could turn to look, then bounding back asked if he were not skillful
indeed.
“Your feet may be swift,” replied the turtle, “but I see no signs of a
warrior in you,” and pushing his way over the pebbles he reseated
himself in his canoe. Paddling out into midstream he resumed his singing
and after some time was hailed again. Landing he found a new volunteer
in the form of a skunk.
“Well now what can you do,” said the turtle looking at the handsome
creature before him.
Without moving from his tracks the skunk gave a satisfactory
demonstration of his ability, to the turtle’s great delight.
“Jump in, Sē´no‘, two brave fellows as we can collect a most formidable
party,” said the turtle, and he changed the words of his song as he
paddled.
A rattlesnake next offered his services and when he had shaken his
rattles and shown his fangs, was accepted.
“Tumble in,” said the turtle, “and we will sing until another warrior as
brave as we is added to our party.” So all sang, as they coursed down
the stream.
The song attracted a hedgehog, and wishing to become a warrior too, he
shouted from the shore.
“Well, what can you do?” inquired the turtle as the canoe neared the
bank.
“I can shoot my arrows,” said the hedgehog, and mounting a stump shook
himself until his quills flew in all directions.
“You are my warrior,” said the turtle as he shoved his canoe to a
convenient embarking point.
When the hedgehog had climbed over the side of the canoe and the war
party had paddled off from the shore, the turtle swelled proud in his
skill and sang a mighty war song defying all foes.
The party counselled together and decided to make their first attack
upon a human settlement. Reaching a short distance below they secreted
their canoe and crawled stealthily through the bushes and grass to a
lodge not far from the river. It was evening and the party resolved to
take their positions of attack and await the coming of dawn. The skunk
lay at the back door, the hedgehog at the wood pile, the snake coiled in
the kindling barrel and the turtle hid beneath the rocks of the spring
and morning found them ready to fight.
A woman pushed aside the curtain of the lodge door and stepped out of
doors. The skunk was on the alert and shot her full at her face. The
woman with a groan fell upon him and beat his head flat with her fists.
Another woman, hearing the commotion rushed out and standing at the wood
pile to watch her distressed sister received a sudden shock. The
hedgehog ran between her legs and filled them full of his sharp barbed
quills. With a scream the woman dealt her assailant a death blow with a
billet of wood and ran screaming into the house. Soon, out came another
woman bearing a basket which she set down in the kindling barrel as she
paused to look at the dead bodies of the hedgehog and the skunk. Through
the splints she saw the coils of a snake. She picked up a heavy stone
and flung it into the barrel and killed the snake before he had had a
chance to strike.
A man now emerged from the lodge laughing, “Ha, ha! Women are always in
trouble, Hoh ho!” Laughing at the discomfort of his wife and sisters he
ran down the spring path and sank his clay kettle beneath the surface of
the spring. This was now the turtle’s opportunity and with a furious
leap he fastened his jaws in the man’s leg. The man endeavored to
suppress a howl as he felt the sudden pain and tried to beat off his
enemy, but the turtle’s jaw was set and his back was armored.
“Oh get off,” begged the man doing his best to conceal his suffering,
but the turtle only bit deeper.
Loudly the man cried and then began to threaten to kill the turtle. “I
will drag you into the fire,” he said. This so frightened the turtle
that he began to waver with fear but gathering up courage determined to
escape without crying for quarter, so he said, “Hurry then, put me in
the fire, it is my natural home and I am lonesome, hurry now!”
The man groaned and cried in desperation, “The river for you, I will
drown you!”
The turtle pleaded most earnestly to be spared that fate but the man was
resolute and limping to the river he thrust in his leg. The turtle
gripped until he bit through the leg bone, then relaxing his jaws, he
swam rapidly under the water and crawled out in a sheltered spot.
“Agī´!” exclaimed the man as he crawled to his lodge, “I am glad he is
drowned.”
The turtle found his canoe but was unable to push it back up the stream
against the swift current. Discouraged, he sank it and swam back to land
where he lay lamenting his failures, then he turned on his back as if
dead and gave himself up to grief. Grief gave place to meditation and at
last he righted himself and crawled away saying:
“No, I am not a great chief, but I am a turtle and am satisfied, for the
glory of turtles is that the earth and all creation rests upon the back
of one. That is good enough.”
41. THE RACE OF THE TURTLE AND THE BEAVER.
There was a turtle who lived in a deep hole in a stream. He lingered
there and it was a favorite spot for his fishing. On the shore there was
a swampy place where he hid himself when not in the stream.
