Chapter IV: Part 4

While he was sleeping his enemy came. Before the arrow could give the alarm the Snake entered his body. Grasping his knife he cut his stomach open. Up went the snake’s head to his breast. He cut his breast open. Up it went to his throat. He cut his throat open. Up it went, into his head, and rested there. His father above knew all of this. He sent a great wind which turned the boy’s head over, so that his opened œsophagus turned toward the wind. Then came a hard rain, filling every corner of his head. The Snake’s head would peep out of the boy’s head, but the boy would say, “Old-Woman’s Grandson is still alive.” There came a scorching heat, and the water began to make the Snake peep out its head, but the boy would say, “Old-Woman’s-Grandson is still alive.” It got too hot for the Snake. It fled, and the boy sprang to his feet and caught it. “You will suffer punishment, and you will always be ashamed and crawl on your body in the dirt, your head down, avoiding all decent creatures that Nesaru made.” He took the Snake and knocked his head on a flat rock until it was flat and its eyes were close to its mouth.

The reason the boy was afraid of the fœtus was that it was the time of the year when all young animals are as yet unborn, and the cluster of stars to which the boy’s father belonged is never seen at this time to come up with the rest. The boy knew that his father could not be present to help him, and so he did not dare to do anything to help himself.

FOOTNOTES:

[16] Told by White-Bear.

16. NO-TONGUE AND THE SUN AND THE MOON.[17]

There was a young man in a village who wanted to be great. In olden times the chief thing among the people was to be a great warrior. The young men in those times used to go out among the hills, and then find a place to stand and mourn. They used to stay away from home four or five days without drinking or eating.

Now this particular young man went out alone, upon a high hill, to mourn. In the afternoon a little bird came to him, and said: “This is not the place where you should stand. I will show you where you must stand.” So the little bird flew and the boy followed. The bird stopped at a certain place, and the boy stood there. Late in the evening a man came to the boy. The man was all painted red, and he said to him: “I am glad to see you. You are going to be my son, and I am going to take you with me now. All I want from you is your tongue.” So the young man pulled his tongue out, cut it off and handed it to the man. As he handed his tongue to the man he fell down and died. It was now dark, and as the young man fell the Moon rose and saw this young man fall down, and the Moon said to himself: “That man who has killed this young man is always trying to do something that is not right. I know who that man is; it is the Sun. I know that he has taken this young man’s tongue.” So the Moon went to the young man and touched his feet, and the young man waked and sat up.

When No-Tongue saw the strange man he did not know what to do. He was not the same man who had taken his tongue. This man looked white, because he was the Moon. The Moon asked No-Tongue why he had given away his tongue and to whom he had given it. No-Tongue answered, “How can I talk without a tongue?” The Moon said, “Speak, and tell me.” So the boy spoke, and he found that he was able to talk. So he began to tell what the man looked like. The Moon said he was sure that the man was the Sun. Then the Moon spoke to No-Tongue, and said: “The Sun was trying to kill you. No-Tongue, hereafter you shall be my son; but let your other father, the Sun, come after you first. I must tell you what to say. You will not be killed by the Sun. The Sun is coming for you to-morrow morning, and when you go up to our dwelling place (the heavens) he is going to show you some things that he has. You must now be careful not to take the new things that he has, but you shall take the old things. Take the old weapons. The Sun thinks a great deal of these old weapons.” This is all that the Moon said. The Moon then disappeared.

In the morning, the Sun came to No-Tongue and took him up into the sky to his home, and said, “Now, my son, I want you to choose of these things that I have here.” No-Tongue took the oldest things. When the Sun saw that No-Tongue took the best things—the oldest ones—he came out from his lodge crying, because this would give No-Tongue a long life, and would also make him become great, and this was what the Sun did not want of No-Tongue. He had thought that No-Tongue would surely take the new things. But if No-Tongue had taken the new things, that would have shortened his life and made it impossible for No-Tongue to become great. Then the Sun began to think of some way to kill No-Tongue, but he never could take back the things No-Tongue had taken, having promised them to him. As they came out from the Sun’s lodge the Sun said: “My son, look. There is your home. Look all around you. You can see everything plainly. When you go home, after two days have passed, you must go on the war-path, and you will conquer old enemies. You will have all you want. You are to be great. But when you, my son, go home, give to me a white buffalo robe.” So the Sun went away.

When night came, the Moon came out and spoke to No-Tongue, and asked what the Sun had said to him. No-Tongue told the Moon all that the Sun had told him, and the Moon said, “Do not give him the white buffalo robe, but give that to me, and get a dark-brown robe for the Sun.” The Moon then began to tell No-Tongue what to do. He told him to get some white clay and make powder out of it, and then pour the white powder all over the robe, so that it would look white. So No-Tongue did as he was told to do.

