[Told by Walter McGregor of the Sealion-town people]
At White-slope [469] a certain person and his mother were disliked.
They made a house out of branches at one end of the town in which they
lived. When it was low tide he went down and brought up something for
his mother to eat.
After he had done this for some time he came to a heron with a broken
bill. Then he sharpened it. And it said to him: “Grandson, you helped
[470] me nicely. I will also help[470] you. Keep this medicine in your
mouth.” Then it also gave him the feather on the tip of its wing, and
it said to him: “Blow this under the armpit of the son of the town
chief. Even the supernatural beings will not know it.”
The child often played at having supernatural power. He had a mat as a
dancing skirt. He fastened shells upon it. Others he used as a rattle.
He had feathers he found as a dancing hat. He used old cedar bark as a
drum. One evening he went around the town. He looked into some of the
houses. A chief’s son sat in one of them. Then he pushed the feather in
between the side planks. When the point was turned toward his armpit,
he blew it in. As soon as it went into the chief’s son’s armpit, he had
a pain.
Then he went home. They got a shaman for [the chief’s son]. He went
over to see him practice. Some persons with black skins on the side
toward the door held burning pitchwood. Then he thought: “I wonder why
they do not see the thing sticking out of him.” They dropped their
torches and ran out after him. He ran from them. Those were
The-ones-who-have-spines-for-earrings. [471]
The day after he went again. He wanted to see the shaman. When he
thought the same thing as he had thought before they ran out after him
again. At that time they discovered that it was the boy.
Then they set out to get him. He spit medicine upon the things he had
been playing with. [472] The dancing skirt had a drawing on it. The
drum had the picture of a wā′sg̣o. The dancing hat, too, was finished.
They hung up five moose skins for him. He went thither, and the beating
plank beat itself as it came in. They had opened the door for him.
While they were looking through it for him, his dancing hat came out
back of the fire. [473] It did the same thing on the other side, on the
side toward the door, and on the opposite side. After it had come up in
all four corners he stood up. He took his feather. When he pulled it
out the pain ceased, and the sickness was gone. Just before he went out
he blew it in again. He did not think he had received enough. Then he
went away.
Next day they made the number of his moose skins ten, and he again went
there. Again the drum and the beating board went in of themselves.
After he had entered as before he stood up. After he had danced around
for a while he pulled his feather out for good. The chief’s child
slept.
He had many uncles. They kept their daughters for him. Among these one
was short on one side. That was the youngest’s daughter. One time, when
they were going on a picnic, he started. And he changed himself into a
salmon-berry bush near the trail and waited there.
When the lame one came along behind he tangled himself up in her hair.
While she was trying to untie it, all left her. Instead, he came and
stood near her. Then he said to her: “I will marry you. Go with me.”
Then she went with him. After he had entered the house with her he spit
medicine on her. He stretched her leg out. It became well. He married
her.
Then he threw away the house of branches and built a regular house for
himself. He made a bedstead which he and his wife always used. One
night, while he slept, the house moved with him, and he awoke. He heard
some one talking with his mother. When day broke he opened his eyes.
Something wonderful lay there into which he awoke. The carvings inside
of the house winked their eyes. The carvings on the corner posts of the
bedstead moved their tongues at each other. In a rear corner of the
house something stood making a noise. That was Greatest Hopper, [474]
they say. Master Carpenter [475] had become his father, they say.
When he arose [the latter] said: “Come! my child, let me fix you up.”
Then he went to him. He combed his hair. It hung down broad and glossy
even beyond his buttocks. He painted his face. He was very handsome.
After he had lived a while with his father in that house he set out to
marry the daughter of Many-ledges. Then his father told him that he
destroyed the sons of the supernatural beings. And he let him take his
arrows. “They fly around,” [476] he said to him. One bore the figure of
a weasel. The other bore the figure of a mouse. He also gave him some
knots. “In his town driftwood never floats ashore,” he said to him.
He had Greatest Hopper take him over. After he had gone along for a
while with him the capes before him were burning. Then he spit medicine
upon them, and he hopped quickly over with him. When he got close in
front of Mā′g̣ᴀn [477] he felt extremely sweet. There were very many
stick-potatoes there. That made him so, they say. After he had brought
him to the end of Many-ledges’ town, Greatest Hopper went back.
Then he changed himself into knots and at evening floated ashore in
front of the town, awaiting until his children came down to defecate.
