Chapter II: Part 2

At that time there was no fire to be seen. They did not even know of it. Raven went northward on the surface of the sea. Far out at sea a big kelp was growing out of the water, but the kelp head was gone, and many sparks came out of it. This was the first time that Raven had ever seen fire.

Then Raven went along to it on the bottom of the sea. Then the big fishes—the Black Whales, and the Dolphins, and others—wanted to kill him as he went along. Owner-of-the-Fire was the one to whom he went.

When Raven entered his house, Owner-of-the-Fire said to him, “Come and sit here, chief.” Raven said, to him, “Will the chief give me fire?”

Owner-of-the-Fire gave fire to Raven, as he had been desired, and when he gave it to him, he put it in a stone tray. A cover was over it.

Raven went away with it. After he had gone up to the shore, Raven put a fragment of live coal into a cedar standing there. Because he put fire into the cedar, when people want to start a fire they use a drill of cedar, because fire comes from it.

WHEN MINK CARRIED THE TORCHES

_Bella Coola_

Mink’s father was “Walking-through-the-Heavens.” He was Sun, but no one knew it, and one day when Mink was playing with the children of his village, they laughed at him saying that he had no father. Mink began to cry and went home to his mother.

Mink’s mother said, “Why, your father is Walking-through-the-Heavens.” Then Mink demanded bows and arrows, and his mother gave them to him.

Mink went outside the lodge and began to shoot his arrows into the sky. The first arrow struck the sky and stuck there. The second arrow hit the notch of the first, and held there; and the third arrow stuck in the notch of the second. So with four arrows Mink made an arrow chain which became a rope. He called to his mother and said, “Hold the rope so it will not shake,” and she did so.

Then Mink began to climb up into the Sky Land, while his mother held the rope. After a long time he reached the door to the upper world. Then he climbed in and looked around him. He began to walk toward a bright house in the distance. It was Sun’s house. As he came near it, a woman came out to pick up wood. When she saw Mink, she said, “Oh, little one! Where do you come from, sonny?” The woman went at once back into the house and told Sun.

Now Walking-through-the-Heavens was tired that day. He did not climb the trail through the sky, but left it covered with clouds. Therefore it was gray and cloudy in the Earth Land. When there are clouds in the sky, that is the time that Walking-through-the-Heavens rests.

Mink told his father that the boys in the village teased him. He begged to be allowed to carry Sun’s torches. Then Sun said, “Oh, you can’t do it. I carry many torches. Early in the morning and late in the afternoon I burn small torches; but at noon I burn the larger ones.”

Mink teased and teased. He said he wanted to carry the torches just once. Therefore one day Sun said, “I think I’ll rest today. You may carry the torches.”

So Walking-through-the-Heavens gave him the torches. He said, “Oh, child, take care! Walk in the morning, but don’t walk too fast. Do not sweep your aunts, the clouds, away too quickly, or it will go hard with the people in the Earth World.” Then he said again, as Mink started off, “Don’t be too fast when you walk or sweep.”

So Mink started off, carrying the torches. At first he lighted only small ones, and he walked slowly, and swept away the clouds not too rapidly. He did it very well indeed. But at noon Mink became tired. He swept away the clouds very rapidly, and he walked very fast. Then he also lighted many of the large torches at once.

At once it grew very hot. Great cracks came into the mountains and they began to split. All the rocks in the world were burned so that they are bare, even today. The trees began to burn and many animals jumped into the water. But the water began to boil. Mink’s mother covered all the people with her blanket, so they were saved. All the people in the world hid under her blanket. The animals tried to hide under the rocks and in caves. Ermine crept into a hole which was not quite large enough, so the end of his tail stuck out. It was burned black. That is why Ermine is white with a black tip to his tail. Mountain Goat hid in a cave, so he is perfectly white. All the animals which did not hide were scorched and therefore they have dark fur on the upper side of their bodies, but the under side is lighter.

Now when Sun saw what was happening to the people of the Earth World, he rushed up the trail, and said, “Why do you do so? Do you think it is good that there should be no people on the Earth World?”

Sun took the half-burned torches and put them out. Then he pushed Mink right out of the Sky Land, saying, “Go right down to the Earth World again. You shall be mink and men shall hunt you.”

Now four women had gone out digging clams. Then they saw something floating around among the drifting seaweed. They went towards it. It was Mink. When they touched him, he rubbed his eyes and said, “I have been sleeping on the water for a long time.” Then he went up the beach and went home to his mother.

Now the world was hot, and the trees were burning, so that Sun caused the waters to rise until they covered the whole country except for a few mountains on Bella Coola River which rose above the waters. The Bella Bella and the Bella Coola tribes fastened their canoes to the tops of these mountains, and for this reason they were not lost. Other tribes tied their canoes to other mountains, but some of the canoe ropes broke and the people drifted away to different countries. The flood went as far north as the Skeena River, and people drifted even from up there. One canoe drifted over in the lands of the white people. Then at last Sun made the waters to sink.