One day it grew very cold and the turtle felt very sleepy. He looked
about for a soft spot in the mud and found one beneath some tall
sheltering rushes. “Here I will sleep,” said he. So saying he slept.
When he opened his eyes there was a vast expanse of water over his head.
Everything had changed and all the rushes had vanished. He threw off the
mud blanket that covered him and ambled out on the floor of his resting
place. “Iik,” he exclaimed. “Something has happened. Some magician has
taken liberties with my home.” So saying he swam to the surface of the
water.
Instead of the little stream with its neighboring swamp he saw a big
lake. As far as he could see there was a lake. He looked about and saw
an island in the lake and to it he swam. It was covered with sticks, and
when he crawled upon it there was a hollow sound within, which
frightened Turtle and caused him to slip quietly off and conceal
himself.
Soon he saw a dark form emerge from the water beneath the island and
rise to the surface.
Craftily Turtle raised his head and called. “Who are you?” Then he
submerged quickly.
There was a whistling answer, a slap of the water and a voice said, “I
am Beaver. Who are you?”
“So that is the case,” thought Turtle. “So someone has stolen my fishing
place.” He was very angry and swam to the shore where he saw all kinds
of branches broken up by cutting.
Soon he heard someone say, “Get out of my way.”
Turtle looked up and saw Beaver dragging a branch.
“One would think,” answered Turtle that it should be I who said ‘get out
of my way’.”
“Well, what right have you here?” asked Beaver.
“This is my home,” said Turtle. “I have lived here a long time.”
“Ho! ho! ho!” laughed Beaver. “If this is your home, where is your
house? Now I say this is my home, for there is my house.” He pointed to
the thing that Turtle had thought an island.
“How did you get here?” asked Turtle.
“I came here and built a dam, made this lake, and now I have a house
here.”
“I came here long ago,” said Turtle, “and built a fishing hole. My
abiding place is in the swamp. You, Oh Beaver, have no right to spoil my
home. It is my intention to break down your dam and restore my home.”
“Well,” said Beaver, “that would not do us any good for I would build
another and others of my tribe would catch you and gnaw your head off.”
“How shall we settle this thing?” asked Turtle.
“We will see who can stay under water longest,” said Turtle.
“No, that would be too easy for me,” said Beaver. “I could sleep a year
under water. I was going to ask that as a test myself. I propose that we
run a race.”
Turtle was vexed, for he did not wish Beaver to win, and so he did not
insist upon the under water test. He was also crafty. So he said:
“Whoever wins the race shall stay here; whoso loses shall depart. First
we shall have a trial of racing, and then the race will begin.”
So they both came abreast in the water and started to swim. Soon Turtle
called Beaver back. “Now we will begin again,” said he, with a wicked
gleam in his black beady eye.
As they were about to start, Turtle said, “I will purposely lag behind.
When I pinch your tail then we will both start swimming.”
Soon Turtle bit Beaver’s tail and both started swimming, but crafty
Turtle hung onto Beaver and was dragged through the water until within
sight of shore, when he bit harder than ever.
Beaver gave a big grunt and whistled, “So you are there behind me? Well,
I will win yet!”
Turtle bit again, this time harder than ever, making Beaver squeal with
pain. “I’ll fix you for this,” he called, and flopped his tail over his
head. Turtle hung on, and when he felt himself over Beaver’s head he let
go and continued to speed through the air like a flying squirrel. Far
upon the shore he landed, way ahead of Beaver.
“I have won this race,” he called back defiantly. “You must go away from
here; this is my fishing pond.”
Thereupon, Beaver was greatly vexed, and swam away to nurse his sore
tail. Turtle had outwitted him.
42. THE WOLF AND THE RACCOON AND HOW THE BIRDS WERE PAINTED.
There was a wolf, T‘hă‘hyoñ´nī‘, a friend of the birds. He always helped
the birds and told them where to find food. Now Djoagă’, the raccoon
disliked Tah´yoni and when he met him one day he made insulting remarks.
Tah´yonĭ’ became angry and snapped at Djoaga. The raccoon rolled over on
his back and with teeth and claws was on the defensive. Tah´yonĭ’ then
did not want to fight. The raccoon did not wish to fight, moreover. So
when the wolf turned his head Djoagă ran up a tree where he could insult
Tah´yonĭ’ without danger. A wolf cannot climb a tree. It was night now.
So the wolf sat beneath the tree and quarreled with the raccoon. He
sang:
“Djoaga, Djoaga! Diotion so go ge se da o!
Djoaga, Djoaga! Diotion so go ge se da o!”