By and by they came down. “See the driftwood which has floated ashore.
It is wonderful, because driftwood never floats ashore in father’s
village.” Then they picked it up and laid it down near the door. Then
they forgot it.
And, when they were going to bed, they thought of it and brought it in.
He (Many-ledges) started to cut it up with one of his five stone adzes.
It broke. Then he took another. He struck it with that, too. That, too,
broke. After the same thing had happened to four, he split it in pieces
with the last one. Then he was glad. And he put it into the fire.
When the daughters went to bed he shot in as a spark. Then he sat at
the head of the bed and laid his hands on them. “Who are you?” [they
said]. And he said, “It is I.” “Who is I?” “I am
He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger.” When he was a
boy and was whittling, something stuck into his little finger. [478]
That is why he was so called. Then the woman [479] said: “For him alone
my father has kept me.”
And, when she replied to him, he married her. When day broke her father
said: “I wonder what supernatural being was talking to my daughter last
night. I had her for
He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger.” Then she said to
her father: “Father, he is the one, he says.”
“Now, my child, come down and sit by the fire with your husband.” And
they came down and sat there. They spread out a mat for him, and he
gave him food. They brought out berries and grease. Flames came out of
them. They put some into a tray and set it before him. The woman told
him not to eat it. After he had swallowed medicine four times he took
some. When he had taken two mouthfuls he stopped. It passed quickly
through his insides burning. He stood up and, where he had sat, smoke
rose.
Next day he said to his daughter: “Let your husband go and get an alder
for me which stands behind the house.” And he got up quickly. Then she
clung to her husband crying. “Alas! the supernatural beings think they
can do everything. They have me marry their sons. By and by he begins
to do this way.” Then he said to his wife: “Let me go. I will see what
he is going to do to me.” And she said to her husband: “Go to it after
it has come together and lightning has flashed in it four times.”
Then his father-in-law gave him a stone wedge, and he went along a
trail running inland side of the house. After he had gone in some
distance [he saw] it standing far off. After it had come together and
lightning had shot in it four times he spit medicine before him and
went to it. After he had chopped at it a while and it had fallen, he
found himself inside of its mouth (lit.). There was no way to get out.
Something held him tight.
Then his father’s supernatural powers came to him. Four having their
hair tied in bunches with cedar limbs came quickly to him. Two had
wedges in their hands. Two had big hammers. Then they worked at the
alder, and they split it. They pulled him out. He rubbed medicine upon
himself and became as he had been before.
When he pulled it apart human bones burst out of it. Some of these were
like whole human bodies; some were just held together by the ligaments.
Then he trod the alder into bits and threw them around. “Those will be
useful to the very last people.” Then he carried half of it off on his
shoulder, let one end down on the ground in front of the house, and
struck the house front hard. Then his father-in-law said: “Alas! he has
killed my supernatural helper.” Then he went in and lay by his wife
behind the screens. His father-in-law had the fire quenched, they say.
[480]
Next day he again said to his daughter, “Come, my child, let your
husband go for a small devilfish of mine which lives toward the point.”
Then he again got up quickly. Again his wife clung to him. And his wife
said: “They let me marry the sons of the supernatural beings who think
themselves powerful. By and by he begins to do this way.” Then he said
to his wife: “Let me go. I will see the thing he uses against me.” Then
she gave her husband directions. “After it has spit upward and it has
lightened four times go to it.”
Then he went to it. He shot it twice with the arrows his father had
given to him. After it had shot up water four times he spit medicine in
front of himself and went to it. After he had struck it with a stick
[481] he was in its mouth.
When he was almost drowned in its slime he thought of his father’s
supernatural helpers. Again the four came to him. They had clubs in
their hands, and they clubbed it in the eyes. They pulled him out. He
was covered with slime. Then he spit medicine upon himself. He became
as he had been before. The bones in it were also many.
He pulled it apart and tore half of it in pieces and threw them around.
“These will be useful to all future people.” And he carried half of it
off with a stick. He threw it in on the side toward the door. Then his
father-in-law said: “Alas! he has killed my supernatural helper.” Then
he entered and lay behind the screens with his wife.