Crow was sitting on the top of a tree when Mink made the Earth World to burn. The smoke was so black that it made Crow black all over. Before that Crow had been white; so the Indians say.

OLD ONE

_Shuswap_

In the days of the grandfathers men did not know anything at all about the other worlds. They knew very little even about the Earth Land.

Now in the Sky Land lived an old chief who was very wise and very kind, and with great magic. The son of the old chief died and he did not know where he had gone. Therefore Old One was very sorrowful. He wailed, “Where is my son gone? He cannot be dead. He has only gone away. But where has he gone?” In those days death did not happen often.

Therefore Old One began to travel. He went everywhere. He came down to the Earth World and went into the Shuswap country. Here he found the people very ignorant. He taught them how to fell trees and make twine, how to sew clothes and make needles and awls. He also taught them how to hunt game, how to trap, and dig roots, and gather berries so they would have food enough. So the people were much happier. There were no salmon there in those days; it was long afterward that Coyote brought the salmon up the river.

After traveling all through the Shuswap country, Old One went on. It became known afterward that he traveled through the country of six different tribes, teaching all the people how to live, and looking always for his son.

When he lived at home in the Sky Land, Old One had two servants and several companions. His two servants were Beavers, and one slept at the head of his bed and one at the door of his house. Because they were nearer to him, Old One made them the most valuable of animals. That is why beaver fur is always so much sought after.

THE GREAT FIRE

_Lillooet_

When Tsuntia and the four Black Bear brothers had traveled over the earth and put things to rights, they met one another at the edge of the earth. Black Bear brothers said, “There is yet one country where the people are bad. They were too strong for us. You go to that country and stop the sun so they will all be burned up.” Thus they spoke to Tsuntia.

Tsuntia said, “If I go there and stop the sun, all the people in the world will be burned up and everything on earth besides.”

The brothers would not believe this, so Tsuntia commanded the sun to stand still. Then the earth became so hot it was scorched. The tops of the trees began to smoke. The Black Bear brothers were overcome with the heat, and they began to be afraid. They said, “We see that you know and speak the truth. Now let the sun move on.”

Tsuntia said to them, “Whistle at the sun, and he will go on.” They said, “Oh, no. You do it.” So Tsuntia whistled and pointed his finger at the sun. The sun followed his finger as he moved it toward the west. He moved his finger down over the mountains and the sun set rapidly.

Then a breeze sprang up and soon cooled the earth and the people. The bad people of that country were never punished. They are there yet, near the edge of the earth.

THE BURNING OF THE WORLD

_Cree_

Once all the world was burned. Only a man and his mother and his sister were saved. Before the fire there were many people on earth. Then the young man fell out with his father, and they became enemies. The young man had heard that all the world was to be burned, but his father did not believe it.

Now the young man made a bow and arrows. He shot one arrow to the west, and one to the east, and one to the north, and one to the south. The places where the arrows fell were the four corners of a bit of ground which would not burn. The young man told everybody who wanted to be saved from the fire to come onto that square of land. Many did not believe the world would be burned, so they would not come.

After a while the fire came. They could hear it. They were encamped by the side of a big lake. By and by all the birds and animals came running to that bit of ground marked out by the arrows. The old man had quarreled with his son, so he would not come. The fire was very hot. All the water boiled because it was so hot.

After a while the fire was put out, and the water had settled down. Everything had to be started over again.

Now there were many animals on this patch of ground, and the man named some of them and told them what to do.

He put Beaver in the water, but Rabbit wanted to live in the water. The man said, “No.” Then Rabbit jumped into the water and the man had to pull him out. He said to Rabbit, “Your legs are too long. Even if you do eat willow like Beaver, you don’t go about in the water properly.”

Squirrel wanted to be Bear. He did all he could to be Bear. He argued and chattered a great deal about it. The man said, “Oh, you’re too noisy. You wouldn’t be a good Bear.” He said also, “If you are Bear, you are so noisy that when people come again, they will kill too many of you. A bear must keep quiet. He has many enemies.” Then Squirrel began to weep. He wept until his eyes were white. Even today Squirrel has eyes bright and swollen from weeping.

The man made Bear then, because he was nice and wise and quiet.

Somebody wanted to be Caribou—nobody remembers just who wanted that. Then Deer was made, and made so swift that he could outrun all pursuers.

After the man had finished making all the animals, he put a mark on them, so people would know what they were.

Then the man had to give all the people new names. His mother he called Robin, because she was friendly. His sister he called Golden-winged Woodpecker, because she was beautiful. He called himself Blackbird because he would only come every spring.

THE HOUSE OF SUN

_Bella Coola_

The House of Sun stands in the center of the lower heaven. It has other names. Sometimes it is called “Where man was created,” sometimes “House from which people come down,” and sometimes “House to which people go.”