The raccoon replied:
“Tah´yonĭ, Tah´yonĭ! Diotion so go ge se da o!
Tah´yonĭ, Tah´yonĭ! Diotion so go ge se da o!”
So back and forth they sang alternately all night. Towards morning the
raccoon discovered that his enemy below was strangely silent. He did not
respond to his insults, neither did he sing his threats. So Djoaga sang
again and listening heard no response. “He is asleep,” he thought. “I
will climb down and see.” Djoaga descended cautiously and looked at the
wolf. True he was asleep. “Now I have you to advantage,” said Djoaga
softly. Then he squatted his haunches and covered Tah´yonĭ’s eyes with
pitch and clay. When he had done this he ran off thinking that he had
done a great trick. Then he laughed. “Tah´yonĭ’ went to sleep,” he
chuckled. “It is better not to sleep if you wish to get the best of a
fight.” After that he ran off into the woods to relate his joke.
Now then the wolf was very tired and did not awaken until noon. It was
dark to him and he could not open his eyes. There seemed to be a dried
plaster sealing them over. This frightened Tah´yonĭ’. Then he howled. He
called the birds. So first came the tree tappers. Tah´yonĭ’ said,
“Remove the plaster from my eyes and I will reward you with whatever you
may ask.” So now then the birds began to eat the plaster from his
eyelids and after a while he was able to see. Then he was very grateful
to the birds, so he asked them what they desired most and they answered
that they would like to be painted. So he painted the birds. Some he
striped, some he spotted and some he mottled. He painted birds, blue,
red, black, white, green, yellow, and all the colors. The birds were
very glad then that they had helped the wolf for now they were handsome
to look upon. Thus came there to be different colored birds so it is
said by the ga-gä (legends). So it ends, the tale.
43. THE CHIPMUNK’S STRIPES.
There was a hungry bear. He could find nothing to eat. At length he
caught a chipmunk and held it a prisoner. After a while he intended to
eat it. Now the bear was about to eat the chipmunk when the little
animal begged that it might be allowed to sing his death chant and dance
his last dance. So the bear let him free for a time but watched him
closely. Now the chipmunk sang this song:
Si! Si! Oyade agadiangwa! Sa hi hi hi hi!
(Si! Si! Hole I wish for! Sa hi hi hi hi!)
Now he sang this over and over as he danced over the leaf mold of the
forest. After some time he felt a soft spot and thought a hole might be
beneath. He gave a jump and sank in but the bear was watching and as he
disappeared down the hole he grabbed the chipmunk by the neck and drew
his four claws over its length. This hurt the chipmunk and tore his
skin. After that scabs formed and when they came off the chipmunk had
stripes on his back. He was glad that he had escaped. Now it is said
that so came the stripes of the chipmunk. So it ends.
44. THE RABBIT SONG.
There was a certain woman who was accustomed to ridiculing Gwaio, the
rabbit. She called him Honishogwadusshe. Usually she called him Hegowa
(gallops). One day Gwaio was running by this woman’s house. She saw him
and came out to deride him for she always thought rabbits queer animals.
When she saw him she sang a song. This is what she sang:
He´gowa, He´gowa! Ne’´ho ni´shogwadase oi‘ daĕ‘!
(Gallops, Gallops! There growing all around, hair is!)
Now this made Gwaio embarrassed and he hastened to escape from the sound
of the song. He ran very far but soon saw the woman again singing as
before.
“Gallops, Gallops, with hair circling round!”
Then he ran fast again and when he thought that he had escaped he heard
the woman singing again,
“Gallops, Gallops, with hair circling round!”
This made him angry and he was mystified to know how the woman could be
ever before him singing her song when he had passed her twice. So he ran
again and when he thought himself safe again he saw her before him
singing as before,
“Gallops, Gallops, with hair circling round!”
Again he ran and hearing her sing once more fell exhausted at her feet
tortured by the song and laughter of the merciless woman. He said, “O
woman, you must be a great witch to be ever before me when I pass you.”
Then the woman laughed and said, “O rabbit you must be a great fool not
to know that I have not moved and that you have been running around in a
circle. When you ran up to me I sang the song,
“‘Gallops, Gallops, with hair circling round’!”
Now the old people say that when you see a rabbit and wish to kill it to
remain still and make ready to shoot. He will come again round a circle
and you can kill him. This thing was learned from this legend. Now when
you hunt rabbits sing this song when you see one and soon he will appear
again for he runs in circles and returns to the same spot in which you
saw him first. So now all.