When the Sun received the white buffalo robe, which really was not white, he was proud of it; furthermore, he was proud that his son had obtained it for him. One day he hung the robe out, and the wind was blowing hard. The wind shook all the white clay out of the robe, so that the robe turned to a dark-brownish color. Then the Sun saw that it was not a real white buffalo robe, and did not like it.

When the Moon and the Sun got together, the Sun said, “I am sorry for what my son has done to me, and now my dear son is going to kill him.” The Sun had a son who belonged to another tribe, and this was the son who was to kill No-Tongue. So the Moon heard all that the Sun had to say.

One night the Moon saw No-Tongue, and told the young man all that the Sun had said. The Moon said that the Sun could not do anything to kill him. The Moon said: “The man that you are to fight with is going to try to shake hands with you, because he is your cousin,—not a real cousin, but because you are the son of the Sun and so is he,—so he is your cousin. He is the one who has been selected to kill you. But do not be afraid; I shall be with you and will help you all I can. Do not shake hands with the young man, your cousin, and if you must shake hands, do not shake with your right hand. Be very careful not to let him strike you first. If you should shake hands with him, strike him. You must not let him strike you first; and when you have killed him, cut his head off and put it under a big stone that shall be near you, so that the Sun will not make him live again. By placing the head under the stone the Sun will be prevented from bringing him to life.” The Moon also said, “Be careful to do what I have told you to do.” No-Tongue was glad. The Moon also told No-Tongue that the young man he was to fight with was named Little-Sun.

Two days after this some warriors went out on the war-path. Before they had gone far the Sun went to No-Tongue, and said: “My son, I am glad you are going on the war-path; I want you to kill a man for me. He is coming. He thinks he is great, but he is not. So kill him for me.” The Sun said all of this, not meaning it, for he was planning that Little-Sun might kill No-Tongue. So the warriors started on the war-path, and in a few days they came to the place which they thought would be a good place to remain for a while. The leaders selected scouts to go out and look over the country. The scouts went up a high hill, and there they met the spies of the enemy coming up from the other side. These did not stop, but turned straight back again, and went and told the enemy, and of course the other scouts turned back and told their leaders that the enemy was coming. So in the morning, the two sets of people came together, and they fought a battle; but before starting the battle there was a man who stood in front of the enemy’s line, and said, “No-Tongue, I want you to come and shake hands with me, for you are amongst those people.” No-Tongue went to him, and when they were nearly together, everybody saw that the two were dressed so as to look very much alike, but they did not know that they were to fight each other; but the two knew that they were to fight, and that they were both sons of the Sun. No-Tongue did what the Moon had told him to do. He killed Little-Sun. Then No-Tongue’s people defeated the enemy. They took many scalps, and returned home.

The Sun became mad at No-Tongue, because he had killed Little-Sun, for the Sun had expected No-Tongue to be killed. The Sun had tried three times to kill No-Tongue; so the fourth time, the Sun himself was going to scalp No-Tongue, so that the people would make fun of him. Then the Sun told his other son, Big-Sun, to try and kill No-Tongue. No-Tongue was the only one living. He was the one who had not treated his father, the Sun, right, for the Sun had not treated No-Tongue right in the first place. But No-Tongue had been assisted by the Moon.

The third time the Sun tried to kill No-Tongue, he changed himself into a Buffalo, so that the Buffalo ran after No-Tongue, but the young man, No-Tongue, ran into a mud-hole, and the Buffalo fell in too. No-Tongue got out of the muddy place, but the Buffalo could not come out, because he was so heavy. No-Tongue told a lot of men to get some dried willows and to place them upon the back of the Buffalo. This they did. They set the wood on fire, so that the Buffalo burned up.

In the evening, when the Sun and Moon were together in the heavens, the Sun said: “I shall do something to No-Tongue, some way.” The Moon heard the Sun say this. Then the Sun said to the Moon: “Just see what my son No-Tongue has done; he burned my back. To-morrow morning I am going to scalp him, so the people in the village will be afraid to see him, and so they will make fun of him.”

Then the Moon went to No-Tongue in the night, and said: “My son, you always like to be up early in the morning, singing. I want you to get a good scalp to-night—one that has hair, just like this. Then kill a dog and get some of its blood, put the blood inside the scalp, and put the false scalp over your head so your hair will not show.”

