Chapter VII: Part 7

Long ages ago there was a village with so many inhabitants that it had four medicine-lodges. There was one man who was so brave that his fame extended beyond the village. He committed some evil deeds among his own people, but his people were afraid to correct him. Thus he went on, committing more misdemeanors. He became so bad that the people undertook to take his life. They formed a plot to seize him. One family invited the man to a feast. When he entered the lodge many men gathered about the lodge and waited till he came out. The man came out and walked very slowly toward the river. He never paid no attention to the men nor even tried to fight back, but went on his way. Finally he stepped into the river, and some one cried out to the men to catch him, but it was too late. He sank down in the water and the people shouted for joy, because they thought he was drowned.

The man walked on down on the bottom of the river and he saw there a tipi. From its door came a Dog, and the Dog called to the man to come in. He went in, and he saw many Dogs. The leader of the Dogs raised his head and said that he was not hurt and that they never would injure him. The leader showed much mercy toward the man and told him not to be afraid of any man; and that if he should ever get hurt he was to come right to the water and the Dogs would be glad to receive him. So the man went out of the tipi and came up out of the water. When it was night he went to the village.

He entered his house and saw his wife. He sat down and told her that he regarded as nothing all the wounds he had received from the men who tried to kill him. The woman was surprised, and was much afraid of him. The man ordered his wife to go after some tobacco from one of the councils that was being held in the village. She went at once and entered one of the councils. She asked the head men for some tobacco for her husband. The men were much agitated and afraid, so they gave her some tobacco. The woman returned and the man was much pleased. The men in the council decided to send a messenger to see if the man had returned. One young man went and peeped in and saw the man, all naked, sitting in his tipi. He returned to the council and told what he had seen. The men were more afraid. From that time on, the man committed worse crimes than before, yet the people were afraid to make another attempt to kill him. The man’s relatives gathered with the woman’s relatives and they separated from the village, to return no more. They went in the night, and before morning they camped. Some young men and the famous one came to the village and killed a man and a woman. The people knew who it was and yet they did not dare to fight them. This was a separation where the people never meet again, which happened because the man did the bad deeds.

FOOTNOTES:

[35] Told by Strike-Enemy.

35. THE FIVE TURTLES AND THE BUFFALO DANCE.[36]

In olden times, while the people had their village upon the Missouri River, five soft-shell Turtles came out from the river and went into the village. The two on each side of the middle one received a bunch of eagle feathers on the head. They were placed with the fifth, which had black feathers. When this Turtle saw that its feathers were black, it was mad. It told the people that it was going away, and it marched back into the river. The people gave it smoke from their sacred pipes. The Turtle paid no attention to it, but went into the river, so there were but four left. These four Turtles were to remain with the people.

These Turtles died. The people made them into drums. Some years afterwards they changed these drums into rawhide drums, making them in imitation of the Turtle drums. They organized a dance known as the “Buffalo dance.” These Turtles were drums. They danced four days and four nights, and although this was a Buffalo dance, there was one mysterious being in the crowd who had a bunch of feathers of the magpie growing up all over his head. Pieces of skins of animals were strapped over his back, and he had a buffalo beard about his ankles, also about his waist. His face was painted with all colors. Sub eius inguinibus palus erat qui penem simulabat. Ex illo autem, dum saliebat et quasi equus acer huc et illuc currebat, palus semper pandebat. Ubicumque mulierem videbat, eam circumibat motusque dabat quasi cum ea concumberet.

Now, in this village there was a young girl who was never permitted to be out of the lodge while this Buffalo dance was going on and this being was dancing around. The girl asked her parents to place a buffalo rawhide in front of the lodge, over the entrance, that she might be permitted to peep out and look at the being. She became bold, and went out from behind the hide. She was seen by this being. Ille motus dedit quasi cum ea concumberet. Puella in domicilium rediit; posteaque per menses magis atque magis gravida fiebat. Iam tandem puerum parit. Anum comitem habet, quæ autem reperire non potest. The mother told them that the child had been born, so the people looked around with lights, trying to find the child. They looked everywhere, but could not find the child. After a while they found the child standing under the altar, grinning. The child looked to be about two years old, and had teeth. It walked about constantly, just as its father did, and was like him in appearance. Finitimi repperunt eam numquam virum cognovisse, sed ab eo monstro per eius motus gravidam factam esse. The people caught the child and killed it. They put it into a bag and threw the bag into the river.

