The Legend of the Twin Children of the Sun--How They
Rid the Earth of Some of the Great Monsters--Their Great
Battle with Nikoochis, the Giant.
One pleasant summer day, when the children had the pleasure of a canoe
outing with Mary and Kennedy, they decided to visit the wigwam of their old
friends, Kinnesasis and his wife. They had not seen them for some time, and
as Souwanas was away on a long hunting excursion they could not expect any
Nanahboozhoo stories until his return. Kinnesasis was a capital
story-teller, and they were eager to reach his wigwam. There, after making
both him and his wife happy with some gifts, they knew they could get some
interesting stories in return.
They met with a hearty welcome and spent a happy day there. Among the
stories Kinnesasis told them, as handed down by his forefathers, the
following is perhaps the most interesting:
"Long ago there were great monsters on this earth. Some of them were
enormous animals and fiercer than any that now exist. Then there were
magicians, and other evil spirits, like windegoos, some of whom were tall,
giant cannibals, that filled the people with terror. They lay in wait and
caught the children, and even the grown-up people, as the wild beasts now
catch their prey. Then they kindled up great fires and roasted them and ate
them.
"Often, when the parents went to look for their children, they also were
caught and eaten.
"The people were rendered very miserable not only by these great monsters
in human form, but also by the attacks of the enormous animals that then
lived. Indeed they began to fear that they would all soon be killed, unless
help came to them.
"These people were worshipers of the sun, whom they called the great Sun
Father, and some tribes still have their sun dances in his honor. When he
saw that the people were in such great trouble and were likely to be all
killed by their cruel enemies he resolved to deliver them from their foes.
So he disguised himself and came down to the earth and married a beautiful
woman of the Northland. They had lovely twin boys, whose names were
Sesigizit, the older, and Ooseemeeid, the younger. They grew so rapidly
that they were able to walk when only a few days old. Their sun father
disappeared as soon as they were born, going to the far Eastland.
"Strange to say, although these two boys grew so rapidly at first, they as
suddenly ceased growing, and so remained quite small. But they were very
intelligent, and were ever asking questions.
"'Who is our father?'" they inquired of their mother one day.
[Illustration: Sun dance lodge of the Blood Indians.]
But she ignored the question, and although they kept bothering her it was
a long time before she would give them any information at all, and that was
very little. However, she did tell them that they were more than ordinary
children and finer than other boys, but then there are lots of mothers who
say such things to their own little ones.
"As they were now big enough, she brought out of hiding a couple of bows,
and quivers full of arrows, and some magic rabbit sticks, and gave them to
the boys.
"'These were left for you by your father,' said the mother, ere he went
away, and he gave commands that they were to be given to you as soon as you
were able to use them.'
"The children were, of course, anxious to try their bows and arrows and
these magic sticks. So very soon after they had received them they resolved
to go off on a hunting expedition.
"The mother, who was anxious about them, warned them of the various
monsters in human shape, great windegoos and cannibals, that were ever
lying in wait to catch and roast and eat little boys. She also told them of
the animals that were so enormously large that they could catch them up and
swallow them as easily as a turkey does a grasshopper.
"Thus she tried to put them on their guard against the terrible foes that
had devoured so many of their people. The boys, however, were not much
frightened, and they eagerly set off on their journey.
"They were especially warned by their anxious mother not to go to the
east, as there was a narrow lake there to which many of these evil
creatures came for water, especially a great monster wolf that had devoured
many people. Yet they immediately started off in that direction, for, like
some other boys, they did not obey even their mother. It was noon before
they reached the lake. At first, as they examined it, everything seemed
very quiet and still.
"'Mother must have been mistaken,' said Sesigizit; 'I do not see any living
thing here.'
"But as they wandered farther along the shore, suddenly Ooseemeeid cried
out:
"'O see that great wolf on the other side!'
"They dropped down as quickly as they could, but the fierce brute had
already caught sight of them. He was very much larger than any of the
wolves that now howl in the dark forests. He not only destroyed many of the
people, but when he came to springs, or small streams, he either drank up
all the water or so spoiled it that it was unfit for use.
"The boys shot their arrows at him, but his sides were so tough, for he had
bones like jointed armor upon them, that he was only slightly wounded. He
was, however, made very angry by their attacks, and he picked up a magic
stick and threw it at them. They would have fared badly if they had not so
suddenly thrown themselves upon the ground that it passed over them.
"When the boys saw that their arrows were not swift enough to kill such a
great animal they decided to use the magic rabbit sticks which their
father, the sun, had given them, with orders that they were only to be used
when the arrows failed.
"The wolf, when he saw that one of his magic sticks had missed its aim, was
more savage than ever, and he seized his remaining one, for he only had
two, and he threw it with all his power at the boys. This time they both
jumped high up from the ground and the stick passed under them.
"It was their turn now, and so they both threw their magic sticks with such
force that the great bony armor of the wolf was crushed in and he was
killed.
"Sesigizit quickly ran around the lake to the spot where the great body lay
and cut out the heart of the wolf, while Ooseemeeid secured the two magic
sticks that the wolf had thrown at them, as well as their own weapons, and
then with these trophies they returned to their own home.
"'Where have you been?' asked the anxious mother when they appeared.
"'We have been to the lake,' they replied.
"She could hardly believe it.
"'My boys,' she said, 'you surely are mistaken, for no one who goes there
returns. The great monsters that devour our people live there, and they let
no one escape.'
