the Sun had said. The Moon said that the Sun could not do anything
to kill him. The Moon said: “The man that you are to fight with
is going to try to shake hands with you, because he is your
cousin,—not a real cousin, but because you are the son of the Sun
and so is he,—so he is your cousin. He is the one who has been
selected to kill you. But do not be afraid; I shall be with you
and will help you all I can. Do not shake hands with the young
man, your cousin, and if you must shake hands, do not shake with
your right hand. Be very careful not to let him strike you first.
If you should shake hands with him, strike him. You must not let
him strike you first; and when you have killed him, cut his head
off and put it under a big stone that shall be near you, so that
the Sun will not make him live again. By placing the head under
the stone the Sun will be prevented from bringing him to life.”
The Moon also said, “Be careful to do what I have told you to do.”
No-Tongue was glad. The Moon also told No-Tongue that the young man
he was to fight with was named Little-Sun.
Two days after this some warriors went out on the war-path. Before
they had gone far the Sun went to No-Tongue, and said: “My son, I
am glad you are going on the war-path; I want you to kill a man
for me. He is coming. He thinks he is great, but he is not. So
kill him for me.” The Sun said all of this, not meaning it, for he
was planning that Little-Sun might kill No-Tongue. So the warriors
started on the war-path, and in a few days they came to the place
which they thought would be a good place to remain for a while.
The leaders selected scouts to go out and look over the country.
The scouts went up a high hill, and there they met the spies of
the enemy coming up from the other side. These did not stop, but
turned straight back again, and went and told the enemy, and of
course the other scouts turned back and told their leaders that the
enemy was coming. So in the morning, the two sets of people came
together, and they fought a battle; but before starting the battle
there was a man who stood in front of the enemy’s line, and said,
“No-Tongue, I want you to come and shake hands with me, for you are
amongst those people.” No-Tongue went to him, and when they were
nearly together, everybody saw that the two were dressed so as to
look very much alike, but they did not know that they were to fight
each other; but the two knew that they were to fight, and that they
were both sons of the Sun. No-Tongue did what the Moon had told him
to do. He killed Little-Sun. Then No-Tongue’s people defeated the
enemy. They took many scalps, and returned home.
The Sun became mad at No-Tongue, because he had killed Little-Sun,
for the Sun had expected No-Tongue to be killed. The Sun had tried
three times to kill No-Tongue; so the fourth time, the Sun himself
was going to scalp No-Tongue, so that the people would make fun
of him. Then the Sun told his other son, Big-Sun, to try and kill
No-Tongue. No-Tongue was the only one living. He was the one who
had not treated his father, the Sun, right, for the Sun had not
treated No-Tongue right in the first place. But No-Tongue had been
assisted by the Moon.
The third time the Sun tried to kill No-Tongue, he changed himself
into a Buffalo, so that the Buffalo ran after No-Tongue, but the
young man, No-Tongue, ran into a mud-hole, and the Buffalo fell in
too. No-Tongue got out of the muddy place, but the Buffalo could
not come out, because he was so heavy. No-Tongue told a lot of men
to get some dried willows and to place them upon the back of the
Buffalo. This they did. They set the wood on fire, so that the
Buffalo burned up.
In the evening, when the Sun and Moon were together in the heavens,
the Sun said: “I shall do something to No-Tongue, some way.” The
Moon heard the Sun say this. Then the Sun said to the Moon: “Just
see what my son No-Tongue has done; he burned my back. To-morrow
morning I am going to scalp him, so the people in the village will
be afraid to see him, and so they will make fun of him.”
Then the Moon went to No-Tongue in the night, and said: “My son,
you always like to be up early in the morning, singing. I want you
to get a good scalp to-night—one that has hair, just like this.
Then kill a dog and get some of its blood, put the blood inside the
scalp, and put the false scalp over your head so your hair will not
show.”
The boy got the scalp with the hair on it, killed a dog, put some
of the blood in the scalp and hung it over his bed. Early in the
morning, before the Sun rose, the boy arose, put the scalp over his
head, went out, and sang some songs through the village. As the Sun
came up in the east the boy heard a noise, and the Sun took the
scalp off from the boy, so that the blood ran down. When the Sun
saw that he was satisfied. The boy went into the lodge, washed,
came out again, and the Sun saw that the boy had hair on, and that
he was not really scalped. When the Sun reached the Moon he told
him that he was going to let No-Tongue alone until he was old and
great, and that he was then going to take him up to his home.