Next day he again said to his daughter: “Come! my child, let your
husband go after my little sea lion yonder.” At once he got up. Again
she clung to her husband while she cried. “He always lets them marry
the sons of the supernatural beings who think they are strong. By and
by he begins to do this way.” Then he again said to his wife: “Let me
go. I will see the thing with which he is going to do [harm] to me.”
And his wife gave him directions. “After it has looked at you and
growled four times go to it.”
Then he started for it. He was going to kill it with a club which his
father-in-law gave him. After he had gone toward it for a while he saw
it lying there. After it had looked at him and growled four times he
went to it. When he came near it it breathed in. He went into its
mouth.
And again he thought of his father’s supernatural helpers. Again they
came to him bearing bone clubs. They clubbed the sea lion on the head.
They killed it. When he (the youth) was almost dead they pulled him out
of its mouth. Then he put medicine upon himself and was restored.
Then he pulled the sea lion apart. The bones of three persons fell out
of it. Then he tore half of it in pieces and threw them around. “You
will be useful to all future people.” And he carried off half of the
sea lion and threw it in through the doorway. His father-in-law said:
“Alas! he has killed my supernatural helper.” Then he lay behind the
screen again with his wife.
Next day he again said to his daughter: “Come! my child, let your
husband go for my little hair seal yonder.” And at once he arose. Again
his wife clung weeping to him. “He always lets me marry the sons of the
supernatural beings who think themselves powerful. By and by he begins
to treat them this way.” And he said to his wife: “Let me go. I will
see the thing with which he does it.” “After it growls and looks toward
you four times go to it,” she said to him.
Then his father-in-law gave him a bone club, and he set out to it.
After he reached it, and the hair seal had looked at him and growled
four times he went thither, and it breathed in. He was in its mouth.
Again he thought of his father’s supernatural helpers, and again they
came to him bearing bone clubs. They struck the hair seal on the head
and killed it. Then they pulled him out, and he rubbed medicine upon
himself.
Then he pulled the hair seal apart. Half of the hair seal he pulled in
pieces and scattered around. “This will be useful to all future
people.” Out of this, also, poured the bones of two persons. Then he
carried off half of the hair seal upon his shoulder and threw it down
in the house. His father-in-law said: “Alas! he has killed my
supernatural helper.” Again he lay with his wife behind the screens.
The day after that he said to his daughter: “Come! let your husband go
and get my little eagle sitting yonder.” Again she did not want her
husband to go, and he said to his wife: “Let me go as before. I will
see the thing with which he is going to do it to me.” Then she said to
her husband: “Go to it after its eye mucus has dropped four times.”
Then he took his arrows. His father-in-law said that they pushed the
eagle down with a pole. Then he went thither. After its eye mucus had
dropped four times he shot it up through the belly. He went to the
other side also and shot it from that side as well. But it did not do
anything, they say.
Then he scattered half of it around. “All future people will make use
of you.” And he carried half of it off on his shoulders. The bones of
two persons came out. Then he threw it into the house. His
father-in-law said: “Alas! he has killed my supernatural helper.” And
again he lay with his wife.
Next day he said to his daughter as before: “Come! my child, let your
husband go and get my little clam on the point.” And again she went to
her husband. Still he started thither. And she gave her husband
directions: “Go to it after it has spit out water four times.” And his
father-in-law said: “They get it by means of a stick.”
Then he gave him a digging stick, and he went thither. After it had
spit up water four times, he went to it and started to get it with a
stick; he suddenly found himself in its mouth.
When he thought of his father’s supernatural helpers, they came to him
holding flat, broad clubs. They struck on its ligaments (lit., “eyes”),
[482] and they pulled him out. Then he scattered half of it around.
“All future people will make use of these,” he said. He took half of
it, went home with it, and threw it down in the house. “Alas! he has
killed my supernatural helper.” Again he lay with his wife.
The day after that he had a fire lighted. They rubbed hard, white
stones together, and it burned. [483] He told them to put stones into
it. At once they did so. When they became hot they put them into a
stone box lying near the door. Then his father-in-law told him to get
in. At once he stood up and, after he had spit medicine upon himself
four times, he sat in it. It was cold.
Then they put the box cover over it. After he had sat there for a while
he tapped upon the side of it. Then he (his father-in-law) made a noise
at him with his lips. He said: “I guess I have killed him.”
By and by he stood up, throwing his hair back out of it. And he kicked
the box to pieces and threw the pieces around the side of the house
toward the door. His father-in-law became ashamed. He had destroyed his
ten supernatural helpers. After that his mind became good toward him.