In front of the house stands a great pole, painted with birds of every kind, with the white crane sitting on top of the post. The master of the house is Sun. He is also called “Our Father,” and sometimes the “Sacred One.” The Bella Coola pray to Sun. When they go hunting they say, “Look on us, where we are going, Father.” Or they say, “Take care of us, Father.” After long rain, they pray, “Wipe your face, Father, that it may be fair weather.” The hunter who has shot deer, or the woman who has found many berries, prays, “Father, you make me happy; you give me what I desire; thus I find what I wished for!”

The Bella Coola also make offerings to the Sun. Hunters throw four small slices of seal meat, or of mountain-goat tallow, into the fire, as an offering to Sun, to obtain success in hunting.

There are other gods living in the House of the Sun. Two of them wake man after sleep; without their help nobody could awaken from sleep. One of them is the guardian of the Moon. Every month she restores the Moon to her full size; and she cleans the face of the Moon after an eclipse. Because when the Moon performs religious ceremonies, she paints her face black.

The Mother of Flowers lives also in the House of Sun. Every spring she sends all the new young flowers down to the earth.

There are four brothers who live in the House of Sun. They are always busy in carving and painting. They taught men to make boxes, to build houses, to carve wood, and to paint. They also taught him to hunt, and they made fish for him to catch.

The Daughter of Sun invented the art of working cedar bark. She has a song which she sings when the bark is brought to her and she breaks it over the edge of a stick, so that it may be woven into mats and clothing. First she sings, “Bring me the board on which to break the bark,” and then when she begins to work, she sings another song. Part of it is, “Behold me, ye who are not initiated. I am the Cedar-bark Breaker, the Daughter of Sun.”

Many other people live in the House of Sun. One of them visits houses and steals provisions.

The path of Sun is well guarded. Bear guards the sunrise. He is a very fierce warrior who protects Sun against warlike enemies, and Bear is also the cause of the warlike spirit of man. His hair is tied up in a knot on top of his head.

At the sunset stands an enormous post which supports the sky and prevents Sun from falling down into the lower world. The trail of Sun is a wide bridge. It is as broad as the distance between the summer solstice and the winter solstice. Sun always walks with his face to the west. In summer he walks on the right-hand side of the bridge, and in winter at the left-hand side. The extreme right-and left-hand sides of the bridge are called “Place where the Sun sits down.” If Sun tarries too long on the left-hand side of the bridge, people say, “Salmon will be dried late this year.” But if he stays a long while on the right-hand side, they say, “There will be plenty of salmon this year.”

WHY THE SUN IS BRIGHT

_Lillooet_

Once a whole village moved away. They were angry with a boy, so they left him behind with his grandmother. Now it looked as though they would starve. Grandmother said, “Snare small animals. Shoot the birds.” So the boy snared rabbits and squirrels and many small animals. He shot many birds with bright plumage. Grandmother cooked the animals and birds, but she made him a robe from the skins of the birds. The robe was very large and bright. The boy wore it when he went to spear fish.

Now Sun, when he followed the trail in the Sky Land, saw the robe when the boy was spearing fish. He saw that robe many times. One day Sun left the trail and came to visit the boy. Sun always dressed in a goatskin robe, with long fringe.

Sun said to the boy, “I will exchange blankets with you.” The boy looked at the goatskin robe, and said, “Oh, no!”

Sun said, “You do not know the value of my robe. It can catch more fish than you can spear.” Sun placed the fringe of his blanket in the water, and at once a fish caught on each tip of the fringe. When the boy saw that, he exchanged blankets at once.

Before Sun traded for the boy’s robe of birds’ plumage, he was pale, and his light was like the light of the moon. Therefore people could look at him. Now he became bright and dazzling as he is today, because of his bright robe. People can no longer look at him.

WHEN SUN WAS SNARED

_Ojibwa_

Once there was a poor boy who lived with his grandmother. He set snares for birds and rabbits because they were very poor. Now one day this boy set his snares, and then went home to his grandmother. But he had set his snare on Sun’s trail.

The next day when Sun came up over the edge of the earth and started off on his trail, he was caught in the snare. He could not go on. There was only a little light and Sun did not rise all day. People began to be anxious at the gloom. They said, “What has happened?”

Then someone asked the boy, “Where did you set your snare?” and the boy told him. They went to look, and there was Sun caught fast in it. People said again, “What shall we do?” because Sun was so hot no one could go anywhere near him. Someone said, “We shall have to gnaw through the cords of the snare,” and somebody else asked, “Well, who will do that?”

At last a number of the animals tried to gnaw the string. They were all burned. They said, “Let Beaver-Mouse try it. He has such sharp teeth.” So Beaver-Mouse tried it, and he gnawed the string so Sun could rise and follow his trail. But Beaver-Mouse’s teeth were so burned that they are brown even to this day.

SUN AND MOON

_Thompson River_

Sun and Moon were both chiefs who looked after the people. One day they were quarreling, and began to say unpleasant things to each other.

Sun said to Moon, “You give too faint a light. The people cannot see properly. Besides you do not warm them.”

Moon answered, “People turn aside their faces when they look at you. You blind them; and you are so hot you make them very uncomfortable. I don’t burn people as you do. Besides, I am prettier than you are.”

