after some time returned with the most guilty pair ever brought to
council for judgement.
Said the squirrel chief. “I saw you steal the squirrel’s nuts, the
delegation found them in your houses, therefore, you shall be punished.
You, the woodchuck, shall have your tail removed to humble your pride,
and you the frog shall have your teeth taken from your mouth that you
may not be further tempted to steal another’s store. You the squirrel
have been too careless. Henceforth build your storehouse high and in
order to protect yourself from offenders that might attack you, I give
you this blanket to stretch from leg to leg so that you may skim the air
like a leaf.”
A wolf snapped off the woodchuck’s tail and a heron extracted the frog’s
teeth and so punished the guilty knaves in sight of all.
So now all these things came to pass; all frogs were afterwards hatched
without teeth, all woodchucks had bobbed tails and all the descendents
of the squirrel had blankets fastened to their legs and bellies and made
a tribe of their own. Moreover, since that time all frogs have been
afraid of long-billed birds and all woodchucks are afraid of wolves but
some squirrels have blankets and can skim the air like leaves.
49. THE CHICKADEE’S SONG.[44]
Djikdjunkwa was a lonely chickadee. She was very sad and sat on the limb
of a tree singing a sorrowful tune. Then she flew to another tree and
listened for an answering call.
A wolf passing by heard her crying song and tears came in his eyes. “Let
me be your helper?” he asked.
“What kind of food do you eat, good friend?” asked she.
“Raw meat, raw meat,” exclaimed the wolf, seeking to lure the Chickadee
to him.
But Chickadee screamed a fluttering note and flew away. Soon again she
sang her song.
“I am so lonesome, I am looking for somebody to marry me.”
A crow flying over listened and was moved to help the distressed little
bird.
“Oh poor Chickadee,” said Crow. “I would like to marry you.”
“What would you feed my young ones?” asked the Chickadee.
“Ripe dead meat,” answered the crow, whereupon Chickadee flew away and
hid herself in a low bush, until the crow had flown away. Then she
returned to a tree and sang again:
“Dji-he, dji-he, dji-i-he, I am so lonely that I would like to marry.
Dji-he, dji-he, dji-i-he.”
Soon she heard an answering call and saw a bird like herself. He flew
toward her and said, “I am the one and we will marry now.”
50. THE BIRD WOMAN.[45]
Sitting mournfully on the edge of her nest was a heart-broken
Gonadjodjo, (Chewink). Her husband had been blown away on the breath of
a storm and the bird mother was left alone to care for her hungry brood.
All day long she had waited for her mate to return but, alas, he seemed
to have forgotten her. Disconsolate, she listened to her children’s
cries. When she would fly to find their food they would shiver with cold
and when she nestled them under her wings they would scream for bugs and
seeds and berries. Something must be done or her callow nestlings would
perish. So with a sad heart she began to sing in melancholy note.
Fluttering upon the stump of a fallen tree she sang and an owl within a
hollow stub nearby poked out his head and said, “Oh may I not be your
helper and care for your nest?”
“Alas!” sighed Gonadjodjo in great distress, “it would never do for my
young birds would die when they heard you.”
The owl drew back into his hole and Gonadjodjo sang again.
From another hollow tree came an answering call. “May I not be your
helper?” screeched a night hawk.
“Ah, what would you say to comfort them?” said Ganojojo.
“I would say Hai‘´, hai‘´, hai‘´, hai‘´!”
“Oh no, no!” cried Ganodjodjo, “they would scream the worse.”
Flying to an open spot she sang again and a crow poking among the weeds
paused and lifted his head as he heard the song. Then, with all
compassion he said, “Oh, Ganodjodjo, I would like to help you.”
“Then what would you say to soothe my children?” sighed the unhappy
bird.
“Ga! ga! ga! ga!” replied the crow, but Ganodjodjo cried in terror that
his harsh hoarse voice was far too hoarse for her little ones, so, the
crow croaked and strode on.
Winging her way to the top of a dead tree Ganodjodjo sang again her
plaintive song. There was a whirr of wings and a bluejay alighted on the
branch beside her.
“I will help you gladly,” said he.
“Well,” said the hapless Ganodjodjo shyly, for she was impressed with
the gay bird at her side, “what would you say to my children?”
“In my softest voice I would say, “Di’´, di’´, di’´, di’´, di’´, di’´,
di’´, skil´lŭm, skil´lŭm!”