The Moon came to No-Tongue and told him what the Sun, his father,
had said. Years went by, and No-Tongue lived peacefully. Finally
he became old and blind. At this time the people were about to
move away from this place to another place. The Moon came and told
old man No-Tongue that it was time his father, the Sun, was coming
after him to take him up to his home; and that he himself would
come with the Sun to take him up; that he should not be afraid.
While they were breaking camp the old man took his clothes that he
used to wear in his early days, and put them on. He also painted
himself. He told the people to go on; that he himself would come
later. The people went on. The old man went up on the top of a
hill, made a circle of red sticks to represent the Sun, and another
of white sticks, to represent the Moon, for the west side. While
he was doing this the Sun and Moon came. The Sun wanted to know
what the Moon was doing there. No-Tongue said, “My father, the Moon
is also my father; he has helped me all along.” So the Sun was
satisfied, and the Sun took the old man up to his home.
Several days afterwards, four young men went to the place where the
old man had sat, and he was gone. The sticks were there as he had
left them, but No-Tongue was gone. He was never heard from or seen
again after that. He was called “No-Tongue,” for the Sun had taken
his tongue, but after he had failed to kill him, he gave him back
his tongue.
FOOTNOTES:
[17] Told by Standing-Bull.
17. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.[18]
There was a large village in a beautiful valley near a large tract
of timber. It was in the winter time. Around the outside of the
village and over a knoll lived Stanapaat, or Burnt-Hands, a boy
of about eleven or twelve years, and his grandmother. The boys in
the village came over the knoll to urinate on the tipi of these
poor people. In this village lived one of the chiefs who had four
daughters, the youngest of which was very charitable toward these
poor people. Her name was Last-Child. She brought food to these
folks whenever she could. Red-Bear and Black-Bear were the first
chiefs of this village. They ruled their people as though they were
slaves.
One day Red-Bear gave notice that the whole village was to turn
out on an elk hunt. The next day, the people complied with the
chief’s orders. The people, as they went through the timber in the
deep snow, slaughtered the elk in great numbers. Burnt-Hands with
other little fellows followed the chase. He watched the hunters
butchering their game. He wished he could kill and take home to his
grandmother the nice elk meat. He strode off in another direction,
looking around as he went. As he went on he struck a fresh track
with drops of fresh blood on clean snow, and there were no
footprints of a hunter following. He took up the trail and followed
it for a long distance. He found, to his great delight, a dead elk
with two arrows through its chest. “Ah ho! Ah ho! The great chief
knows I am poor. He has had mercy on me.” While he was looking all
over the animal he heard a voice. He looked up, and who was there
but the two chiefs—Red-Bear and Black-Bear.
Red-Bear gave an angry grunt and struck the boy in the face. “Who
are you and how did you find this elk? I never expected to find
such a worthless burnt-belly looking fellow as you.” Pulling his
arrows out of his quiver, he said, “My father will be glad to
have you for his meal,” and he shot two arrows through the boy.
He dragged him out on the ice to a large air-hole and said, as he
dropped him, “Father, I have done as you bid me.”
In this stream there lived a big White-Bear in a lodge. The young
cub heard something drop outside the lodge. He told his father.
The old one said, “Go out and see what it is.” The cub saw poor
Burnt-Hands in his ragged clothing and with wounds. The cub felt
pretty bad for the boy and told his father about him. The father
told the cub to bring the boy in. “What a poor boy you are!” said
White-Bear. “I know who you are, and how you were treated. I never
expected to eat a man from Red-Bear’s tribe. I commanded him to feed
me on an enemy. I will have great mercy on you. From now on you
shall be my son. You shall treat Red-Bear just as he has treated you.
I will enjoy his flesh. I will endow you with all the power I have. I
will teach you all, and you shall go back and do as I say.” White-Bear
and Burnt-Hands then sat down and began the bear ceremony, Burnt-Hands
learning everything and receiving his bundle of medicine and other
things. He was then shown the way out by the cub.
