHOR OF "MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE OLD SOUTHWEST," +"MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST," "MONTANA," "MYTHS AND + LEGENDS OF ALASKA," AND "WHEN THE FORESTS ARE ABLAZE." + + ILLUSTRATED + + [Illustration] + + + CHICAGO + A. C. McCLURG & CO. + 1913 + + + + +_Copyright_ +A. C. McCLURG & CO. +1913 + + +Published November, 1913 + + +W. F. Hall Printing Company +Chicago + + + + +_BY THE SAME AUTHOR_ + + +MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE OLD SOUTHWEST. _Over fifty +full-page illustrations. Small quarto. $1.50 net._ + +MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF ALASKA. _Beautifully illustrated. Small quarto. +$1.50 net._ + +MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. Especially of Washington +and Oregon. _With fifty full-page illustrations. Small quarto. $1.50 +net._ + +MONTANA: "The Land of Shining Mountains." _Illustrated. Indexed. +Square 8vo. 75 cents net._ + +WHEN THE FORESTS ARE ABLAZE. _Illustrated. Crown 8vo. $1.35 net._ + +A. C. McClurg & Co., Publishers + + + + +[Notes: BIANKI'S VISION + +(Kiowa Drawing) + +_The ghost-dance among the Sioux was based on the belief that the dead +Indians would all come to life and drive out the white intruders. Then +the buffaloes, which were disappearing, would come back in the immense +herds of the olden time._ + +_The vision of one of the dreamer priests is represented. After +reaching the spirit world, Bianki found himself on a vast prairie +covered with innumerable buffaloes and ponies. He went through the +herds (dotted lines) until he came to a large Kiowa camp, with its +ornament tepees. He met four young women who had died years before, +and asked about two of his brothers, also dead. He soon met them +coming into camp, with buffalo meat hanging from their saddles._] + +[Illustration: _Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +PREFACE + + +From the edge of the Darkening Land, where stand the mountains which +encircle the earth-plain, eastward toward the Sunland, lie the great +plains of America. Smooth and flat and green they stretch away, +hundreds of miles, rising from a dead level into a soft rolling of the +land, then into the long green waves of the prairies where rivers +flow, where the water ripples as it flows, and trees shade the banks +of the gleaming water. + +Here, amidst the vast sweep of the plains which stretch away to the +horizon on every side, boundless, limitless, endless, lived the plains +Indians. Standing in the midst of this vast green plain on a soft May +morning, after the Thunder Gods have passed, when the sun is shining +in the soft blue above, and the sweet, rain-swept air is blown about +by the Four Winds which are always near to man, day and +night,--standing far out on the plains with no hint of the white man +or his work--one sees the earth somewhat as the Indian saw it and +wonders not at his reverence for the Mysterious One who dwelt +overhead, beyond the blue stone arch, and for the lesser powers which +came to him over the four paths guarded by the Four Winds. It was +Wakoda, the Mysterious One, who gave to man the sunshine, the clear +rippling water, the clear sky from which all storms, all clouds are +absent, the sky which is the symbol of peace. Through this sky sweeps +the eagle, the "Mother" of Indian songs, bearing upon her strong wings +the message of peace and calling to her nestlings as she flies. Little +wonder that to some tribes song was an integral part of their lives, +and that emotions too deep for words were expressed in song. + +Other songs there were, with words, songs of the birds which fly +through that soft, tender blue: + + All around the birds in flocks are flying; + Dipping, rising, circling, see them coming. + See, many birds are flocking here, + All about us now together coming. + + [_Pawnee_] + +The power to fly has always inspired Indians of all tribes and of all +degrees of civilization with wonder and reverence. The bird chiefs +have their own places in Indian myths. Owl is chief of the night; +Woodpecker, with his ceaseless tattoo on the trees, is chief of the +trees; Duck is chief of the water; but Eagle is chief of the day. It +is always Eagle who is chief of the birds, even though Wren may outwit +him in a tale told by the fire glimmering in the tepee, when the story +tellers of the tribe tell of the happenings in the days "way beyond." +It is Eagle who inspires admiration, and becomes the most sacred bird. + + Round about a tree in ever widening circles an eagle flies, alert, + watching o'er his nest; + Loudly whistles he, a challenge sending far, o'er the country wide + it echoes, there defying foes. + + [_Pawnee_] + +In the breeze that rippled the long grass of the prairie and fluttered +the flaps of the graceful tepee, waved also the corn, sent by +Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies, the ever returning life of the green thing +growing. In the ravines and on the lower slopes of the grassy waves of +the prairie bellowed the buffalo, or grazed in silence, having long +since come up from the underground world and become the source of the +Indian's food, clothing, home, utensils, and comfort. Endless were the +charms and enchantments to bring the buffalo herds near his camping +ground. Severe was the punishment meted out to the thoughtless warrior +whose unguarded eagerness frightened the herds and sent them away. + +Over the plains and prairies, at other times, swept the Thunder Gods, +with their huge jointed wings, darkening all the land, and flashing +fire from angry eyes which struck down man and beast. Terrified were +the Indians when the Thunder Gods rolled. Vows made to them must be +kept, for relentless were they. + +"Oh, grandfather," prayed the Indian when the sky was black and the +lightning flashed, as he filled a pipe with tobacco and offered it +skyward, "Oh, grandfather! I am very poor. Somewhere make those who +would injure me leave a clear space for me." Then he put the sacred +green cedar upon the fire--the cedar which stayed awake those seven +nights and therefore does not lose its hair every winter--and the +smoke from the sacred, burning wood, rolling upward, appeased the +rolling Thunders. + + * * * * * + +The authorities used in this compilation are those found in the annual +reports of the Bureau of American Ethnology and the Publications of +the United States Geographical and Geological Survey: contributions to +North American Ethnology. Of the various ethnologists whose work has +been used, those of especial importance are Alice C. Fletcher, whose +wonderful work among the Omaha and Pawnee Indians is deserving of the +most careful study, J. Owen Dorsey, James Mooney, and S. R. Riggs. + +No claim whatever is made for original work. Indeed, original work of +any kind in a compilation such as this would impair the authenticity +of the myths, and therefore destroy the value of this work. Nor has +any effort been made towards "style." The only style worth having in +telling an Indian legend is that of the Indian himself. + + K. B. J. + +_Seattle, Washington._ + + + + +TABLE OF CONTENTS + + + Page + The Creation _Osage_ 19 + How the World was Made _Cherokee_ 22 + The Flood and the Rainbow _Lenni-Lenapi (Delaware)_ 26 + The First Fire _Cherokee_ 28 + The Ancestors of People _Osage_ 31 + Origin of Strawberries _Cherokee_ 32 + Sacred Legend _Omaha_ 34 + The Legend of the Peace Pipes _Omaha_ 38 + A Tradition of the Calumet _Lenni-Lenapi (Delaware)_ 41 + The Sacred Pole _Omaha_ 43 + Ikto and the Thunders _Teton_ 46 + The Thunder Bird _Comanche_ 47 + The Thunder Bird _Assiniboin_ 48 + Song to the Thunder Gods _Omaha_ 49 + Songs of the Buffalo Hunt _Sioux_ 50 + Origin of the Buffalo _Teton_ 53 + The Buffalo Being _Teton_ 55 + The Youth and the Underground People _Omaha_ 57 + The Buffalo and the Grizzly Bear _Omaha_ 68 + My First Buffalo Hunt _Omaha_ 71 + Bird Omens _Sioux_ 73 + The Bird Chief _Omaha_ 74 + Song of the Birds _Pawnee_ 75 + Song of Kawas, the Eagle _Pawnee_ 77 + The Eagle's Revenge _Cherokee_ 78 + The Race between Humming Bird and Crane _Cherokee_ 80 + Rabbit and the Turkeys _Omaha_ 82 + Unktomi and the Bad Songs _Dakota_ 84 + How the Pheasant Beat Corn _Cherokee_ 88 + Why Turkey Gobbles _Cherokee_ 89 + Omaha Beliefs _Omaha_ 90 + Pawnee Beliefs _Pawnee_ 92 + A Song of Hospitality _Sioux_ 95 + A Song of the March _Sioux_ 96 + Song of the Prairie Breeze _Kiowa_ 97 + Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies _Mandan_ 98 + Legend of the Corn _Arikara_ 101 + Tradition of the Finding of Horses _Ponca_ 105 + Dakota Beliefs and Customs _Dakota_ 108 + Why the Tetons Bury on Scaffolds _Teton_ 110 + The Ghost's Resentment _Dakota_ 111 + The Forked Roads _Omaha_ 116 + Tattooed Ghosts _Dakota_ 117 + A Ghost Story _Ponca_ 118 + The Ghost and the Traveler _Teton_ 119 + The Man who Shot a Ghost _Teton_ 120 + The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost _Teton_ 122 + The Wakanda, or Water God _Yankton_ 126 + The Spirit Land _Arapahoe_ 129 + Waziya, the Weather Spirit _Teton_ 131 + Kansas Blizzards _Kansa_ 132 + Ikto and the Snowstorm _Teton_ 133 + The Southern Bride _Cherokee_ 135 + The Fallen Star _Dakota_ 136 + Quarrel of Sun and Moon _Omaha_ 147 + Why the Possum Plays Dead _Cherokee_ 148 + Bog Myth _Dakota_ 150 + Coyote and Snake _Omaha_ 151 + Why the Wolves Help in War _Dakota_ 153 + How Rabbit Escaped from the Wolves _Cherokee_ 155 + How Rabbit Lost His Fat _Omaha_ 157 + How Flint Visited Rabbit _Cherokee_ 158 + How Rabbit Caught the Sun in a Trap _Omaha_ 161 + How Rabbit Killed the Giant _Omaha_ 163 + How Deer Got His Horns _Cherokee_ 167 + Why the Deer has Blunt Teeth _Cherokee_ 169 + Legend of the Head of Gold _Dakota_ 171 + The Milky Way _Cherokee_ 175 + Coyote and Gray Fox _Ponca_ 176 + Ictinike and Turtle _Omaha_ 178 + Ictinike and the Creators _Omaha_ 181 + How Big Turtle Went on the War Path _Omaha_ 186 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + Page + Bianki's Vision _Frontispiece_ + Woman's Costume 32 + An Elderly Omaha Beau 33 + Tattooing, Showing Conventional Design of the Peace Pipe 42 + Bull Boat 43 + German Knights and Indian Warriors 56 + Rivalry over the Buffalo 70 + Capture of a Wandering Buffalo 71 + Five Chiefs of the Ogalla Sioux 84 + Old Horse 85 + Siouan Tents 96 + An Arapahoe Bed 97 + Indian Scaffold Cemetery on the Missouri River 110 + An Omaha Village, Showing Earth Lodge and Conical Tepees 111 + Black Coyote 122 + Ornamentation on the Reverse of an Arapahoe "ghost-dance" Shirt 123 + "Killed two Arikara chiefs" 132 + Many Tongues, or Loud Talker 133 + Petroglyph in Nebraska 144 + Plains Indians Dragging Brush for a Medicine Lodge 156 + An Earth Lodge 157 + Kansa Chief 168 + Big Goose 169 + Omaha Assault on a Dakota Village 186 + "Killed ten men and three women" 187 + + + + +MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE GREAT PLAINS + + + + +THE CREATION + +_Osage (Wazha zhe group)_ + + +Way beyond, once upon a time, some of the Osages lived in the sky. +They did not know where they came from, so they went to Sun. They +said, "From where did we come?" + +He said, "You are my children." + +Then they wandered still further and came to Moon. + +Moon said, "I am your mother; Sun is your father. You must go away +from here. You must go down to the earth and live there." + +So they came to the earth but found it covered with water. They could +not return up above. They wept, but no answer came to them. They +floated about in the air, seeking help from some god; but they found +none. + +Now all the animals were with them. Elk was the finest and most +stately. They all trusted Elk. So they called to Elk, "Help us." + +Then Elk dropped into the water and began to sink. Then he called to +the winds. The winds came from all sides and they blew until the +waters went upwards, as in a mist. Now before that the winds had +traveled in only two directions; they went from north to south and +from south to north. But when Elk called to them, they came from the +east, from the north, from the west, and from the south. They met at a +central place; then they carried the waters upwards. + +Now at first the people could see only the rocks. So they traveled on +the rocky places. But nothing grew there and there was nothing to eat. +Then the waters continued to vanish. At last the people could see the +soft earth. When Elk saw the earth, he was so joyous, he rolled over +and over on the earth. Then all the loose hairs clung to the soil. So +the hairs grew, and from them sprang beans, corn, potatoes, and wild +turnips, and at last all the grasses and trees. + +Now the people wandered over the land. They found human footsteps. +They followed them. They joined with them, and traveled with them in +search of food. + + +_(Hoga group)_ + +The Hoga came down from above, and found the earth covered with water. +They flew in every direction. They sought for gods who would help +them and drive the water away. They found not one. Then Elk came. He +had a loud voice and he shouted to the four corners of the sky. The +four winds came in answer. They blew upon the water and it vanished +upwards, in a mist. Then the people could see the rocks. Now there was +only a little space on the rocks. They knew they must have more room. +The people were crowded. So they sent Muskrat down into the water. He +did not come back. He was drowned. Then they sent Loon down. He did +not come back. He was drowned. Then they sent Beaver down into the +water. The water was too deep. Beaver was drowned. Then Crawfish dived +into the water. He was gone a long time. When he came up there was a +little mud in his claws. Crawfish was so tired he died. But the people +took the mud out of his claws and made the land. + + + + +HOW THE WORLD WAS MADE + +_Cherokee_ + + +The earth is a great floating island in a sea of water. At each of the +four corners there is a cord hanging down from the sky. The sky is of +solid rock. When the world grows old and worn out, the cords will +break, and then the earth will sink down into the ocean. Everything +will be water again. All the people will be dead. The Indians are much +afraid of this. + +In the long time ago, when everything was all water, all the animals +lived up above in Galun'lati, beyond the stone arch that made the sky. +But it was very much crowded. All the animals wanted more room. The +animals began to wonder what was below the water and at last Beaver's +grandchild, little Water Beetle, offered to go and find out. Water +Beetle darted in every direction over the surface of the water, but it +could find no place to rest. There was no land at all. Then Water +Beetle dived to the bottom of the water and brought up some soft mud. +This began to grow and to spread out on every side until it became +the island which we call the earth. Afterwards this earth was +fastened to the sky with four cords, but no one remembers who did +this. + +At first the earth was flat and soft and wet. The animals were anxious +to get down, and they sent out different birds to see if it was yet +dry, but there was no place to alight; so the birds came back to +Galun'lati. Then at last it seemed to be time again, so they sent out +Buzzard; they told him to go and make ready for them. This was the +Great Buzzard, the father of all the buzzards we see now. He flew all +over the earth, low down near the ground, and it was still soft. When +he reached the Cherokee country, he was very tired; his wings began to +flap and strike the ground. Wherever they struck the earth there was a +valley; whenever the wings turned upwards again, there was a mountain. +When the animals above saw this, they were afraid that the whole world +would be mountains, so they called him back, but the Cherokee country +remains full of mountains to this day. [This was the original home, in +North Carolina.] + +When the earth was dry and the animals came down, it was still dark. +Therefore they got the sun and set it in a track to go every day +across the island from east to west, just overhead. It was too hot +this way. Red Crawfish had his shell scorched a bright red, so that +his meat was spoiled. Therefore the Cherokees do not eat it. + +Then the medicine men raised the sun a handsbreadth in the air, but it +was still too hot. They raised it another time; and then another time; +at last they had raised it seven handsbreadths so that it was just +under the sky arch. Then it was right and they left it so. That is why +the medicine men called the high place "the seventh height." Every day +the sun goes along under this arch on the under side; it returns at +night on the upper side of the arch to its starting place. + +There is another world under this earth. It is like this one in every +way. The animals, the plants, and the people are the same, but the +seasons are different. The streams that come down from the mountains +are the trails by which we reach this underworld. The springs at their +head are the doorways by which we enter it. But in order to enter the +other world, one must fast and then go to the water, and have one of +the underground people for a guide. We know that the seasons in the +underground world are different, because the water in the spring is +always warmer in winter than the air in this world; and in summer the +water is cooler. + +We do not know who made the first plants and animals. But when they +were first made, they were told to watch and keep awake for seven +nights. This is the way young men do now when they fast and pray to +their medicine. They tried to do this. The first night, nearly all the +animals stayed awake. The next night several of them dropped asleep. +The third night still more went to sleep. At last, on the seventh +night, only the owl, the panther, and one or two more were still +awake. Therefore, to these were given the power to see in the dark, to +go about as if it were day, and to kill and eat the birds and animals +which must sleep during the night. + +Even some of the trees went to sleep. Only the cedar, the pine, the +spruce, the holly, and the laurel were awake all seven nights. +Therefore they are always green. They are also sacred trees. But to +the other trees it was said, "Because you did not stay awake, +therefore you shall lose your hair every winter." + +After the plants and the animals, men began to come to the earth. At +first there was only one man and one woman. He hit her with a fish. In +seven days a little child came down to the earth. So people came to +the earth. They came so rapidly that for a time it seemed as though +the earth could not hold them all. + + + + +THE FLOOD AND THE RAINBOW + +_Delaware (Lenni-Lenapi)_ + + +The Lenni-Lenapi are the First People, so that they know this story is +true. + +After the Creation of the earth, the Mysterious One covered it with a +blue roof. Sometimes the roof was very black. Then the Manitou of +Waters became uneasy. He feared the rain would no longer be able to +pour down upon the earth through this dark roof. Therefore the Manitou +of Waters prayed to the Mysterious One that the waters from above be +not cut off. + +At once the Mysterious One commanded to blow the Spirit of the Wind, +who dwells in the Darkening Land. At once thick clouds arose. They +covered all the earth, so that the dark roof could no longer be seen. + +Then the voice of the Mysterious One was heard amongst the clouds. The +voice was deep and heavy, like the sound of falling rivers. + +Then the Spirit of Rain, the brother of the Spirit of Waters and the +Spirit of the Winds, poured down water from above. The waters fell for +a long time. They fell until all the earth was covered. Then the +birds took refuge in the branches of the highest trees. The animals +followed the trails to the mountain peaks. + +Then the Manitou of Waters feared no longer. Therefore the Mysterious +One ordered the rain to cease and the clouds to disappear. Then +Sin-go-wi-chi-na-xa, the rainbow, was seen in the sky. + +Therefore the Lenni-Lenapi watch for the rainbow, because it means +that the Mysterious One is no longer angry. + + + + +THE FIRST FIRE + +_Cherokee_ + + +In the beginning there was no fire and the world was cold. Then the +Thunders, who lived up in Galun'lati, sent their lightning and put +fire into the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree which grew on an +island. The animals knew it was there because they could see the smoke +coming out at the top, but they could not get to it on account of the +water, so they held a council to decide what to do. This was a long, +long time ago. + +Every animal was anxious to go after the fire. Raven offered. He was +large and strong, so he was sent first. He flew high and far across +the water, and lighted on the sycamore tree. There he perched, +wondering what to do next. Then he looked at himself. The heat had +scorched his feathers black. Raven was so frightened he flew back +across the water without any fire. + +Then little Wa-hu-hu, the Screech Owl, offered to go. He flew high and +far across the water and perched upon a hollow tree. As he sat there +looking into the hollow tree, wondering what to do, a blast of hot air +came up and hurt his eyes. Screech Owl was frightened. He flew back as +best he could, because he could hardly see. That is why his eyes are +red even to this day. + +Then Hooting Owl and the Horned Owl went, but by the time they reached +the hollow tree, the fire was blazing so fiercely that the smoke +nearly blinded them. The ashes carried up by the breeze made white +rings around their eyes. So they had to come home without fire. +Therefore they have white rings around their eyes. + +None of the rest of the birds would go to the fire. Then Uk-su-hi, the +racer snake, said he would go through the water and bring back fire. +He swam to the island and crawled through the grass to the tree. Then +he went into the tree by a small hole at the bottom. But the heat and +smoke were dreadful. The ground at the bottom of the tree was covered +with hot ashes. The racer darted back and forth trying to get off the +ashes, and at last managed to escape through the same hole by which he +had entered. But his body had been burned black. Therefore he is now +the black racer. And that is why the black racer darts around and +doubles on his track as if trying to escape. + +Then great Blacksnake, "The Climber," offered to go for fire. He was +much larger than the black racer. Blacksnake swam over to the island +and climbed up the tree on the outside, as the blacksnake always does, +but when he put his head down into the hole the smoke choked him so +that he fell into the burning stump. Before he could climb out, he, +too, was burned black. + +So the birds, and the animals, and the snakes held another council. +The world was still very cold. There was no fire. But all the birds, +and the snakes, and all the four-footed animals refused to go for +fire. They were all afraid of the burning sycamore. + +Then Water Spider said she would go. This is not the water spider that +looks like a mosquito, but the other one--the one with black downy +hair and red stripes on her body. She could run on top of the water, +or dive to the bottom. + +The animals said, "How can you bring back fire?" + +But Water Spider spun a thread from her body and wove it into a +_tusti_ bowl which she fastened on her back. Then she swam over to the +island and through the grass to the fire. Water Spider put one little +coal of fire into her bowl, and then swam back with it. + +That is how fire came to the world. And that is why Water Spider has a +_tusti_ bowl on her back. + + + + +THE ANCESTORS OF PEOPLE + +_Osage_ + + +There are people who come from under the water. They lived in the +water weeds that hang down, all green, into the water. They have +leaves upon their stems. Now the water people lived in shells. The +shells were their houses and kept the water out. + +There were other animals who lived under the earth. Cougar lived under +the earth, and bear, and buffalo. These creatures came up out of the +ground. Then the shell people came up to the earth also; and the sky +people came down. So all these three peoples lived together. They are +the fathers of the people who live on the earth today. + + + + +[Illustration: WOMAN'S COSTUME + +(Omaha) + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + +[Illustration: AN ELDERLY OMAHA BEAU + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +ORIGIN OF STRAWBERRIES + +_Cherokee_ + + +When the world was new, there was one man and one woman. They were +happy; then they quarreled. At last the woman left the man and began +to walk away toward the Sunland, the Eastland. The man followed. He +felt sorry, but the woman walked straight on. She did not look back. + +Then Sun, the great Apportioner, was sorry for the man. He said, + +"Are you still angry with your wife?" + +The man said, "No." + +Sun said, "Would you like to have her come back to you?" + +"Yes," said the man. + +So Sun made a great patch of huckleberries which he placed in front of +the woman's trail. She passed them without paying any attention to +them. Then Sun made a clump of blackberry bushes and put those in +front of her trail. The woman walked on. Then Sun created beautiful +service-berry bushes which stood beside the trail. Still the woman +walked on. + +So Sun made other fruits and berries. But the woman did not look at +them. + +Then Sun created a patch of beautiful ripe strawberries. They were the +first strawberries. When the woman saw those, she stopped to gather a +few. As she gathered them, she turned her face toward the west. Then +she remembered the man. She turned to the Sunland but could not go on. +She could not go any further. + +Then the woman picked some of the strawberries and started back on her +trail, away from the Sunland. So her husband met her, and they went +back together. + + + + +SACRED LEGEND + +_Omaha_ + + +In the beginning the people were in water. They opened their eyes, but +they could see nothing. As the people came out of the water, they +first saw the daylight. They had no clothing. Then they took weeds and +grasses and from them wove clothing. + +The people lived near a large body of water; it was in a wooded +country where there was game. The men hunted the deer with clubs; they +did not know the use of the bow. The people wandered about the shores +of the great water. They were poor and cold. The people thought, "What +shall we do to help ourselves?" So they began chipping stones. They +found a bluish stone that was easily flaked and chipped; so they made +knives and arrowheads out of it. But they were still poor and cold. +They thought, "What shall we