The sharp shrill cry of the bluejay made Ganodjodjo’s ears ache and
fluttering to the ground half fainting she fell in a mouldering pile of
leaves. Plaintively she sang her song again. The leaves on the ground a
distance away began to tremble and rustle and then there was a faint
sound of “tci´-wii‘, tci´-wii‘!” The disconsolate bird stopped short,
and darting to the spot found her own lost mate.
“I have been stunned and bruised,” he said, “and only awoke when you
called.”
She plucked him a red berry for medicine and then together they flew to
their nest, he with unsteady wings but she in strong and happy flight.
51. THE PARTRIDGE’S SONG.
Now there was a partridge[46] woman who had a large family. She had a
house under a big log and her house was hidden by plants. A good many
people (animals) tried to find the partridge’s house because they wanted
to eat her eggs or her children. Now one morning her children were all
asleep and she was running about eating worms and seeds. At this time
she smelled an enemy so she was alarmed for her children’s safety. Now
then she sang a song to awaken them:
Djut-gan-nio, djut-gan-nio! Ho-sho-ga-he shoda-die-s!
Ya-ha-ne sho-da-ges! Ia-ha-ne sho-da-ges!
which meant that the skunk was prowling about and would soon find them
if they did not scurry away. After a time they heard their mother’s song
and ran into the bushes and she hid them in a safe place.
Now this is the partridge song and it is a good thing to sing it when
you see or smell an enemy about a partridge’s house. It is good luck.
IX.
TALES OF GIANTS, PYGMIES AND MONSTER BEARS
52. A TALE OF THE DJOGEON OR PYGMIES.
There was a young man named Snow who lived with his parents along the
bank of a river. He played about the door yard every day and sometimes
swam in the river. When he was very young he obeyed everything his
father told him and refrained from going toward the south, where he had
been forbidden to venture.
One morning he took his bow and arrows and began to hunt cedar waxwings.
It was spring time and there were many of these birds on the tall trees.
Just as he was about to shoot, the birds flew to the south and so kept
on flying up the bed of a smaller stream, emptying into the river. As
Snow chased the birds he noticed that the walls of the stream grew
higher and higher until they were very high and close together at the
top. It became very dark and Snow became confused and could not tell
where to walk, for the rocks began to get more and more jagged. So he
sat down on a large stone, feeling very miserable.
Suddenly he heard a stone strike the ground at his feet. He looked about
in the gloom and then heard another strike. The next time the stone
struck him on the forehead between the eyes and Snow fell over like a
dead person.
After a long time he heard voices speaking. The discussion was about him
and he heard a voice say, “Now we have him.” He resolved to keep his
eyes shut and wait for a good opportunity to escape. Soon he heard foot
falls about him; they were very light like a small child’s. Then more
came about him and soon he heard the sound of drumming. Presently small
voices began to sing and the singing continued for a long time.
Snow understood every word and remembered the songs. Finally he made up
his mind that there was nothing malign about the intentions of the
beings that moved about him and he opened his eyes.
All about him were pygmies,—little people,—dressed just like Indians.
There was a shout when he opened his eyes and he was told to rise and be
seated. He could now see clearly by aid of a fire on the slaty bottom of
the creek.
At length one of the little people spoke, asking him if he had tobacco.
Snow searched through his hunting pouch and found a small quantity which
he gave the chief. This caused an expression of great pleasure.
The chief of the little people now spoke. “You have come to our home,”
said he. “We sent for you in order that we might teach you our ways. You
are to stay here until you have learned our customs.”
Snow lived with the little people and became versed in all their arts.
He was told that when the Djogeon were in need of tobacco they would be
heard singing, and then the Indians must throw tobacco into the gulches
where the sound emanated. Sometimes drumming would be heard instead of
singing, and this also indicated the need of tobacco. The little people
would also be pleased to have finger nail parings in order to give them
certain human powers. Snow was told about the different tribes of
Djogeon and about the stone throwers. Some Djogeon had power over the
fruits and plants and even the health of people. They had some valuable
hunting charms which they would bestow if man would guard their potency
by appropriate ceremonies. All this Snow learned.
The time came for him to depart, and the Djogeon gave him presents,
telling him their purposes and magical attributes. Snow now departed and
returned to his people, who had grown very old. They scarcely knew him
because of his long absence, which seemed to him only a few days.