Burnt-Hands went on to his grandmother’s little home. When he
arrived there he called his grandmother to kindle the fire, as he
had come. Before this, when the boys found out that Burnt-Hands’
grandmother was worrying, they would come in, saying, “Grandmother,
I have come home,” just to tease her. The old woman thought the
boys were teasing her now when Burnt-Hands called. She gave a
pitiful cry, saying, “You boys ought to feel satisfied with your
teasing now.” “Oh, no, Grandmother! I am here! I was lost on the
chase. Following up an elk I strayed off to a place I knew nothing
about. I could not find my way home, so I stayed all night.” His
grandmother arose. When she had kindled the fire there sat her boy.
She rejoiced, for she was glad her boy was alive.
Nobody in the whole village knew what had happened to Burnt-Hands
except Black-Bear, who had witnessed what Red-Bear did. He did not
like what Red-Bear had done, but he did not say anything.
One day the scouts, on picket duty, saw a large herd of buffalo.
The chiefs were notified. They gave notice that everybody should
turn out to the chase, and that Red-Bear wanted the hide of the
white buffalo that was in the herd. Burnt-Hands heard the call.
He told his grandmother to help him make arrows. He also promised
her the white buffalo robe. This was a secret surprise to his
grandmother, who did not know that he was anything more than a
“burnt-belly.”
The next day every one turned out to go on the chase. Burnt-Hands
started out on foot with his quiver. A kind young man on horseback
caught up with him, and asked him to get on behind him. He did so.
While they were riding, the young man told the boy about the white
buffalo. The boy asked his friend if he would put the meat and his
white hide on his horse for him. They made plans to be together
and help each other on the chase. The hunters had all collected on
a hill, talking and smoking their pipes. The two arrived and sat
around for a long while. Burnt-Hands began to inquire what they
were waiting for. They answered they were waiting for the chiefs.
“This will not do; if we wait here there may come up a bad storm
and we will go home empty handed. Come now, and let us have our
chase. Those chiefs will come later, and they will get their share
of the meat anyway. I want that white buffalo robe, and when you
have taken it off give it to this young man and he will take it
home for my grandmother.”
The men were all agreed to what Burnt-Hands said. They thought
Red-Bear would kill him and not themselves. They got on their
ponies and the chase began. The white buffalo was killed and the
chase ended. Burnt-Hands was walking along when his friend came and
gave him a ride to where they were butchering. He took him where
the white buffalo was and the men were standing around looking
at the animal. “What are you waiting for now?” said Burnt-Hands.
“Get to butchering and give me the hide!” When they had begun,
the chiefs came. They gave them a welcome and told Red-Bear that
Burnt-Hands had advised them to start the chase and had already
spoken for the hide. Red-Bear and Black-Bear said everything would
be all right, and that the boy could have the hide and some meat.
The hunters were all on their way home. Red-Bear ordered them to
camp at a certain place. This they did. Burnt-Hands and his friend
came to the camp and found the meat cooking, and a comfortable
place made for the chiefs. “What is this place for? and are you
afraid to sit here?” said Burnt-Hands. “That place is for the
chiefs,” said they, “and that meat.” “Come,” said Burnt-Hands to
his friend, “sit here with me and enjoy the meat with me.” The
young man, with the rest, thought that Red-Bear would surely kill
the boy this time. Burnt-Hands and his friend sat down on the
robes and ate the meat prepared for Red-Bear. The chiefs came, and
Red-Bear ordered another place and food prepared for him. He did
not dare to say or do anything to the boy, suspecting his power as
he did. Burnt-Hands’ friend and the others thought that Red-Bear
had mercy on the poor boy, since he did not hurt him.
Burnt-Hands went home with his friend and pulled off the meat and
the white buffalo hide. “Here, grandmother, is what I promised you,
and a lot of meat. You now know that I can hunt and bring home
game.” His grandmother was at once overjoyed. She thought about
the pretty girl who always showed them charity. She sent out for
Last-Child, who came in. “You have always been kind to us, and
I have always been thankful. I want you to have this hide, and
to have a robe made for yourself. You are young yet, and it will
become you more than me.” Burnt-Hands was talked about all over the
village, but they did not know that he had been blessed by a Bear.
A long time after this chase the chief gave out an order for
everybody to go on an elk chase. Red-Bear had been accustomed
to collect all the elk teeth. This was his object for the hunt.