The father of the child heard about this. He went to another wonderful man who could see better in the night than in the day and asked him to help him find the child. The man consented. He took his medicines, put them upon himself and led the man to the very spot where he had danced and where he had made the motions. Then the medicine-man led the mysterious being into the lodge of the girl who had given birth to the child. He showed where the boy had been born, where he had run, where he had stood under the sacred bundle, how the people caught him and killed him, and how the people had taken him to the river and thrown him in. They went down to the river. The medicine-man took a big rock and told the strange being that when he should throw the rock into the waters, the waters would part, and that he must be quick to jump in and get the boy. The man threw the stone up into the air, and as it fell into the water, the waters parted, and they could see the boy lying there. The man jumped in and pulled him out. When the boy was pulled out the father cried, and said that he wanted this wonderful man to select a place to bury him, for he was a strange child. The man led this mysterious being about the hill on the Missouri River, and there the man took his club, and striking the largest stone that the people knew of, he split it in two. They buried the child between the two stones, and then went home. The mysterious being then married the girl who had given birth to the mysterious little boy who, immediately after his birth, got to dancing and running around as his father had always done in dances.

FOOTNOTES:

[36] Told by Yellow-Bear.

36. THE NOTCHED STICK AND THE OLD WOMAN OF THE ISLAND.[37]

When my people held the medicine-men’s ceremonies, the leading medicine-man, who sat in the west of the lodge, had a roll of dried buffalo hide and a long stick with notches upon it. The leaders of the medicine-men’s lodge had sticks that they rubbed on this notched stick so that the dried buffalo hide made a noise sounding something like that of a drum. When this noise was begun they began to rattle the gourds. At the end of the ceremony of the medicine-men the lodges inside of the big lodge were taken down to the river, and the notched stick and the dried buffalo hide were taken and placed upon an island. We were told not to go to the island; but knowing the place, one man went, and he saw in place of the hide and stick an old woman sitting there. He saw her plainly. Her ears hung down with great, big cuts in them. She had a very long face. When he took a look at her she turned her nose up. He was scared and ran away towards the village. He met some other boys and told them about the old woman. They would not believe him, so they went back, and when they came to the island, sure enough, it was no longer the old woman, but the hide and stick.

When the man went home he told his father all about it, and he said: “True, my son; that is the reason that they put the objects upon the island, because really they are an old woman.” Other boys also visited the island, and they saw the same old woman. When several went to the island another time, it was again a stick.

FOOTNOTES:

[37] Told by White-Owl.

37. THE MAN WHO MARRIED A COYOTE.[38]

A long time ago there was a war-party that started out from the Arikara country toward the south. They were found by the enemy and attacked. One man was killed and the others all returned home. After many years this man who was killed rose from where he was lying, for he had not really been killed, but was simply stunned by falling onto hard ground. He had not been scalped. After this man came to, he wandered over the prairies and fell in with the Coyotes. He finally married a Coyote, and lived with her for several years.

One day some men went hunting, and they saw a mysterious being crossing the Missouri River. The warriors went down and surrounded this mysterious being and caught him. He was not scalped, nor wounded, but he had changed his ways so that he could live with the Coyotes, and he was almost like an animal. The people begged him to go home, saying that his wife and children were well and that his wife was not married again. But he said: “I know; but I cannot, for I am married.” They took him notwithstanding, and they gave him medicines. He became well, and he entered the medicine-lodge. The man asked permission to do some sleight-of-hand, and the medicine-men gave him the privilege to do so. He took a man, went around the lodge and vomited up a lot of hair, white clay, and other things. After all this had come out of him he was cleansed from being a Coyote. He continued with the sleight-of-hand, and he told the people that he was going to call his wife; that his wife was the one that he was afraid of, and this was the reason he had not returned home. So he went up onto the top of the lodge and shouted and shouted; then he went around to the west and shouted; then to the north and to the east; then he came into the lodge, and said, “My wife is far away.” He went out again and shouted to the northwest, and after a while the people heard the Coyotes away off. They kept coming nearer and nearer, and the people ran away. The Coyotes kept on coming, and the people ran into the lodge. The Coyote whom the man had married came into the lodge. When she entered the lodge she went around to the northeast of the fireplace, by way of the south, west, and north, and then to the northeast, and there she took her place. “This,” said the man, “is my wife.” The men called her names, saying: “You long-nosed thing! Why did you not come? Why do you run off so far away?” The leading medicine-man now arose. A pipe was given to him filled with native tobacco. He made some smoke to the Coyote woman. After the smoke the Coyote woman left the lodge and went off to join the other Coyotes. The people saw this female Coyote, and now knew that this man did have a Coyote woman.