45. THE RABBIT GAMBLER.
In old times there was a rabbit,—Osīda Hodaweo, that was his name. Now
Osīda was a gambler and was continually winning games. He had a deadly
enemy, Sēno,—that was his name, a skunk. Now this Sēno loved two
sisters. He never gambled but always had plenty to eat. Osīda, also
loved the same two sisters. He gambled and had stores of goods. So Osīda
was the choice of the women but his grandmother said that they would be
fickle and would desert him when his luck changed. Then Osīda laughed at
the old woman.
His wives were always faithful and cooked good food. Each morning he
returned from his gambling. Then he sang a song:
“One Djagwehee! Deiogwaie do-no!
One Djagwehee! Deiogwaie do-no!
Now I am coming home; all night I have gambled!
Now I am coming home; all night I have gambled!”
Then his wives hearing his song in the distance would run out on the
trail to greet him. They would sing a song:
“Osida-a-a-a Hada-weo! Dondae!
Osida-a-a-a Hada-weo! Dondae!
Feet Earrings! He is returning!
Feet Earrings! He is returning!”
So it happened this way continuously. Then it changed. One morning he
sang his song but his wives did not come to greet him. He did not hear
their song. He thought that it was strange. But he kept singing. He had
no goods with him. For a long time now he had brought nothing home. His
luck had changed. Therefore he wished his wives to come and cheer him
but they did not come. He continued to sing until he stood outside the
lodge door. He paused and listened but heard no sound within. He thought
that was strange. He entered the lodge and it was empty. No one was
within. There was a hot meal ready for him and he sat down and ate. He
was absent minded and did not see what he was eating. After a time he
heard singing in the air above the lodge. He heard the words:
“Ionegattha sago no sothetstsowa Haiasho!
Ionegattha sago no sothetatsowa Hayasho!”
These were the words he heard and then he voided his meal.[42] He ran
out of the lodge, and above the trees overhead he saw his wives paddling
a canoe through the air. They were not descending. Osīda was sick at
stomach but he ran to catch them. They paddled fast and he did not
succeed in getting near them for some time. At last he was at the side
of the canoe which the women were paddling over the ground. He leaped
into the canoe but the women leaped out and hopped away into the bush
lands. Osīda chased them but lost sight of his runaway wives.
Now Sēno heard a noise above his burrow and sticking his head from the
door saw the women whom he loved running. “Kwe!” he cried, “what is your
haste?”
“We are running away from Osīda,” they replied.
“My lodge will be a safe refuge,” he answered with a smile, and beckoned
them in. So they entered.
Osīda spied their tracks in the mud and stalked them to a burrow. He was
about to run into the hole without looking when a hairy tail of some
animal was pushed against his very face. He had no warning and was
drenched with Sēno’s fetid water. He fell back and cried loudly for he
was greatly in distress. By and by his grandmother came to him. She said
something to him, but Osīda did not laugh. He went home with his
grandmother.
46. THE RACCOON AND THE CRABS.
There was a raccoon who was fond of crabs. It was his custom to catch
the crabs when they swam out from under a rock in the water. After a
time the crabs learned how he caught them and when he came near the
water they would hide under a flat rock and not come out until a
sentinel told them that the raccoon had gone. The raccoon thought it
strange that the crabs had grown so wary and resolved to play a trick.
He crept to the bank of the brook and lay upon his back pretending to be
dead. After some time the crabs crawled out to the bank and looked
carefully at the “dead” raccoon. Then the chief of the crabs, Hasanowane
Odji’eg´dă, was his name, notified all the crab people to come out and
see their dead enemy. Now when they had all assembled the chief said,
“He is dead, let us all rejoice. He who destroyed us is himself at last
destroyed. So let us rejoice and show our gladness by a dance.” So they
danced and this was the song:
Do sa gwe Do sa gwe ga no ho tci do
(Chorus) ie ie ie ie ie ie ie ie!
Soon one of the crabs said, “Are you sure that he is dead?” And the
chief answered, “Go pinch him and see.” So the crab went and pinched him
and the raccoon did not move, so he answered, “Yes, he is dead.” Then
they danced again and after a time a crab asked of the chief, “Are you
sure he is dead?” And the chief answered, “Go and see, then tell us.” So
the crab went up and crawled down the raccoon’s throat. When he came out
he answered, “Yes, he is dead there is evidence inside.” Then the crabs
danced again but after a time a crab asked of the chief, “Are you sure
that he is dead?” And the chief answered, “Go and see for yourself, then
report to me.” So the crab crawled up and pinched the raccoon’s heart.
