Sacred Texts  Native American  Northwest  Index  Previous  Next 

4. Scab.

Tradition of the DEna'x*da?xu.

(Dictated by Charlie Wilson, 1900.)

It was when the Thunder-Bird clan lived at G*iô'x. They had many children. Then Scabby-Body had scabs all over his body, and his father felt badly on account of his scabby child. Then he called his tribe into (his house). His tribe came. They all came in with the women and children, and entered the house. Then Cedar-Dancer spoke, and said, "Welcome, tribe!" thus he said, "that you have come quickly, following my word, for it would not be good if you were infected in the way my son is, for his body is scabby. He has a bad sickness. Therefore I wish that we leave him, and that we go far away, all of us, with our women and our children."

p. 41

Then his tribe felt glad. They went home to get ready. They tied their goods into bundles, and launched their canoes. They all went with the tribe. Then they started. They left the child sitting there. The child was alone on the ground. All the people pulled up the posts, the houses, the planks, and went aboard their canoes. Then they left, and the child was there alone.

One old person did not want to go, for she wished that the same might happen to her as to her grandson; but the tribe did not allow it. Then the old woman took a mussel-shell and put fire into it; and she left dried salmon as provisions for the child. Then the old person was taken and put aboard the canoe. The tribe started and left.

Then the boy made a fire on the ground [with the fire]. Then it was burning, and the child was sitting on the ground. He cried pitifully on account of what his father and his mother had done when they left. Then his heart became strong, and he scratched his body, and the boils came off of his body. He scratched his body a second time. Then his stomach began to move. His stomach began to swell. Then he scratched again, and a hand came out and showed itself on his stomach. Then he scratched himself, and the hand drew back into his stomach. Then he kept still, and the hand came out again from his stomach. He kept still, and his heart was, strong, and he did not scratch himself, for, behold! that was the reason that the hand always drew back into his stomach when he would scratch himself. Then his heart became strong, and he did not scratch. Then the hand came farther out of his stomach, and the boy looked, and watched it coming. Then a boy jumped out of his stomach, and now there was not one scab on the body of the child.

p. 43

Then the boy who had jumped out of the stomach of the child said, "I am the one on account of whom you were thus." Thus said the child,--the child that had jumped out of his stomach. "I am the cause of your being scabby, because I was in you. Now you are well. You will never be in the same way again, for I have come out of your stomach." Then his father felt glad. 'Thank you!" said the father, "that I have just obtained you as a supernatural treasure. Have I not found you by good luck?" Then the child spoke, and said, "Now you shall call me Scab."--"Am I not going to do so?" said the father.

Then he sat down with his child. He felt lonely. He felt really lonely. Then Scab spoke, and said to his father, "Don't long for me. I shall go to the other side of the beach." Then the child Scab started and went to the other side of the beach. He went to a river. He waded across, and went straight to the place where the dead sisters of his father were (buried in) boxes on the point of land. Then he took needles (of an evergreen tree) and put them in the fold of his shirt. Then he started and went into the water at the mouth of the river. He went straight down to the mouth of the river. Then he turned round to the right side, carrying in the fold of his shirt the needles, and he wished: "You shall be steelhead salmon." He said so, and put the needles into the water at the mouth of the river. Then he turned back, and went again to the dead sisters of his father. Then he carried more needles in the fold of his shirt and went again to the mouth of the river. He turned around to the right side and threw the needles into the water. Scab said, "You shall be silver salmon." Then he went back again to the dead sisters of his father, and carried in the fold of his shirt needles which were on the ground on

p. 45

the beach where the graves were. Then he started and went again to the mouth of the river, and again he put the needles into the water after he had turned round; and he spoke again, and said, "You shall be dog-salmon." Then he went again to the dead sisters of his father, and carried needles in the fold of his shirt. He started again, and went to the mouth of the river, and he turned round again to the right side, and poured out the needles into the water. Then he spoke. "You shall be spring salmon." Then he started again, and went to the graves to get needles from the boxes of the dead sisters of his father. Then he went back again to the mouth of the river. He turned round again, and said, "You shall be bull-heads. Every time when my father's tribe comes," thus he said, "you shall eat from time to time." Thus said Scab. Then Scab started. He was halfway across the river. Then he turned back and looked seaward. Then he saw a vast amount of splashing, Behold! these were the various kinds of fish that came splashing to the mouth of the river. They had been the needles, and they had become salmon.