Thus they disputed.

At last they agreed to this: Sun should shine by day and Moon by night. And they did so. They do so even to this day. They used both to shine at the same time; so the Indians say.

THE MAN IN THE MOON

_Central Eskimo_

Once an Eskimo visited the Moon. He put out all the lamps in his house, and sat down with his back to them, and at once his guardian spirit carried him through the air.

Moon’s house was not very large. It is white because it is covered with white deerskins, which Moon always has drying there. On each side of the entrance is the upper half of a walrus’s body, with very long teeth. It is very dangerous to pass here, because the teeth try to bite you. Moon’s dog is dappled red and white. He lives in the passage, and is the only dog in the moon.

Moon always sits in the outer room, but in an inside room, the Eskimo saw Sun. She is Moon’s wife. The moment she saw the Eskimo, she brightened her fire and got behind the glow of it, therefore the Eskimo could not look at her for the brightness. Moon had great piles of deer meat lying about, and piled up; yet he did not offer any to the Eskimo until he and Sun had danced a very strange dance.

There are great plains in Moon Land, and large herds of deer roaming over them. Moon allowed the Eskimo to choose one animal, which at once fell through a hole in Moon Land to the earth below. In a large house were many seals swimming. The Eskimo chose one seal and it at once fell to the earth and into the ocean.

That is why the Eskimo have deer and seals. If this Eskimo had not visited Moon, they would not have them.

WHY THE MOON IS PALE

_Wyandot_

Now Small Turtle made Sun out of lightning when she climbed up into the sky. She also made Moon for his wife. Moon was smaller than Sun, but she was very bright. Then the animals bored a hole through the edge of the earth so that Sun and Moon could pass through at night, and begin their trail again at the east.

Small Turtle never meant Sun and Moon to travel together. But one day Moon ran into the hole at the edge of the earth much too soon. She also ran in ahead of her husband, Sun. Sun was very angry. Moon stayed under the earth for a long while. Small Turtle went after her one day to see what was the matter. She found Moon small and pale because of Sun’s anger. Then Small Turtle tried to make her large again. Moon would grow larger for a while, and then remember Sun’s anger, and fade away again, until she was only a strip. She does so even today. That is why Moon is so pale, and why she keeps changing as she does.

THE WOMAN IN THE MOON

_Shuswap_

Moon was a very handsome man. During the winter he traveled constantly, camping every night in a different place. He had a wife called Wala and many children. When they were traveling, Moon always went ahead and prepared a house for his wife and children. White men call his house a halo.

Wala was always loaded down. She carried large birch-bark baskets on her back, and a birch-bark snow shovel in her hands. Wala used the shovel to fill the baskets with snow, for melted snow was all the water they could get in winter time.

One morning Wala said to Moon, “Where are you going to camp tonight?” Moon did not answer. Wala said, “Where will you pitch camp tonight?” Still Moon did not answer. Thus Wala kept asking, “Where are you going to camp tonight?” until Moon said crossly, “Oh, camp on my face!”

And Wala did that. She jumped right on his face and stuck there. We know this is true because Wala may still be seen on Moon’s face, holding her birch-bark baskets and her snow shovel.

MOON

_Thompson River_

Moon used to be an Indian. He would be as bright as Sun if his sister Frog did not sit upon him. At one time when Moon had invited the Stars to his house, it was so crowded there was no room for his sister Frog to sit down. She jumped on his face and stuck there.

Whenever it threatens to snow or rain, Moon builds a house and enters it. White men call it a halo. The cirrus clouds are the smoke of his pipe, and he always holds his pipe in his hand. You can see it in the moon today, and the basket which he uses as a hat. Moon seems to change from night to night, sometimes being larger and sometimes smaller, but that is all because of Frog’s shadow.

WAR WITH THE SKY PEOPLE

_Thompson River_

The people of Sky Land stole Swan’s wife. Swan at once called all the Earth People to a great council. They agreed to make war on the Sky People.

Now they gathered their bows and arrows. Swan was their chief. Each man began to fire his arrows at the sky. Every one came down. Every man tried to shoot an arrow into the Sky Land, until at last only Wren was left.

Then Wren shot an arrow. The people watched, but it did not come back to earth. They watched a long time. It had stuck in the sky. Wren fired another arrow. That did not come down. It had stuck in the notch of the first one. Wren fired many arrows. Not one came back, though all the birds and animals were watching carefully. They at last could see the chain of arrows, and Wren shot more arrows until the chain reached the earth.

Now all the Bird People and the Animal People climbed over the arrow chain and went up into Sky Land and fought the Sky People. Grizzlies lived there, and Black Bear and Elk. And the Sky People won the fight. The Earth People began to retreat in great haste. They came down over the arrow chain, but when about half the people had reached the ground, the chain broke. Those who could not get down had to go back to Sky Land. Some of them were made prisoners and some were killed.

There used to be many more birds and animals than there are now; so the Indians say. There are fewer now because of this war.