The boy got the scalp with the hair on it, killed a dog, put some of the blood in the scalp and hung it over his bed. Early in the morning, before the Sun rose, the boy arose, put the scalp over his head, went out, and sang some songs through the village. As the Sun came up in the east the boy heard a noise, and the Sun took the scalp off from the boy, so that the blood ran down. When the Sun saw that he was satisfied. The boy went into the lodge, washed, came out again, and the Sun saw that the boy had hair on, and that he was not really scalped. When the Sun reached the Moon he told him that he was going to let No-Tongue alone until he was old and great, and that he was then going to take him up to his home.

The Moon came to No-Tongue and told him what the Sun, his father, had said. Years went by, and No-Tongue lived peacefully. Finally he became old and blind. At this time the people were about to move away from this place to another place. The Moon came and told old man No-Tongue that it was time his father, the Sun, was coming after him to take him up to his home; and that he himself would come with the Sun to take him up; that he should not be afraid.

While they were breaking camp the old man took his clothes that he used to wear in his early days, and put them on. He also painted himself. He told the people to go on; that he himself would come later. The people went on. The old man went up on the top of a hill, made a circle of red sticks to represent the Sun, and another of white sticks, to represent the Moon, for the west side. While he was doing this the Sun and Moon came. The Sun wanted to know what the Moon was doing there. No-Tongue said, “My father, the Moon is also my father; he has helped me all along.” So the Sun was satisfied, and the Sun took the old man up to his home.

Several days afterwards, four young men went to the place where the old man had sat, and he was gone. The sticks were there as he had left them, but No-Tongue was gone. He was never heard from or seen again after that. He was called “No-Tongue,” for the Sun had taken his tongue, but after he had failed to kill him, he gave him back his tongue.

FOOTNOTES:

[17] Told by Standing-Bull.

17. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.[18]

There was a large village in a beautiful valley near a large tract of timber. It was in the winter time. Around the outside of the village and over a knoll lived Stanapaat, or Burnt-Hands, a boy of about eleven or twelve years, and his grandmother. The boys in the village came over the knoll to urinate on the tipi of these poor people. In this village lived one of the chiefs who had four daughters, the youngest of which was very charitable toward these poor people. Her name was Last-Child. She brought food to these folks whenever she could. Red-Bear and Black-Bear were the first chiefs of this village. They ruled their people as though they were slaves.

One day Red-Bear gave notice that the whole village was to turn out on an elk hunt. The next day, the people complied with the chief’s orders. The people, as they went through the timber in the deep snow, slaughtered the elk in great numbers. Burnt-Hands with other little fellows followed the chase. He watched the hunters butchering their game. He wished he could kill and take home to his grandmother the nice elk meat. He strode off in another direction, looking around as he went. As he went on he struck a fresh track with drops of fresh blood on clean snow, and there were no footprints of a hunter following. He took up the trail and followed it for a long distance. He found, to his great delight, a dead elk with two arrows through its chest. “Ah ho! Ah ho! The great chief knows I am poor. He has had mercy on me.” While he was looking all over the animal he heard a voice. He looked up, and who was there but the two chiefs—Red-Bear and Black-Bear.

Red-Bear gave an angry grunt and struck the boy in the face. “Who are you and how did you find this elk? I never expected to find such a worthless burnt-belly looking fellow as you.” Pulling his arrows out of his quiver, he said, “My father will be glad to have you for his meal,” and he shot two arrows through the boy. He dragged him out on the ice to a large air-hole and said, as he dropped him, “Father, I have done as you bid me.”

In this stream there lived a big White-Bear in a lodge. The young cub heard something drop outside the lodge. He told his father. The old one said, “Go out and see what it is.” The cub saw poor Burnt-Hands in his ragged clothing and with wounds. The cub felt pretty bad for the boy and told his father about him. The father told the cub to bring the boy in. “What a poor boy you are!” said White-Bear. “I know who you are, and how you were treated. I never expected to eat a man from Red-Bear’s tribe. I commanded him to feed me on an enemy. I will have great mercy on you. From now on you shall be my son. You shall treat Red-Bear just as he has treated you. I will enjoy his flesh. I will endow you with all the power I have. I will teach you all, and you shall go back and do as I say.” White-Bear and Burnt-Hands then sat down and began the bear ceremony, Burnt-Hands learning everything and receiving his bundle of medicine and other things. He was then shown the way out by the cub.

Burnt-Hands went on to his grandmother’s little home. When he arrived there he called his grandmother to kindle the fire, as he had come. Before this, when the boys found out that Burnt-Hands’ grandmother was worrying, they would come in, saying, “Grandmother, I have come home,” just to tease her. The old woman thought the boys were teasing her now when Burnt-Hands called. She gave a pitiful cry, saying, “You boys ought to feel satisfied with your teasing now.” “Oh, no, Grandmother! I am here! I was lost on the chase. Following up an elk I strayed off to a place I knew nothing about. I could not find my way home, so I stayed all night.” His grandmother arose. When she had kindled the fire there sat her boy. She rejoiced, for she was glad her boy was alive.