Burnt-Hands heard the order and began to make preparations for the
hunt. He promised his grandmother an elk-tooth dress. Burnt-Hands
told his grandmother that if any trouble arose on his account she
must flee into the timber, and on through other timber, and there
wait for him. The next day the chase was to come off. The hunters
had great luck and were talking happily in the woods. There was
a cry here and there for Red-Bear to come and get his teeth.
Burnt-Hands and his friend were together. He told his friend to
take the teeth out for him, for he did not know how. His friend
was a little afraid to do it, but Burnt-Hands said it would be all
right. The men, too, rather hesitated to let him have the teeth.
They told him that Red-Bear had spoken for all the teeth; but he
paid no heed to it, and told his friend to take them. Burnt-Hands
had collected a lot of teeth, and so had Red-Bear. The hunters had
chased the elk on to a smooth piece of ice and had killed several
there. Here, Burnt-Hands and Red-Bear saw each other doing the
same work. They met on the last elk, and Burnt-Hands spoke and
said: “You have enough teeth. You will keep off and let me have
these.” Red-Bear gave an angry grunt, and said, “A child like you
cannot have much to say.” As Red-Bear leaned over to take the teeth
Burnt-Hands took his war-club and struck him on the head. He took
him by the feet and dragged him to the air-hole. “Father, this is
what you asked of me.” A great yell was raised, and war was made on
the boy.
The boy fled to the village and peeped in, to see if his
grandmother had done what he had told her to do. She was gone, and
he followed her and found her beyond the second timber as he had
directed. “Now,” said he, “take one of these bear claws off my
wrist and open the little bag of paint.” This she did, and he began
to sing and perform the ceremony. He adorned his grandmother and
himself according to the instruction of his Bear father. The people
had all turned out to kill him for what he had done. Still others
were calling it wrong to harm the boy, and reminded the people of
what bad ruling Red-Bear had done.
Burnt-Hands and his grandmother had turned into Bears, and were
making a big noise, growling and grunting. Nearer and nearer the
warriors circled around the timber, shouting and yelling. The boy
told his grandmother to be first to attack. So she did so. She
caught Red-Bear’s brother and four or five others of his near
relatives. “Now, I will attack,” said Burnt-Hands, “for you must
be tired.” He picked out the leaders and the influential men of
the village and scalped them and tore them up. The warriors began
to retreat. A cry was raised to end the fight, as many had been
killed, but how to stop the boy and the old woman they did not
know. They assembled and filled the peace-pipe. They gave it to
Last-Child to take to the boy and the old woman. She took the pipe
and came toward them, they growling wildly. The boy knew it was
the girl. He told his grandmother not to charge at her. The boy
accepted the peace-pipe and both smoked it. This ended the fight.
Burnt-Hands asked his grandmother how old she would like to be. She
said, “About thirty-eight,” and so she was. The boy made himself
about twenty-two, and when all was quiet he married Last-Child.
Burnt-Hands came to be chief, and had Black-Bear as his slave. The
people lived happily under his rule.
FOOTNOTES:
[18] Told by White-Bear.
18. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.[19]
Once there was an old woman and her grandson. They were very poor;
they had nothing. The boy’s name was Burnt-Hands. Some warriors
got together in the village and planned to go on the war-path.
Burnt-Hands heard of it. He told his grandmother that he wanted to
join the warriors on the war-path. She told the boy that when he
went he must never tell Coyote stories on the war-path. She gave
him a round burnt clay ball that had a handle to it. She told
Burnt-Hands to go; that the clay ball with the handle was his
war-club; that when on the way, when he should become hungry he
should place it upon the fire, put kernels of corn upon it, and
roast them.
These warriors went out to a camp in the woods. The young man came
up with them and lay down by them. The next day they went and in
the afternoon they sat down to rest. They made fun of the boy, and
said, “Now tell us some Coyote stories.” But the boy refused, and
said, “My grandmother told me not to tell Coyote stories while on
the war-path.” They coaxed the boy to sing, but he would not sing.
The boy was hungry. As he saw that the men were not moving on he
placed his clay ball upon the fire and put some kernels of corn
upon it and began to roast them. While he was doing this he said,
“I will tell some Coyote stories.” The boy began to tell how the
enemy came and attacked a certain war-party. At the same time he
kept on roasting his corn.