HOW TWO SISTERS GOT OUT OF SKY LAND

_Chilcotin_

Once there were two sisters who were not happy, and they ran away from home. They ran until they came to Sky Land, where they lost their way. At last they came to the house of an old woman. She asked, “Where are you going?”

“We don’t know,” said the sisters. “We are lost.” Then the old woman told them they could not get back to the earth again, so they stayed with her.

One day the old woman went out to get some berry vines. She told the sisters not to open a basket which stood just there. After she had gone, the younger sister opened the basket, and at once thousands and thousands of rabbits jumped out and ran all about the house. When the old woman came back, she was very angry, but she caught the rabbits, every one, and put them all back into the basket.

The next day the old woman went out again. She told the sisters not to touch a certain box that stood there. As soon as she was gone, the younger sister opened it and looked in. Then she was frightened, for she could see clear down to the earth below.

When the old woman came back, she made a rope of the berry vines and fastened a basket to one end. Then she said to the younger sister, “Get in, and I will let you go down to the earth. You must keep your eyes shut. If the basket stops, you must give it a little shake. Perhaps it is stuck in a cloud. But do not open your eyes.” Thus she said.

So the sister started. She shut her eyes tight, and soon she felt the basket stick in something. She shook it a little and then it went on. It had stuck in the cloud. After a while the basket stopped. She shook it once, and it did not move. Then she shook it hard. It remained still. Then the sister put out her hands and felt grass. At once she opened her eyes and stepped out of the basket.

The old woman called down to her to cut the grass and put it in the basket. So she did so. Then the old woman pulled the basket up to the Sky Land again.

Now the young woman sat down and waited many days, looking into the sky all the time. At last she saw a speck far up. Then she knew it was her sister in the basket. When it came near enough, she reached up and helped her sister out. They both went back to their mother.

ORIGIN OF THE PLEIADES

_Wyandot_

A young man was out fasting. His fasting lodge stood at the end of a lake, where no one ever came. There was a broad bench on both sides.

Now, one evening he heard something. Sounds of songs, faint and distant, came to his ear. He did not know what it was. He looked everywhere. There was no one to be seen. Then the sounds were clearer. They came from the sky over the lake. The young man listened. Now he thought the voices came from the beach near by.

He crept slowly down to the lake, through the reeds and grasses. The singing grew more distant. Then through the reeds he saw seven maidens, dancing about in the light of the stars.

Then a pebble slipped under his foot. The maidens sprang into a large basket, and vanished into the sky.

Now the young man went back to his fasting lodge. The next evening he listened. The air was very still. The water was very quiet. The stars were shining. Then he heard again the sound of far-away voices. He heard distant songs. So he crept to the edge of the lake, through the reeds and grasses. He saw a great basket come down with the seven maidens. They danced together, under the light of the stars. The air was very quiet as they sang. Then they danced along, each dancing in turn. And one maiden was more beautiful than her sisters. Then the young man forgot; he made a sound with his voice and the maidens vanished into the sky.

Now every evening the maidens came down to dance on the beach. It was a broad beach. No one ever came to that end of the lake. They danced under the stars, when the air was still, and they sang their songs. So the young man watched them.

Now they came again, and the young man rushed among them; rushed among them as they danced when the air was quiet, and seized the most beautiful sister. Then the maidens sprang into the basket, and the young man caught the maiden, and held the basket edge with one hand. Then they fell to the earth together, and the maiden was grieved.

The maiden said, “We are seven sisters. We live in the Sky Land. Often you see us when you look into the sky. But at this season, when the air is still and the lake is quiet, we come here to dance in the starlight.” She said also, “I cannot marry you until you come and live with me in the Sky Land.”

So the young man went into the Sky Land with her. Everything there happened just as one wished it.

We know this is true, because even today the seven sisters are in the sky. Six are clearly seen, but the seventh sits back in the shadow with her husband.

THE STAR HUNTERS

_Chilcotin_

There were once three young men who spent most of their time with their two dogs in hunting. They lived with their grandmother. When they came in from hunting, they gave meat to her.

One day the hunters were gone all day without finding anything. In the evening, for a joke, one of them gave grandmother a piece of punk, saying, “Here is some caribou liver for you,” but when she put it into her mouth, lo, it was punk wood! She was angry.

Now the next day, when the young men were out hunting, grandmother heated a bear’s foot in the fire, and danced about the camp and sang her song. So she turned them by this magic into stars, and they lived up in Sky Land.

One day the young men were hunting in Sky Land, and they found the tracks of a great moose. They followed him for several days. Then as they were tracking the moose, they looked down and saw the Earth Land far below them. The eldest brother said, “I am going to try to get down to the earth again.”

Now this brother told the other two to cover themselves with their blankets, and not to look down. Then he started down to the earth, but he was only halfway down when the youngest brother looked through a hole in his blanket. At once the eldest brother stopped. He could go no further. So the three brothers have all lived in the Sky Land among the stars. They live there with the great moose and their dog. The Indians can see them even to this day. The morning star is the old grandmother, with a torch, looking for the young men.