This made the raccoon very angry and he said to himself, “Now is my time
to feast, I have waited too long.” So he leaped up and began devouring
the crabs and he ate until his belly was gorged. Then he laughed and
thought himself a great trickster. Now that is how the raccoon outwitted
the crabs. It is said that it is not safe to rejoice at the downfall of
an enemy lest he rise again and devour those that thought they danced at
his funeral.
47. THE CRAB’S EYES.
Now a crab slept so long that his eyes dried up. When he awoke he did
not know where he was. He could not open his eyes because they had dried
up in his head. So he strained for a long time. He crawled along
endeavoring to find his way to water. As he crawled he kept striving.
After a time he came across an obstruction. So he sang this song:
A-di-na-ote sa-hi ga-i‘
De-sa-si-no gwa-do-nio!
What kind of a standing tree
With crooked legs here?
And the tree answered, “I am the oak!”
“Oh! Oh!” cried the crab, “How far I am from water!”
Now he crawled along straining his eyes and singing his song. He asked
every tree whose crooked legs he ran against but they answered, maple or
beech, and he was discouraged. After a time a tree said, “rock elm.”
Then he was encouraged and said, “Water must be near at hand!” So he
kept along striving and singing and when he heard a tree call out
“willow” he was exultant. He strained still harder and when he struck
water the paste over his eyes melted and so intense was he that his eyes
shot out of his head and waved about. Now this was convenient for he
could see better than he had ever before. So he decided to keep them out
where he could adjust them as he wished. Now the old people have said
that this was the way the crab got his eyes and it may be true. So it
ends.
48. HOW THE SQUIRREL GAVE A BLANKET TO HIS WARRIOR, ROBBED THE WOODCHUCK
OF HIS TAIL AND THE FROG OF HIS TEETH.[43]
There was a time when animals and birds were very large. So, also, trees
were more lofty and rivers broader. This was long ago.
Now, in those days there was a great chief of the squirrels, and he was
very wise. It was his custom to go stealthily through the forest and
watch his people as they worked or sported.
One autumn morning as he lay concealed by the leaves on the limb of a
giant oak, he heard a chattering voice call from a hemlock. It was the
voice of a squirrel.
“All the autumn days I have been gathering nuts,” said the squirrel in
an aggrieved tone, “and yet day by day my store is growing smaller. Who
is stealing my hoard? Truly some culprit lurks here and is robbing me of
my winter’s food that I have patiently stored in that stump!”
Up from a hole in the hillside popped Tēdo‘, the woodchuck. From the
dark scummy swamp water a big frog lifted its green head.
“How unfortunate!” said the woodchuck, “Some thief must be lurking
here.”
“Yes, I too think it strange,” croaked the big frog, “Surely some thief
must be hidden here.”
Then in a chorus both poured out their sympathy to the indignant
squirrel.
The squirrel chief seated on the oak limb listened attentively and then
nodding his head spoke thus to himself. “True, indeed, thieves are not
far away. I think this sympathy betokens knaves.”
At night the chief hid in a branch that overhung the stump that the
squirrel had pointed out.
When the sun had gone in his western door and darkness had obscured the
earth, from a hole in the hillside a brown head cautiously emerged and
after peering slyly around the woodchuck crept from his burrow, swung
his tail jauntily and trotted down his path to the swamp. A green backed
frog pushed his way from a high tufted hummock of grass through the
black water of the swamp toward the hillside. But he made no froggish
splash, no gurgling trill, no croak but swam in silence. Reaching the
bank he sneaked his way up the path to the stump beneath the squirrel’s
hemlock where a furry brown bulk was rummaging.
“Kwe!” exclaimed the frog in a startled note.
“Kwe!” came the hollow reply, and Tedo, the woodchuck, withdrew his head
to see who had discovered him but finding it to be only Skoak, the frog,
he resumed his work of pilfering the squirrel’s store.
“Iis kho, and you too,” he said in a muffled voice as with bulging
cheeks he hurried back to his hole.
Now the frog in those days had sharp gnawing teeth like a beaver’s and
when he entered the hollow stump he tested the nuts to find what variety
he would choose. He had taken hickory nuts before but now chose to take
chestnuts.
From the limb over the stump store house a shrill cry sounded.
“Thief found!” came the alarm, and the woodchuck and the frog buried
their ears in their booty to shut out the sound.
On the following day the squirrel chief called a council of all the
animals, for in those days the squirrel was a famous animal and mightier
than a wolf.
“Thieves have been found,” said he. “I call a council to pronounce
judgement.”
Every animal from the neighborhood was present except the frog and the
woodchuck.