Nobody in the whole village knew what had happened to Burnt-Hands except Black-Bear, who had witnessed what Red-Bear did. He did not like what Red-Bear had done, but he did not say anything.

One day the scouts, on picket duty, saw a large herd of buffalo. The chiefs were notified. They gave notice that everybody should turn out to the chase, and that Red-Bear wanted the hide of the white buffalo that was in the herd. Burnt-Hands heard the call. He told his grandmother to help him make arrows. He also promised her the white buffalo robe. This was a secret surprise to his grandmother, who did not know that he was anything more than a “burnt-belly.”

The next day every one turned out to go on the chase. Burnt-Hands started out on foot with his quiver. A kind young man on horseback caught up with him, and asked him to get on behind him. He did so. While they were riding, the young man told the boy about the white buffalo. The boy asked his friend if he would put the meat and his white hide on his horse for him. They made plans to be together and help each other on the chase. The hunters had all collected on a hill, talking and smoking their pipes. The two arrived and sat around for a long while. Burnt-Hands began to inquire what they were waiting for. They answered they were waiting for the chiefs. “This will not do; if we wait here there may come up a bad storm and we will go home empty handed. Come now, and let us have our chase. Those chiefs will come later, and they will get their share of the meat anyway. I want that white buffalo robe, and when you have taken it off give it to this young man and he will take it home for my grandmother.”

The men were all agreed to what Burnt-Hands said. They thought Red-Bear would kill him and not themselves. They got on their ponies and the chase began. The white buffalo was killed and the chase ended. Burnt-Hands was walking along when his friend came and gave him a ride to where they were butchering. He took him where the white buffalo was and the men were standing around looking at the animal. “What are you waiting for now?” said Burnt-Hands. “Get to butchering and give me the hide!” When they had begun, the chiefs came. They gave them a welcome and told Red-Bear that Burnt-Hands had advised them to start the chase and had already spoken for the hide. Red-Bear and Black-Bear said everything would be all right, and that the boy could have the hide and some meat.

The hunters were all on their way home. Red-Bear ordered them to camp at a certain place. This they did. Burnt-Hands and his friend came to the camp and found the meat cooking, and a comfortable place made for the chiefs. “What is this place for? and are you afraid to sit here?” said Burnt-Hands. “That place is for the chiefs,” said they, “and that meat.” “Come,” said Burnt-Hands to his friend, “sit here with me and enjoy the meat with me.” The young man, with the rest, thought that Red-Bear would surely kill the boy this time. Burnt-Hands and his friend sat down on the robes and ate the meat prepared for Red-Bear. The chiefs came, and Red-Bear ordered another place and food prepared for him. He did not dare to say or do anything to the boy, suspecting his power as he did. Burnt-Hands’ friend and the others thought that Red-Bear had mercy on the poor boy, since he did not hurt him.

Burnt-Hands went home with his friend and pulled off the meat and the white buffalo hide. “Here, grandmother, is what I promised you, and a lot of meat. You now know that I can hunt and bring home game.” His grandmother was at once overjoyed. She thought about the pretty girl who always showed them charity. She sent out for Last-Child, who came in. “You have always been kind to us, and I have always been thankful. I want you to have this hide, and to have a robe made for yourself. You are young yet, and it will become you more than me.” Burnt-Hands was talked about all over the village, but they did not know that he had been blessed by a Bear.

A long time after this chase the chief gave out an order for everybody to go on an elk chase. Red-Bear had been accustomed to collect all the elk teeth. This was his object for the hunt. Burnt-Hands heard the order and began to make preparations for the hunt. He promised his grandmother an elk-tooth dress. Burnt-Hands told his grandmother that if any trouble arose on his account she must flee into the timber, and on through other timber, and there wait for him. The next day the chase was to come off. The hunters had great luck and were talking happily in the woods. There was a cry here and there for Red-Bear to come and get his teeth. Burnt-Hands and his friend were together. He told his friend to take the teeth out for him, for he did not know how. His friend was a little afraid to do it, but Burnt-Hands said it would be all right. The men, too, rather hesitated to let him have the teeth. They told him that Red-Bear had spoken for all the teeth; but he paid no heed to it, and told his friend to take them. Burnt-Hands had collected a lot of teeth, and so had Red-Bear. The hunters had chased the elk on to a smooth piece of ice and had killed several there. Here, Burnt-Hands and Red-Bear saw each other doing the same work. They met on the last elk, and Burnt-Hands spoke and said: “You have enough teeth. You will keep off and let me have these.” Red-Bear gave an angry grunt, and said, “A child like you cannot have much to say.” As Red-Bear leaned over to take the teeth Burnt-Hands took his war-club and struck him on the head. He took him by the feet and dragged him to the air-hole. “Father, this is what you asked of me.” A great yell was raised, and war was made on the boy.