do?" + +Then a man found an elm root that was very dry. He dug a hole in it +and put a stick in and rubbed it. Then smoke came. He smelled it. Then +the people smelled it and came near. Others helped him to rub. At last +a spark came. They blew this into a flame. Thus fire came to warm the +people and to cook their food. + +After this the people built grass houses; they cut the grass with the +shoulder blade of a deer. Now the people had fire and ate their meat +roasted. Then they grew tired of roast meat. They thought, "How shall +we cook our meat differently?" + +A man found a piece of clay that stuck well together. Then he brought +sand to mix with it. Then he molded it as a pot. Then he gathered +grass until he had a large heap of it; he put the clay pot into the +midst of the grass and set it on fire. This made the clay hard. After +a time he put water into the pot; the water did not leak out. This was +good. So he put water into it and then meat into it, and put the pot +over the fire. Thus the people had boiled meat to eat. + +Now their grass coverings would grow fuzzy and drop off. It was hard +to gather and keep these coverings. The people were not satisfied. +Again they thought, "What can we do to have something different to +wear?" + +Before this, they had been throwing away the hides from the game which +they killed. But now they took their stone knives to scrape down the +hides and make them thin. They rubbed the hides with grass and with +their hands to make them soft. Then they used the hides for clothing. +Now they had clothing and were warm. + +Now the women had to break the dry wood to keep up the fires. They had +no tools. So the men made a stone ax with a groove. Then they put a +handle on the grooved stone and fastened it with rawhide. This was +used. Then they wanted something better to break the wood. So they +made wedges of stone. + +Now the grass shelter came to pieces easily. Then the people thought, +"What shall we do? How can we get something that will not come to +pieces?" Then they tried putting skins on poles. + +First they tried deerskins. But they were too small. They tried elk +skins. But they became hard and stiff in the rain and sun. Then they +did not try skins longer. They used bark to cover the poles of their +tepees. + +But the bark houses were not warm. Then the people took the leg bone +of the deer and splintered it So they made sharp pieces for awls. Then +they took buffalo skins and sinews, and with the awl they fastened the +skins together. So they made comfortable covers for their tepees. + +Then a man wandered around a long time. One day he found some small +pieces of something which were white, and red, and blue. He thought +they must be something of great value, so he hid them in a mound of +earth. Now one day he went to see if they were safe. Behold! When he +came to the mound, green stalks were growing out of it. And on the +stalks were small kernels of white, and red, and blue. Behold! It was +corn. Then the man took the corn, and gave it to the people. They +tried it for food. They found it good, and have ever since called it +their life. + +Now when the people found the corn good, they thought to hide it in +mounds as the first man had done. So they took the shoulder blade of +an elk and made mounds. Then they hid the corn in it. So the corn grew +and the people had food. + +Now as the people wandered around, they came to a forest where the +birch trees grew. There was a great lake there. Then they made canoes +of birch bark. They traveled in them on the water. Then a man found +two young animals. He carried them home. He fed them so they grew +bigger. Then he made a harness which he placed upon them and fastened +it to poles. So these animals became burden bearers. Before that, +every burden had to be carried on the back. Now the dogs helped the +people. + + + + +THE LEGEND OF THE PEACE PIPES + +_Omaha_ + + +The people came across a great water on logs tied together. They +pitched their tents on the shore. Then they thought to make for +themselves certain bounds within which they were to live and rules +which should govern them. They cleared a space of grass and weeds so +they could see each other's faces. They sat down and there was no +obstruction between them. + +While they were holding a council, an owl hooted in the trees near by. +The leader said, "That bird is to take part in our council. He calls +to us. He offers us his aid." + +Immediately afterward they heard a woodpecker. He knocked against the +trees. The leader said, "That bird calls to us. He offers us his aid. +He will take part in our council." + +Then the chief appointed a man as servant. He said, "Go into the woods +and get an ash sapling." The servant came back with a sapling having a +rough bark. + +"We do not want that," said the leader. "Go again and get a sapling +with a smooth bark, bluish in color at the joint where a branch +comes." So the servant went out, and came back with a sapling of the +kind described. + +When the leader took up the sapling, an eagle came and soared about +the council which was sitting in the grass. He dropped a downy +feather; it fell. It fell in the center of the cleared space. Now this +was the white eagle. The chief said, "This is not what we want," so +the white eagle passed on. + +Then the bald eagle came swooping down, as though attacking its prey. +It balanced itself on its wings directly over the cleared space. It +uttered fierce cries, and dropped one of its downy feathers, which +stood on the ground as the other eagle's feather had done. The chief +said, "This is not what we want." So the bald eagle passed on. + +Then came the spotted eagle, and soared over the council, and dropped +its feather as the others had done. The chief said, "This is not what +we want," and the spotted eagle passed on. + +Then the imperial eagle, the eagle with the fantail, came, and soared +over the people. It dropped a downy feather which stood upright in the +center of the cleared space. The chief said, "This is what we want." + +So the feathers of this eagle were used in making the peace pipes, +together with the feathers of the owl and woodpecker, and with other +things. These peace pipes were to be used in forming friendly +relations with other tribes. + +When the peace pipes were made, seven other pipes were made for +keeping peace within the tribe. One pipe was to prevent revenge. If +one man should kill another, the chief took this pipe to the relatives +and offered it to them. If the relatives of the dead man refused to +accept it, it was offered again. It was offered four times. If it was +refused four times, the chief said, "Well, you must take the +consequences. We will do nothing, and you cannot now ask to see the +pipes." He meant if they took revenge and any trouble came to them, +they could not ask for help or for mercy. + +Each band had its own pipe. + + + + +A TRADITION OF THE CALUMET + +_Lenni-Lenapi_ + + +In the days of the old men, far to the north there lived a nation with +many villages. Their warriors were as many as the buffalo herds on the +plains toward the Darkening Land. Their tepees were many on the shores +of a beautiful lake and along wide rivers. + +Then the Mysterious One, whose voice is in the clouds, told the chiefs +of a great nation, also of many villages, which hunted through all the +country from the Big Water in the sunrise to the mountains in the +Darkening Land. + +Then the chiefs and the old men held a council. Runners came from many +villages to the great council. And the council voice was to go to the +great nation to the south, the nation with many villages, and bring +back scalps and horses. + +So the chiefs and warriors went out, one by one. Then runners were +sent to all the villages, ordering the chiefs to dance the scalp +dance. + +Suddenly there came through the sky a great white bird. It came from +the forest, and flew into the village of the great chief. It rested +above the head of the chief's daughter. + +Then the chief's daughter heard a voice in her heart. The voice said, +"Call all the chiefs and warriors together. Tell them the Mysterious +One is sad because they seek the scalps of the Lenni-Lenapi, the First +People. Tell the warriors they must wash their hands in the blood of a +young fawn. They must go with many presents to the First People. They +must carry to the First People Hobowakan, the calumet." + +Thus the First People and the mighty people with many villages on the +shore of the lake smoked together the pipe of council. So there was +peace. + + + + +[Illustration: TATTOOING, SHOWING CONVENTIONAL DESIGN OF THE PEACE +PIPE + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + +[Illustration: BULL BOAT + +Made of the hide of the buffalo bulls. The only boat used by the +plains Indians. + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +THE SACRED POLE + +_Omaha_ + + +A young man who had been wandering came back to his village. When he +reached his home he said, "Father, I have seen a wonderful tree." Then +he told his father about it. The old man was silent because all was +not yet settled between the tribes. The Cheyenne, the Arikara, the +Omaha, Ponca, and Iowa were having a great council, so as to adopt +rules concerning the hunting of game, and of peace, and war. + +After a while, the young man went to visit the tree. When he reached +home, he told his father again of it. The old man was silent, for the +chiefs were still holding their council. At last, when the council was +over and the rules decided upon, the old man sent for the chiefs. He +said, "My son has seen a wonderful tree. The Thunder Birds come and go +upon this tree. They make a trail of fire which leaves four paths on +the burnt grass that stretch towards the Four Winds. When the Thunder +Birds alight upon the tree, it bursts into flame. The fire mounts to +the top. The tree stands burning, but no one can see the fire except +at night." + +When the chiefs heard this tale, they sent runners to see what this +tree might be. The runners came back and told the same story. In the +night they had seen the tree burning as it stood. Then all the people +held a council as to what this might mean. The chiefs said, "We shall +run for it. Put on your ornaments and prepare as if for battle." + +The warriors painted themselves as if for war. They put on their +ornaments. They set out for the tree, which stood near a lake. They +ran as if it were a race to attack the enemy. All the men ran. A Ponca +was the first to reach the tree and he struck it as if it were an +enemy. + +Then they cut the tree down. Four men, walking in a straight line, +carried it on their shoulders to the village. The chiefs for four +nights sang the songs made in honor of the tree. They held a council +about the tree. A tent was made for it, and it was set up in the +circle of lodges. The chiefs worked upon it; they trimmed it and +called it a human being. They made a basket of twigs and feathers and +tied it half way up the tree. Then they said, "It has no hair!" So +they sent out to get a large scalp lock and they put it on top of Pole +for hair. Afterwards the chiefs told the criers to tell the people +that when Pole was completed they should see it. + +Then they painted Pole and set it up before the tent. They leaned it +on a crotched stick. Then they called all the people and all the +people came. Men, women, and children came. + +When they were all together, the chiefs said, "This is a mystery. +Whenever we meet with trouble, we shall bring all our prayers to Pole. +We shall make offerings to him. We shall ask him for what we need. +When we ask anything, we must make gifts. If anyone desires to become +a chief, he shall make presents to the Keepers of the Pole, and they +shall give him authority to be a chief." + +When all was finished the people said, "Let us appoint a time when we +shall again paint Pole; when we shall act before him the battles we +have fought." So they fixed the time in the moon when the buffaloes +bellow. + + + + +IKTO AND THE THUNDERS + +_Teton_ + + +Ikto once stood on the bank of a stream across which he could not +swim. He stood on the bank and thought. Then he sang: + + I stand, + Thinking often, + Oh, that I might reach the other side. + +Just then a long Something passed, swimming against the current. When +it reached Ikto, it said, + +"I will take you across, but you must not lift your head above the +water. Should you notice even a small cloud, warn me at once, as I +must go under the water. If you see a small cloud, you must say, +'Younger brother, your grandfather is coming.'" + +Before the other bank was reached, Ikto looked up. He saw a small +cloud and said, "Younger brother, your grandfather is coming." + +There was a sudden commotion. When Ikto became conscious again, the +Thunder Beings were roaring, and the water was dashing high, but the +monster had vanished. + + + + +THE THUNDER BIRD + +_Comanche_ + + +In the olden times, a hunter once shot at a large bird which was +flying above him. It fell to the ground. It was so large he was afraid +to go to it alone, so he went back to the camp for others. + +When they came back to the place where the bird had been shot, thunder +was rolling through the ravine. Flashes of lightning showed the place +where the bird lay. They came nearer. Then the lightning flashed so +that they could not see the bird. One flash killed a hunter. + +The other Indians fled back to the camp. They knew it was the Thunder +Bird. + +Once the Thunder Bird, in the days of the grandfathers, came down to +the ground and alighted there. You may know that is so, because the +grass remains burned off a large space, and the outlines are those of +a large bird with outspread wings. + + + + +THE THUNDER BIRD + +_Assiniboin_ + + +The Sioux, or Dakotas, of whom the Assiniboins are a branch, pretend +that thunder is an enormous bird, and that the muffled sound of the +distant thunder is caused by a countless number of young birds! The +great bird, they say, gives the first sound, and the young ones repeat +it; this is the cause of the reverberations. The Sioux declare that +the young Thunders do all the mischief, like boys who will not listen +to good advice; but the old Thunder, or big bird, is wise and +excellent; he never kills or injures any one! + + + + +SONG TO THE THUNDER GODS[A] + +_Omaha_ + + + Ye four, come hither and stand, near shall ye stand,[B] + In four groups shall ye stand, + Here shall ye stand, in this place stand. + + [The thunder rolls] + + Turned by the wind goes the one I send yonder; + Yonder he goes who is whirled by the winds; + Goes, where the four hills of life and the four winds are standing; + There in the midst of the winds do I send him, + Into the midst of the winds standing there. + + [The thunder rolls] + +FOOTNOTES: + +[A] By Alice C. Fletcher. + +[B] The "four" are the four winds. + + + + +SONGS OF THE BUFFALO HUNT + +_Sioux_ + + + The whole world is coming, + A nation is coming, a nation is coming, + The Eagle has brought the message to the tribe. + The father says so, the father says so, + Over the whole earth they are coming. + The buffalo are coming, the buffalo are coming, + The Crow has brought the message to the tribe, + The father says so, the father says so.