_Omaha_
Ictinike was journeying. When he came in sight at a bend of a stream,
Big Turtle was sitting there in a sheltered place warmed by the sun.
Ictinike drew himself back out of sight, crouching at intervals as he
retraced his steps, and ran down the hill to where Big Turtle was.
"Why! How is it that you continue to pay no attention to what is going
on? It has been said that yonder stream is to dry up so that all the
four-footed animals that frequent the water have kept close to the
deep water," said Ictinike.
Big Turtle said, "Why! I have been coming here regularly, but I have
not heard anything at all. I usually come and sit in this place when
the sun gets as high as it is at present."
"Hurry!" said Ictinike, "for some of the young men died very soon for
want of water. The young otters died, so did the young muskrats, the
young beavers, and the young raccoons."
"Come, let us go," said Big Turtle. So Ictinike departed with him. As
he accompanied him, Ictinike sought for a dry bone. Having found one
that would be good as a club, Ictinike said, "Friend, go on.
_Mingam._"
When he was alone, Ictinike seized the bone, and before long overtook
Big Turtle, walking along beside him.
"Friend," said he, "when a person walks, he stretches his neck often."
So Big Turtle began to stretch his neck very far, and he was walking
with his legs bent very much. As he was going thus, Ictinike gave him
a hard blow on the neck, knocking him senseless, and he did not stop
beating him until he had killed him.
"Ha, ha!" said Ictinike, as he carried Big Turtle away. "There are
some days when I act thus for myself."
He kindled a fire and began to roast Big Turtle. Then he became very
sleepy, and said, "Ho! I will sleep, but you, O, Ijaxe, must keep
awake. Big Turtle, when you are cooked, you must say, '_Puff!_'"
So he went to sleep. Now Coyote came along, very cautiously. He seized
Big Turtle, pulled one of the legs out of the fire, and sat there,
biting off the meat. When he had eaten all the meat on all the legs,
he pushed the bones back just as they had been before, arranged the
fire over them, and left after putting everything just as he had found
it.
At length Ictinike awoke. He pushed into the ashes to find Big Turtle,
took hold of a leg, and pulled it out. Only that leg came out.
"Pshaw!" said he. Then he tried another leg, with a like result, and
still another, but only the bones appeared. When he had pulled out the
fourth leg, he was astonished. All at once he exclaimed, "Surprising!
I had already eaten the Turtle, but I had forgotten it."