[484]
The devilfish he killed was in the cave at Skedans point, they say. And
his father-in-law, Many-ledges, was a cliff behind the town of Skedans.
His mind had become changed toward him. After he had stayed with his
wife for a while he told his wife he wanted to return home. Then she
told her father, and her father said: “Now, my child, go with your
husband. Just outside is a canoe.” Then her husband went out. There lay
an old canoe out from between the cracks of which grass was growing.
Then he went in and told his wife, and she said to her father: “Father,
he hunted in vain for the canoe. He says there is only an old one
there.” “That is it.” Then she went to it with her husband. She kicked
it on the edges and [said]: “Go seaward, father’s canoe.” At once it
was floating there. It went of itself either way. The carving on the
bow paddled. Then he told it to come near. It came before him.
And he had his daughter take along all kinds of food. There was a great
quantity of it. He sent five slaves to take care of the canoe. He had
five boxes of berries and grease put in for the canoe. And he said to
his daughter: “My child, when it is hungry it will point its bow
backward. Then let your husband throw one box at its face.”
Then they started. He sat high in the bow with his wife, and the bow
carving paddled the canoe. After it had gone along for some time the
canoe turned its bow back. Then they pulled out one of the boxes of
grease and berries, and he threw it at its face. Again it went on.
After it had gone along for a while the canoe turned its bow back
again, and again he threw the grease and berries at its face with a
spoon. Then the canoe again went on. [485]
After they had gone on a while longer they saw the town. The whole town
was alight with fires. They wanted to see the daughter of Many-ledges.
They asked: “Who is it?” “It is
He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger coming with his
wife.”
And they came down in a great crowd to the shore opposite. He came
ashore, and they took the food off. Then the five canoe slaves went
back. They took along the three boxes of berries and grease which were
left for the canoe.
Then his wife sat among the things, and he went up to the house and
told his mother to call her up. Immediately his mother went down. She
saw nothing there. There was only a cloud among the boxes. Then she
went up and said to her son: “I saw nothing there. Only a cloud was
there resting upon the things.” He said to his mother: “That is she.”
Again she went down, and she called her up. The cloud came up after
her. The cloud went near the place where her husband sat. They wanted
to see her. A great crowd awaited her. By and by he said to his wife:
“Take off your hat.” Then she told her husband to take it off, and he
took it off. He put it behind himself. There the cloud lay. A wonderful
creature sat where it had been. She was pretty, like a daughter of the
supernatural beings. The ones they had wanted him to marry looked in at
her and wept as they did so.
And, after he had had his wife for a while, a whitish sea otter came
swimming in front of the town. After they had shot at it for a while he
also launched his canoe. He shot at it with his arrows. He shot it in
the end of the tail. [486] After it had flopped about there for some
time he got it into his canoe. He came home. Then he skinned it.
There were spots of blood upon it. On account of these his wife washed
it. After she had done this for a while she slipped seaward upon it.
When the water was as high as her knees a killer whale went away with
her blowing. She was stuck between its fins. Killer whales went out to
sea with her in a crowd.
He got into a canoe and went after his wife. They disappeared under the
water in front of him. Then he came back and went crying around the
town. By and by he questioned an old man who lived at one end of the
town. “What supernatural being is it that took away my wife?” he asked
of him. “Supernatural-being-always-in-the-cradle took your wife away.”
Then he gave him all sorts of things. He gave him all kinds of things
that would be useful to him. “Now, chief, I will let you have my canoe.
I will go with you. I will stand at the end of the trail, and you shall
get your wife,” he said to him.
He lent him his short canoe which lay outside. “Raise it, chief. Burn
the bottom of it. Take twisted cedar limbs, Indian tobacco, and
tallow.” Then he did as directed.
When it was a fine day he went to him, but he said it was a bad day.
One day, when it was cloudy, he went to him not expecting anything. He
sat outside with his mat over his shoulder. He also had on his hat. “It
is a good day, chief. When we come to the middle of the sea the
sunshine will be upon us only.” Then he launched the canoe. He got in
the stern of his canoe. Immediately they set off.
After they had gone on for a while the sunshine came out, as he had
said. Then the old man said to him: “Look for a kelp with two heads.”
And they came to one. “Now fasten [the canoe and leave] me right here.