[C] + +FOOTNOTE: + +[C] "This fine song summarizes the whole hope of the Ghost-dance--the +return of the buffalo and the departed dead, the message being brought +to the people by the sacred birds, the Eagle and the Crow." + + + + +SONGS OF THE BUFFALO HUNT[D] + +_Sioux_ + + + _He!_ They have come back racing,[E] + _He!_ They have come back racing, + Why, they say there is to be a buffalo hunt over here, + Why, they say there is to be a buffalo hunt over here. + Make arrows! Make arrows! + Says the father, says the father. + Give me my knife, + Give me my knife, + I shall hang up the meat to dry--_Ye' ye!_ + I shall hang up the meat to dry--_Ye' ye!_ + Says grandmother--_Yo' yo!_ + Says grandmother--_Yo' yo!_ + When it is dry I shall make pemmican, + When it is dry I shall make pemmican, + Says grandmother--_Yo' yo!_ + Says grandmother--_Yo' yo!_[F] + +FOOTNOTES: + +[D] Songs and comments as given by James Mooney. + +[E] "When going on a buffalo hunt, it was customary among the Sioux to +send out a small advance party to locate the herd. On finding it, +these men returned at once at full gallop to the main body of hunters, +but instead of stopping on reaching them, they dashed past and then +turned and fell in behind. It is to this custom the first line +refers." + +[F] "In the old days an Indian camp during the cutting up of the meat +after a buffalo hunt was a scene of the most joyous activity.... +Preparations were made for days and weeks ahead. Couriers were sent +out to collect the neighboring bands at a common rendezvous, medicine +men began their prayers and ceremonies to attract the herd, the +buffalo songs were sung, and finally when all was ready the +confederated bands or sometimes the whole tribe--men, women, children, +horses, dogs, and travois--moved out into the buffalo grounds. Here +the immense camp of hundreds of tipis was set up, more ceremonies were +performed, and the mounted warriors rode out in a body to surround and +slaughter the herd. The women followed close after them to strip the +hides from the fresh carcasses, and cut out the choice portion of the +meat and tallow and bring it into camp." + + + + +ORIGIN OF THE BUFFALO + +_Teton_ + + +In the days of the grandfathers, buffaloes lived under the earth. In +the olden times, they say, a man who was journeying came to a hill +where there were many holes in the ground. He entered one of them. +When he had gone inside he found buffalo chips and buffalo tracks on +all sides. He found also buffalo hairs where the buffaloes had rubbed +against the walls. These were the real buffaloes and they lived under +the ground. Afterwards some of them came to the surface of the earth +and lived there. Then the herds on the earth increased. + +These buffaloes had many lodges and there they raised their children. +They did many strange things. Therefore when a man escapes being +wounded by an enemy, people say he has seen the buffaloes in his +dreams, and they have helped him. + +Men who dream of the buffaloes act like them and dance the +buffalo-bull dance. Then the man who acts the buffalo has a real +buffalo inside of him, people say, a little hard ball near the +shoulder blade; and therefore he is very hard to kill. No matter how +often he is wounded, he does not die. + +People know that the buffaloes live in earth lodges; so they never +dance the buffalo dance vainly. + + + + +THE BUFFALO BEING + +_Teton_ + + +Once upon a time, a Buffalo Being attacked a party of Indians. He +killed one of them, but the others ran away and climbed a tree. The +Buffalo Being followed them and rushed at the tree. He rushed many +times, knocking off piece after piece of the tree, until very little +was left. + +Then the frightened Indians lighted some tinder, and threw it far off +into the tall grass. The fire scorched the Buffalo Being's eyes, and +injured his horns. The hard part of the horn slipped off, leaving only +the softer part, so that he could no longer injure any one. + +But the Buffalo Being was still dangerous. At last one of the Indians +slipped down the tree, with his bow and arrow. He killed the Buffalo +Being. Then all the men came down the tree and skinned the animal and +cut up the flesh. Into the buffalo-skin robe they placed the body of +the dead Indian. But suddenly another Buffalo Being appeared. The +Indians again climbed the tree. But this Being only walked four times +around the dead Indian. Then he said, "Arise to your feet." + +At once the dead man came to life. The Buffalo Being said to him, +"Hereafter you shall be mysterious. The sun, the moons, the four +winds, day and night shall be your slaves." + +Then it was so. The Indian could take the form of a fine plume, which +was blown against a tree. It would stick to the tree and wave many +times in the breeze. + + + + +[Notes: GERMAN KNIGHTS AND INDIAN WARRIORS + +_The German knights are from a sketch in a Ms., dated 1220, in the +University of Leipzig. The sketch was copied from Rudolph Cronau's +"Geschichte der Solinger Klingenindustrie." They are Knights of the +13th century._ + +_The Indian warriors were drawn by an Apache Indian at Anadarko, in +1884, though the insignia is really that of the Cheyenne Indians._ + +_The comparison and contrast are made by the Bureau of Ethnology._] + +[Illustration: _Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +THE YOUTH AND THE UNDERGROUND PEOPLE + +_Omaha_ + + +There were some villages which were very populous. The chief's son and +his daughter were unmarried. There were two sons. They surrounded the +herds of buffaloes. They used to kill buffaloes. + +One of the sons of this chief attacked a buffalo when far apart from +the rest. He shot it; but the buffalo had gone out of sight into the +ground. The man and his horse, too, went headlong; but the buffalo +went down first. + +Now the father sent out criers. "He says that his son reached the +buffaloes, but he has not come home. He says that ye who have seen his +son will please tell it," shouted the criers. + +One said he had seen him. "I saw him very distinctly. He went in +pursuit. Perhaps he went headlong into a sunken place, for when on +very level ground he vanished altogether. I did not see him again," he +said. + +The father commanded the people to join him in seeking his son. When +the man who had seen him said, "It was just here," the people +scattered far and wide, seeking the chief's son. All the people sought +him. Behold, he had gone down the pit some time before. The buffalo +had gone down, having kicked off a piece of the soil. The horse, too, +had gone down, having kicked off a piece of the soil. + +There was no trail beyond the pit. All the people went directly to it, +without hesitation. + +The pit was very large and extended far downward. The chief spoke of +removing the village there, at once. So there they camped. They camped +around the pit. + +Then the chief implored the young men and those who had been his +friends. If there was one man who was stout-hearted, one who had a +firm heart, the father wished him to enter the pit and go after the +young man. So he implored them. + +At length one rode round and round the village. Then he promised to +enter the pit and go after the missing son. + +"Tell his father. He must also collect cords," he said. + +Having cut buffalo hides in strips, he collected the cords. + +"Make a round piece of skin for me, and tie the long line of cord to +it," he said. So they finished it. + +"Now it matters not to what place I go, I will put the body in the +skin bucket. I go to take hold of him. When I reach the ground at the +bottom, I will pull suddenly on the cord. When I pull on it many +times, you will draw it up." Thus he said. + +At last he reached the ground inside the pit. It was very dark. When +he felt around in the dark, the buffalo was lying alone, being killed +by the fall. The horse, too, was lying by itself, having been killed +by the fall. And the man lay apart from them, having been killed by +the fall. + +Picking up the body of the chief's son, he put it in the hollow skin. +Then he pulled many times on the cord. + +But when the young man went down, strange to say, he did not ask +favors for himself. And they rejoiced because he had put the chief's +son in the hollow skin. Having brought up the dead man they forgot the +living one. + +Though he sat waiting for the hollow skin to come down again, he was +not drawn up. So he sat wailing. + +Now the chief had promised him his daughter to go down into the pit. +"If you bring my son back, you shall marry her," he had said. + +The young man wandered about in the darkness. At length when walking +along the trail, he came suddenly upon an old woman. + +"Venerable woman, though this land is very difficult to reach, I have +come hither. I came to the hole in the ground above. One person came +hither, having fallen into this pit. I came to take him back. They +have not drawn me up; and I have no way of going back. Venerable +woman, help me." So he spoke. + +"There is nothing that I can do to help you," she said. "A person is +in that place, out of sight. Go there. He is the one who will do it +for you." + +He went there. When he arrived, he knocked repeatedly on the door. +Though he stood hearing them speaking, they did not open the door for +him. + +The woman said, "Fie! A person has come. Open the door for him." + +Behold! The man's child was dead, and therefore he sat without +speaking. He sat still, being sad. Then the young man arrived within +the lodge, the woman having opened the door for him. Yet her husband +sat without speaking. The young man was impatient from hunger. The +husband questioned him: + +"From what place have you walked?" he asked. + +The young man told his story. "I walked up above, but a man headed off +the herd, and having fallen, he came here. I came here to take him +back. They did not take me back; I have no way of going back. Help +me," he said. + +The man said, "We had a child, but it died. We will treat you just +like the child who died." He meant he would adopt him. "All things +which I have are yours," said the father. + +The young man did not speak. He wished to go homeward. + +"Whatever you say I will do it for you," said the father. "Even if you +desire to go homeward, it shall be so," he said. + +At last the young man spoke of going homeward. + +"If you say, 'I will go homeward riding a horse of such a color, O +father!' it shall be so," said the father. + +"Fie!" said the woman. "Heretofore we were deprived of our child. The +young man who has just come home is like him. Give him one thing which +you have." + +"I make you my child. I will give you something. Whatever I desire I +always make with it, when I wish to have anything," said the father. +He had a piece of iron and when he wished anything he used to point at +the iron. + +"O father, I wish to go homeward riding a horse with very white hair. +I also desire a mule with very white hair, and a good saddle," said +the young man. + +"Come, go there. Open the door of that stable. When you wish to see +us again, you shall see us. When you will go homeward, you will say, +'Come, O father, I desire to go homeward,'" said the father. + +The young man went homeward. He made the rocks open suddenly by +pointing at them with the iron. He went up, making the ground echo +under the horse's feet. When he pushed aside a very large rock which +was in his way, he found himself again