The boy fled to the village and peeped in, to see if his grandmother had done what he had told her to do. She was gone, and he followed her and found her beyond the second timber as he had directed. “Now,” said he, “take one of these bear claws off my wrist and open the little bag of paint.” This she did, and he began to sing and perform the ceremony. He adorned his grandmother and himself according to the instruction of his Bear father. The people had all turned out to kill him for what he had done. Still others were calling it wrong to harm the boy, and reminded the people of what bad ruling Red-Bear had done.

Burnt-Hands and his grandmother had turned into Bears, and were making a big noise, growling and grunting. Nearer and nearer the warriors circled around the timber, shouting and yelling. The boy told his grandmother to be first to attack. So she did so. She caught Red-Bear’s brother and four or five others of his near relatives. “Now, I will attack,” said Burnt-Hands, “for you must be tired.” He picked out the leaders and the influential men of the village and scalped them and tore them up. The warriors began to retreat. A cry was raised to end the fight, as many had been killed, but how to stop the boy and the old woman they did not know. They assembled and filled the peace-pipe. They gave it to Last-Child to take to the boy and the old woman. She took the pipe and came toward them, they growling wildly. The boy knew it was the girl. He told his grandmother not to charge at her. The boy accepted the peace-pipe and both smoked it. This ended the fight.

Burnt-Hands asked his grandmother how old she would like to be. She said, “About thirty-eight,” and so she was. The boy made himself about twenty-two, and when all was quiet he married Last-Child. Burnt-Hands came to be chief, and had Black-Bear as his slave. The people lived happily under his rule.

FOOTNOTES:

[18] Told by White-Bear.

18. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.[19]

Once there was an old woman and her grandson. They were very poor; they had nothing. The boy’s name was Burnt-Hands. Some warriors got together in the village and planned to go on the war-path. Burnt-Hands heard of it. He told his grandmother that he wanted to join the warriors on the war-path. She told the boy that when he went he must never tell Coyote stories on the war-path. She gave him a round burnt clay ball that had a handle to it. She told Burnt-Hands to go; that the clay ball with the handle was his war-club; that when on the way, when he should become hungry he should place it upon the fire, put kernels of corn upon it, and roast them.

These warriors went out to a camp in the woods. The young man came up with them and lay down by them. The next day they went and in the afternoon they sat down to rest. They made fun of the boy, and said, “Now tell us some Coyote stories.” But the boy refused, and said, “My grandmother told me not to tell Coyote stories while on the war-path.” They coaxed the boy to sing, but he would not sing.

The boy was hungry. As he saw that the men were not moving on he placed his clay ball upon the fire and put some kernels of corn upon it and began to roast them. While he was doing this he said, “I will tell some Coyote stories.” The boy began to tell how the enemy came and attacked a certain war-party. At the same time he kept on roasting his corn.

While he was telling these stories the enemy came, and when the men found out that they were surrounded they became scared. But the boy went on with his roasting of the corn. When he had finished roasting the corn he took a seat and ate his corn, and after he had eaten all, he went out and killed many of the enemy with the clay ball that he had roasted his corn upon, which was really a war-club. The enemy became scared at the boy and ran away.

So the men found out that the boy was a wonderful boy; and as he had killed many of the enemy, when they went home they made Burnt-Hands a big chief, gave him a good tipi and a wife. He moved his grandmother into the new tipi, and there he lived ever after.

FOOTNOTES:

[19] Told by Two-Hawks.

19. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.[20]

One winter the people went a long distance to hunt. With them was an old woman and her grandson, named Burnt-Hands, who were very poor. One day the people made their village along a stream of water, where the scouts reported seeing many buffalo. The young man told his grandmother to make a bow and arrows; that he was going with the men to kill buffalo; and that he was going to bring back some tongues and hearts. The old woman cried, because she knew that the boy was poor, and that he could not get any tongues and hearts.

The boy started, and when he came up with the hunters some of the people said jeeringly, “Well, Poor-Boy is going to kill the first buffalo.” When the hunters stopped it was customary for one of the young men to stand somewhat in front of the rest and make motions for the men to divide up into companies and to go in certain directions, so that they could attack the buffalo on all sides. The boy began to sing about being the one selected to do that. This was announced to the leaders, and they selected him.