"Then they told her of their battle with the great wolf, and how they had
killed him. They also showed her his heart, which they had brought home
with them.
"She was very much excited. She called the people together, and there was
great rejoicing at the death of this terrible wolf which had been such a
scourge to them.
"Some time after Sesigizit and Ooseemeeid asked their mother if she knew
where grew any good tough wood suitable for making bows and arrows. Her
answer was:
"'Far away in the foothills is a canyon, or ravine, where a forest of just
such wood as you need is growing, but the path that leads to it is narrow,
and there sits guard a great monster giant who kills and throws into the
ravine everyone who has attempted to get any of that wood. And in addition
there is a fierce mountain lioness prowling around somewhere on the route,
and she has already killed many people and carried them off to her den.'
"Ooseemeeid at once desired to set off and get a supply of this wood, but
Sesigizit, when he found out how fearful their mother was that they would
both be killed if they made the attempt, at first refused to go. His
objection, however, vanished when he saw his brother making ready to start,
and in spite of their mother's fears they started off.
"They had not gone very far when they met the great mountain lioness. She
was out hunting food for her cubs. These she had hidden in a den which was
away up on a precipitous mountain side.
"Ooseemeeid asked her if she knew the way to the canyon where grew the good
wood.
"'Yes,' she replied. 'I am just going that way, and I will show you the
route.' She said this because she wished in this way to allure the two boys
to walk near to her den, and there she would kill them for food for her
cubs.
"So she led them until they came to a place where the path was very
dangerous, because it was on a narrow, shelving rock around the mountain
side. Here the monster lioness asked the boys to walk on ahead of her, but
they refused, saying that they had been taught never to walk in front of
their elders. The lioness urged, but the boys were firm, and so she had to
yield and let them have their way.
"When in the most dangerous part of the pass the boys pretended to be very
much alarmed, and asked to be permitted to walk between her and the
mountain side. At first she was suspicious, but they seemed now to be so
cowardly and afraid that she thought they were not able to do her any harm,
so she walked on the outer edge of the pass and let them have the inside,
and also allowed them to put their hands on her as though to steady
themselves. When they came to the most dangerous spot, where it was so
narrow that even a mountain lion had to be careful, they both suddenly drew
their magic sticks and, giving her a great shove, sent her over the side of
the narrow rocky ledge and down she fell--to be dashed to pieces thousands
of feet below.
"With a shout of triumph the two boys carefully pushed on and, finding the
den, quickly killed the cubs and cut off the right forepaw from each one to
carry home.
"From this high pass they could now see the canyon where grew the good
wood for which they were seeking. They also saw the lodge of the monster
giant who guarded the narrow path that led to it. They saw by its size that
he must be an enormous creature, and so they looked to see that their
arrows and magic sticks were all in good order and handy for use.
"The great giant had heard their shout of triumph when they had destroyed
the mountain lioness and it made him very angry, for he hated any noise or
disturbance; his name, Nikoochis, which means solitude, indicated this.
"When he saw the small boys he was at first inclined to laugh in derision
at them, but when they had come near enough to shoot their magic arrows at
him he soon began to roar with the stinging pain they gave him.
"In vain he tried to catch the active little fellows; he was so big and
clumsy, and they were so quick in their movements, that it was an utter
impossibility for him to get his hands upon them.
"Then he began tearing up great rocks and stones and tried to crush them by
hurling these at them. Here the boys' father, the sun, came to their help,
and he shone so fiercely into the eyes of the great monster that he was
unable to see very well, and the boys easily kept out of the way of the
rocks thrown at them.
[Illustration: "They both threw their magic sticks."]
"The monster was big and fat and unaccustomed to exertion, and he was soon
tired out. Indeed he was so big that the arrows of the boys seemed only
like pins and needles sticking into him, and the boys began to fear that
their quivers would be emptied before they had conquered him. Just then
they met an old witch with a bundle of sticks which she was carrying to her
wigwam. She was very angry with Nikoochis, for he would not allow her even
to gather the dry sticks that fell to the ground in the forest he was
guarding. The result was that she had to wander far away to get the little
fuel she needed in her wigwam.
"The boys told her of their battle with this selfish old monster, and that
even now he was badly wounded by their arrows, which, however, did not seem
to reach any vital spot. She told them that the only place where their
weapons could be effectual in killing him was in the top of his skull. That
they must first in some way crack it with their magic rabbit sticks, and
then they could shoot their arrows into his brain. Hearing this they
quickly resumed their attack upon him. In vain he tore up great rocks and
hurled them with all his force at them. They either cleverly jumped on one
side or sprang up into the air out of the way.
"Then, watching for their opportunity, they waited until he stooped down,
and when he was struggling to loosen from the earth a great rock as big as
a house Sesigizit threw, with all his power, his magic rabbit stick. It
struck the giant fair on the top of his head with such force that it broke
off a piece of his skull. The next instant Ooseemeeid fired one of his
arrows so accurately that it pierced into the brain through the spot thus
left exposed.
"With a roar of rage and pain the great monster fell, rolled down into the
deep canyon, and died.
"After securing his big flint knife, which dropped from his belt, the boys
hurried into the canyon and gathered a lot of fine wood for arrow shafts
and returned to their mother. When she asked them where they had been they
replied that they had been to the canyon, and that they had killed both the
mountain lioness and the great giant.
"At first she could hardly believe this, but as they had brought the paws
of the cubs and the flint knife of the great giant, why, she just had to
believe it. Great indeed were the rejoicings of the people at being thus
rid of these creatures."