This is his trail.”
Then he gave him directions. “Right in the trail at the end of the town
Heron always repairs a canoe. He never lets a strange supernatural
being pass in. When he shouts, quickly put Indian tobacco into his
mouth. Also give him twisted cedar limbs. Then he will conceal you.”
And he went down upon the kelp. He went along for a while upon a trail
in which were footprints and heard the sound of a hammer. And he came
to him. After he had looked at him for a while he shouted. Then he put
tobacco into his mouth. He also gave him twisted cedar branches. Now he
put him into his mouth.
Then the town people came to him in a crowd. “Why did you shout like
that?” “I cried out because my awl slipped.” Then they said to him:
“No; you smell of human beings.” They hunted about him. They did not
find him. They went home from him.
Then he took him out and gave him directions.
“Supernatural-being-always-in-the-cradle took your wife. His
three-headed house pole [487] is always on the watch. Hide yourself
from it. Did you bring tallow?” And he said to him “Yes.” “Two persons
covered with sores will come to get wood. Make their skins well. Rub
the tallow on them.”
He went back of the houses. After he had sat there for a while they
came to him. They called out to him. “Do not tickle us by looking at
us,” said they to him, and they told him to come out to them. Then he
went to them. And he rubbed the tallow upon them and healed their
scabs.
Then they said to him: “To-day they are going to put fins upon your
wife. That is why we came after firewood. When it is evening, and we go
after water we will cause the strings of our buckets to break. We will
let the water run into the fire. Go and get your wife quickly in the
midst of the steam.” So they spoke to him.
As soon as evening came they came after water with two large buckets.
He met them there, and they said to him: “Prepare yourself.” And, when
they went in, he looked through the doorway and saw that his wife had
tears on her cheeks. They had Supernatural-being-always-in-a-cradle,
the one who married her, hung up as if in a cradle.
When they got in near the fire, and on each side of it, with the water
the bucket strings were broken. While the house was filled with steam,
he went in quickly and got his wife. Then he put her under his arm and
ran away with her. The house pole heads shouted:
“He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger has taken his
wife back.”
At once they pursued him. They ran after him in a great crowd.
Supernatural-being-always-in-the-cradle ran after them crying. He came
with his wife to the old man. Then he again put them into his mouth.
When the crowd came to him they asked him: “Old man, did not
He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger pass by upon this
trail? He has taken his wife back.” Then he said: “I felt nothing.” And
they hunted about a little farther. When they found nothing they asked
him again: “Did not you feel anything upon it?” “No,” he said. Then
they said to him: “You smell of a human being.” And they pushed him
down. They felt all over him. Then he said: “You make me tired by your
handling. You better stop searching me.” Then they went home from him.
And afterward he took them out. And he said: “Go along carefully with
your wife upon this trail.” Then they went along the trail. After they
had gone along for a while they came to the place where the old man
was. They got in with him and started off. After they had gone on a
while longer he came with her to the town. He had got his wife back,
and he stayed there with her always.
[The following excellent version of this story was obtained by
Professor Boas from Charlie Edenshaw, chief of the Stᴀ′stas, a Masset
family.]
In the village T’ī [on the west coast of Graham island] there was a boy
who lived with his grandmother. His parents were dead. While he was
still living in his little house with his grandmother, he used to make
wands with a little shell knife. While doing so he ran a splint under
his finger nail, which made his finger swell to an enormous size.
Therefore he received the name Sʟᴇg̣otsg̣ā′noē.
One day the boy met a crane whose beak was broken. He carved a new beak
for him out of wood. They were living in the last house of the village.
He had ten uncles who were all chiefs. One of his uncles had a boy who
was sick all the time. Now, the boy who had healed the crane, took a
small mat, which he tied round his waist like a shaman’s apron. He made
a rattle of cockleshell and carved a shaman’s wand for his own use. He
tried to imitate the shamans who were trying to heal his cousin. One
day the youth went to his uncle’s house, which was full of people. He
looked into it and saw a bone sticking in his sick cousin’s side. A
black man was standing on each side of the door. They were the
porpoises. The boy thought: “If I am able to remove that bone my cousin
will recover.” The two black men said at once: “This boy says a bone is
in the sick boy’s side, and that he is able to pull it out.” Then the
people laughed at him, but they allowed him to try. The crane had given
him a shaman’s powers, although he did not know it. Then he pulled out
the bone, and his cousin arose, healed and well. Then he put it back
again, and he was sick again. Now the boy returned to his house. He
said to his grandmother: “I am able to save my cousin.” She struck him,
saying: “Don’t say so, else they will punish you.” But he was able to
see the bone in his cousin’s side, although nobody else was able to
discover it.