Many years afterwards this same man was roaming over the prairies, when a blizzard blew up. Just a little before sunset he came to a bank of snow, and there lay one of his baby Coyotes. He went to pick up the baby, but as he was so cold, he let the baby Coyote stay in the snow, and he went home. After he had warmed himself he went out to see if the baby was still in the snow, but when he got there, there was no baby at all.

FOOTNOTES:

[38] Told by Many-Fox.

38. THE MAN WHO TURNED INTO A STONE.[39]

Once upon a time there was a big village on a prairie. In the village there was an old man who was respected by all. Because he was well-known as a medicine-man he had one of the sacred bundles, and he used to call councils and many other meetings. If there was sacrifice to be offered to some of the gods it was brought before this old man, because the gods seemed always to make returns for all his offerings. For this reason, he was above all other medicine-men in the village.

At one time a very large party went out from the village on a buffalo hunt. A few were left in the village. For many days one young man kept coming and reporting that the people were coming not very far away. The next day they saw them coming, but away in the distance. It was the custom for these people to go out to meet them before they reached the village, so many, including the old medicine-man, went out to meet them. The old man came to a hill, and there he sat down. The people traveled on foot in those days. As the party came to the old man they only saluted him. There was another custom of bringing some dried meat to some medicine-men, especially to this famous old man, and offering up sacrifices to the gods. This was the old man’s reason for going up there. Finally most of them passed toward the village, but none of the young men had any dried meat to present to the old man for him to give thanks to his sacred bundle. They all passed, save one young man who came last. When he saw the old man sitting there he saluted him and gave him a dried buffalo tongue. The old man did not seem thankful for it, but sat there with his head down.

When they all reached the village they made many feasts, and councils were held in many places. The next day it was noticed that the old medicine-man was missing. They looked for him, but could not find him. One young man told that he had seen him sitting on the hill. So they went to the hill and asked the old man to come down, but he would not. One medicine-man took a sacred pipe from his bundle and offered it to the old man to smoke, so that he might forget his sorrows. The old man would not accept it, because, he said, it was too late. The people begged him to come, but still he sat there with his head cast downward. After a while he raised his head and said to all, that it was too late to get up, that he was to sit there always. He removed his blanket, and the people saw that his legs had already turned to stone. The people all wept and went away. They came the next day, and they saw a rock in the form of a man, and they all cried again for the loss of the old medicine-man, because there had been no one to give him any dry meat to offer up as sacrifice to the gods.

FOOTNOTES:

[39] Told by Hawk.

39. THE WOMAN WHO TURNED INTO A STONE.[40]

In the village there was a nice-looking young woman, daughter of one of the chiefs. They all liked her and had much admiration for her. Many young men made great efforts to get the young girl to marry, but she would not consent. After many failures on the men’s side the young woman’s father tried to persuade her to marry some young man. After all their advice the young woman refused to marry. Again the old mother related to her daughter that it was most enjoyable to live with a man, to have a man to support her, to cherish her, and to protect her from all troubles. The young woman accepted the mother’s advice at last, and she said she would marry.

One young man, a very good hunter, came to the young girl, and after a long conversation persuaded her to promise that she would marry him. The young woman told her mother, and she was glad, and willing that her daughter should marry him; for the young man was capable and qualified to support a family. Finally the young man was called, and came to their lodge. Puellam in matrimonium duxit. Cum nox esset, ad lectum genialem venerunt. Iuvenis gavisus est quod tandem puellæ amore potiturus esset. Cum autem cum uxore sua concumbere conaretur, non poterat. Per noctem totam frustra conabatur. Postridie puella ad matrem venit, eique ostendit cur virum habere noluisset. Deinde tunicam sustulit ostenditque se helianthes pro volva habere. Mater autem vidit quo iuvenis helianthi nocuisset dum cum uxore concumbere conabatur. So the young woman took her bundle on her back, journeyed to a certain place, sat down and turned to stone, because she was ashamed.

FOOTNOTES:

[40] Told by Hawk.

40. THE POWER OF THE BLOODY SCALPED-MAN.[41]

There was a young man in the Arikara village who wanted to have some mysterious power. He went through the different places, over high mountains, and steep banks. He had heard of a place to the west of the village where young men had been scared away. He went to the place and stood upon a hill which was close to the Missouri River. He stood there for three days and nights, and during the third night he heard a mysterious noise from the Missouri River. He looked, and saw a man coming. The man approached, and said, “You will please leave at once, for you make too much noise around this place.” The man had a war-club in his right hand. His body was daubed all over with white clay; his head was red with blood and the blood was dripping from his forehead. The boy became scared, and he ran home. He told one of his friends what had happened to him and his friend laughed at him for running away from the place where he had gone to get some power.