THE GREAT BEAR AND THE HUNTER

_Chilcotin_

Once a man went out with his two dogs to hunt. It was in the autumn and there was a little snow on the ground. At night he camped.

As he lay on the ground under the trees, Great Bear appeared in the sky. Then the hunter started on, because he knew it was nearly morning. When he had gone but a little way, however, his dogs started a bear.

The bear ran fast and the dogs followed. The man followed both as rapidly as he could, and soon he came to a man sitting on a log. At once the hunter knew this was the bear. The man wore a blanket made of many different kinds of skins.

When the hunter came up, Bear said, “You thought last night I was slow in coming up, but my trail in the Sky Land is very hard and rough. Sun has the same trouble. He travels rapidly at first when the trail is smooth, but in the middle of the day the trail is rough and he travels more slowly. Then his trail grows easier again, and he travels more rapidly to the going-down place at the edge of the earth.”

Great Bear then told the young man to pull out from the blanket which he wore the skins of whatever animals he wished most to kill. The man took the skins of marten and fisher. Great Bear told him whenever he went out to hunt, to put the skin of whatever animal he wished to kill in his pouch, and then he would easily kill as many as he wished.

Then Great Bear went back into the Sky Land.

HOW THE SUMMER CAME

_Ojibwa_

Fisher used to live somewhere in this world, but nobody knows where. This was in the days when there was no summer at all. It was always snow and cold and ice all the time. People knew that there was a Summer Land where the Summer Birds lived, but they were not sure where it was.

Now it was always winter because in the days of the grandfathers a man had captured all the Summer Birds and had taken them away with him. Thus it was always cold. The people talked about it in their tepees when North Wind rattled the flaps and shouted to them.

At last Fisher said he would find those Summer Birds so that summer would come again. Fisher did not know where the Summer Land was, but he traveled for a long, long while until he came to it in the Sky Land. Then he reached the tepee where the man lived. All the Summer Birds were there, all tied together.

Now Fresh-water Herring lived there also with this man. Fisher at once put some pitch in Herring’s mouth, so that he could not cry out. Then he took the birds up, and tried to break the cords which bound them together; but he could not do it. Fisher then used his teeth, and the cords gave way, and behold! the Summer Birds flew about everywhere.

Then Herring got the pitch out of his mouth. He began to shout, “Fisher breaks the bundle! Fisher breaks the bundle! The Summer Birds!” Several times he called out until the man came rushing in, but by that time Fisher and the Summer Birds were a long way off. The Summer Birds dropped right down to the earth through a hole in the Sky Land, but the man closed the hole before they all got through. That is why it is not summer all the time. If all the Summer Birds had come to earth, it would always be summer.

Fisher did not have time to jump back to earth, so he rushed up among the stars. The man followed close after him, trying to shoot him with his bow and arrows. But Fisher got safely into Star Land. Only the man shot him once and hit him in the tail. That is why Fisher’s tail is broken. You can see it today—so the Indians say.

THE RAINBOW TRAIL

_Wyandot_

Big Turtle had sent Small Turtle into Sky Land to make a light for the Earth Plain. So Little Turtle became the Keeper of the Sky. She lived in the sky. Whenever she was needed at a council, she was called by Deer, the herald whose voice “goes a long ways.” At once she came down on a cloud.

After a while Deer wanted to go into Sky Land. He went to ask Rainbow to help him. Rainbow said, “Oh, no!” and Deer had to go away. But Deer kept thinking about the Sky Land. Then he went again to Rainbow. Deer said, “Please take me up into the Sky Land,” so Rainbow spread wide the broad trail and Deer leaped up until he reached the top of it. Thus Deer went into Sky Land.

Now Big Turtle called a council of all the animals. All came except Deer and Little Turtle. Big Turtle asked, “Where is Deer?” but no one answered. Yet some of the animals knew. Big Turtle said to the runners, “Go find Deer.” The runners came back after a long time. They said, “People say Deer has gone into Sky Land.” Hawk also said that. Then Big Turtle was angry. He said, “Sky Land is Little Turtle’s country. And where is Little Turtle?”

Deer was the only one whose voice “goes a long ways.” He should have called Little Turtle out of Sky Land. But he was up in Sky Land and no one could make her hear. But at last they shouted until Little Turtle heard and came down. But no council could be held without Deer.

The animals said, “Oh, what shall we do?” Little Turtle said, “Deer is now up in the sky. He has been there for some time, running around everywhere.”

Little Turtle said, “Rainbow has a beautiful trail. Deer went up that way.” Then she said, “I will show you the Rainbow trail.” So all the animals followed her. Then Big Turtle spoke. He said, “Since Deer has gone to Sky Land, we will all follow him there!” So Rainbow took them all up on the trail of many colors. The animals are up there also; so they say.

