[Told by Richard of the Middle-Gîtî′ns]
Beaver’s store of food was plentiful. While he was away hunting
Porcupine stole his food. But instead of going away he sat there. Then
Beaver came and asked him: “Did you eat my food?” And [he said]: “No,
indeed; how can the food of supernatural beings be taken? You have
supernatural power and I have supernatural power.” [52] He told him he
had stolen his food. Then they started to fight.
Beaver was going to seize him with his teeth, but when he threw himself
at his face the spines struck him. After he had fought him for a while
Beaver went to the place where his parents lived. He was all covered
with spines.
Then his father called the people together. And the Beaver people came
in a crowd. Then they went along to fight him. And at that time he used
angry words to them. Now they pushed down his house upon him. They
seized him. Then they took him to an island lying out at sea, upon
which two trees stood.
And when he was almost starved he called upon the animals which were
his friends. [53] He called upon his father. He called upon all of his
friends. It was in vain.
By and by something said to him: “Call upon Cold-weather. Call upon
North-wind.” [54] He did not understand what the thing said to him [and
it continued]: “Sing North songs. Then you will be saved.” So he began
singing: “X̣unē′ qā′sa x̣unē′, let the sky clear altogether, hū⁺n hū⁺n
hūn hūn.” After that he sat on the rock and, after he had sung
“X̣unisä′⁺, let it be cold weather; gaiyä′ʟisä′⁺, let it be smooth on
the water” for a while North weather set in. The wind accompanying it
was strong. Then he began to sing for smooth water. And, when it became
smooth, the surface of the sea froze. When the ice became thick his
friends came and got him. But he was not able to walk.
Now after he had been taken into the house of his parents his father
called all the Forest people. And he gave them food. In the house they
asked him why they (the beavers) did this to him. And he said they did
it to him because he ate Beaver’s food. Then the Porcupine people
started to war with the Beaver people. But they did not defeat the
Beaver people. After they had fought for a while they stopped.
After that, while they were gathering food, they seized Beaver. The
porcupines did. They were always plotting against him. Then they took
him up upon a tall tree. And after he had been there a while he began
eating the tree from the top. He finally got down and went away. He
could not climb trees.
Tcꜝîñ is the Haida word for beaver, but I do not know the meaning of
qā′-idjît. This probably was originally a Tlingit story.