on the surface of the earth. +The horse and mule were very sudden in their movements. They shied at +every step. They sniffed the odor of a bad land. + +The young man found his nation that he had left. Behold! they had +recently removed and departed. After they waited some time for him to +appear, they had removed their camp and departed. The horse and mule +went along, fearing the sight of the old camping ground. They followed +the trail of the departing village. + +Then the young man saw two people on a large hill, walking in the +trail. They were the head chief and his wife who were walking along, +mourning for the dead. + +They looked behind and said, "Yonder comes one on horseback, following +the trail made by the departing village." + +He drew near. They sat waiting for him to appear. The horse and mule +feared the sight of them; they sniffed a bad odor. + +"Why! Of what nation are you?" asked the chief. + +"It is I," said the young man. + +"But which one are you?" said the chief. + +"Your son went headlong into a pit when they surrounded the herd," +said the young man. "And I went down to get him. You did not bring me +back. It is I." + +As he was very much changed, the old man doubted. + +"Fie! Tell the truth about yourself." + +"When they surrounded the herd, your son went headlong as well as the +buffalo, and he was killed by falling into a pit. When you commanded +them to get him, they drew back through fear. I am he who went to get +him when you offered your daughter as a reward," said the young man. +"I have hardly been able to come again to the surface." + +Then they recognized him. The two men stood talking together on the +large hill. The chief's son looked back from the camp. + +"Why! The chief and his wife have come as far as the large hill and a +man on horseback has come, too. He stands talking to them. I will go +thither. Let me see! I will go to see them." + +He went back on horseback and came to his father. + +"With what person do you talk?" said the son. + +"Why! He who went to get your elder brother has come back!" said the +head chief. + +They shook hands. And the head chief gave his daughter to the young +man. + +"Let all the men and chiefs assemble. Let all the stout-hearted young +men assemble. They can look at my daughter's husband," he said. + +They assembled. They came to see the young man and brought the things +they intended giving him. + +"He says that he who went to get the man who was killed by falling has +come back. The chief says that as he has made the young man his +daughter's husband you shall go to see the young man. He says that you +will take to him what things you wish to give him. The chief says he +will give thanks for them." So shouted the crier. + +All the young men and those who were brave and generous went thither. +They all gave him clothing and good horses. His wife's father made him +the head chief. + +"Make ye a tent for him in the center," said the old chief. + +They set up a tent for him in the center. They finished it. + +"The people did not eat. As they sat waiting for you to appear, the +nation did not eat. You came back when they were just removing camp," +said the old chief. + +"Ho!" said the one who had just reached home. "Let two old men go as +criers." + +So the criers shouted: "The chiefs daughter's husband says that you +will rest tomorrow. He says you will not go in any direction +whatever." + +The next day he commanded those who had come back on horseback to act +as scouts. And the scouts came back very soon; because by means of the +iron rod which he had asked of his father, he made a great many +buffaloes very quickly. He spoke of surrounding them. They shot down +many of the buffaloes. He went to take part in surrounding them. + +His wife said, "I desire to go to see them surround the herd. I must +go to see the buffaloes. When they are killed, I will be quite likely +to come back." + +When they killed the buffaloes she was coming back; the wife stood on +the hill. Her husband came to that place. + +"Though I killed the buffaloes, they will cut them up," he said. They +who surrounded them reached home. + +Again they spoke of a buffalo hunt. "The chief's daughter's husband +speaks indeed of sending them to act as scouts," said the criers. + +Again the herd of buffaloes had come to that country. They surrounded +them. Again they shot down many of them. + +At last the son of the old head chief was in a bad humor. He was in a +bad humor because his sister's husband had been made chief. + +Now at night, the horse used to say to the young man, "O father, a man +desires very much to kill us. It is so every night." And after that at +night the young man used to take care of his horse and mule. + +On the next day they surrounded the herd in the land where the deed +was done. It was just so again; a great many buffaloes had been +coming. At length the son wished the buffaloes to trample his sister's +husband to death. When they attacked the buffaloes, he waved his robe. +Turning around in his course, he waved his robe again. When the +sister's husband went right in among the buffaloes, they closed in on +him and he was not seen at all. + +The people said, "The buffaloes have trampled to death the chief's +daughter's husband." + +When the buffaloes trampled him to death, they scattered and went +homeward in every direction, moving in long lines. And the people did +not find any trace whatever of what was done. They did not find the +horse. Even the man they did not find. When the buffaloes killed him +by trampling, the horse had gone back to Him Who Made Things. + + + + +THE BUFFALO AND THE GRIZZLY BEAR + +_Omaha_ + + +Grizzly Bear was going somewhere, following the course of a stream, +and at last he went straight towards the headland. When he got in +sight, Buffalo Bull was standing beneath it. Grizzly Bear retraced his +steps, going again to the stream, following its course until he got +beyond the headland. Then he drew near and peeped. He saw that Buffalo +Bull was very lean, and standing with his head bowed, as if sluggish. +So Grizzly Bear crawled up close to him, made a rush, seized him by +the hair of his head, and pulled down his head. He turned Buffalo Bull +round and round, shaking him now and then, saying, "Speak! Speak! I +have been coming to this place a long time, and they say you have +threatened to fight me. Speak!" Then he hit Buffalo Bull on the nose +with his open paw. + +"Why!" said Buffalo Bull, "I have never threatened to fight you, who +have been coming to this country so long." + +"Not so! You have threatened to fight me." Letting go the buffalo's +head, Grizzly Bear went around and seized him by the tail, turning him +round and round. Then he left, but as he did so, he gave him a hard +blow with his open paw. + +"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! you have caused me great pain," said Buffalo +Bull. Bobtailed Grizzly Bear departed. + +Buffalo Bull thought thus: "Attack him! You too have been just that +sort of a person." + +Grizzly Bear knew what he was thinking, so he said, "Why! what are you +saying?" + +"I said nothing," said Buffalo Bull. + +Then Grizzly Bear came back. He seized Buffalo Bull by the tail, +pulling him round and round. Then he seized him by the horns, pulling +his head round and round. Then he seized him again by the tail and hit +him again with the open paw. Again Grizzly Bear departed. And again +Buffalo Bull thought as he had done before. Then Grizzly Bear came +back and treated Buffalo Bull as he had before. + +Buffalo Bull stepped backward, throwing his tail into the air. + +"Why! Do not flee," said Grizzly Bear. + +Buffalo threw himself down, and rolled over and over. Then he +continued backing, pawing the ground. + +"Why! I say, do not flee," said Grizzly Bear. When Buffalo Bull +backed, making ready to attack him, Grizzly Bear thought he was +scared. + +Then Buffalo Bull ran towards Grizzly, puffing a great deal. When he +neared him, he rushed on him. He sent Grizzly Bear flying through the +air. + +As Grizzly Bear came down towards the earth, Buffalo Bull caught him +on his horns and threw him into the air again. When Grizzly Bear fell +and lay on the ground, Buffalo Bull made at him with his horns to gore +him, but just missed him. Grizzly Bear crawled away slowly, with +Buffalo Bull following him step by step, thrusting at him now and +then, though without striking him. When Grizzly Bear came to a cliff, +he plunged over headlong, and landed in a thicket at the foot. Buffalo +Bull had run so fast he could not stop at the edge where Grizzly Bear +went over, but followed the cliff for some distance. Then he came back +and stood with his tail partly raised. Grizzly Bear returned to the +bank and peeped. + +"Oh, Buffalo Bull," said Grizzly Bear. "Let us be friends. We are very +much alike in disposition." + + + + +[Notes: RIVALRY OVER THE BUFFALO + +(Comanche drawing on a buffalo shoulder blade) + +_The Indian chase is by arrow; the white man's by the lasso, gun, and +spear. The rivalry is indicated by half the buffalo being drawn as +belonging to one race, half to the other. The white men are supposed +to be Spaniards. The shoulder blade was found in the Comanche country, +in Texas._] + +[Illustration: _Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of +Ethnology_] + + +[Notes: CAPTURE OF A WANDERING BUFFALO + +(Indian drawing) + +_A buffalo has wandered near an Indian village, and is being captured. +The dotted lines indicate footprints. One Indian, having secured the +buffalo by his forefeet, tells his companion of his success--indicated +by the line drawn from his mouth to its feet. Another, having secured +the buffalo by the horns, gives a companion a chance to kill it with +an axe. This he intends to do--indicated by the line from his mouth to +its head, as well as by his attitude. The Indian in the upper corner +is told by his squaw to take an arrow and join in the capture. He +turns his head to inform her that he has an arrow--indicated by +holding it up, and by the line from his mouth to her._] + +[Illustration: _Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of +Ethnology_] + + + + +MY FIRST BUFFALO HUNT[G] + +_Omaha_ + + +I went three times on the buffalo hunt. When I was there the first +time, I was small; therefore, I did not shoot the buffaloes. But I +used to take care of the pack horses for those who surrounded the +herd. When they surrounded the herd at the very first, I spoke of +shooting at the buffaloes. But my father said, "Perhaps the horse +might throw you suddenly, and then the buffalo might gore you." And I +was in a bad humor. + +My father went with me to the hill. We sat and looked on them when +they attacked the buffaloes. And notwithstanding my father talked to +me, I continued there without talking to him. At length one man was +coming directly toward the tents in pursuit of a buffalo bull. And the +buffalo bull was savage. He attacked the man now and then. + +"Come! Go thither," said my father. I tied a lariat on a large red +mare that was very tall. And taking a very light gun which my father +had, I went over there. When I arrived the buffalo bull was standing +motionless. The man said he was very glad that I had come. The buffalo +bull was savage. The man shot suddenly at him with a bow and wounded +him on the back. And then he attacked us. The horse on which I was +seated leaped very far four times, and had gone off, throwing me +suddenly. When the buffalo bull had come very close, he wheeled around +and departed. So I failed to shoot at him before he went. I reached +home just as my mother was scolding my father about me. When the horse +reached home with the bridle sticking to it, she knew that I had been +thrown. My father said nothing at all, but sat laughing. Addressing +me, he said, "Did you kill the buffalo bull?" And I did not speak. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[G] The author, Frank La Fleche, an Omaha Indian, was about twelve +years old when this occurred. + + + + +BIRD OMENS + +_Sioux_ + + +When whippoorwills sing together at night, "_Hohin, hohin,_" one says +in reply, "No." If the birds stop talking at once, then the person +will die soon. But if the birds continue talking, then the man will +live a long time. + +The gray screech owl foretells cold weather. When the night is to be +very cold, then the owl cries out; it sounds just as if a person's +teeth chattered. When the owl cries out, all people wrap themselves in +their thickest robes; and they put plenty of wood on the fires. + +The Ski-bi-bi-la is a small gray bird, with a black head, and spotted +on the breast. It lives in the woods, and it answers a person who +calls to it. When this bird says, "Has it returned?" people are glad. +They know that spring is near. When a boy hears the bird ask this +question, he runs to his mother; she tells him he must answer, "No; it +has not yet returned." + +When the people first hear the cry of the nighthawk in the spring, +they begin to talk of hunting buffalo. This is because when the hawk +returns, the buffaloes have become fat again and the birds bring the +news. + + + + +THE BIRD CHIEF + +_Omaha_ + + +All the birds were called together. To them was said, "Whichever one +of you can fly farthest into the sky shall be chief." + +All the birds flew to a great height. But Wren got under the thick +feathers of Eagle and sat there as Eagle flew. When all the birds +became wing-tired, they flew down again; but Eagle flew still higher. +When Eagle had gone as far as he could, Wren flew still higher. + +When all the birds reached the ground, Eagle alone returned, after a +great while. Behold! Wren only was absent. So they awaited him. At +last he returned. Eagle had too highly been thinking of himself, being +sure of being made chief; and behold! Wren was made chief. + + + + +SONG OF THE BIRDS[H] + +_Pawnee_ + + + All around the birds in flocks are flying. + Dipping, rising, circling, see them coming. + See, many birds are flocking here, + All about us now together coming. + + Yonder see the birds in flocks, come flying; + Dipping, rising, circling, see them gather. + Loud is the sound their winging makes. + Rushing, come they on the trees alighting. + + From the flock an eagle now comes flying; + Dipping, rising, circling, comes she hither. + Loud screams the eagle, flying swift, + As an eagle flies, her nestlings seeking. + + It is Kawas coming, Kawas flying; + Dipping, rising, circling, she advances. + See! Nearer she comes, nearer comes. + Now, alighted, she her nest is making. + + Yonder people like the birds are flocking; + See them circling, this side, that side coming. + Loud is the sound their moving makes, + As together come they, onward come they. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[H] Rendition by Alice C. Fletcher. + + + + +SONG OF KAWAS, THE EAGLE[I] + +_Pawnee_ + + + O'er the prairie flits in ever widening circles the shadow of a + bird about me as I walk; + Upward turn my eyes, Kawas looks upon me, she turns with flapping + wings and far away she flies. + + Round about a tree in ever widening circles an eagle flies, alert + watching o'er his nest; + Loudly whistles he, a challenge sending far, o'er the country wide + it echoes, there defying foes. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[I] Rendition by Alice C. Fletcher. + + + + +THE EAGLE'S REVENGE + +_Cherokee_ + + +Once a hunter in the mountains heard a noise at night like a rushing +wind. He went outside his tepee, and found an eagle was sitting on the +drying pole, feasting at the deer he had shot. So he shot the eagle. + +The next morning the hunter took the deer back to the village. He told +how he had shot the deer and then the eagle. Therefore the chief sent +out men to bring in the eagle, and have an Eagle dance. + +That night when they were dancing, there was a _whoop_ outside. A +strange warrior walked into the circle. He was not of that village. +They thought he had come from one of the other Cherokee villages. + +This warrior told how he had killed a man. At the end of the story, he +yelled, "_Hi!_" One of the men with rattles, who was leading the +dance, fell dead. The stranger sang of another deed. At the end he +yelled, "_Hi!_" Another rattler fell dead. The people were frightened. +But the stranger sang of another great deed. Then again he yelled, +"_Hi!_" Again a man with the rattles fell dead. So all seven men who +had rattles and who were leading the dance fell dead. And the people +were too frightened to leave the lodge where they were dancing. + +Then the stranger vanished into the darkness. Long after they learned +that the stranger was the brother of the eagle that had been killed. + + + + +THE RACE BETWEEN HUMMING BIRD AND CRANE + +_Cherokee_ + + +Humming Bird and Crane were both in love with a pretty woman. She +liked Humming Bird, who was handsome. Crane was ugly, but he would not +give up the pretty woman. So at last to get rid of him, she told them +they must have a race, and that she would marry the winner. Now +Humming Bird flew like a flash of light; but Crane was heavy and slow. + +The birds started from the woman's house to fly around the world to +the beginning. Humming Bird flew off like an arrow. He flew all day +and when he stopped to roost he was far ahead. + +Crane flew heavily, but he flew all night long. He stopped at daylight +at a creek to rest. Humming Bird waked up, and flew on again, and soon +he reached a creek, and behold! there was Crane, spearing tadpoles +with his long bill. Humming Bird flew on. + +Soon Crane started on and flew all night as before. Humming Bird slept +on his roost. + +Next morning Humming Bird flew on and Crane was far, far ahead. The +fourth day, Crane was spearing tadpoles for dinner when Humming Bird +caught up with him. By the seventh day Crane was a whole night's +travel ahead. At last he reached the beginning again. He stopped at +the creek and preened his feathers, and then in the early morning went +to the woman's house. Humming Bird was far, far behind. + +But the woman declared she would not marry so ugly a man as Crane. +Therefore she remained single. + + + + +RABBIT AND THE TURKEYS + +_Omaha_ + + +Rabbit was going somewhere. At length he reached a place where there +were wild Turkeys. + +"Come," said Rabbit. "I will sing dancing songs for you." + +Turkeys went to him saying, "Oho! Rabbit will sing dancing songs for +us!" + +"When I sing for you, you larger ones must go around the circle next +to me. Beware lest you open your eyes. Should one of you open his +eyes, your eyes shall be red," said Rabbit. + +Then he began to sing, + + Alas for the gazer! + Eyes red! Eyes red! + Spread out your tails! + Spread out your tails! + +Whenever a large Turkey came near, Rabbit seized it and put it in his +bag. While he was putting in a Turkey, another one opened his eyes a +little, and exclaimed, "Why! He has captured nearly all of us large +ones!" + +Off they all flew with a whirring sound. + +Rabbit took home those he had in his bag, saying to his grandmother, +"Do not look at what is in that bag! I have brought it home on my back +and I wish you to guard it!" + +Then he went out to cut spits on which to roast the Turkeys. When the +old woman was alone, she thought, "What could he have brought home on +his back?" So she untied the bag, and when she looked in out flew all +the Turkeys, hitting their wings hard against the grass lodge, and +flying out the smoke hole. The old woman barely killed one by hitting +it. At length Rabbit came home. + +"Oh I have inflicted a severe injury on my grandchild," she said. + +"Really," he answered. "Grandmother, I told you not to look at it." + +But that is why Turkeys have red eyes. + + + + +[Notes: FIVE CHIEFS OF THE OGALLA SIOUX + +_Rank is shown by pipe and pouch. The first Cankutanka, Big Road; +often called Good Road--big and broad and well traveled. The bird +flying through the dusk shows that one may fly rapidly over a good +road. Next is Low Dog. The dog figure is "low," as shown by the +shortness of the legs. In the center is Long Dog, as shown by the long +legs on the dog figure. Below, to the left, is Iron Crow, the crow +painted blue indicating iron. The last is Little Hawk. Each chief has +three bands on the cheek, but with variant colors and patterns._] + +[Illustration: _From Report of the Bureau of Ethnology_] + + +[Illustration: OLD HORSE + +Name of an Indian Chief, as shown in Red Cloud's census. Old age is +represented by the wrinkles and projecting lips. + +_Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of Ethnology_] + + + + +UNKTOMI AND THE BAD SONGS + +_Dakota_ + + +Unktomi was going along; his way lay along by the side of a lake. Out +on the lake there were a great many ducks, geese, and swans swimming. +When Unktomi saw them he went backward out of sight, and picking some +grass, bound it up in a bundle. He placed this on his back and so went +again along by the side of the lake. + +"Unktomi, what are you carrying?" asked the ducks and the geese and +the swans. + +"These are bad songs I am carrying," said Unktomi. + +The ducks said, "Unktomi, sing for us." + +Unktomi replied, "But the songs are very bad." + +But the ducks insisted upon it. Then Unktomi said, "Make a grass +lodge." So they went to work and made a large grass lodge. + +"Now, let all the ducks, geese, and swans gather inside the lodge and +I will sing for you," said Unktomi. So all the ducks and the geese and +the swans gathered inside and filled the grass lodge. Then Unktomi +took his place at the door of the lodge and said, "If I sing for +you, no one must look, for that is the meaning of the song." + +Then he began to sing, + + Dance with your eyes shut; + If you open your eyes + Your eyes shall be red! + Your eyes shall be red! + +When he said and sang this, the geese, ducks, and swans danced with +their eyes shut. Then Unktomi rose up and said, + + I even, even I + Follow in my own; + I even, even I, + Follow in my own. + +So they all gabbled as they danced, and Unktomi, dancing among them, +commenced twisting off the necks of the fattest of the geese and ducks +and swans. But when he tried to twist off the neck of a large swan and +could not, he only made him squawk. Then a small duck, called Skiska, +partly opened his eyes. He saw Unktomi try to break the swan's neck, +and he made an outcry: + + Look ye, look ye! + Unktomi will destroy us all. + Look ye, look ye! + +At once they all opened their eyes and attempted to go out. But +Unktomi threw himself in the doorway and tried to stop them. They +rushed upon him with their feet and wings, and smote him and knocked +him over, walking on his stomach, and leaving him as though dead. Then +Unktomi came to life, and got up, and looked around. + +But they say that the Wood Duck, which looked first, had his eyes made +red. + +Then Unktomi gathered up the ducks and geese and swans he had killed +and carried them on his back. He came to a river and traveled along by +the side of it till he came to a long, straight place where he stopped +to boil his kettle. He put all the ducks and geese and swans whose +necks he had twisted into the kettle, and set it on the fire to boil, +and then he lay down to sleep. + +As he lay there, curled up on the bank of the river, he said, "Mionze +[familiar spirit], if anyone comes you wake me up." So he slept. + +Now a mink came paddling along on the river, and coming close to +Unktomi's boiling place, saw him lying fast asleep. Then he went +there. While Unktomi slept, he took out all the boiling meat and ate +it up, putting the bones back into the kettle. Then Unktomi waked up. +He sat up and saw no one. + +"Perhaps my boiling is cooked for me," he said. + +He took the kettle off the fire. He poked a stick into it and found +only bones. Then he said, "Indeed, the meat has all fallen off." So he +took a spoon and dipped it out; nothing was there but bones. + +This is the story of Unktomi and the Bad Songs. + + + + +HOW THE PHEASANT BEAT CORN + +_Cherokee_ + + +Once Pheasant saw a woman beating corn in a wooden mortar in front of +her lodge. + +"I can do that, too," said Pheasant. + +"I don't believe you," said the woman. + +"Yes, I can," said Pheasant. So Pheasant went into the woods behind +the lodge. He flew to a hollow log and drummed with his wings until +the people thought he really was beating corn. + +That is why the Indians have the Pheasant dance, as a part of the +Green-corn dance. + + + + +WHY THE TURKEY GOBBLES + +_Cherokee_ + + +In the old days, Grouse had a good voice and Turkey had none. +Therefore Turkey asked Grouse to teach him. But Grouse wanted pay, so +Turkey promised to give him some feathers for a collar. That is how +the Grouse got his collar of turkey feathers. + +So the Grouse began to teach Turkey. At last Grouse said, "Now you +must try your voice. You must halloo." + +Turkey said, "Yes." + +Grouse said, "I'll stand on this hollow log, and when I tap on it, you +must halloo as loudly as you can." + +So Grouse climbed upon a log, ready to tap on it, but when he did so, +Turkey became so excited that when he opened his mouth, he only said, +"_Gobble, gobble, gobble!