Snow now called together his friends and taught them the ceremonies and
the songs of the little people, and these ceremonies have come down to
this day. They must be performed in the dark.
After that time the people began to see Djogeon in various places, but
they felt safe, knowing how to appease them.
53. BEYOND-THE-RAPIDS AND THE STONE GIANT.
Skŭn´niwŭndi[47] was a great fighter. His name as a warrior was famous
everywhere and he was called the greatest war chief in the world.
Skŭnniwŭn´di was a great name.
Skŭnniwŭn´di was passing along the bank of a river one time when he
heard his name called out, “Kwe Skŭnniwŭn´di,” some voice was saying.
“You are the best fighter in the world,—you are the best fighter in the
world.”
Skŭnniwŭn´di looked up and saw across the river a terrible Genonsgwä, a
stonish giant, a female giant. So he answered, “Kwe! What do you want?”
“I want to fight with you,” she answered.
Skŭnniwŭn´di never had fought with a stonish giant but he answered, “All
right, come over!”
Now at this place on the river there was a deep hole above the ripples
and there was a ford at the ripples. Now the Genonsgwä walked into the
hole and was a long time crossing over under the water. Skŭnniwŭn´di
thought he would cross over on the ripples and he was in a great hurry
and forgot his tomahawk. Now he stood on the opposite side when the
stonish woman appeared.
“Kwe!” she cried, “where are you?”
“Right where I was before,” answered Skŭnniwŭn´di.
“That is strange,” she replied, “for here is your little weapon.”
“Oh I was passing this place some time ago and dropped it,” he
explained.
“Oh what a tiny thing to fight with,” she laughed. “How do you ever
expect to fight with it!” She licked it with her tongue and then said,
“It is no good, see me smash it on this rock!” Then she hit the rock and
to her surprise the rock split asunder.[48] She did not realize that it
was her saliva that made the tomahawk strong medicine.
“Ho ho!” she exclaimed, “are all your weapons so effective on stone?”
“That little weapon is nothing,” said Skŭnniwŭn´di, “I have a knife here
that will cut stone by drawing it over it.”
“Let me see it,” begged the giantess.
The man threw it across the stream. The stonish woman picked it up and
drew it across her lips moistening it with her saliva. This is the
custom of the giants when they wish to use anything and they do not know
that it makes power. Taking the knife she drew it over a flint and the
flint was cut. She rubbed its edge on her coat and it was slit. Then she
threw back the axe and the knife now possessed with a wonderful power
and Skŭnniwŭn´di exultant asked her to hurry and commence the fight.
“No,” said the giantess, “Your medicine is too strong. You are truly the
greatest warrior of the earth. I will go.”
When the stone giantess left Skŭnniwŭn´di she ran out to a river and
followed it as it flowed until she came to a house where a man, woman
and child were sitting around a fire inside. She unfastened her stone
coat and entered. After greeting them she said, “I am fleeing from my
husband who seeks to kill me. Only be my friends and I will give you
something.” The people were kind and told her that she could stay, but
even so, they were afraid of her. So she sat and swung the hammock in
which lay the baby daughter. She began to sing without realizing that
her song would offend the parents:
“Oh what a tender morsel,
How I would love to eat you!”
The father remonstrated and implored her not to destroy their child.
Then the giantess was sorry and asked forgiveness.
The next morning she went out into the woods and killed two deer and a
bear and brought them back for her hosts.
After a number of days she said, “I hear my husband coming. You can save
me. Cut six basswood poles as tall as a man and when we fight and he
throws me down thrust them one by one into his back and you will kill
him. Then I will repay you.”
The great stone giant came making a roar like a whirlwind,
“Who-whoa-hoh-hoh-hoh!” and the giantess whispered, “Be ready and do
your best. Do not be afraid.”
The man hid behind the big rocks and saw the female giant and her
husband rush upon each other. They fought very hard and the stone broke
when they hurled each other against them.
“The world is small, you could not escape me,” the giant thundered as he
flung his wife upon her back and made ready to kill her. Then the man
ran out and thrust the sharpened poles into the giant and they came out
of his mouth.
“Oh, oh!” he cried, “I am killed, I am gone!” and he fell over dead.
