Sacred Texts Native American California Index Previous Next
Night-Hawk-Man lived in a sweat-house. Opposite from him lived another man, also having a sweat-house. This man killed many deer. Then people heard of this. "That man is a man who kills much game, they say," said they, gossiping together.
So (a man) spoke. "My two daughters, ye must go," said he. "And going and arriving there, when ye reach there, two black-bear hides will be tied up by the smoke-hole of the house," he said. "Black-bear hides will be hung up by the door. There (at that place) ye two will arrive. But on the opposite side there is a bad man (Night-Hawk-Man), who kills nothing; and thither ye two must not go," said he.
Then they said, "Very well!" and went off. Meanwhile Night-Hawk-Man saw them, and, having carried over those black-bear hides, tied them up at his sweat-house smoke-hole. He untied the black-bear hides and hung them up by his door. Then, having gone inside the house, he played the flute.
Meanwhile the two women arrived. "Here it was he told us to come," they said, and they both crawled in. They sat down on each side of the one who was continually playing the flute. Meanwhile the other man came back from hunting to the opposite (house). And he came across, and carried back his black-bear hides; coming across, he took down and carried over his black-bear hides.
Now it was night, and the man opposite (Night-Hawk) slept with the two women. When he got up in the
morning, the two women crawled out. Then (they saw) the two black-bear hides were tied up opposite, the black-bear hides were hung up (at the) opposite (house).
The two (women) saw them. So, "To which one were we to come?" one said. Then the younger sister spoke. "To that (house) we were to come," she said. "That was the one, and we have come to another," said she. "Whither ought we to go? Shall we stay here?" she said.
Then the elder sister said, after they had stood about waiting, "We will go to the place where we ought to have gone." So they went across. "This (other) man, stealing these things and hanging them up at his house, (it was on this account that) we came to the other," they said, talking to themselves. "So let us crawl in, and sit down," (one) said. Then the other said, "Very well."
So they crawled in, and sat down, one on each side. And then not long after, (Night-Hawk-Man) began to sing. Then the wind blew. Meanwhile he sang, and it blew, it rained, and still he kept singing. It rained, it rained harder. Next day he still sang. Again it rained hard, it rained harder and harder.
The river rose, and still it rained. It pelted harder on the roof. Meanwhile he sang again. Now for the first time (?) the water began to conic into the house. Still he kept singing, and the water came into the house. Then by and by they (the two women), the sisters of these many men, having arisen, went across. And having gone in, they broke off by a blow the neck of the one who was always singing.
"The evil Night-Hawk-Man long ago, getting angry because of women, caused the water to rise in flood. That is what you are," they said. "You shall be one who shall not disturb mortal men," they said. "You are Night-Hawk, you shall be a bird, unable to do anything," they
said. "It shall be a world where, lying to women, (people) can marry them." Thus they caused it to be.
Then they crossed back to the same place again (whence she came). Having killed him completely, they crossed over. Then, that rainy country having stilled (?), they kept silent. It cleared off; and they, having entered, always remained in their house, in the olden time. The end, it is said.