ORIGIN OF THE CHINOOK WIND[3]

_Shuswap_

Fox and Hare were brothers. They lived together with many other people. This was in the days of the grandfathers when there was no fire and the earth was very cold. The Cold People of the north delighted in making icy winds sweep down over the Indian country. The people shivered, shivered always.

One morning Fox smoked his pipe and muttered, “Last night I dreamed. I gained much knowledge.” When Fox had finished smoking, he said to the people, “The People of the Cold have had power over us for a long time. Do you like the cold?”

The Indians at once said, “No. We hate the cold; but we do not know what to do.”

After a while Fox said to Hare, “Come with me. We will find warm weather.”

Now Fox and Hare were great warriors. They took their bows and arrows and traveled south many days. They reached the mouths of the large rivers where dwelt the People of the Heat. They owned all the heat; and they were enemy to the Cold People. Their chief was Sun, and they lived always in warm weather, sunshine, and mild winds.

Fox knew just what to do because his dream had told him.

When Fox and Hare entered the House of Sunshine, they saw a large round bag hanging on a post. It contained the chinook wind. Fox at once ran and struck the bag with his fist, trying to burst it. At once the Heat People jumped up to stop him, but Hare held his bow with arrow drawn on them so that they were afraid.

Again Fox ran at the bag and struck it. The fourth time he tried, the bag burst and the chinook wind rushed out. Then Fox and Hare ran along with the wind, and the Heat People made the weather exceedingly hot, so as to overcome them.

At last the heat became so intense that the country took fire, and the Heat People made the fire run with the wind so as to overtake Fox and Hare. But Fox and Hare were great warriors. They were very swift-footed, so they kept ahead. Thus the earth burned up for a long distance north and many trees and people were destroyed. Hare kept just far enough ahead of the fire to have time, every now and then, to sit down and smoke his pipe. Hare was a great smoker. When Fox told Hare to hurry, Hare would sit right down and smoke his pipe. Fox was much annoyed with Hare. So Fox went on alone and soon left Hare and the fire far behind. He was also swifter than the wind, but wind kept right after him. So when Fox reached his own people, he said, “I bring the warm chinook wind. You will be cold no longer.”

At first his people did not believe him. But soon the chinook wind began to blow. The ice and snow melted. The people felt the cold no more. Then Fox said, “Henceforth the chinook wind shall no longer belong only to the Heat People of the south. Warm winds shall blow over the north and the rest of the world. They shall melt the snow and dry the earth. Only sometimes may they be followed by fire. Henceforth the Cold People shall not always rule the weather and plague the Indians with their icy winds.”

Now the wind had left the fire far behind, and without wind the fire soon died out.

A long time afterward Hare arrived home and met Fox. Fox was smoking a fine stone pipe, all carved with many strange figures. Hare’s pipe was only of wood.

Fox said to Hare, “You and I are the greatest smokers of all the people. Let us run a race. The one who wins shall have both pipes; and the one who loses shall smoke no more at all.” Hare agreed to that.

Then Fox said, “We will run on flat, open ground!” Hare said, “Oh, no! I like to run where there are fallen logs and much brush.”

Well, Fox assented to that, so they began to run through a brushy piece of country, full of fallen logs. Fox had to jump over the logs, while Hare always ran underneath them and so easily kept ahead. Then Fox got angry. He gave a great spring, and seized Hare as he came out from underneath a log, and said,

“Hereafter you shall be only an ordinary hare. As you like to run in the brush, you shall always live in that kind of a country. You shall no longer be the greatest smoker of all the people.”

Then Fox took Hare’s pipe and went home.

WHEN GLACIER MARRIED CHINOOK’S DAUGHTER

_Lillooet_

Now Glacier lived near the end of Lillooet Lake. This was a long while ago. Then he decided to marry. Glacier traveled southward until he reached the sea, and then he followed southward along the shore until he reached the house of Chinook Wind. Chinook Wind said, “Yes!” He allowed his daughter to marry Glacier. So Glacier took her home.

Glacier’s wife was not comfortable. Soon she complained because it was so cold. She lighted a fire; but Glacier began to melt, so he put out the fire and threw the wood away. He said to his servants, “When my wife desires wood for a fire, always give her wet wood, and never dry.” Chinook’s daughter tried to burn the wet, green wood, but it gave out no heat. It smoked, also, so that she could not see.

After a long while Chinook’s daughter had a chance to send word to her relatives. Her brother and many friends came at once to her in a canoe. When they neared Glacier’s house, they changed to snowflakes and danced around and above it. Chinook’s daughter saw them. She said, “The weather is milder. It is snowing. My brother has arrived.”

Then Glacier made it colder. Much frost was on the trees and Chinook Wind was driven away. But he came back soon with more friends. They changed themselves to soft snowflakes and sleet. They danced around the house. Again Glacier made it colder, so that ice formed on the trees; but Chinook Wind came back as rain. He began to melt Glacier. Glacier could only fight him with hail. Then Chinook Wind came back again, warm and steady and strong. Glacier retreated up the mountain side, leaving his wife behind.

