into mice, and proceeded to the home of Stone Shirt, and found the
magical bows and arrows that belonged to the maidens, and with their
sharp teeth they cut the sinew on the backs of the bows, and nibbled the
bowstrings, so that they were worthless, while _To-go'-a_ hid himself
under a rock near by.
When dawn came into the sky, _Tum-pwi-nai'-ro-gwi-nump_, the
Stone Shirt man, arose and walked out of his tent, exulting in his
strength and security, and sat down upon the rock under which _To-go'-a_
was hiding; and he, seeing his opportunity, sunk his fangs into the
flesh of the hero. Stone Shirt sprang high into the air, and called to
his daughters that they were betrayed, and that the enemy was near; and
they seized their magical bows, and their quivers filled with magical
arrows, and hurried to his defense. At the same time, all the nations
who were surrounding the camp rushed down to battle. But the beautiful
maidens, finding their weapons were destroyed, waved back their enemies,
as if they would parley; and, standing for a few moments over the body
of their slain father, sang the death-song, and danced the death-dance,
whirling in giddy circles about the dead hero, and wailing with despair,
until they sank down and expired.
The conquerers buried the maidens by the shores of the lake; but
_Tum-pwi-nai'-ro-gwi-nump_ was left to rot, and his bones to
bleach on the sands, as he had left _Si-kor'_.
_TA-VWOTS' HAS A FIGHT WITH THE SUN._
_Ta-vwots'_, the little rabbit, was wont to lie with his back to the sun
when he slept. One day he thus slept in camp while his children played
around him. After a time they saw that his back was smoking, and they
cried out "What is the matter with your back, father?" Startled from his
sleep, he demanded to know the cause of the uproar. "Your back is
covered with sores and full of holes," they replied. Then _Ta-vwots'_
was very angry, for he knew that _Ta'-vi_, the sun, had burned him;
and he sat down by the fire for a long time in solemn mood, pondering on
the injury and insult he had received. At last rising to his feet, he
said, "My children I must go and make war upon _Ta'-vi_." And
straightway he departed.
Now his camp was in the valley of the Mo-a-pa.[1] On his journey he came
to a hill, and standing on its summit he saw in a valley to the east a
beautiful stretch of verdure, and he greatly marveled at the sight and
desired to know what it was. On going down to the valley he found a
corn-field, something he had never before seen, and the ears were ready
for roasting. When he examined them, he saw that they were covered with
beautiful hair, and he was much astonished. Then he opened the husk and
found within soft white grains of corn, which he tasted. Then he knew
that it was corn and good to eat. Plucking his arms full he carried them
away, roasted them on a fire, and ate until he was filled.
Now, when he had done all this, he reflected that he had been stealing,
and he was afraid; so he dug a hole in which to hide himself.
_Cin-au'-aev_ was the owner of this field, and when he walked
through and saw that his corn had been stolen, he was exceedingly wroth,
and said, "I will slay this thief _Ta-vwots'_; I will kill him, I will
kill him." And straightway he called his warriors to him and made search
for the thief, but could not find him, for he was hid in the ground.
After a long time they discovered the hole and tried to shoot
_Ta-vwots'_ as he was standing in the entrance, but he blew their arrows
back. This made _Cin-au'-aev's_ people very angry and they shot
many arrows, but _Ta-vwots'_' breath as a warder, against them all. Then,
with one accord, they ran to snatch him up with their hands, but, all in
confusion, they only caught each others fists, for with agile steps
_Ta-vwots'_ dodged into his retreat. Then they began to dig, and said
they would drag him out. And they labored with great energy, all the
time taunting him with shouts and jeers. But _Ta-vwots'_ had a secret
passage from the main chamber of his retreat which opened by a hole
above the rock overhanging the entrance where they were at work.
[1] A stream in Southeastern Nevada.
When they had proceeded with this digging until they were quite under
ground, _Ta-vwots'_, standing on the rock above, hurled the magical ball
which he was accustomed to carry with him, and striking the ground above
the diggers, it caved the earth in, and they were all buried. "Aha,"
said he, "why do you wish to hinder me on my way to kill the Sun?
_A'-nier ti-tik'-a-nump kwaik-ai'-gar_" (fighting is my eating
tool I say; that's so!), and he proceeded on his way musing. "I have
started out to kill; vengeance is my work; every one I meet will be an
enemy. It is well; no one shall escape my wrath."