_" + +That is why the Turkey gobbles whenever he hears a noise. + + + + +OMAHA BELIEFS + +_Omaha_ + + +Song was an integral part of Omaha life. Through song, the Omaha +approached the mysterious Wakoda; through song he voiced his emotions, +both individual and social; through song he embodied feelings and +aspirations that eluded expression in words. In one of their +ceremonies, the Wa' wa, "to sing for somebody," songs are one of the +chief characteristics. + +In this ceremony, the eagle is "Mother." She calls to her nestlings +and upon her strong wings she bears the message of peace. Peace and +its symbol, the clear, cloudless sky, are the theme of the principal +songs. The curlew, in the early morning, stretches its neck and its +wing as it sits on the roost, and utters a long note. The sound is +considered an indication that the day will be cloudless. + +Green represents the verdure of the earth; blue is the color of the +sky; red is the color of the sun, typifying life. The eagle is the +bird of tireless strength. The owl represents night, and the +woodpecker the day and sun. These two birds also stand for life and +death. + +Wakoda gives to man the sunshine, the clear sky from which all storms, +all clouds are absent; in the Wa' wa ceremony, they stand for peace. +In this connection, black storm clouds with their thunder and +lightning are emblematic of war. + + + + +PAWNEE BELIEFS + +_Pawnee_ + + +At the creation of the world, lesser powers were made, because +Tira'wa-tius, the Mighty Power, could not come near to man, or be seen +or felt by him. These lesser powers dwell in the great circle of the +sky. One is North Star; another is Brown Eagle. The Winds were the +first of the lesser powers to come near man. Therefore, when man calls +for aid, he calls first to the Winds. They stand at the four points, +and guard the four paths down which the lesser powers come when they +help mankind. The Winds are always near us, by day and by night. + +The Sun is one of these powers. It comes from the mighty power above; +therefore it has great strength. + +Mother Earth is another power. She is very near to man. From her we +get food; upon her we lie down. We live and walk on her. We could not +exist without Mother Earth, without Sun, and without the Winds. + +Water is another lesser power. Water is necessary to mankind. + +Fire made by rubbing two sticks together is sacred. It comes direct +from the power granted Toharu, vegetation, in answer to man's prayer +as he rubs the sticks. When the flame leaps from the glowing wood, it +is the word of the fire. The power has come near. + +Blue is the color of the sky, the dwelling place of Tira' wahut, the +circle of powers which watch over man. As a man paints the blue stick +he sings. + +Red is the color of the sun. Green is the color of Mother Earth. + +Eagle is the chief of day; Owl is chief of the night; Woodpecker is +chief of the trees; Duck is chief of the water. + +The ear of corn represents the supernatural power that dwells in the +earth, which brings forth the food that sustains life; there corn is +spoken of as _h'Atira_, "mother breathing forth life." The power which +dwells in the earth, which enables it to give life to all growing +things, comes from above. Therefore, in the Hako, the Pawnee ceremony, +the ear of corn is painted with blue. + +The wildcat was made to live in the forest. He has much skill and +ingenuity. The wildcat shows us we must think, must use tact, must be +shrewd when we set out to do anything. The wildcat is one of the +sacred animals. + +Trees grow along the banks of the streams; we can see them at a +distance, like a long line, and we can see the river glistening in the +sunlight in its length. We sing to the river, and when we come nearer +and see the water and hear it rippling along, then we sing to the +water, the water that ripples as it runs. + +Hills were made by Tira'wa. We ascend hills when we go away alone to +pray. From the top of a hill we can look over the country to see if +there are enemies in sight, or if any danger is near us. We can see if +we are to meet friends. The hills help man, so we sing to them. + + + + +A SONG OF HOSPITALITY[J] + +_Sioux_ + + + I am mashing the berries, + I am mashing the berries, + They say travelers are coming on the march, + They say travelers are coming on the march, + I stir [the berries] around, I stir them around, + I take them up with a spoon of buffalo horn, + I take them up with a spoon of buffalo horn, + And I carry them, I carry them [to the strangers], + And I carry them, I carry them [to the strangers]. + + "Word comes that travelers are approaching ... on the + march with their children, dogs, and household + property. She stirs them around with a spoon of + buffalo horn and goes to offer them to the strangers. + The translation is an exact paraphrase of the rhythmic + repetition of the original." + +FOOTNOTE: + +[J] James Mooney. + + + + +A SONG OF THE MARCH[K] + +_Sioux_ + + + Now set up the tipi, + Now set up the tipi, + Around the bottom, + Around the bottom, + Drive in the pegs, + Drive in the pegs, + In the meantime I shall cook, + In the meantime I shall cook. + + "To those who know the Indian life it brings up a + vivid picture of a prairie band on the march, halting + at noon or in the evening. As soon as the halt is + called by some convenient stream, the women jump down + and release the horses from ... the travois, in the + olden times, and hobble them to prevent them from + wandering away. Then, while some of the women set up + the tipi poles, draw the canvas over them, and drive + in the pegs around the bottom and the wooden pins up + the side, other women take axes and buckets and go + down to the creek for wood and water. When they + return, they find the tipis set up and the blankets + spread out on the grass, and in a few minutes fires + are built and the meal is in preparation." + +FOOTNOTE: + +[K] James Mooney. + + + + +[Notes: SIOUAN TENTS + +_B. Tent of Little Cedar, belonging to the order of Sun and Moon +shamans. The circle represents the sun in which stands a man holding +deer rattles._ + +_C. Those persons who belong to the Inke-sabe sub-gens known as +Keepers of the Pipes, paint their tents with the pipe decorations._ + +_D. Used by a member of the order of Grizzly Bear shamans. "When they +have had visions of grizzly bears, they decorate their tents +accordingly." (George Miller.) The bear is represented as emerging +from his den. The dark band represents the ground._ + +_E. Sketch furnished by Chief Dried Buffalo. The circle at the top +represents a bear's cave. Below there are lightnings, then prints of +bears' paws. E also represents the grizzly bear vision._] + +[Illustration: _Enlarged from plate in report of the Bureau of +Ethnology_] + + +[Illustration: AN ARAPAHOE BED + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +SONG OF THE PRAIRIE BREEZE[L] + +_Kiowa_ + + + That wind, that wind + Shakes my tipi, shakes my tipi, + And sings a song for me, + And sings a song for me. + + "To the familiar, this little song brings up pleasant + memories of the prairie camp when the wind is + whistling through the tipi poles and blowing the flaps + about, while inside the fire burns bright and the song + and the game go round." + +FOOTNOTE: + +[L] James Mooney. + + + + +OLD-WOMAN-WHO-NEVER-DIES + +_Mandan_ + + +In the sun lives the Lord of Life. In the moon lives +Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies. She has six children, three sons and three +daughters. These live in the sky. The eldest son is the Day; another +is the Sun; another is Night. The eldest daughter is the Morning Star, +called "The Woman who Wears a Plume"; another is a star which circles +around the polar star, and she is called "The Striped Gourd"; the +third is Evening Star. + +Every spring Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies sends the wild geese, the swans, +and the ducks. When she sends the wild geese, the Indians plant their +corn and Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies makes it grow. When eleven wild +geese are found together, the Indians know the corn crop will be very +large. The swans mean that the Indians must plant gourds; the ducks, +that they must plant beans. + +Indians always save dried meat for these wild birds, so when they come +in the spring they may have a corn feast. They build scaffolds of many +poles, three or four rows, and one above the others. On this they +hang the meat. Then the old women in the village, each one with a +stick, meet around the scaffold. In one end of the stick is an ear of +corn. Sitting in a circle, they plant their sticks in the ground in +front of them. Then they dance around the scaffolds while the old men +beat the drums and rattle the gourds. + +Afterwards the old women in the village are allowed to eat the dried +meat. + +In the fall they hold another corn feast, after the corn is ripe. This +is so that Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies may send the buffalo herds to +them. Each woman carries the entire cornstalk, with the ears attached, +just as it was pulled up by the roots. Then they call on +Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies and say, + +"Mother, pity us. Do not send the cold too soon, or we may not have +enough meat. Mother, do not let the game depart, so that we may have +enough for winter." + +In the fall, when the birds go south to Old-Woman, they take back the +dried meat hung on the scaffolds, because Old-Woman is very fond of +it. + +Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies has large patches of corn, kept for her by +the great stag and by the white-tailed stag. Blackbirds also help her +guard her corn patches. The corn patches are large, therefore the Old +Woman has the help also of the mice and the moles. In the spring the +birds go north, back to Old-Man-Who-Never-Dies. + +In the olden time, Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies lived near the Little +Missouri. Sometimes the Indians visited her. One day twelve came, and +she offered them only a small kettle of corn. They were very hungry +and the kettle was very small. But as soon as it was empty, it at once +became filled again, so all the Indians had enough to eat. + + + + +LEGEND OF THE CORN + +_Arikara_ + + +The Arikara were the first to find the maize. A young man went out +hunting. He came to a high hill. Looking down a valley, he saw a +buffalo bull near where two rivers joined. When the young man looked +to see how he could kill the buffalo, he saw how beautiful the country +was. The banks of the two rivers were low, with many trees. The +buffalo faced the north; therefore he could not get within bowshot of +him. He thought he should wait until the buffalo moved close to the +banks of one of the rivers, or to a ravine where there were bushes and +shrubs. So the young man waited. The sun went down before the buffalo +moved. + +Nearly all night the hunter lay awake. He had little food. He felt +sorry he could not reach the buffalo. Before the sun rose, he hurried +to the top of the hill. The buffalo stood just where it had, but it +faced the east. Again he waited for it to move. He waited all day. +When the sun went down, the buffalo still stood in the same place. + +Nearly all night the young man lay awake. He had very little food +indeed. The next morning he rose early, and came to the top of the +hill, just as the sun came up. The buffalo was still standing in the +same place; but now it faced the south. He waited all day. Then the +sun went down. + +Now the next morning, when he arose early, the buffalo stood in the +same place; this time it faced the west. All day the young man waited, +but the buffalo did not move. + +Now the young man thought, "Why does not the buffalo move?" He saw it +did not drink, did not eat, did not sleep. He thought some power must +be influencing it. + +Now the next morning, the young man hurried to the top of the hill. +The sun had risen and everything was light. The buffalo was gone. Then +he saw where the buffalo had stood there was a strange bush. + +He went to the place; then he saw it was a plant. He looked for the +tracks of the buffalo. He saw where it had turned to the east and to +the south and to the west. In the center there was one track; out of +it the small plant had grown. There was no track to show where the +buffalo had left the place. + +Then the hunter hurried to his village. He told the chiefs and the +people of the strange buffalo and the plant. So all the chiefs and +the people came to the place. They saw the tracks of the buffalo as he +had stood, but there were no tracks of his coming or going. + +So all the people knew that Wahkoda had given this strange plant to +the people. They knew of other plants they might eat. They knew there +was a time when each plant was ripe. So they watched the strange +plant; they guarded it and protected it. + +Then a flower appeared on the plant. Afterwards, at one of the joints, +a new part of the plant pushed out. It had hair. At first the hair was +green; then it was brown. Then the people thought, "Perhaps this fruit +is ripe." But they did not dare touch it. They met together. They +looked at the plant. + +Then a young man said, "My life has not been good. If any evil comes +to me, it will not matter." + +So the people were willing, and the young man put his hand on the +plant and then on its fruit. He grasped the fruit boldly. He said to +the people, "It is solid. It is ripe." Then he pulled apart the husks, +and said, "It is red." + +He took a few of the grains and showed them to the people. He ate +some. He did not die. So the people knew Wahkoda had sent this plant +to them for food. + +Now in the fall, when the prairie grass turned brown, the leaves of +this plant turned brown also. Then the fruit was plucked, and put +away. After the winter was over, the kernels were divided. There were +four to each family. + +Then the people moved the lodges to the place where the plant had +grown. When the hills became green, they planted the seed of the +strange plant. But first they built little mounds like the one out of +which it grew. So the fruit grew and ripened. It had many colors; red, +and yellow, and white, and blue. + +Then the next year there were many plants and many ears of corn. So +they sent to other tribes. They invited them to visit them and gave +them of the new food. Thus the Omahas came to have corn. + + + + +TRADITION OF THE FINDING OF HORSES + +_Ponca_ + + +Long ago, the people followed the Missouri River northward to a place +where they could step over the water. Then they turned, and were going +across the land. Then they met the Padouca [Comanche]. + +At that time the Ponca had no animals but dogs to help them carry +burdens. Wherever they went they had to go on foot, but the people +were