While he was telling these stories the enemy came, and when the men
found out that they were surrounded they became scared. But the
boy went on with his roasting of the corn. When he had finished
roasting the corn he took a seat and ate his corn, and after he
had eaten all, he went out and killed many of the enemy with the
clay ball that he had roasted his corn upon, which was really a
war-club. The enemy became scared at the boy and ran away.
So the men found out that the boy was a wonderful boy; and as
he had killed many of the enemy, when they went home they made
Burnt-Hands a big chief, gave him a good tipi and a wife. He moved
his grandmother into the new tipi, and there he lived ever after.
FOOTNOTES:
[19] Told by Two-Hawks.
19. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.[20]
One winter the people went a long distance to hunt. With them was
an old woman and her grandson, named Burnt-Hands, who were very
poor. One day the people made their village along a stream of
water, where the scouts reported seeing many buffalo. The young man
told his grandmother to make a bow and arrows; that he was going
with the men to kill buffalo; and that he was going to bring back
some tongues and hearts. The old woman cried, because she knew that
the boy was poor, and that he could not get any tongues and hearts.
The boy started, and when he came up with the hunters some of the
people said jeeringly, “Well, Poor-Boy is going to kill the first
buffalo.” When the hunters stopped it was customary for one of the
young men to stand somewhat in front of the rest and make motions
for the men to divide up into companies and to go in certain
directions, so that they could attack the buffalo on all sides. The
boy began to sing about being the one selected to do that. This was
announced to the leaders, and they selected him.
The people divided up into companies and circled around where the
buffalo were. The command to attack was given and the boy went
right among the buffalo, and there he began to kill. After he was
through killing, he turned back and pulled out the buffalo beards,
and also pulled out a bunch of hair from the side of the shoulder.
This he kept. When he went on to find his robe, he found that
somebody had taken it. The young man then began to sing about his
robe. He wanted some one to return it to him, but they would not
return it to him, but made fun of him. Then the boy began to sing
about the snowstorm coming. The boy ran into the village where
his grandmother lived. He took the hairs that he had taken off
from the robe and threw them upon the ground, and there in that
place appeared several tongues and hearts. The old woman was very
glad that the boy had brought these things. She boiled them, and
they ate until they were filled. The cold weather turned into a
blizzard, and killed many men who had made fun of the young man,
while others came home and said that the young man had done some
things that were wonderful.
After the cold weather was over, the village broke up and moved on.
Again scouts came and reported that there were buffalo. After this
killing the people ceased to make fun of the boy. They called him
again to stand in front of the procession and to wave his hand to
divide the men into the different companies. They all attacked the
buffalo, but the boy was the first to kill, although he was not on
a horse. He again simulated the taking of the tongues and hearts
by simply pulling out the beard and the hair from the sides of the
buffalo. When the boy had taken the hairs and thrown them down in
the lodge there at once appeared many tongues and hearts.
People found out that the boy was wonderful, and they finally
gave him a pony on which to carry his meat home, and the chief’s
daughter visited the young man, and finally Poor-Boy married the
chief’s daughter. Poor-Boy became a great warrior, and at last
became a chief.
FOOTNOTES:
[20] Told by Antelope.
20. THE TWO BOYS AND THE WATER-SERPENT.[21]
Two boys once wandered about the village and they were welcomed to
any lodge they entered. One morning they came into one lodge and
the people were glad to have them come in, but they claimed that
the boys must be the ones who ate up their pot of corn. The boys
did not know anything about the pot of corn. They left the lodge
and went into another and there they were accused of the same
thing. The boys went to another lodge, but were again accused. They
were indignant at the accusations that were made against them. They
wandered off from the village and returned when the sun set.
Now the two boys said one to the other, “Let us be on our guard
to-night and perhaps we may discover who eats the corn.” In those
times an inclosure surrounded the village, and the two boys sat by
the inclosure. They sat there until all the people of the village
went to sleep, for they agreed to stay till morning. After all
the people had gone to sleep the boys heard much roaring by the
river; so they listened. After the noise of the waters ceased, they
saw a big black thing going over their heads. It climbed over the
inclosure and went on top of a lodge. It was a long serpent. The
serpent stuck its head into the smoke hole of the lodge. In a few
moments he went to another lodge and did the same thing. Then he
went to still another. Now the serpent went back to the river and
the boys were glad to find out who ate up the people’s corn, beans,
and squash that had been prepared in the evening for the next
morning.