Chinook’s daughter at once stepped into the canoe with her brother and his friends, and they paddled again down to Lillooet Lake. Then her brother turned around and said:

“Henceforth, in this country, it shall be cold and icy only for a few months each year. Then Chinook Wind will come and drive away the cold and melt the ice as we have done. The journey we have made this year shall be made every year.”

And it became so. Then they went home.

MINK’S WAR WITH THE SOUTHEAST WIND

_Kwakiutl_

Mink called all his friends together—Deer, Raccoon, Young Raccoon, and Canoe-Calking, the Raven. The four friends went in at once to the council.

Mink said, “Oh, friends, my reason for calling you is that I wish to make war on Southeast Wind.” Thus he said. Deer thanked Mink for what he said. They said they would ask Halibut, Sea Bear, Devilfish, and Merman to go along. Mink and all these people lived at Crooked Beach. Southeast Wind was blowing hard all the time, and therefore these people had no way of getting anything to eat.

Therefore they all went to the house of Devilfish[4] and Halibut, for these two lived together. They asked them to join in war on Southeast Wind. They agreed at once. Sea Bear and Merman also agreed.

In the morning, when daylight came, they started in their canoe. In one day they expected to reach Southeast Wind’s house. They went southward from Crooked Beach. They were already sailing close to the southeast wind. The wind blew hard. It did not detain them. When evening came, they discovered the house of Southeast Wind. Then Mink said, “Let us stop at this cove and consider how we may conquer him.” Then they held a council.

Now Mink said, “Oh, friend Halibut! Lie down flat outside of the door of Southeast Wind. When he comes out of his door, he will step on you, and slip on you, and come stumbling down into our canoe, where we will hold him.” Then Deer said the wrong thing. He said they should go to Southeast Wind’s house while it was not yet dark. They indeed tried to, but they could not, because of the strong wind. When night came, it was calmer. So they started at once, and stopped on the beach right in front of the house. Halibut at once went and lay down flat just outside of the door. Soon Southeast Wind came to the door and stepped upon Halibut. At once he slipped; he could not stand up. He slipped right down into Mink’s canoe. Then Devilfish caught hold of him, and Sea Bear and Merman. Now they held Southeast Wind.

Then Southeast Wind said, “Oh, Born-to-be-the-Sun, tell me what you intend to do with me!” He said that to Mink. He saw that Mink was a great warrior.

Mink answered, “I am doing this because you do not let our world be calm.” Southeast Wind answered quickly, “Oh, Chief, now your world shall always be calm, and your sea shall always be smooth.” So he spoke to Mink.

Mink said, “Don’t give us too much. I do not say that it is good when our world is always calm.” Thus he spoke.

Then Southeast Wind said, “It shall not blow in your world for four days.” Thus he said. Then those who held him let him go at once, because Southeast Wind was very much afraid of Born-to-be-the-Sun.

Therefore the southeast wind does not blow all the time, on account of what Mink did. This is the end.

WHEN NORTH’S SON MARRIED SOUTHEAST’S DAUGHTER[5]

_Haida_

When North’s son wanted to marry Southeast’s daughter, there was no wind. He spoke to his mother. He spoke also to his father: “I want to marry Southeast’s daughter.” North said to his son, “What will you wear when the weather is bad?” Southeast was such a dreary, rainy wind that North did not want his son to marry the daughter. The son said, “Oh, that’s all right. Give me something to wear when it rains.” North said, “I have nothing for it. But marry her.”

When his son started off, North gave him some directions: “When you get near Southeast, look at him from a distance. If his face is good, go to him. But if his face is red, and under it black, do not go. Go to him from Point Gafixet [Cape St. James].”

North’s son started. He went from Cape St. James. At that time Southeast’s face was not bad. It was clean. Then the son came to a big cloud rising out of the ocean. That was Southeast’s house.

When North’s son reached there, Southeast’s daughter was sitting in front of the house. North’s son sat down beside her.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I have come to marry you,” he replied.

“I will tell my mother,” she said.

Now Southeast and his wife were much pleased with them both. By and by North’s son told his wife he wanted to go away. “You must go also,” said Southeast to his daughter.

When they were about to leave, Southeast gave his daughter some directions. “When North speaks, and you are cold, call to me,” he said.

Now they came to North’s house. When he saw them he took them into the house. After a while, North said, “What does your wife eat?”

“She eats nothing but limpets,” said the son.

Now North’s house was floored with ice, but it was warm. In front of his house it was sandy, and there were broad ebb-tide flats. After Southeast’s daughter had been there a while, she went out of the house for a short walk. As she went, she pulled off an icicle hanging from the wall of the house. Then North groaned. When she went in, she ate it. After a while she went out again, and pulled off another icicle. North groaned again.

North’s son said, “Stop doing that. Those are my father’s fingers.” She was eating North’s fingers.

When the tide was out, North’s son said, “Let us go down now and get limpets.” While they were there, a noise was heard from North’s house. He was angry because his daughter-in-law had pulled off some of his fingers.