Then he started running, and went to his father. "Arise he said to his father, "let us go to the other side of the beach." Thus said Scab to his father. Then the father arose from the ground. "Important is your speech, child," said he, and arose to go to the place to which his son had referred, where he should go with him. They started and went to the river. Immediately they began to build a house on the bank of the river. Very many salmon came to the mouth of the river. Then the father felt glad on account of what his son had done.

Then Scab made a request. "Make a spear," thus said Seal), "that you may go on and split and roast, and that I may in the mean time spear the salmon."--"Go

p. 47

on," said the father. Then the child speared salmon. The father roasted [the salmon] and cut the salmon. Then they obtained much from the river. Then he and his child got tired of working [salmon].

Night came. Then they slept in the house. In the morning he (Scab) arose. Then he looked at what they had obtained from the river. "Oh," he said, "what has become of what we obtained from the river? There is nothing there now." Thus said Scab to his father. "But important is your word, child," said the father. Then the father arose. "Don't talk about it," said Scab to his father. "You go now and spear salmon, and I will cut salmon, and I will roast them after you go spearing."

"Go ahead," said the father. The father began to spear, and the child began to cut and roast the salmon. He had not been doing so long when the house was full. Then they got tired. Then they had obtained much from the river. When they finished working on the ground, night came. It was evening. Then Scab spoke, and said, "Do look, and make a bow and four arrows."--"I shall [go on and] do what you refer to, master." Then the father made what his son had referred to. Then he finished. Scab was really glad, for the bow that his father had made was very good.

Now, it had been night for a long time. The night was light. Then Scab said to his father, "Sleep now." Thus said Scab to his father. "Let me do so, master," said the father. "Don't speak loud," said Scab to his father. "I shall just pinch your foot if I should see anything."--"Indeed, do so, master," said the father. "Go on, sleep, don't feel uneasy," said Scab. "I shall not go far away. I shall be here on this side of our house."--"All right, my dear," said the father. Then the father went to sleep.

p. 49

Now, it was past midnight, and for a long time Scab was sitting on the ground on the side of his little house. Then a man came from the woods,--a tall man. He saw him. Scab examined him. Then Scab recognized that he was the Dzô'noq!wa. Then Scab jumped into his little house and pinched the feet of his father. The father arose. "Don't (speak) loud, keep quiet!" Then he arose. Then he saw the reason why his child had pinched him. The Dzô'noq!wa appeared black through the hole through which the light was shining. Then Scab spanned his bow and was ready. The Dzô'noq!wa felt about, and felt with his hand through the hole; then he put his hand entirely through the hole. Scab did not wish to shoot his hand, thus he thought; he wished to shoot his breast if it should show through the hole. Then his breast showed through the hole, and he (Scab) shot him in the right side of the breast, and then also in the left side, and then again one (arrow) in the right side, and then again one in the left side. Two arrows were in each side of the breast of the Dzô'noq!wa. Then the Dzô'noq!wa felt them and went back into the woods, crying "Oh!" The Dzô'noq!wa cried "Oh!" loudly. Probably the shot of Scab gave him pain. Then the Dzô'noq!wa went far into the woods, pushing down the trees, and he did so because he was angry because the shot of Scab gave him pain. He started.

Then Scab and his father slept. Then (Scab) was half awake, and he was about to get up in the morning. Then, when it was morning, he arose, also his father. Then he made a fire on the ground in his house and ate. After he had eaten, he sat down on the ground in his house. Then Scab got ready; he finished. Scab had his face blackened, and put on his head a ring of red cedar-bark, and he put a neck-ring, around his neck; then

p. 51

he put on bird-down. There was much bird-down on his body. Then he said, "Do not wait for me." Thus said Scab to his father. "I am going to walk on the ground to this place inland from the beach."--"Go on, master!" Thus said his father.