The young man’s friend made up his mind that he would go to the hill. He went to the hill, and there he stood and cried for three days and three nights. On the fourth night a being came up, and sure enough, it was the very same being that the first young man had seen. The boy became scared, but he closed his eyes and thought, “Well, I came here to see this being, and if he wants to kill me he can do so.” The young man made up his mind not to run. He looked at the man as he approached. Drops of fresh blood were dripping from his head, so that he looked as if he had just been scalped. The young man closed his eyes and the man came up to him, and said, “If you do not run, I will hit you with this club!” The boy did not move, but the man did not strike him with his club. At last the man said: “Come with me. I am the errand man of the men who live under this hill.” So the man took the boy down towards the Missouri River, and there, under the bank, was an entrance. They went into this entrance, and there they found a long passageway along which they traveled, and finally they came to a cave. There the men were seated around in a circle; but not one of them was scalped. The man who took the young man into this place now took off the headdress that he had on, and his hair fell over his shoulders. He placed his war-club and the bloody headdress that he had had on his head, before the leading man. The man took his seat at the entrance, and the young man was given a seat in the lodge. The leader of the men in the lodge said: “You are the first young man who has not run from our errand man, and now we will give you the power that we possess. When you want to perform the same thing that you saw that man do, take wild sage, put it on hot coals, and smoke yourself over your body. Then take this sweet grass and spread it all over yourself. Then take this paint and put it in the water and after putting this skin over your head, place this paint, mixed in water, on your head, so that you will look like a scalped-man. This war-club you shall take. This root you shall put into your mouth, so that you can run swiftly. When you have killed an enemy and taken his scalp, bring that scalp to us.” The young man took the things and went home. The next morning, the people found a war-club hanging over the young man’s head, and the young man was lying upon his bed.

Many days after this there was a cry in the camp, “The enemy is coming to take the village!” The young man sent all the people out of his lodge, and told them to tell the people not to be in a certain pathway that he had to go through, for he wanted to go that way. The young man took up some coals from the fireplace and placed them west of the fireplace. On these he placed the sage, and let the smoke pass over his body. He took the white clay and put it all over his body. Then he twisted his hair, put the skin over his head, then took the red paint and put it in water. He dipped his hands into the water and put it on top of his head. He took the war-club and ran out of the lodge, and some of the people were scared when they saw him, for he looked like a man that had just been scalped. He ran to where the battle was going on, and the people saw him on the west side of the battlefield. He ran towards the enemy and killed one. He went around his own people, and went on the west side again and attacked the enemy, killing another one with his war-club. He scattered the enemy, because he looked so fierce on account of the blood which was dripping from his head. As soon as the enemy retreated and his people ran after them, he went back to his lodge, took the skin off from his head, put some medicine upon the fire and smoked all over his body. He then went to a creek and washed. He came back into his own lodge, and by this time the people had returned. The scalp which he had taken he put upon a long pole and placed it outside of the lodge. In the night he disappeared, for he went to the place where he had received his power.

The people did not know who he was, but after several battles they found out. They also learned that he had great powers. He became a great man through attacking the enemy, for he had power to go out on the war-path and bring home many scalps. They were not really scalps, but were pieces of scalps which he had made himself. He would not be a chief, but became a great medicine-man.

FOOTNOTES:

[41] Told by Antelope.

41. THE BOY WHO CARRIED A SCALPED-MAN INTO CAMP.[42]

In olden times the Arikara went on the war-path. They came to a lake where they made their camp. In the night the enemy attacked them, and ran them into the lake, killing all the warriors and taking their scalps.

Another party of brave warriors started out from the same village, and went on the war-path. As they journeyed towards the east they came near to the lake. There they made their camp. Among these last warriors was a very poor young man who had joined them. In the night the leader asked the young men to go after some water; but all the young men refused. The poor boy took up the vessels and went down to the lake. As he tried to dip the vessel into the water, some one spoke close by him, and said, “Go a little beyond and dip up water.” The young man waded into the water, and as he was about to dip the water, again some one else spoke to him, and said: “Go beyond. Go further into the lake and get your water.” The young man went on into the lake, and just as he was about to take up the water, again some one else spoke to him, and said, “Do not dip up the water there, but go further into the lake to dip it.” The young man turned around, and said, “Who are you that speaks to me?” The man said: “I am the leader who took the young men out on the war-path. We ran into this lake and were killed, and we were all scalped. All around the edge of the lake the water is colored with our blood, and that is why I am telling you to go further into the lake to dip your water.” About this time the moon appeared. The night was windy and cloudy, so that every once in a while the clouds passed over the moon and hid it. The boy looked around, and he saw sitting near him a man whose head was all bloody, and whose hands and feet had been cut off. He had been stabbed in several places.