The next day he saw two men making arrow-heads of hot rocks, and drawing
near he observed their work for a time from a position where he could
not be seen. Then stepping forth, he said: "Let me help you"; and when
the rocks were on the fire again and were hot to redness he said: "Hot
rocks will not burn me." And they laughed at him. "May be you would have
us believe that you are a ghost?" "I am not a ghost," said he, "but I am
a better man than you are. Hold me on these hot rocks, and if I do not
burn you must let me do the same to you." To this they readily agreed,
and when they had tried to burn him on the rocks, with his magic breath
he kept them away at a distance so slight they could not see but that
the rocks did really touch him. When they perceived that he was not
burned they were greatly amazed and trembled with fear. But having made
the promise that he should treat them in like manner, they submitted
themselves to the torture, and the hot rocks burned them until with
great cries they struggled to get free but unrelenting _Ta-vwots'_ held
them until the rocks had burned through their flesh into their entrails,
and so they died. "Aha," said _Ta-vwots'_, "lie there until you can get
up again. I am on my way to kill the Sun. _A'-nier ti-tik'-a-nump
kwaik-ai'-gar._" And sounding the war-whoop he proceeded on his way.
The next day he came to where two women were gathering berries in
baskets, and when he sat down they brought him some of the fruit and
placed it before him. He saw there were many leaves and thorns among the
berries, and he said, "Blow these leaves and thorns into my eyes," and
they did so, hoping to blind him; but with his magic breath he kept them
away, so that they did not hurt him.
Then the women averred that he was a ghost. "I am no ghost," said he,
"but a common person; do you not know that leaves and thorns cannot hurt
the eye? Let me show you;" and they consented and were made blind. Then
_Ta-vwots'_ slew them with his _pa-rum'-o-kwi_. "Aha," said he, "you
are caught with your own chaff. I am on my way to kill the Sun. This is
good practice. I must learn how. _A'-nier ti-tik'-a-nump
kwaik-ai'-gar_." And sounding the war-whoop he proceeded on his way.
The next day he saw some women standing on the Hurricane Cliff, and as
he approached he heard them say to each other that they would roll rocks
down upon his head and kill him as he passed; and drawing near he
pretended to be eating something, and enjoying it with great gusto; so
they asked him what it was, and he said it was something very sweet, and
they begged that they might be allowed to taste of it also. "I will
throw it up to you," said he; "come to the brink and catch it." When
they had done so, he threw it up so that they could not quite reach it,
and he threw it in this way many times, until, in their eagerness to
secure it, they all crowded too near the brink, fell, and were killed.
"Aha," said he, "you were killed by your own eagerness. I am on my way
to kill the Sun. _A'-nier ti-tik'-a-nump kaiwk-ai'-gar_." And
sounding the war-whoop he passed on.
The following day he saw two women fashioning water-jugs, which are made
of willow-ware like baskets and afterwards lined with pitch. When afar
off he could hear them converse, for he had a wonderful ear. "Here comes
that bad _Ta-vwots'_," said they; "how shall we destroy him?" When he
came near, he said, "What was that you were saying when I came up?" "Oh,
we were only saying, 'here comes our grandson,'"[2] said they. "Is that
all?" replied _Ta-vwots'_, and looking around, he said, "Let me get into
your water-jug"; and they allowed him to do so. "Now braid the neck."
This they did, making the neck very small; then they laughed with great
glee, for they supposed he was entrapped. But with his magic breath he
burst the jug, and stood up before them; and they exclaimed, "You must
be a ghost!" but he answered, "I am no ghost. Do you not know that jugs
were made to hold water, but cannot hold men and women?" At this they
wondered greatly, and said he was wise. Then he proposed to put them in
jugs in the same manner, in order to demonstrate to them the truth of
what he had said; and they consented. When he had made the necks of the
jugs and filled them with pitch, he said, "Now, jump out," but they
could not. It was now his turn to deride; so he rolled them about and
laughed greatly, while their half-stifled screams rent the air. When he
had sported with them in this way until he was tired, he killed them
with his magical ball. "Aha," said he, "you are bottled in your own
jugs. I am on my way to kill the Sun; in good time I shall learn how.
_A'-nier ti-tik'-a-nump kaiwk-ai'-gar._" And sounding the war-whoop
he passed on.
The next day he came upon _Kwi'-ats_, the bear, who was digging a hole
in which to hide, for he had heard of the fame of _Ta-vwots'_, and was
afraid. When the great slayer came to _Kwi'-ats_ he said, "Don't fear,
my great friend; I am not the man from whom to hide. Could a little
fellow like me kill so many people?" And the bear was assured. "Let me
help you dig," said _Ta-vwots'_, that we may hide together, for I also
am fleeing from the great destroyer. So they made a den deep in the
ground, with its entrance concealed by a great rock. Now, _Ta-vwots'_
secretly made a private passage from the den out to the side of the
mountain, and when the work was completed the two went out together to
the hill-top to watch for the coming of the enemy. Soon _Ta-vwots'_
pretended that he saw him coming, and they ran in great haste to the
den. The little one outran the greater, and going into the den, hastened
out again through his secret passage.
[2] This is a very common term of endearment used by elder to younger
persons.