Then Scab started. He went up the bank of the river. Then he went into the woods and walked inland. He had not been going long when he discovered a trail. Then he saw a pond [of water], and he sat down on the ground. He was adorned around the neck, he had a ring on his head, he was feathered, and his face was blackened. He had not been sitting on the ground long when, behold! a little Dzô'noq!wa girl came walking along. "Oh," said Scab to the little Dzô'noq!wa woman, "for whom do you draw water?" Thus he said to the little Dzô'noq!wa woman, for she was carrying a bucket. "Oh," said that little Dzô'noq!wa woman, "I fetch water for father." Thus she said. "Why?" said Scab. "What is the cause of his feeling ill?"--"I do not know what ails him," said the little Dzô'noq!wa woman. "[Go on,] listen," said Scab. "[Do not] say that a strong shaman came here, and that he sits on the ground by the side of this water."

Then said the father of the child,--namely, of the Dzô'noq!wa,--(speaking) to his child, "[For] what may we have to pay him, mistress?" Thus said the Dzô'noq!wa to his little daughter. Then the little Dzô'noq!wa woman went out, and she came to Scab. The little Dzô'noq!wa woman did not take care of her bucket, for the word of the man who was sitting on the ground by the water was now important to her. The little Dzô'noq!wa woman said, "[For] what may father have to pay you?"--" I will not take any of the things in your house."--["And so what shall I not have of the things that may be in your house?"]

p. 53

Then the little Dzô'noq!wa woman started. Every now and then she would fall down on the ground fainting, on account of the importance of the word of the man who was sitting on the ground by the side of the water. Then the little Dzô'noq!wa a woman entered. Evidently the word of this shaman is exceedingly important. He says he does not care [not] to have any of the things in our house." Then the big. Dzô'noq!wa groaned very much on account of his shot-wound. Go to him," said the Dzô'noq!wa to his child. "Just advise him about our house [if he should enter our house]." The child started and went to Scab. "What is your name?" said the little Dzô'noq!wa woman to the one sitting on the ground by the water. "My name is Scab."--"They say you shall come; just take care when you enter our house. Our house has a snapping, door."--"What of it?" said Scab, "I am a man of supernatural power." Thus said Scab. Then Scab started.

Then he chewed hellebore and entered the house. The little Dzô'noq!wa woman went ahead, and Scab followed. He jumped in and blew out saliva on both sides of the house, on account of the double-headed serpent which was darting out its tongues on each side of the door of the house. Then Scab stood by the fireplace of the Dzô'noq!wa, turned around to the right, and started to the rear, where the Dzô'noq!wa was lying. Not all the Dzô'noq!wa could see him, on account of their number in the house. Then he sat down on the floor away from the fire of the Dzô'noq!wa, and he felt with his right hand of the chest of the Dzô'noq!wa. He felt his arrow. "Ah, ah!" he said (to himself), "this one has stolen your supplies of salmon." Then he felt his arrow, and was glad because he felt his arrow. He felt all his four arrows which he had shot in the house on the bank of the river.

p. 55

Then Scab arose and began to sing his sacred song and he went around in the house; four times he went around in the house, and then he went back to the place where he had sat on the floor on the side away from the Dzô'noq!wa. Then he felt of his arrows, and he scratched the shot-wound with his nails. Then the Dzô'noq!wa felt really feeble, for Scab felt the end of his arrow. The Dzô'noq!wa groaned, and his breath became nothing. He did not allow Scab to touch the chest of the Dzô'noq!wa, for he felt very weak, because he had much pain. Therefore the Dzô'noq!wa called out very loud when he groaned. Then Scab put his month (to the wound) and sang his sacred song. He took hold of the end of his arrow with his teeth. Then he bit one, and he pulled it out, and he shoved it down in front of his own body. The great number (of people) did not know that he had obtained his arrow. Then he began again on the left side of the chest. He pulled out his one arrow, and arose from the floor of the house when he had obtained his one arrow.