So the boy dipped his water, and said to the Scalped-Man: “I want to carry you upon my back to where we are camped, for the people will not believe me when I tell them that you were killed.” The Scalped-Man said, “Very well.” So the poor boy sat down and put the dead man upon his back. The poor boy carried the dead man to where the other men were. The poor boy placed the Scalped-Man outside of the tipi. He went into the tipi with the water.

After they had drunk the water, the poor boy told the story. He said that all the other warriors had been killed; that every one of them was scalped and was lying in the lake; that he had waded waist-deep into the water to get clean water. Some of the boys made fun of the poor boy and said that he had imagined all this. But the poor boy said, “If you do not believe me I am going to get one of them and bring him in here, and you will see that all I have said is true.” They said, “All right.” They did not believe the poor boy would go. But he did go out, and dragged the Scalped-Man to the entrance of the tipi. Old and young men crawled out and ran away. The poor boy laughed at them for being afraid of a dead man. The leader was the only one who stayed. The Scalped-Man told the leader not to be afraid; that they would give them success, so that they might take revenge on the people who had killed them. So the men came into the tipi, but not till the poor boy had taken the dead man out. Then they all wanted to go home at once. They left the tipi and went on. The next day they found a hunter, an enemy. They lay low, and when he was within reach of them they shot him and killed him. Now the other young men wanted to go home, but the poor boy said, “Let us go on.” They kept on. Each day they killed one or two of the enemy. When they had killed a number equal to the number in the lake the boy was satisfied. Then they returned home. The chiefs heard of the poor boy’s bravery. They sent for him through their council, and they made of him a brave. So the poor boy became a brave man, and executed the orders of the chiefs.

FOOTNOTES:

[42] Told by Standing-Bull.

42. THE GIRL WHO WAS BLEST BY THE BUFFALO AND CORN.[43]

In one of the lodges in a village there stood a mother, and in her arms was a baby girl. It was about to rain and the mother wanted to bring in her corn and other things to keep them dry, but she did not know where to put the baby. In her excitement she forgot that there was a bed, and she laid the baby up on the buffalo skull at the altar, then went about her duties. The buffalo skull was thankful, because he thought the baby was given to him. He cried out, saying, “Hi ni, hi ni—you have pleased me, you have pleased me, giving me the baby.” But Mother-Corn, who stood over the buffalo skull, told him that the baby girl had not been given to him, but had been placed there for the buffalo skull and herself to watch while the mother was busy. The buffalo skull and Mother-Corn blessed and poured their mercy on the baby girl. After a while the mother came in and took the baby. The child grew, and showed some signs of having power from some of the gods. She would eat no corn, squash, or anything, except chicken or duck. The girl grew to womanhood, and all the people respected and honored her.

One time famine prevailed, and the people were in much distress. The medicine-men did all they could, but all in vain. Some came and talked to the woman, and she told them that it was an easy matter to give them aid. She advised all the people to open and clean their cellars. They did so. The people took out the little corn they were saving for seed and gave it to the woman. Again she advised them to stand by their cellars until she had relieved them. So she went with a little corn, beans, and squash, and when she came to the first one she asked what things were usually kept in that cellar. The owner of the cellar gave his or her answer—such as, “Corn and beans were kept in this.” The woman then would throw down the seeds in the cellar and tell them to cover them up. She did this to all the people’s cellars, and they were all covered. She advised them not to open the cellars until at the end of four days. So the people waited, and after the fourth day they all opened their cellars and beheld the corn, beans, squash, and other things, which filled their cellars. The people were pleased and showed more respect and honor to Mother-Corn. Later, the woman did many other things for them.

FOOTNOTES:

[43] Told by Hawk.

43. THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE ARIKARA AND THE SNAKES.[44]

One summer the Arikara went out to hunt buffalo, deer, and antelope. On their way they saw by the path a pretty little snake. Some of the old people told the others to give presents to the snake, such as deer meat and moccasins. There were two foolish boys in the rear of the crowd, coming along on foot. When the foolish boys saw the pile of presents they wondered what it was for. They looked all around the pile, but could see nothing; but after a while they saw the little snake on top of the presents. The boys were mad, and said: “We are poor. We are living with these people and they do not give us anything, although they know that we need help, and here they have given these things to this little snake.” “Let us kill it,” said one of the boys. The other one said, “All right.” So they killed the snake. The boys told the people that they had killed the snake. The people turned back from their hunt and went to their village, and they began to climb upon high arbors for refuge. From the top of the arbors they saw something coming down both sides of the Missouri River. Soon they discovered that what they saw were all kinds of snakes. They were ready to meet the snakes, for they knew what they had done, and they were ready to die. They took their clubs and killed the snakes, although the snakes killed many of the Arikara. By and by the snakes killed one of the foolish boys. They bit the other boy all over, but he killed many of them. After a while they went away, but they had killed many people, and all because the foolish boys had killed the young snake.

FOOTNOTES:

[44] Told by Two-Hawks.

44. THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE ARIKARA AND THE BEARS.[45]

There was a young man who had a beautiful wife, whom he loved. She had a garden in the woods where she went every day in the spring to hoe. Each morning, before starting to the garden, she prepared pemmican and dried meat to take with her. She took enough for two or three persons. Her husband noticed this. One day while she was preparing the meat he asked her why she was preparing so much, for he thought that she must have some of her relatives to help her in her garden. The woman made no reply. One day, as she went out to the garden, her husband secretly followed her. When her husband came to her garden he hid near by. He saw that the garden was well cared for, and he knew by this that some one had been helping her to clean it. The man waited a little while, and there came forth from the woods a man, who walked right over to the woman. The woman seemed glad to see this man who met her, and the man was glad to meet the woman. This strange man was painted, and upon his head were feathers, and a set of bear’s claws were about his neck. The man went to work in the garden, helping the woman. The woman’s husband lay upon the top of the hill, watching them. When the sun was high, the strange man and the woman stopped working. They went over in the shade of some trees, and they ate the meat that the woman had prepared. After eating, the strange man lay with the woman. The woman’s husband saw all that went on. He slowly made his way toward the camp and went home. When he got home he took down his bow and arrows and began to fix the arrow-points and bow-string. In the meantime, the woman returned. She asked her husband where he was going, and he made reply that he was fixing up his bow and arrows to go hunting the next day. The man then asked his wife how she was getting along with the work in her garden, and she said she was nearly through.

The next morning the woman got her meat and things ready to go to her garden again, and the man got ready to go hunting. The woman went first to her garden. The man went afterwards, in a different direction. After a while he circled around to his wife’s garden. He got to the garden and lay down. He waited for the strange man to come. The woman sat around near her garden, doing nothing, for there was nothing to do; she had already got through with her field. The man looked up and again he saw the strange man come from the timber and begin to talk to his wife. They sat around until the sun was high. They again ate meat together, and after they had eaten, the strange man again lay with the woman. While they were lying together, the woman’s husband came up from behind them, took an arrow, put it in the bow-string and pulled it. He shot the man. The man made a big groan, got on his feet, and ran through the timber.

When the woman got up, her husband got a stick and clubbed her. The woman said: “My husband, you should first have found out who that man was who was with me, before you shot him.” Her husband said that he did not care who he was. The woman said that he was a Bear, and that was the reason she let him lie with her, for she was afraid of him. She said that the Bear told her that if anybody did anything to him while he was with her he would get all his people together and kill everybody in the Arikara camp. The man said he did not care.

About three days afterwards the people saw what seemed to be buffalo in large droves, coming from the hills. When they came near the village the people found out that they were Bears instead of buffalo. The young man who had shot the Bear in the garden said to the people, “The Bears are coming to kill us, for I shot the Bear.” The Bears soon reached the camp and tore the people to pieces, as many as they got hold of; but some of the people, who hid in their cellars, were saved. The Bears did not stop until they had killed the man who had shot the Bear.

FOOTNOTES:

[45] Told by Two-Hawks.

45. THE WIFE WHO MARRIED AN ELK.[46]

There was a man who went hunting with his wife. They were alone. Whenever the man was out hunting the woman would stay at the lodge and take care of all the things that the man had brought in, and she would also jerk meat. There she stayed, while her husband went out day after day. One time when her husband was gone a man came to see her, but she did not know who he was. One day five men came, and the fifth one she liked best. He was fine-looking, and young. This fifth man asked her to go home with him. She liked him so much that she did not feel like refusing him, so she went with him.

