[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsgo, who learned it from an old
Ninstints man.]
A man and his wife were abandoned at the town of Sqa-i [544]. After
they had lived there together for a while, his wife began getting
mussels at Stasqa′os[544]. Every day she went there for mussels.
After a while he became suspicious of her. And one time, when she went
after mussels, he followed her stealthily. When she got near the place
where she was going to get mussels she went along singing. She beat
upon her mat with her digging stick in lieu of a drum. When she got
near the place where the mussels were a whale jumped ashore sideways
just in front of her. Then she went to it, and she lay with it. And the
whale went off blowing. He saw it.
Then he knew, and he went away. Then he began to sharpen a mussel-shell
at some place where she could not see him. It became sharp, and one
day, when it was low tide, he sent his wife to get spruce roots for
him.
Then he made clothing for himself like his wife’s, took the basket, and
wore the mat as a blanket. Then he went along the beach of Stasqa′os.
And, when he approached the place where his wife was in the habit of
getting mussels, he used his mat as a drum. When he sang the same
words, the black whale came ashore on its side in front of him. Then he
went to it and cut off its penis. Then it got up quickly and went into
the water making a noise. Its cries died away into the ocean.
Then he came home and built a fire. And he put stones into the fire.
Then he sliced it up, and, when the stones were hot, he steamed it.
After it was cooked his wife came home.
Then she asked her husband: “What things are you steaming?” “I found
some things which had floated ashore. I am steaming them for you. They
are cooked. Take the covers off.” Then they took the covers off. Before
they had even put them into the tray she took the piece off of the top
and ate it.
After she had taken one bite he said to her: “Is your husband’s penis
sweet?” She dropped it at once. Immediately she turned toward the door.
Right where she sat she shook. Even the ground shook.
And, when his wife started off, he tried to hold her. He could not.
Then she went out, and he went out after her. And, after he had
followed her closely for a while, she went up in the bed of a creek at
the end of Stasqa′os. All that time he kept looking at her. And, when
she got up toward the mountain, she again recalled her husband’s words.
Now she sat on top of the mountain, and she again remembered what her
husband had said. And, while sitting there, she became ashamed. Then
she played in the earth with the tip of her finger. She made a hole
with her finger far into the island. She did not feel how she did it.
When she stood up she picked up some dirt and threw it into it. “All
future people will do this way to you.” [545]
Then she went away and came to the west coast. And she went out on one
side of Elderberry point. Then she jumped into the water in front of
her. He did not know that he had married a female killer whale that had
been born of a woman. [546] Then she settled herself down before him.
She became a reef. It is called “Woman.” When people get off from a
canoe upon it, it shakes with them, they say. [547]
And there she again recalled her husband’s words, and she went away
from there also. Where she again settled down on the west coast as a
reef, they also call it “Woman.”
Stories of this type are told throughout the Haida country.