Then Scab began to speak: "How are you? Is your manhood not getting better?" Thus said Scab to the Dzô'noq!wa. "Stop, my dear!" said the Dzô'noq!wa. "I met you by good luck, for evidently you are a strong shaman. Do go on with what you are doing. [But] you will [not] make me alive, and what may I do in return for your favor, my dear?" Then Scab sang again his sacred song, and Scab felt glad because he was going to get supernatural power at the place where he had entered. Again he began to sing his sacred song, and applied his mouth to the chest of the Dzô'noq!wa. Scab was tormenting the Dzô'noq!wa more. Then he took the end of his arrow with his teeth. Now, two arrows were in the chest of the Dzô'noq!wa. Then he took hold of it (the second) with his teeth and pulled up his arrow, and

p. 57

again he arose from the floor of the house. Scab was not careful in vain, for the Dzô'noq!wa did not know at all what Scab was doing,

Then Scab questioned the Dzô'noq!wa again. "Are you not feeling better?" Thus said Scab to the Dzô'noq!wa. "Stop talking in vain, my dear, for how should your slave here [come to life] get well? just go on doing this, my dear, what you have been doing. I found you by luck." Thus said the Dzô'noq!wa again. "Go on, now, sit up on the floor." Thus said Scab to the Dzô'noq!wa. Then the Dzô'noq!wa sat up. The Dzô'noq!wa was really strong.

Then Scab began to speak. "Now I have treated you three times," thus said Scab to the Dzô'noq!wa, "and so I will do once (more) when you arise. Now you will be really strong."--"Just go on, supernatural one, take care of what you are doing in the house." Then Scab applied his mouth again to the chest of the Dzô'noq!wa; and Scab kept on tormenting him, for he knew now that the Dzô'noq!wa would be well. Then he applied his mouth to the chest of the Dzô'noq!wa, and he took hold of his arrow with his teeth. Then he pushed it, and then pulled it. Scab pushed his arrow to and fro. Therefore the Dzô'noq!wa groaned for pain, because (Scab) was tormenting the Dzô'noq!wa when he pushed his arrow to and fro. Then Scab thought that he would now get his arrow. "Now, take care, my, dear!" said Scab to the Dzô'noq!wa. "Now I shall really begin, so that you may be well quickly." Thus said Scab to the Dzô'noq!wa. "Your word is true, my, dear," said the Dzô'noq!wa. Then Scab went around on the floor of the house again, singing his sacred song: then he sat down again on the place in the house where he had been sitting before. He took (hold of) his arrow with his teeth and pulled it out. "Now

p. 59

[paragraph continues] I have finished. Now there will be no pain at all in your chest."

Then the Dzô'noq!wa arose. "[For] what should I say?" Thus said the Dzô'noq!wa. "For did not I get by luck what our friend here has done? Now come, (you) whom I obtained by good luck; but did (you) not restore me to life?" Thus said the Dzô'noq!wa to the number of his fellows in the house. Then the Dzô'noq!wa began to speak again. "But do I not start with you, friend?" Thus said the Dzô'noq!wa to Scab. "Now you shall be the owner of my house, on account of what you have done to me, you who restored me to life; and you shall have my daughter for your wife. Just select my most beloved daughter; and you shall have my water, because it has no equal; this my water is called the water of life. Take care, son-in-law!" Thus said the Dzô'noq!wa to Scab. "Take good care of my daughter, and this box of your wife shall (also) go."

Then the Dzô'noq!wa stopped speaking, and Scab arose and began to express his thanks for the words of the Dzô'noq!wa. Thank you for what you have done to me. That is why I have done so on the ground, endeavoring to get supernatural power. Now I really have for supernatural treasure the qualities of your house, and why should you feel uneasy in vain on account of your child? I shall not hurt her." Thus said Scab to his father-in-law.

"Now go on, arise," said the Dzô'noq!wa to Scab, "and carry on your back one of the boxes of your wife." The box stood on the floor in the middle of the house. Then Scab arose and went to get it. Scab tried to lift the box, but he was not able to do so. Scab was altogether too weak for the box of his wife. Scab was not strong enough for the box. Then the Dzô'noq!wa began

p. 61

to speak to his child. "Don't think in vain that your husband will take care of your box. Evidently he is not strong enough for it." That box could not be lifted. It was a small box. Then the wife of Scab arose. She lifted up the little box with her finger, and carried the little box in one hand. Then Scab started with his wife. Then the wife of Scab took some of that water, the water of life., and they went to their house on the bank of the river, the house of (Scab's) father.