The people divided up into companies and circled around where the buffalo were. The command to attack was given and the boy went right among the buffalo, and there he began to kill. After he was through killing, he turned back and pulled out the buffalo beards, and also pulled out a bunch of hair from the side of the shoulder. This he kept. When he went on to find his robe, he found that somebody had taken it. The young man then began to sing about his robe. He wanted some one to return it to him, but they would not return it to him, but made fun of him. Then the boy began to sing about the snowstorm coming. The boy ran into the village where his grandmother lived. He took the hairs that he had taken off from the robe and threw them upon the ground, and there in that place appeared several tongues and hearts. The old woman was very glad that the boy had brought these things. She boiled them, and they ate until they were filled. The cold weather turned into a blizzard, and killed many men who had made fun of the young man, while others came home and said that the young man had done some things that were wonderful.

After the cold weather was over, the village broke up and moved on. Again scouts came and reported that there were buffalo. After this killing the people ceased to make fun of the boy. They called him again to stand in front of the procession and to wave his hand to divide the men into the different companies. They all attacked the buffalo, but the boy was the first to kill, although he was not on a horse. He again simulated the taking of the tongues and hearts by simply pulling out the beard and the hair from the sides of the buffalo. When the boy had taken the hairs and thrown them down in the lodge there at once appeared many tongues and hearts.

People found out that the boy was wonderful, and they finally gave him a pony on which to carry his meat home, and the chief’s daughter visited the young man, and finally Poor-Boy married the chief’s daughter. Poor-Boy became a great warrior, and at last became a chief.

FOOTNOTES:

[20] Told by Antelope.

20. THE TWO BOYS AND THE WATER-SERPENT.[21]

Two boys once wandered about the village and they were welcomed to any lodge they entered. One morning they came into one lodge and the people were glad to have them come in, but they claimed that the boys must be the ones who ate up their pot of corn. The boys did not know anything about the pot of corn. They left the lodge and went into another and there they were accused of the same thing. The boys went to another lodge, but were again accused. They were indignant at the accusations that were made against them. They wandered off from the village and returned when the sun set.

Now the two boys said one to the other, “Let us be on our guard to-night and perhaps we may discover who eats the corn.” In those times an inclosure surrounded the village, and the two boys sat by the inclosure. They sat there until all the people of the village went to sleep, for they agreed to stay till morning. After all the people had gone to sleep the boys heard much roaring by the river; so they listened. After the noise of the waters ceased, they saw a big black thing going over their heads. It climbed over the inclosure and went on top of a lodge. It was a long serpent. The serpent stuck its head into the smoke hole of the lodge. In a few moments he went to another lodge and did the same thing. Then he went to still another. Now the serpent went back to the river and the boys were glad to find out who ate up the people’s corn, beans, and squash that had been prepared in the evening for the next morning.

When morning came the boys went down to the timber and cut many sticks to make arrows with. They sat down and made arrows till evening; but they never mentioned what had happened. Again the boys stayed out, and after all the people had gone to sleep the same thing happened as on the preceding night. Again they saw the serpent climbing over the inclosure and onto the lodges. Then the boys shot at the serpent while it had its head inside a lodge, reaching for food. The boys threw their arrows at the water-monster as fast as they could. They threw so many arrows at the monster that he was almost dead. The serpent came out from the lodge and went down to the river. The waters roared and rose, because the water-monster was dying, but when it was dead the waters were silent. When the waters went down the big serpent was found dead on a small peninsula.

FOOTNOTES:

[21] Told by Antelope.

21. THE BOY WHO BEFRIENDED THE THUNDERBIRDS, AND THE SERPENT.[22]

Among the Arikara lived a young man who was gifted with powers from the gods in the Heavens—the four-world-quarter gods who give all power. The boy’s parents were very poor, so that he would go about and kill so many antelope that people called him “Antelope-Carrier.” When he went hunting he killed many deer. It made no difference how far away the animal was, he killed whatever animal he shot at. People wondered where the boy got his power. The boy got his power from the timber. The Wood-Rats had taken the boy and had given him bow and arrows. The arrows were made of dogwood. The feathered parts were wood-rat hide. The boy had for his bow, thick hickory wood. One of the arrows was black, another red, another yellow, and another white. The yellow and the white arrows had flint points, and the boy used them for killing game.