When the husband returned he found that his wife was gone. He looked all around until at last he found their tracks. He ran along, following the tracks. The poor man was getting tired, but the more he thought of his wife the more he felt like following her, for he thought a great deal of her. He caught up with her, and to his great surprise he saw his wife walking beside an animal. The man ran and shot at the animal, but could not kill it. This animal was an Elk. Not far away was a lake, toward which the Elk and the woman were headed. The Elk and the woman went right into this lake. The man shot at the animal, but the arrows did not seem to harm the Elk. When the man came to the lake he remained there. He would think of going away, but when he thought of his wife he would stay. He cried and cried. He neither ate nor drank.

At last the woman came out from the lake, for she felt sorry for her husband. She said: “You must go home, and whenever you start upon the war-path come to this place before you go and I will see you, and I will do anything to get out of this place so that I can tell you where to go, and if I can go with you I will do so.” So the man went home, and when he got there, the people asked him what had become of his wife. He told the people what had happened to her. After many days, the man thought he would go on the war-path. He invited several young men, and they went out. When they were near the lake, the man told his companions to stay at a distance from the lake, while he went on by himself. The man had a dress for the woman. When he got to the lake she told him to go west; that in a few days he would find three tipis; that there were three men living in the tipis, and that he should kill them; and that he would capture all their ponies. The woman then disappeared. The man threw the dress into the lake and went back. The man then led the war-party to the west. In a few days they found the three tipis. They attacked them and killed the people in them. Their ponies they captured, so that it all came true, as the woman had said. Then they went home and had a great time dancing the scalp-dance.

The next time the man went on the war-path he took several young men with him, and he again visited the lake. This time the woman came out, and said: “My husband, I can never leave this lake any more. You must go to the west, and there you will find the enemy. In the fight you will see a woman who looks like me. Go to this woman and catch her. She will become your wife and be good to you.” In a few days they found the enemy’s camp. They attacked the village, and they fought. While they were fighting, this man saw the woman who looked just like his wife. He stopped fighting and went after the woman. He captured her and took her home with him.

The man never went to the lake any more, but was happy with his new wife, for she looked very much like the woman who had gone into the lake with the Elk.

FOOTNOTES:

[46] Told by Standing-Bull.

46. THE FOUR GIRLS AND THE MOUNTAIN-LION.[47]

There were four girls who went to gather wood. While they were gathering wood they heard a Mountain-Lion coming, who said, “I want you girls for my wives.” The girls ran to different wonderful beings for protection. Each wonderful being said, “I can not do anything for you, for the Mountain-Lion is more powerful than I.” At last the girls came to a place where there was a man whose name was “Hair-Cut-in-Notches.” (His hair was so notched that one could see through the notches by looking at the side of his head.) The girls ran to this man, and said: “A Mountain-Lion is after us! Save us!” Hair-Cut-in-Notches said, “What shall I get if I save you?” The girls said, “We will live with you as your wives if you will save us.” Hair-Cut-in-Notches said, “You will go into my lodge and stay there.” Then he sang about his head and hair, for his hair was his arrows. When the Mountain-Lion came up Hair-Cut-in-Notches would make a motion toward his head, then to his bow, then shoot at the Mountain-Lion. Finally the Mountain-Lion dropped down, for he had killed it. Hair-Cut-in-Notches went into the lodge, and said: “You will now come out. Go to your homes. I shall not keep you here, for I am not a human being, but I am glad to have saved you from being killed by that animal.” The four girls thanked the man and returned to their homes.

FOOTNOTES:

[47] Told by Little-Crow.

47. THE DEEDS OF YOUNG-EAGLE.[48]

Many years ago the Arikara separated into two bands, one band going south, the other going north. But still the young men visited from one camp to the other. In the north village the leading chief had a daughter who had grown up to be a beautiful young woman. In the other village the leading chief had a son who was handsome. The young man’s name was Young-Eagle. The young girl’s name was Yellow-Calf.

When the north village visited the south village the north people told the south people about the chief’s daughter, who was very pretty. When the south people visited the north village they told of the chief’s son, who was very handsome, but who had never looked upon women with favor, for he had always kept himself in the lodge, not even having been on the war-path. When he came out of his lodge everybody looked at him.

Young-Eagle made up his mind to visit the north village to see the beautiful daughter of the chief. He told his sisters to make him several pairs of moccasins; for he intended to go to the north village. Now, Yellow-Calf, in the north village, also made moccasins for herself, for she had made up her mind that she would visit the south village and see the young man who was so handsome.

One day Young-Eagle started for the north village. On the same day Yellow-Calf started for the south village. Now, between the two villages there was a high hill, and as Young-Eagle was climbing the hill on the south side Yellow-Calf was climbing the hill on the north side. They both saw each other as they reached the top of the hill and were greatly surprised to see each other.