Now the chief sent for his nephew. One of his slaves went to call him.
Then his grandmother said: “Surely, the chief is going to kill us.”
Then the boy took his mat apron, his rattle, and his wand and went to
his uncle’s house. There were many shamans inside. He went around the
fire, keeping the fireplace to his left. Then he pulled the bone out of
his cousin’s body, blew upon him, while the people were beating time,
and the sick boy recovered. Then he put it in again, and he felt sick
again. The sick boy said that he had felt better for a little while,
but that he was sick again. The other shamans tried again to cure him,
but they were unable to do so. Then the sick boy asked them to send
once more for his cousin. They sent for him, and, when he came, they
offered him all kinds of property, but he refused it. But the two
porpoises knew his thoughts, and said: “Lk·anqēosʼg̣a′noe (=
Jumping-on-one-leg, name of the poor boy) wishes to have the
paraphernalia which his father wore when dancing.” His uncle promised
to give them to him. Then he pulled out the bone and healed his cousin.
Now he wore a beautiful apron instead of his mat apron; he used a
wooden rattle instead of his shell rattle, and a bone wand instead of
his wooden wand. Now he was a great shaman.
After some time he heard about a great chief whose name was
T’êckoa′nayē. He wished to visit him. He had a beautiful daughter whom
all the chiefs desired to marry, but he did not accept them. He killed
all her suitors. He invited them to a meal and made them sit down near
the fire. Then he put four stones into his fire, and, when they were
red-hot, he put them into a dish. Then he made them swallow the stones.
Now, Sʟᴇg̣otsg̣ā′noē intended to marry this girl. Before he went there
the crane visited him. He gave him a medicine which caused water to
gather in his mouth so that it cooled the stones. When he reached the
chief’s house he chewed this medicine and was able to swallow the
stones without any injury.
He came to a place where there were rock slides all the time. Then he
chewed a medicine called xu′ntsd’ala, and he came to a place near
Skidegate. Then he took his strap of mountain-goat wool. He threw it
over Skidegate straits and stepped across it, using it as a bridge.
Then he threw it down once more, and thus reached her house. He
thought: “I wish the girl would come outside to-night.”
Then she went out of the house and sat down on the beach to defecate.
The boy assumed the shape of a burl, which lay on the beach in front of
the house. The girl said to her slave: “Carry the burl into the house,”
because she wished her father to make a hook from it. The slave carried
it home and told the chief that his daughter wished him to make a hook
out of the wood. Then the chief asked for his ax, intending to split
the wood. When he hit it his ax broke. Then the chief was sad. He took
another ax, but it broke also. Then he threw the wood into the fire.
In the evening the chief’s daughter retired to her room, which was
separated from the main room by a large plank. When the wood was burned
the boy in the shape of ashes flew into the girl’s room. There he
assumed his human shape. She asked him: “Who are you? I want to marry
no one but Sʟᴇg̣otsg̣ā′noē.” Then he replied: “I am Sʟᴇg̣otsg̣ā′noē.” Then
she was glad and allowed him to lie down with her. They talked all
night. Early the next morning the chief rose. He spat and he thought:
“Who is talking to my daughter? I don’t want anyone to become my
son-in-law except Sʟᴇg̣otsg̣ā′noē.” Then his daughter shouted: “He has
arrived!” Then the old chief was glad. He spread mats on the floor of
the house and put four stones into the fire. When the stones were hot
he took a dish and ordered his slaves to put the stones into the dish.
They placed it before the young man, who sat down on the mat. Then the
girl said: “You always try to kill my suitors by means of the red-hot
stones.” The youth chewed the medicine which he had received from the
crane and rubbed his body with it. Then he took the stones up in a
ladle and swallowed them one after the other. They fell right through
his body. The floor of the house was made of stone, and the stones
broke it. The young man was not dead. Then they fed him with salmon and
berries.