Antelope-Carrier wandered from home and was lost to the people. His friends mourned for him as lost. The boy wandered west, until he came to a lake,—a very large lake. Now the boy thought to himself that he would stay at this place for several days. He killed game, made a big fire, ate meat and slept by the lake, where there were many brushes and reeds. One day Antelope-Carrier killed some birds and roasted them. After eating the birds he lay down and slept. While he slept, two Thunderbirds came and carried him high up and placed him upon a high mountain. When the boy woke up he found himself in a strange place. The mound was high and had steep sides, so that he could not get down. When he found that there was no place to get down he cried. He walked around and found a nest. It contained four young Thunderbirds. The nest was built of sticks and covered with soft, downy feathers. He walked to another place and he found a hollow in the stone and this was full of clear water. He did not drink, but went on crying. After a while he became tired and sat down. He heard above him a noise which sounded like strong wind. He looked up and saw the mother Thunderbird. She lighted close to the boy and the bird spoke and said: “My son, do not cry. I brought you to this place. I watch over you as you go hunting. I see you kill game. You are wonderful. I brought you up here. I want you to help me save your young brothers over there” (pointing to the nest). “Nesaru placed me and my mate upon this high place. I have been here a long time, and every time I place my young upon this place a strange animal that lives in yonder lake comes up and eats my young. I have not raised my young, so I have asked you to help me; and if you save my children I will give you great power. The animal that devours my young is a water-serpent. It has two long heads. It has a very thick covering of flint stones. When I throw my lightning upon it, it does it no harm. I throw the lightning in its mouth and it does not die, for the covering extends beyond its head, so that I do not hurt it. Now, my son, do not cry, but stay here and help me kill this monster, and you shall have lightning in your eyes and your mouth and limbs, and you shall have control of all the birds in the whole world.”

The boy wiped away his tears and said: “I will die with my brothers. I will stay here and help you.” The Thunderbird flew away, for she was happy. The boy went to the east slope of the mound, which he found very steep, but covered with timber. He clambered down from the crest of the mound and went into the timber, and there he found many birds. This was the home of all birds. He found a deer and killed it. He cut it up and carried the meat to the top of the mound. He carried some wood to the top also, and made a fire with flint stone. He saw the young birds with their mouths open. He took some meat to them and fed them. The parents of the little birds came and saw that the boy was taking care of them and were glad. The male bird spoke to the boy, and said: “We are all glad to have you here. Our young are very young, but as soon as they begin to turn black then it is time for the serpent to come out from the lake and climb this hill, to kill and eat my birds. We will go far away, where we will get more power, for it is nearly time for the serpent to come up. When the serpent comes up we will be here in time to try to kill it. We are gone.”

The Thunderbirds flew away and for many days the boy did not see them. He was told that when the serpent was ready to come out from the lake he would see a fog rising from the lake, and by that would know that the serpent was coming.

One fine morning when the boy was sitting down, with his bow and arrows lying in front of him, looking at the sun as it came up in the east, something seemed to move his head towards the lake. He saw a small roll of fog coming up from the middle of the lake and the fog seemed to spread as it went up. After a while the fog seemed to cover the hills around, and to reach up into the heavens. The boy saw something crawling out from the lake. Something came out from another place. These were the two heads of the monster. Gradually it came crawling up the hill. A storm came from the west. The boy saw the rain storm, but no bird. He knew that the storm was brought by the powers of the Thunderbirds. The storm went by the boy. No rain was there where he was. It lightened and thundered under the boy. Presently he saw the two Thunderbirds spreading out their wings, making lightning, and every time the lightning struck the serpent the boy could see a flash of lightning in every direction, but it did not kill the monster. At last the monster came upon the rock where the nest was. The birds flew about, the mother squealed, and as the monster opened its mouth the Thunderbird sent its lightning into the mouth of the monster. The monster was thrown back, but again it crawled up, and the female Thunderbird said: “It is all over. We cannot do any more. We have failed, so we will fly up, and you, my son, will have to die with my children.”

The boy now picked up his bow and arrows. He took the black arrow. This he placed upon the bow-string ready to shoot into the mouth of the monster as soon as it should crawl upon the rock. As the monster came up and opened its mouth to swallow the boy he pulled his bow-string and shot into the mouth of the monster. A noise like that of a falling tree was made. The monster fell over and burst open, for the arrow was really a sycamore tree with sharp limbs. The birds flew downward and were glad. Now the other head of the monster came up from another side of the hill. The boy again ran, and as it opened its mouth the boy shot the red arrow into its mouth and another sound was heard. The arrow lifted off the head of the monster and the head fell again upon the rock, breaking it into pieces.

The Thunderbirds now came and flew around the boy, screaming with joy. The two birds flew away to where all kinds of birds dwell. The birds all flew up where the boy and the nest were, and the mother Thunderbird said: “My son, to-day you are chief of all birds. You shall have power as I have. Lightning shall be in your breath and eyes. I give you a stick that shall have lightning, so that you can kill anything you strike. These birds shall follow you wherever you go. They will bring you news of bad animals. They will give you their power. Let us now go down where the serpent is.” The boy and the birds all went down to where the serpent was. It was broken in two. The birds all took hold of one side and turned the serpent over. When the serpent fell, the flint rock upon it had fallen off and scattered. The boy cut the serpent open and the birds feasted upon the serpent. As each bird was filled it spoke to the boy and gave him power. The power given to the boy was in the nature of objects, and he swallowed them.