Then Scab entered the house. What should be the matter with his father? There were only bones lying there. Behold, he was dead! It had not seemed to Scab that he had been away long; but, behold! it had been four years--what Scab had been doing [on the ground]. Then Scab wept. He cried really on account of his father, for it seemed there was no way to revive him, on account of what he had done inland, because Scab had thought that he would get a wife quickly because there was no one to take care of him and his father. Therefore Scab felt sorry, for now his wife had come in vain. Then Scab told his wife, "Pity this (your) father-in-law, who evidently has been dead [since] a long time." Thus said Scab to his wife. "Look at this," said Scab to his wife, "this is it." The wife could not see, for that is the way a Dzô'noq!wa should be. The Dzô'noq!was have no way to see (well), for their eyes are deep-set. "This is it," he said, and took the hand of his wife. Then he made her feel the bones. "Oh," said the Dzô'noq!wa, his wife, "that is why you cried when we first entered your house. Don't cry!" she said to her husband; "let us sit down on the floor, that our house may come,--the one that comes from my father."

Then they sat down on the floor, and she tapped repeatedly on her box. Scab did not know that the time

p. 63

had come for the house of which his father-in-law had spoken to be on the ground. Then the house came and stood on the ground, at the place of his former little house. Not at all on the ground was the past house for storing fish. Then the large house came,--the one that was seen by Scab inland. The house had a snapping-door; and the double-headed serpents with darting tongues were on each side of the door of the house; and the wolves in the house were doing the same, their tongues were also darting. Then the wife of Scab turned her mouth to her father-in-law. He had not come to life: only bones were still on the floor of the house. Then the wife of Scab opened her water (box); then she put her hands into the water and sprinkled it on her father-in-law. Four times she sprinkled on her father-in-law a little water. Then her father-in-law arose. "Yê!", said her father-in-law, "but the sleep has been really sweet in my eyes."--"Don't say that, father," said Scab to his father, "you have been dead. Only the one who has come here and is sitting in the house has taken pity on you,--this, my wife. Do you see this house? This is the supernatural treasure I obtained at the place to which I went, and this property of my wife cannot be lifted."

Then the father was glad on account of what his son had done when he obtained a supernatural treasure. "Thank you, child, for indeed I had good luck, in that you came and favored your slave here, and that you obtained supernatural treasures, child." Then the child and the father-in-law were glad because they had a good house.

For one year he lived in the house at that place; then Scab felt downcast. Very early in the morning Scab arose and went down to the beach. It was very low tide. Then Scab stood on the beach, and he saw some one

p. 65

sailing along on the sea. "Head ashore, that I may go aboard!" Thus he said to the Goose. "Yä! but we have much clover aboard." Then Scab saw again some one sailing along. "Yä! head ashore, that I may go aboard." The Loon was coming ashore. "Yä! but we have much herring aboard." Then the Loon left. Then Scab discovered [again] the Albatross. "Head ashore, that I may go aboard." Thus said Scab again. The Albatross came near shore. "Yä! our canoe is too cranky." Then the Albatross left. Scab saw again somebody sailing along. "Head ashore, that I may go aboard."--"Yä! but we have too many barnacles aboard." Thus said the Scaup-Duck. Then the Scaup-Duck left.

Then Scab discovered no one sailing along. They were just paddling about to no purpose. Behold! Seals were paddling about." Head ashore, that I may go aboard," (said Scab.) "What do you want to go for?" said the Seals to Scab. "I want to marry the daughter of our chief."--"Maybe you can [only] not do it. Maybe you cannot cling to us, for we do not often emerge (come up to breathe)." Then the Seals left. There were two seals. Again somebody came paddling about. They went quite close to the shore to Scab. "Ah, head ashore, that I may go aboard."--"Stop," said the Land-Otters, "perhaps you cannot do it. Perhaps you cannot hold on to us, for we are not quiet, we go about quickly. There is nothing that we do not do. We roll about on the sea." Then the Land-Otters left.