On the following day the chief said to his daughter: “There is a
devilfish at the point of land just beyond our village. I have tried
often to kill it, but I can not do so. Tell your husband to try to kill
it.” The young man started in his canoe, and reached the place where
the devilfish was living. Four times he chewed his medicine and rubbed
it over his body. Then he threw his harpoon at the eye of the
devilfish. As soon as he had done so he fainted, and the monster
swallowed him. But he was not dead. He merely thought: “I wish your
stomach would burst,” and at once the stomach of the devilfish burst,
and it was dead. The bones of many people were inside. They dropped to
the ground when the monster died. Those who had been killed recently
were still partly covered with flesh, while those who had been killed
long ago were only bones. He chewed some of his medicine and spat on
the remains. Thus he resuscitated them. He took the devilfish and
carried it to his father-in-law. He threw it down in front of the
house. It was so heavy that the house almost fell down.
On the following morning the chief said to his daughter: “There is a
tree not far from here. Let your husband go and fetch its bark.” The
young man took his stone ax and went to the tree. Then he saw that the
bark was sliding up and down all the time. Again he chewed his
medicine. Then he spat at the tree three times. Now he struck it with
his ax. He fainted right away. When he recovered his senses he found
that he was inside the tree. Then he only thought: “I wish the tree
would break.” At once the tree burst, and with him the bones of many
people which the tree had killed fell to the ground. He resuscitated
them. Then he took the bark and carried it to the house. He threw it
down in front of the house and almost destroyed it.
Then his father-in-law was very sad because he could not overcome his
son-in-law. He did not speak a word. On the following day he said: “Go
and cut some alder wood for my fire.” He gave him an ax, and the young
man went. As soon as he struck the alder he fainted. When he recovered
his senses he found that he was inside the tree. Again he thought: “I
wish the tree would burst,” and he himself and many people whom it had
killed came out of it. He resuscitated them. Then he took one-half of
the tree on his shoulder and carried it home.
On the following morning the chief said to his daughter: “Let your
husband catch the sea otter which lives not far from here.” He gave him
a harpoon. Then the young man went out. Soon he reached a cave in which
the sea otter was living. He chewed the medicine and rubbed his body
four times. Then he threw his harpoon. He fainted right away. When he
recovered his senses he found that he was in the stomach of the sea
otter, and he only thought: “I wish it would burst,” and the sea
otter’s stomach burst, and with him the bones of many people dropped
out, whom he resuscitated.
The old chief had not been able to overcome Sʟᴇg̣otsg̣ā′noē. After a
while the latter became homesick. He lay down and did not say a word.
Then the old chief asked his daughter: “Why is your husband sad?” She
replied: “He is homesick. He wishes to return to Tʼī.” “Hm!” replied
the chief. After a while he continued: “Take my large canoe and
accompany him to his home.” The young man went out to look for the
canoe, but he could not find it. He only saw an old rotten tree with
long roots. When he returned to the house, the old man asked: “Did you
find my canoe?” “No,” the young man replied, “we have only seen an old
rotten tree.” “That’s it, that’s it!” said the old man. They returned,
but when they reached the place they could not find the canoe. They saw
nothing but an old rotten tree. They returned to the house; and, when
they informed the old chief that they had not been able to find the
canoe, he told them: “When you reach the tree again, say, ‘Go into the
water.’” They turned back, and, on reaching the tree, said: “Go into
the water, canoe of my father.” At once it was transformed into a large
canoe. It was full of geese (x·īt) which were crying all the time. They
were the oarsmen. The old chief gave them vast quantities of
provisions, and they started, the geese paddling the canoe.
During all this time the youth’s finger was very thick and sore. In the
evening they camped. While they were asleep a great many spirits which
the crane had held captive in his finger by means of sorcery escaped,
killed his wife, and scattered over the whole world. From that time the
whole country of the Haida has been filled with spirits. Then the boy
said: “Future generations shall always see the spirits which were
living in my finger.” Sʟᴇg̣otsg̣ā′noē traveled on, and nobody knew what
became of him. If he had not visited the old chief, he (the latter)
would still continue to kill people.
This is a popular story known both at Skidegate and Masset. A version
obtained by Professor Boas from Charlie Edenshaw at Masset is appended
to the story I myself obtained. It differs from that in several
interesting particulars. That two such distant points as Masset and
Skedans should be combined in one myth seems rather singular. The Haida
equivalent of He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger is
Sʟō′g̣ot-sg̣ā′nag̣wa-i.