The lake grew smooth after the serpent was taken out. The boy was now chief of all birds, and wherever he went the birds followed him. Wherever there was a bad animal the birds told the boy and the boy went and killed the animal. The boy made it his aim to kill all bad animals. He never went to his people, but roamed over the land as chief of all birds, but still kept the name “Antelope-Carrier.”

While this young man was roaming about, two young boys from the village went to shoot birds. They were joined together with rawhide. When they had gone far away from the village they came to a bottom land. Here they found an object that looked like a mushroom. It was white. It was moving up and down. One of the boys said, “Let me shoot at this thing.” The other boy said, “No, it is wonderful.” But the first boy shot at the object and as soon as the arrow hit the object a strong wind came up and took both boys up, carrying them far away, and they were left on an island out in the great waters near where the sun comes up.

When the boys were landed they cried. All this time they were still joined by the rawhide string. The boy who shot began to make fun of the other, because he cried the most. So the boy who cried the most tried to shoot the other with his bow and arrow, claiming that it was through him that they were now far away from home. The other boy said, “No, do not kill me, for we will go back home. We will first go to the setting of the sun, for that is where our home is. If we do not reach home then we must go east, where the sun rises.” So they went west. As they neared the big water they saw a patch of corn and squash. They went on and saw an earth-lodge. They stood outside, and after a while an old woman came out and called them “grandsons” and asked them to enter her lodge.

They went in and she fed them. They stayed with the old woman one moon. Then the old woman said: “My grandchildren, you are far away from home. You were brought here by a strong wind, because one of you shot it with your arrow. I will help you so that you can go back to your people. I will pound much corn and I will make dried mush for you. I will make five large cakes. You must do as I tell you. It takes four days to cross the big water. Four of these cakes will be for your grandfather, who will take you across; one cake will be for you boys.” She made the cakes and gave them to the boys, and said: “Go to the bank, and both of you must say, ‘Grandfather, my grandmother says that you are to take us across.’ A large serpent will come first, and you must say to it, ‘My grandmother says you are not the one.’ It will go away. Then call for another one. The second one will come. Send it away. The third one will come. Send it away. The fourth one will come. It is your grandfather, for he carries land upon his head, with trees growing upon it. Get on the serpent’s head and give the serpent one cake. Your grandfather has lice. Take one off of his head and give it to your grandfather; he likes to eat them.” These lice were soft-shell turtles.

The fourth serpent came, and the boys got upon it with their cakes of mush. The boys took one cake and told their grandfather to open his mouth. When he opened it the boys put one of the cakes into it. Their grandmother came and told the boys to get the big serpent a louse and to throw it into its mouth. This the boys did. The boys’ grandmother told them not to jump when the serpent was within three or four feet of the bank, but to stay on it until it was up to the bank. One of the boys now said to his grandfather: “Grandmother says that you are to start for the other side of this big water.” So the serpent started and went all day. At noon of the next day the serpent stopped, and said, “I want something to eat.” So the boys gave it another cake, and also one soft-shell turtle. Then the serpent started again. The next day the serpent stopped and the boys gave it another cake and turtle. The serpent started again, and the third day it stopped and the boys fed it with another cake and turtle. The fourth day, the boys saw land. The wild boy jumped before the serpent came to the bank, and was swallowed by the serpent. The other boy waited until it landed, then got off, and said, “Grandfather, grandmother said you were to stop here and rest.” When the boys had got on the serpent they untied themselves, and this is why only one of them was swallowed.

Now the boy on dry land said: “Grandfather, I am about to leave you. Grandmother said that I was to feed you with your own lice” (turtles). The boy took turtles from the monster and gave them to him. “O, grandfather, open your mouth. I must see your teeth. Grandmother said I could see your teeth.” So the serpent opened its mouth, and there the other boy was, sitting inside the serpent. The boy asked the serpent to open its mouth wide, so he could see how long his teeth were. He then reached in the serpent’s mouth and dragged out the other boy.

The two boys thanked the serpent and went west, hunting their home. They traveled many days, until at last they came to the Missouri River bottom. This river they followed up until they came to some lakes close to the river. Here they wandered until they came to drift wood, and there was a good large-sized log among the drift. Here they made a big fire. The large log was among the burning. The boys noticed drops of grease falling from the log. The wild boy noticed and reached up to the log and he found that the log was a serpent. The foolish boy then took his knife out and cut a chunk of meat and ate it. He tried to get the other boy to eat some of the meat, but the boy would not eat it.