replies, "And well colored." Uncle Crane is proud of the color. "Are not
my feathers smooth and fine?"--"Yes, they are fine and smooth; it is a
great pity that they are mouldy and in bad condition;" and, "my neck is
straight?"--"Yes wonderfully straight (yes a wonderful straight neck),
as straight as this." Lox picks up a little stick which is crooked. And
he sings: "Ugly long neck has Crane; ugly long legs has Crane; the Crane
has ugly long legs; the Crane has an ugly long neck, and the Crane's
neck was hideous; only, do you make haste, grandfather."
The Crane does not say anything, but he takes Lox. Then when he comes to
the middle where it is most dangerous and deepest, he shakes himself; he
twists his bill. Then at once Lox whirls round like a little chip in the
rapids. Still dashing along for a while, he plunges among rocks and is
thrown on shore; he dies (is killed).
Lox, however, is a great wizard; his power sometimes leaves him. Several
days pass; two boys come upon him; they find Lox lying in the rocks; he
was dead in the fair sunshine. These boys are of the Mohawk tribe.
Everywhere maggots are crawling out of his mouth.
But when they touch him, they rouse him; he stood up from his sleep
(lit. he sleeping) like a proud and fierce warrior, but as soon as he
lives again, he seeks to do them a mischief. They have good bows: he
gets these (and breaks them). He pretends that children are playing far
off there by the point of land. He says: "Run, go and join them where
they are playing." Then as they go farther, he makes a sound; nearer it
sounds; this then sounds with the roar the stream.
So they go on; he does not accompany them; they run all the more. He
learns from these boys that they are of the family of Culloo. These
Culloos are great birds; fierce. Then Lox, when he sees a quantity of
meat in the wigwam, wants to be a member of the family. Since Lox had
seen life, he understands the customs of almost everyone.
So he puts on Culloo style; he sees a child; he begins to sing a Culloo
song: "A sealskin strap; a shoulder strap." The woman tells Lox that he
cannot deceive her; hearing this Lox is very angry;
* * * * *