When _Kwi'-ats_ entered he looked about, and not seeing his little friend
he searched for him for some time, and still not finding him, he
supposed that he must have passed him on the way, and went out again to
see if he had stopped or been killed. By this time _Ta-vwots'_ had
perched himself on the rock at the entrance of the den, and when the
head of the bear protruded through the hole below he hurled his
_pa-rum'-o-kwi_ and killed him. "Aha," said _Ta-vwots'_, "I greatly
feared this renowned warrior, but now he is dead in his own den. I am
going to kill the Sun. _A'-nier ti'-tik'-a'-nump kwaik-ai'-gar_." And
sounding the war-whoop he went on his way.
The next day he met _Ku-mi'-a-poets_, the tarantula. Now this knowing
personage had heard of the fame of _Ta-vwots'_, and determined to
outwit him. He was possessed of a club with such properties that,
although it was a deadly weapon when used against others, it could not
be made to hurt himself, though wielded by a powerful arm.
As _Ta-vwots'_ came near, _Ku-mi'-a-poets_ complained of having a
headache; moaning and groaning, he said there was an _u-nu'-pits_, or
little evil spirit, in his head, and he asked _Ta-vwots'_ to take the
club and beat it out. _Ta-vwots'_ obeyed, and struck with all his
power, and wondered that _Ku-mi'-a-poets_ was not killed; but he urged
_Ta-vwots'_ to strike harder. At last _Ta-vwots'_ understood the
nature of the club, and guessed the wiles of _Ku-mi'-a-poets_, and raising
the weapon as if to strike again, he dexterously substituted his magic
ball and slew him. "Aha," said he, "that is a blow of your own seeking,
_Ku-mi'-a-poets_. I am on my way to kill the Sun; now I know that I can do
it. _A'-nier ti'-tik'-a'-nump kwaik-ai'-gar._" And sounding the
war-whoop he went on his way.
The next day he came to a cliff which is the edge or boundary of the
world on the east, where careless persons have fallen into unknown
depths below. Now to come to the summit of this cliff it is necessary to
climb a mountain, and _Ta-vwots'_ could see three gaps or notches in
the mountain, and he went up into the one on the left; and he demanded
to know of all the trees which where standing by of what use they were.
Each one in turn praised its own qualities, the chief of which in every
case was its value as fuel.[3] _Ta-vwots'_ shook his head and went
into the center gap and had another conversation with the trees,
receiving the same answer. Finally he went into the third gap--that on
the right. After he had questioned all the trees and bushes, he came at
last to a little one called _yu'-i-nump_, which modestly said it had no
use, that it was not even fit for fuel. "Good," said _Ta-vwots'_, and
under it he lay down to sleep.
[3] Several times I have heard this story, and invariably the dialogues
held by _Ta-vwots'_ with the trees are long and tedious, though, the
trees evince some skill in their own praise.
When the dawn came into the sky _Ta-vwots'_ arose and stood on the brink
overhanging the abyss from which the Sun was about to rise. The instant
it appeared he hurled his _pa-rum'-o-kwi_, and, striking it full in
the face, shattered it into innumerable fragments, and these fragments
were scattered over all the world and kindled a great conflagration.
_Ta-vwots'_ ran and crept under the _yu'-i-nump_ to obtain protection.
At last the fire waxed very hot over all the world, and soon _Ta-vwots_
began to suffer and tried to ran away, but as he ran his toes were
burned off, and then slowly, inch by inch, his legs, and then his body,
so that he walked on his hands, and these were burned, and he walked on
the stumps of his arms, and these were burned, until there was nothing
left but his head. And now, having no other means of progression, his
head rolled along the ground until his eyes, which were much swollen,
burst by striking against a rock, and the tears gushed out in a great
flood which spread out over all the land and extinguished the
conflagration.
The _Uinta Utes_ add something more to this story, namely, that the
flood from his eyes bore out new seeds, which were scattered over all
the world. The _Ute_ name for seed is the same as for eye.
Those animals which are considered as the descendants of _Ta-vwots'_ are
characterized by a brown patch back of the neck and shoulders, which is
attributed to the singeing received by him in the great fire.
The following apothegms are derived from this story:
"You are buried in the hole which you dug for yourself."
"When you go to war every one you meet is an enemy; kill all."
"You were caught with your own chaff."
"Don't get so anxious that you kill yourself."
"You are bottled in your own jugs."
"He is dead in his own den."
"That is a blow of your own seeking."
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Some UTF-8 characters have been downgraded to their Latin-1
equivalents; for the accurate representation please see the HTML
or UTF-8 file.
PRINTER'S ERRORS FIXED:
"dext" changed to "next"--The next day, being without food...
"decedents" changed to "descendants"--The descendants of these people...
"philosopic" changed to "philosophic"--...great philosophic question