The giantess was glad and rewarded her friend with a small patch of
skin. “This skin is covered with the hairs of all animals,” she said,
“and when you wish to kill a beast remove a hair and blow it on the
wind. The animal will appear and you will be able to kill it.”
So the giantess went away and the man kept his great game charm and was
thought a most successful hunter, and no one knew how he got animals
when no one else could; but one day a boy saw him blow a hair and a
beaver came. Then he hit it with a club and chopped off its tail.
54. THE ANIMATED FINGER.[49]
There was a boy named Skunniwundi who was a hunter. It was a time when
there was a great famine and game was very scarce. The people were
starving. Skunniwundi thought he would find out why there was no game.
Long he had been warned not to go north, but north he went.
When he had traveled a long ways he saw something moving in the rocks
ahead of him. Concealing himself in a hole he watched. Soon he saw two
stone coated women approaching. They were looking for food. Then did
Skunniwundi know that the stone giants were eating all the game, thus
making the famine.
After a while Skunniwundi noticed that one of the women took something
out of a bag and placed it on the palm of her hand. As she did this she
exclaimed, “Ghaah!” and commenced to walk directly toward him. At this
he began to run toward a creek hoping to cross it but they were too
swift for him. Hoping to escape he ran into a clump of tall trees and
climbed one. The women followed his tracks to the tree and then began to
look around for him. Not once did they think of looking up, for their
necks would not bend. If they tried they would crack off. Failing to
find him one of the giant women put her hand in her pocket and took out
something again which she placed on the palm of her hand. Skunniwundi
looked down and saw that it was a human finger and that it was standing
up pointing at him. “Where is he?” asked the woman and the finger
wriggled and pointed. This puzzled the women and Skunniwundi felt that
he was secure. Soon he began to think that this finger would be a
helpful possession and began to consider how he could obtain it.
The women continued at the foot of the tree and finally discovered
Skunniwundi’s hatchet and arrows which he had left on the ground at the
foot of the tree. One woman picked them up and began to lick them,
smelling for blood.
Skunniwundi now saw that all was lost unless he hastened. So with a
quick slide he came down the tree and seized the finger. With a bound he
jumped into the water, but as he heard the giant women follow him he
turned back under water and stood on the spot where he had dived off.
The women came out of the water on the opposite shore and were greatly
surprised. So they plunged in the water after him and when their heads
were under Skunniwundi swam across and stood on the opposite shore. He
could swim very fast now that he had the finger. When the women came out
of the water they saw him where they had stood but a moment before, and
were again surprised. They plunged in again and this time Skunniwundi
ran very rapidly to escape them. Soon he heard the women crying, “Oh
give us back the finger. We promise not to eat you.”
Skunniwundi now was filled with power and kept asking the finger where
the giant women were, and by going in another direction he escaped them
until he came near to his own settlement, which lay across a stream of
very cold water. In he plunged and swam across.
When he arrived on the other shore, toward the village he saw a herd of
deer. Fixing his bow he shot and the arrow went through seven deer
killing them all. He then ran on toward the village. He showed his uncle
the finger and told the people to go for the game, but they returned in
fright saying that there were sounds of giants on the other side of the
stream.
Skunniwundi and his uncle then went to the river and saw the giant women
on the other side. “Oh Skunniwundi, give back the finger,” cried the
women. “We will not molest you any more.”
“Give it to them,” said the uncle. “They will be friends with us if we
appease them.”
Skunniwundi then took the finger and held it way out over the water and
the giant women leaned over from the cliff on the other side and just as
they were about to grasp the finger Skunniwundi drew back his hand and
the women were overbalanced and fell in the river, falling head first.
Down they went to the bottom, and the river froze as hard as stone,
killing the stone coated women.
After that time, Skunniwundi had the finger for a hunting charm and he
supplied game for the village.
55. THE STONE GIANT’S BATTLE.[50]
The stone giants had conquered all the tribes of the north and had grown
tired of such easy combats.
So they came toward the south and heard of the fame of the Six Nations
and right away desired to fight with them. In order to present a
formidable force they sent messengers back to their own north country
with orders to bring back a fresh party of warriors. These crossed the
north ocean and coming to the Niagara river made a path of rocks across
it and walked over without even wetting the soles of their moccasins.
