Moasäm Beps South Wind’s Daughter
Tsákiak A Bird (English name unknown)
At Euks a great many people were starving to death; they were so weak
they couldn’t stand. It was winter; snow was falling all the time. The
people were out of doors. They didn’t live in houses. Tsákiak was the
only person who had a house. He took people in, warmed them, and gave
them a little to eat; he hadn’t much.
One day, when it was cold and there was deep snow everywhere, Tsákiak
went on top of his house and stood looking around. He felt badly, felt
sorry for the people, they were so cold and hungry. Just then he saw
Moasäm Beps coming from the south; she was bringing minnows, holding
them out in her hand as she came along; when she passed Tsákiak’s
house, she gave him the minnows. He cooked them over his fire and gave
them to the hungry people. He felt glad in his heart.
The next day, Moasäm Beps came again and brought many minnows; she had
both hands full. When she passed Tsákiak, she gave them to him. He was
hungry himself, but he gave all of the minnows to the starving people.
The next day Moasäm Beps’ hands were empty, but she asked Tsákiak where
the nut pine trees were. He said: “They are on both sides of the fire
in my house.”
Moasäm Beps went in and sat on a pine tree. As soon as she was there,
the snow melted and went away. She said to Tsákiak: “Spread five
blankets under each tree; then go out and don’t look in.”
Soon on each one of the ten blankets there was a big pile of pine nuts.
Then Moasäm Beps called the people in; those who were too weak to eat
she fed.
Right away all the people were strong; they were happy, too. They gave
Moasäm Beps wildcat skins and beads of every kind, and then they went
their own way, for it was warm and they had plenty to eat. Tsákiak and
Moasäm Beps went to Moasänik, her father’s home, for Moasäm Beps was
Tsákiak’s wife now.
The day they got to Moasänik, Moasäm Beps gave her husband a pair of
moccasins, and said: “You must wear these moccasins all the time you
are here; if you take them off, you will die.”
The next day she told him to go and hunt for deer. He went to the top
of a high mountain, where there was snow. Tsákiak tracked a herd of
deer and killed five.
Tsákiak went hunting every day for five days,—he started before it was
light in the morning and came home in the evening. Each time he went
Moasäm Beps told him not to take off his moccasins. The sixth morning,
when he was ready to start, Moasäm Beps said: “Even if your feet are
wet and cold, you mustn’t take off your moccasins; if you do you won’t
come home; you will die on the mountain.”
Tsákiak tracked deer for a long time. The ground was wet and muddy. At
last he went to the other side of the mountain, where the ground was
dry; it looked nice. Tsákiak said: “This is a good place to walk, the
ground is dry. I will take off these wet moccasins and walk around a
little.”
He took off one moccasin. Snow began to fall and the wind to blow hard
and cold. Tsákiak took off the other moccasin. “I don’t care for you
any longer,” said he. “You are cold and wet.” He picked up both
moccasins and threw them as far as he could. Right away the wind blew
furiously. It turned awfully cold, so cold that Tsákiak couldn’t walk;
his legs were stiff. Snow came down fast, like big basketfuls tipped
over. Tsákiak couldn’t get air, couldn’t breathe; he died.