RAMA WITCHES. (NO. 2.)

Told by Peter York.

Another old witch once lived in Rama. She disguised herself in a

turkey’s skin when she wished to fly. She caused many people to die.

One day when all the people were having a bee to hoe corn she went to

the bee, leaving her turkey skin in her bag (medicine bag) at her home.

There was a little boy who lived with her and who had often watched her

through a hole in his blanket when she was dressing herself in this

turkey skin, and thought that he would like to try it himself, so he

took the turkey skin out of the bag and put it on. The skin was very

much worn by now and had lost lots of feathers and was ragged, but

still preserved the power to fly. So the boy flew over to the hoeing

bee, and all the people began to say: “Look at the witch, look at the

witch,” and the witch herself began to get very mad (angry) and act

crazy when she saw the boy in her turkey skin. The boy lit on the

ground and the people rushed over and took off the skin and found that

it was only a boy. The witch’s son who was also there took an axe and

rushed up to his witch mother and said, “You must stop causing people

to die, or else I’ll put the axe to your head.” She said, “No! she

would not.” Whereupon he struck her on the head with the axe and killed

her on the spot.

Ojibwa myths and tales · 第 28 / 64 题