Now the Six Nations knew all these things because Gwä gwä having seen
them flew up to the clouds and told the sun and the sun told
Soñgwayadĭ’´sä’ĕ’, the Great Ruler. Then Soñgwayadĭ’´sä’ĕ’ instructed
Gwä gwä to nip off a grass-hopper’s big leg and dangle it from the sky
over a village while screaming his cry. So Gwä gwä obeyed.
An old man was crossing a clearing. In the air above him he heard what
seemed a death cry and looking upward he saw a human leg writhing as it
bled from the clouds. The old man dropped his head down and away from
the sight and walked on pondering over the wonder, and he never knew
that it was only Gwä gwä with a grass-hopper’s big leg. The old man lay
down to sleep and as he slept he dreamed the interpretation of the sign
and knew that the stone giants were coming.
On the following day the old man took two friends and hid on the summit
of a high mountain. For two days the men camped there listening to the
war songs of the on-marching foe, and at evening on the second day they
saw the vast war party of giants march into sight far down the valley
and pitch camp on the shores of a lake. Then a spirit came out of a tree
and revealed to the men that the Creator had planned to save them. He
instructed them to choose a messenger from among themselves and dispatch
him for a few more people to witness the battle with the giants.
Accordingly, a runner was sent to the village and a small party was
guided back to the mountain top, where all found shelter beneath a great
rock.
A terrible storm burst from the sky—He’´no^n roared from the heavens and
sent down his fire upon the camp of stone giants. Then the earth
trembled and the mountains on either side of the valley slid down upon
the giants below.
It seemed that all were killed.
56. THE BOY AND THE FALSE FACE.[51]
There was a certain tribe that had been almost exterminated by a hostile
people in the west. The western warriors would swoop down on the
settlements on the Lake (Ontario) and carry off many captives and
scalps.
Now there was a boy who had no settled home. His parents were dead and
his grandmother also. He was a wanderer and showed no special ability in
anything.
Now this boy was named No´gwăgwă and he began to have dreams. He dreamed
that a great false face came to him and said, “You must lead a war party
beyond the Mississippi.” Then again he had a dream and the false face
said, “You must lead a war party beyond the Mississippi. You must hold a
war dance and gather your warriors.”
Now again he dreamed that the false face came to him in his sleep and
said, “You must lead a war party across the Mississippi. You must hold a
war dance and gather your warriors. Go in a fleet of canoes.” Now
moreover he dreamed again that the false face said, “You must lead a war
party beyond the Mississippi. You must hold a dance and gather your
warriors. Go in a fleet of canoes. Sit in the first canoe but do not
allow anyone to pass the middle for I will be in the front of the first
canoe and give your expedition success. You can not fail.”
Now when the poor boy had heard the false face speak four times he
believed his dream and proclaimed himself a war chief. Then all the
people laughed. Now he notified all the boys of the village that he was
a chief and would lead a party against the hostile nation in the west.
Now many of the boys came and danced. The Nogwagwa said, “I have a power
and can not fail. I have a magic friend.” After a while the people
ceased to scoff and all the men joined his party. Now there were many
canoes and Nogwagwa sat in the middle of the first canoe and would not
allow anyone to pass by him. Now after seven days they reached the
country of the enemy. The warriors wondered when the “friend” was to
appear and could not believe that he sat in the prow of the first canoe.
Now the enemy appeared and immediately there rose into view in the prow
of the first canoe a gigantic false face. Now he was the mark of the
enemy and they shot at him. He had a great shield and caught all the
arrows and no one was killed but when Nogwagwa’s party shot their arrows
they killed many people. Then the party disembarked and pursued the
enemy far inland. The giant false face and Nogwagwa led the party and
they killed the entire tribe of men and took their scalps. Then the
false face disappeared and Nogwagwa led the party home. After that the
boy, Nogwagwa, was his name, was a great chief and he was an influential
man. So it is said this day that orphan boys without homes may become
great chiefs.
57. HOW A BOY OUTWITTED A NIA’´GWAHE.
Great sickness had killed many men and Sondowĕk´owa, the beast of Death,
had touched the father and mother of two children, who lived far back in
a place in the forest away from the villages. The children, a boy and a
little girl, were left alone to care for themselves.
The baby sister was swinging in a grapevine hammock one morning, when
from over the hill came floating a song. The boy glanced out from the
lodge and saw an old woman hobbling down hill and crooning as she went.
He did not like the sounds in her song and turned uneasily back to his
work.