strong and fleet. They could run a great distance and not be +weary. One day when they were hunting buffalo, they met the Padouca. +Then they had many battles with them. The Padouca were mounted on +strange animals. At first the Ponca thought it was all one animal. The +Padouca had bows made from elk horn. They were not very long, nor were +they very strong. They boiled the horn until it was soft; then they +scraped it, and bound it together with sinews and glue. Their arrows +were tipped with bone. They fought also with a stone battle-ax. The +handle was a sapling; a grooved stone ax head, pointed at both ends, +was fastened to this with rawhides. So the Padouca were terrible +fighters. They protected their horses with a covering of thick rawhide +cut in round pieces, and put together like fish scales. They spread +glue over the outside and then sand. So when the Comanches fought, the +arrows of their enemies glanced off the horses' armor. Then the +Padouca made breastplates for themselves like those of the horses. + +When the Ponca met these terrible warriors, they were afraid. They +thought man and horse were one. They named it "Kawa" because they +noticed the odor of the horse. Then they knew by this odor when the +Padouca were coming. When a man smelled the horses, he would run to +the camp and say, "The wind tells us the Kawa are coming." Then the +Ponca would make ready to defend themselves. The Ponca had many +battles with the Comanches. They did not know how to use the animals, +so they killed the horses as well as the men. Neither could they find +out where the Padouca lived. + +One day the two tribes had a great battle. The people fought all day. +Sometimes the Ponca were driven back, sometimes the Padouca. Then at +last a Ponca shot a Padouca so that he fell from his horse. Then the +battle ceased. After this, one of the Padouca came toward the Ponca +and said in plain Ponca, + +"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. + + + + +[Illustration: INDIAN SCAFFOLD CEMETERY ON THE MISSOURI RIVER + +(From Schoolcraft) + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + +[Illustration: AN OMAHA VILLAGE, SHOWING EARTH LODGE AND CONICAL +TEPEES + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +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. + + + + +[Illustration: BLACK COYOTE + +Arapahoe chief, and a leader in the ghost-dance. + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + +[Illustration: ORNAMENTATION ON THE REVERSE OF AN ARAPAHOE +"GHOST-DANCE" SHIRT + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +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._] + +[Illustration: _Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of +Ethnology_] + + +[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._] + +[Illustration: _Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of +Ethnology_] + + + + +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. + + + + +[Illustration: PETROGLYPH IN NEBRASKA + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +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. + + + + +[Illustration: PLAINS INDIANS DRAGGING BRUSH FOR A MEDICINE LODGE + +_By permission of Sumner W. Matteson, the photographer_] + + +[Illustration: AN EARTH LODGE + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +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. + + + + +[Illustration: KANSA CHIEF + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + +[Illustration: BIG GOOSE + +(Omaha) + +_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_] + + + + +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._] + +[Illustration: _Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of +Ethnology_] + + +[Illustration: "KILLED TEN MEN AND THREE WOMEN" + +An Indian drawing with striking similarity to Egyptian drawing. + +_Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of Ethnology_] + + + + +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.'" + +The people came. All the people said, "Break in his skull suddenly." +He said, "How is it possible for you to break in my skull suddenly? If +you let your weapons slip off suddenly from me each time, you will +break your legs with the blows." + +They said, "When the water is hot, it will be good to put him in it." + +"Fie!" said Big Turtle. "When the water is hot and I scatter it with +kicking, many of you will be scalded to death." + +"He tells what is probably true," they said. + +"And if it be so, it is good to burn him," said the people. + +"For shame! If I scatter the fire by kicking, I will cause all the +land to blaze. Beware lest many of your children, too, die from the +fire," he said. + +"He tells what is probably true," they said. + +A child begged for water. "O mother, some water," it said. Big Turtle +said, "_Oh!_" He tempted them with reference to water. + +"Cause the child to ask for water," said one. + +"What do you mean by that?" said others. + +"When the child said, 'O mother, some water,' this one, Big Turtle, +said '_Oh!_'" answered one. + +"Wonderful!" they said. "He is fearing the sight of water." They took +him to the water, holding him by the tail. Notwithstanding Big Turtle +clung to the ground with his forelegs, they held his tail, and reached +the water with him. They threw him forcibly right into the water. He +walked the water for a while, crying a little, and pretended he did +not know how to swim. He said, "_Wi! wi! wi!_" + +"Wonderful! Throw him out into the middle of the stream," they said. +Again they sent him headlong. He was wandering around. At length he +sank. They said, "He is dead," and went homeward. "You should have +done that to him at first," said the people. + +When the people went homeward, some boys stood there. Big Turtle +approached, floating. He came peeping. Some boys stood looking at the +place where the deed was done. + +Big Turtle said, "When Big Turtle came in the past to war on you, you +said that you killed him. Look here at me." + +The boys went homeward to tell it. "You said that you killed Big +Turtle, but as this one behind us showed his body, he laughed at us. +Big Turtle is he who is alive." + +"Ho! We attack him," said the people. They attacked him. They arrived +there. + +"In what place?" said they. + +"In this place," said the boys. + +"Where is Otter? Where is Grass Snake? Let those two seek him," said +they. + +Big Turtle sat under the mud at the bottom of the water. Only the tip +of his nose and his eyes were sticking out. Snake and Otter sought him +beneath the water. They passed very near to him, and stepped regularly +over his head. When Otter was about to pass the second time, Big +Turtle bit him in the stomach. + +"Ho! elder brother, you give me pain," said Otter. Big Turtle said, +"Why do you seek me?" + +"I did not seek you. As I desired food, we have met each other," said +Otter. + +"No, you wished to join those who desire to kill me, so you sought +me," said Big Turtle. + +"O elder brother! O elder brother! O elder brother! I pray to you. I +have not sought you," he said. + +"I will by no means let you go from my mouth," said Big Turtle. + +"Ho! elder brother! How long before you will open your mouth and let +me go?" said Otter. + +"When the Thunder God has come back, I will let you go." + +"Halloo!" shouted Otter to the people. "He will let me go when the +Thunder God comes back. Halloo! He bites me between the legs. Halloo!" +said he. + +"He says that he is bitten," said the people. "He says that he is +bitten between the legs. Hit tent skins for him." + +They made the tent skins resound by hitting them. + +"Ho! elder brother, the Thunder God has come back," said Otter. + +"They hit the tent skins," said the Big Turtle. + +The people said, "It is good to fell trees." They began felling trees +here and there. The trees said, "_Qwi! qwi!_" as they fell. + +"Ho! elder brother, the Thunder God has come back," said Otter. + +"They are felling trees," said Big Turtle. + +At length the Thunder God roared, very far away. + +"Ho! elder brother, he has come back," said he. Big Turtle let him go. +Otter was very thin. He went homeward. He reached home very lean. + +"Let the two birds drink the stream dry," said the people. "Bring the +Pelicans here." + +When they came, the people said, "Drink the stream dry. A person came +here to war and we killed him, but he is alive. He laughs heartily at +us." + +The birds drank the stream dry. There was only a very small quantity +left in which Big Turtle sat. + +Big Turtle called, "Ho! warrior Gray Squirrel, be coming hither, +wherever you may be moving. They have almost killed me." + +Gray Squirrel was coming back, crying loud. He was coming back to +attack them. He attacked the two birds. He tore open their water +pouches by biting. He bit holes in them. At length all the water +returned to its former place. At the creek and the lake it was as +before; they were filled with water. + +"Sew up their pouches for them," said the people. So they sewed up the +water pouches of the Pelicans. They finished sewing them. + +"Come, drink it dry again. Do your best. Beware lest we fail," said +the people. They drank the stream dry again. Again very little of the +water was left. + +"Ho! warrior Gray Squirrel, wherever you may be moving. They have +nearly killed me. Be coming hither again," said Big Turtle. He came +back again. He bit and tore the throats in many places. It made their +throats very bad. He made them bad to be sewed at all. It was +difficult to sew them. + +"Yet we shall fail," said the people. "Gray Squirrel is abominable! I +think Gray Squirrel is the only one with Big Turtle. I think he is the +only one siding with them. Therefore we have failed to hurt them," +said the people. + +They ceased. When it was night, Big Turtle went back. He reached his +comrades again. + +"Ho! Warriors, when men get the better of their enemies in a fight, +they usually go homeward. I suspect that your sisters are tired of +waiting to dance!" + +They went homeward. He walked around them, rattling his gourd. + +"Warriors, I said that I would do thus, and so it is," he said. He +burnt the grass. + +He burnt the grass so that they might think he was coming home after +killing the foe. At length they arrived at the village. They tied +scalps to a stick. Then those in the village said, "Yonder come those +who went to war!" The returning warriors raced around and around as +victorious warriors do. People said, "There they are coming home, +having killed the people of the enemy." + +An old man shouted: "Corn Crusher says that he killed one. _Halloo!_ +He says he killed her right at the lodge. _Halloo!_ Comb says he +killed one right at the lodge. _Halloo!_ Awl says he killed one right +at the lodge. _Halloo!_, Gray Squirrel says that he killed three +right in the midst of the people. _Halloo!_ It is said they held the +war chief, Big Turtle, right among them, in a great uproar. _Halloo!_ +It is said they failed to injure him. _Halloo!_" + +Big Turtle walked very proudly, carrying his shield. He went homeward +to enter the lodge. He sat there telling them about himself. As people +wished to hear it, they continued arriving there. + +"Why did they fail, when they were so near you? If you sat very near +them, how is it that you are alive?" asked the people. + +"I pretended to be afraid of water, so I am alive," he said. + +"If so, then those over there have no eyes. How is it that they did +not find you when you were alive?" + +"I sat in the ashes, therefore I am alive. I have come home, having +killed people. Why did you doubt me? As you did not take vengeance on +the people who used to kill you, I went to war on them myself. I +killed them. How can you doubt me? I will tell no more about myself," +said Big Turtle. "I have ceased." + + +THE END + + + + +Transcriber's Note + +Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without note. Hyphenation +has been made consistent, where there was a definite majority of one +form, again without note. The following amendments have also been made: + + Table of contents--Fallen-Star amended to The Fallen Star, with + reference to the main story title. + + Page 80--name of nation (Cherokee) added to title, with reference + to table of contents. + + Page 148--omitted word 'an' added--"Rabbit said he brought an + important message." + + Page 195--omitted word 'said,' added--"... has come back," he said, + "having killed one ..." + +Some illustrations have been shifted to the beginning or end of tales +where previously they were in the middle. The short advert and +frontispiece illustration have been moved to follow the title page. +Some illustrations had a tissue paper sheet with an italicised note; +these have been moved to precede the illustration they refer to where +necessary. They are marked as [Notes: ...]. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Myths and Legends of the Great Plains, by Unknown + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND LEGENDS *** + +***** This file should be named 22083.txt or 22083.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/0/8/22083/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was +produced from scanned images of public domain material +from the Google Print project.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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