There lived, a long time ago, an old man and his wife, who had three
daughters and one son-in-law. One day, as the mother was cooking some
meat, she threw a clot of blood into the pot containing the meat. The
pot began to boil, and then there issued from it a peculiar hissing
noise. The old woman looked into the pot, and was surprised to see that
the blood-clot had become transformed into a little boy. Quickly he
grew, and in a few moments he sprang from the pot, a full-grown young
man. The father and mother were delighted, but the son-in-law was angry
and jealous. The name of the blood-clot boy was Kûtoyĭs. The son-in-law
was a lazy, badtempered young man, who made the old man hunt the
buffalo, procure the wood, and carry the water. He had a lodge of his
own, where he dwelt with his wife. When the old man brought in the meat
he threw it down in his lodge; and no sooner had he placed it there than
the son-in-law came and took whatever he needed, oftentimes leaving the
old man and his family in want. The old man brought in wood and water
for his family, and the son-in-law took what he wanted. Sometimes the
old man and his family were compelled to suffer, because as he was old
he could not work very hard, and all that he had was taken from him. The
son-in-law would not hunt, but depended altogether upon the old man to
support him. Kûtoyĭs went out to hunt with his father, and he proved
himself to be an expert hunter. He saw a fine fat buffalo cow, and he
killed it. He procured abundance of meat for his father, and he carried
it home for him. He would not allow the old man to do any work. He
filled his lodge with meat. He then went out and got a large supply of
wood and water. As Kûtoyĭs and his father were walking together, they
heard the son-in-law scolding. The old man was afraid. Kûtoyĭs told his
father not to be afraid. He told him to say to his son-in-law that he
could not get any of the meat, wood, or water. If he threatened to kill
him, he was to answer him in the same manner. The son-in-law came to the
old man’s lodge and began to remove the meat. The old man told him to
leave it alone. He threatened to kill the old man, and the father-in-law
angrily retorted that he would kill him. The son-in-law became very
angry, and ran to his lodge for his bow and arrows. When he had procured
them he returned, scolding and threatening; and as he reached the old
man’s lodge, Kûtoyĭs, who had been hiding behind the lodge, sprang in
front of the old man, and the two men fought. Kûtoyĭs drew his bow and
killed his brother-in-law dead. After his death the old man and his
family had peace and abundance of food. The son-in-law had no
distinguishing name. Kûtoyĭs sought to drive out all the evil in the
world, and to unite the people and make them happy.
The fathers and mothers in the camp told this story to their children to
hush them to sleep.