Then Scab tried to give up, and tried to go home. Again he looked seaward. Then he saw somebody out at sea. Again Scab shouted, "Ah, head ashore that I may go aboard." They came and tried quickly to come ashore. They came almost to Scab. "What do you want, my dear?" said the Harlequin-Duck (female). There

p. 67

were two Charitonettæ. "I wish to marry the princess of our chief."--"Well, come, it is good what you say," said the Duck, "only take care and poke us from time to time with your finger if your breath should give out. Do you see that large mountain? We dive under that large mountain. Take great care, else you will not obtain what you talk about."--"Indeed, I shall do so," said Scab to the Duck. "Let us [go] try to dive with our friend here," said the Ducks. "Go ahead," he said. Then they dived, and they were under water a long time when they dived. Then they emerged. It was not Scab's wish when they went and emerged: it was the wish of the Ducks when they emerged. "Behold! the mind of our friend here is strong," said the Ducks. "Behold! we shall not advise our friend in vain strongly," said the Ducks. Then they came near the large mountain. "Now we will go and dive under this large mountain," said the Ducks. Verily, the mind of Scab was strong on account of what the Ducks said, for they had warned him. "Take care," said the Ducks, "else it may happen to you by your own doing, as you may meet misfortune by what we are doing now." Thus said the Ducks. "Just go on," said Scab. "First poke us under the middle of the large mountain," said the Ducks. "Just go on," said Scab to his friends.

 

Then they began to dive. They dived for a longtime under the mountain. Scab's mind was strong, for he did not disobey the words of his friends. Then they emerged on the other side of the large mountain. Immediately Scab saw a brightness. "Do you not see that brightness?" said the Ducks to Scab. "I do," said Scab. "That is where we are going to," said the Ducks. "Let us go

p. 69

on and see what will happen to our friend," said the Ducks.

Then they deliberated what to do for their friend. "Ya!" said one of the Ducks. "This is my plan for what our friend shall do later on, because from time to time our chief needs fire-wood. Let us go on," said the Ducks, "let us go on to the head of the bay." Then they swam, and went on to the head of the bay. Then they discovered good fire-wood. The fire-wood was alder. It was really dry. The fire-wood was good to be chopped across in three pieces. "Let us put our friend in this hole at the end of the fire-wood." Then Scab entered the end of the fire-wood. Then the Ducks finished what they had planned for their friend. Then the Ducks towed out the fire-wood, which was now the hiding-place of Scab. They towed it to the beach at the door of our chief. It was just beginning to be ebb-tide, and the fire-wood was left dry on the beach,--right on the beach of our chief. The Ducks watched it when the fire-wood was lying on the beach. Then the Ducks dived on the beach, watching (to see) if the hiding-place of their friend should drift away.

Then day came, and our chief rose early and went down to his beach. Our chief went back again and took his axe, and he came back. "That is very good firewood," said our chief. Then he began to chop the firewood, the hiding-place of Scab. Then he carried the fire-wood on his shoulder into his house. Then he carried another piece of fire-wood. The fire-wood was chopped into three pieces. Then he carried another one on his shoulder: that was the hiding-place of Scab, that one piece of fire-wood. Last came the place where Scab was. He put it down from his shoulder in the house, near the door. Then Scab was inside the fire-wood. He continued to be in it.

p. 71

Then the Moon came home, and the Moon began to speak. "Oh!" said the Moon, "what shall we do that our dear child may have a husband, walking about in this one country?" Thus said the Moon to our chief. 'This one to whom I refer is called Scab. He has for his wife the little Dzô'noq!wa woman." Then the Moon went. The Sun came and sat down in the house. "Ah," said the Sun, "what shall we do that our dear nice little child shall have a husband, the one who has for his wife the little Dzô'noq!wa woman?" Then Scab was really glad on account of the words going to and fro from Moon and Sun, and he remained in his place inside the firewood. Night came, and it was dark. At the middle of the rear of the house was the bedroom of the princess of our chief. Beautiful, really fine, was her room. Then Scab came out of his fire-wood and sat down on the floor of the house. Then he discovered what he had gone for in the rear of the house. Then the parents of the child slept. Scab arose and went to her quietly. Scab went and came to the place where she was who was referred to as his wife. Then Scab felt with his hand for the feet of the child. "Go away!" said the child. Then Scab again touched her feet. "Go away!" said again the child. She thought that it was a dog who touched her in her room, where she was lying down. "Don't!" said Scab, "don't drive me away," said Scab. "I thought it was desired that you should have me for your husband. I am called Scab." Thus said Scab. Then the child of our chief said, "Welcome!"