Young-Eagle asked Yellow-Calf where she was going, but she answered by asking where he was going. Finally the girl told him that she was going to the south village to see the man who was so handsome. Young-Eagle said, “I am that young man, and I am going to see the young girl who is so beautiful, down here at the south village.” They now knew that they were speaking of each other.

They sat down and talked, and here they found out each other’s mind. Young-Eagle wanted to know how many days it had taken Yellow-Calf to come there. She told how many days it had taken, and Young-Eagle told Yellow-Calf how many days it had taken him. They knew by this that the hill was just half-way between the two villages. This hill is known at the present time as “Lovers’ Hill,” because these two people met here. They agreed to place a pile of rocks upon the hill, and each was to place on the pile a number of stones equal to the number of days it had taken to come to the place. First, Young-Eagle placed a stone, then Yellow-Calf placed one, then Young-Eagle placed another, and so on, until they had a pile of stones. Yellow-Calf told Young-Eagle that she wanted to go with him to his home. But Young-Eagle said, “No, I would rather go with you to your home.” Yellow-Calf finally consented; so they went on. Yellow-Calf was satisfied and happy, for this young man was handsome and had a quiver filled with arrows, and a bow.

In the evening they came to a lake, and Young-Eagle told Yellow-Calf that they must take a swim and wash themselves; that it was not right that they should go to the village without being washed. So Yellow-Calf went into the lake first and washed. When she came out, Young-Eagle, with his leggings and all his things on, waded into the water for some distance. He told Yellow-Calf to watch for him. He dived, and stayed a long time under the water. Towards evening, at dusk, Young-Eagle came out of the water, having all his clothes on. He came upon the bank, and Yellow-Calf saw that he was not the same young man who had left her a little while before. This young man now was not so tall, nor was he handsome. His hair was unkempt, his nose was all covered with sores, and he seemed to have vermin. The robe he had on was a little piece of buffalo robe. His leggings were made of deer skin, but were very dry. His belly looked so large and plump that people would take him for a “burnt-belly” boy or a “burnt-fingered” boy. Yellow-Calf became scared, but she thought Young-Eagle was only making fun, so she took him home that night.

Young-Eagle lay down by the side of Yellow-Calf, and the next morning, when the parents arose to prepare the meal, they went to the girl and found a young man lying by her. The old people, knowing that Yellow-Calf had been away for some time, thought, of course, that she had got married, and had brought her husband home. They waked the young man. He did not attempt to wash, but jumped at the pot with the food in it, and he licked the mush off from the spoon. The old folks looked at him, and were sorry that Yellow-Calf had brought him. Yellow-Calf, too, was ashamed of him. She prayed hard in her heart that the young man might turn into the young man that she had first been with. But the young man remained the same and the people made fun of him. They called him the “Big-Belly-Boy.” The boy acted childishly all the time. When there was a battle going on the boy never went out, but stayed around the lodge.

One time the boy heard that a war-party was going out. He told the girl to tell her youngest brother that when the party should be out three days he should get some long intestines from the buffalo that the warriors would kill, and also some bones; these he should put in the fire; and that in the night he would hear the whistling of a young eagle, and he must know that it was his brother-in-law coming. The girl told her youngest brother all that Young-Eagle had said, and the boy said that he would do so, only he was afraid that what she had told him would not come true; he did not believe that his brother-in-law would come. But the girl said, “Brother, watch out, and when he comes, do as he tells you, for he is wonderful.” But the brother felt like making fun of his brother-in-law, Young-Eagle. It was announced through the camp that the Big-Belly-Boy was going on the war-path with the rest. They all laughed at him and made fun of him because he was going on the war-path for the first time.

The warriors started out, and after they had been gone three days Young-Eagle took his wife out to the lake where he had dived once before, and there he told her to take a swim. The girl went in and washed. After she came up, Young-Eagle went in, just the same as he had done before, with leggings, moccasins, etc., and he waded into the lake, then he dived, and stayed a long time. At dusk, Yellow-Calf heard a noise in the water, and Young-Eagle came out, the same man that she had first met. Young-Eagle told her not to touch him, but to go home; that he would come home soon; and that she should watch for him. He sat down and covered himself with his robe. All at once the robe rattled, and there flew up a young Eagle. It flew towards the southwest, where the warriors had gone, and in the night, the brother-in-law heard the cry of an Eagle. He rose, and said, “That is my brother-in-law; he has come.” The other warriors who heard it made fun of him, and said, “Do you think that that Big-Belly-Boy brother would come this far?” But the boy did not say anything. He went out, and sure enough, there was his brother-in-law.