Then he lay down with the girl. She was very glad because they were married. Then the married couple played together. Then her father awoke from hearing that they were playing together. "My dear," said the father, "you ought to drive away this one, child!" thus said the

p. 73

father, "else it may walk about in the house behind you." Thus said our chief to his child. Then our chief went to sleep again. He did not sleep long, when Scab again played with his wife. Then the wife of our chief awoke from hearing playing in the rear of the house. "My dear," said the wife of our chief to her daughter, "do drive that away, child!" Thus said the wife of our chief. She thought that it was a dog with whom her child was playing.

"You are foolish," said the daughter of our chief. "I thought you said that I should have this one for my husband."--"Do get up," said the woman to her husband. "Very important is what our daughter says." Then our chief arose and made a fire. The fire in the house was burning. "Arise, slaves!" said our chief. Then they arose and spread mats in the rear of the house; then he called his daughter and her husband.

Then the married couple arose; and they were sitting in the house for a long time, in the rear of the house, when our chief spoke. "Welcome!" said our chief to Scab. "I thought beforehand that it was you, Scab," said our chief, "because you were desired by all of us, the (whole) number in the house. Evidently you are not an ordinary man, because not one man ever reached my house; therefore I think you are not an ordinary man. Only take care of your marriage." Thus said our chief to Scab.

Then Scab began to speak. "Thank you for what you have said," said Scab to our chief. "I am a good man, I do not fail in what I wish to do." Then Scab staid a long time at his place. Then Scab became downcast, and he was really downcast. The daughter of our chief asked, "What is the cause of your being downcast?" Thus said his wife. "Don't deny it, if you should desire

p. 75

to go home."--"I am only downcast because I long for my father." Thus said Scab. "Let us go and see your father."

Then his wife got ready, and put on what she (used to) have on as her means of flying. Then she went out with her husband. "Only cling to my back," said his wife. Then she began to fly. She was going to see her father-in-law. For a long time the child of our chief went along flying. Then she saw his house. "Is that your house," said the daughter of our chief. "That's it," said Scab. Then she soared downward, going to the house of her husband. She arrived there. Then she entered and looked about in the house, and what should there be? They were all dead. The father of Scab, and his daughter-in-law the little Dzô'noq!wa woman. Then Scab spoke. "Don't be this way in the house," said Scab to his father. "I have again obtained supernatural power," said Scab to his father. "Important is your word, child," said the father of Scab. "[But] again he has supernatural power, that child!" said the father of Scab. Go on, let me know quickly what kind of supernatural power you have, child." Then Scab spoke. "I have been far away." Thus said Scab to his father. I was above our world. I have obtained for my wife the daughter of our chief above. It is as though I were more than natural. Therefore I say this,--I am more than natural, because we just came flying along from her house, coming towards our house here."

Then the little Dzô'noq!wa woman was jealous when she saw his second wife; but the little Dzô'noq!wa woman did not speak about doing anything, and the daughter of our chief did not speak about doing anything. Then the Dzô'noq!wa woman began first in the house. She showed the second wife what kind she was,--that she was also not a common person. Then the little Dzô'noq!wa woman

p. 77

moved in the house. She went around the house, dancing around. Then the daughter of our chief became a woodpecker, and sat on a pole standing in the middle of the house. Then the little Dzô'noq!wa woman was quiet in the house. Then the princess of our chief changed places with her in the house. She also went around. The daughter of our chief flew around in the house. Then she sat still, and the little Dzô'noq!wa woman flew about in the house. Then the little Dzô'noq!wa woman was a bluejay, and the bluejay flew about in the house a long time. Then she sat quiet, and the child of our chief became a red flicker, and the flicker flew around in the house for a long time. Then their faces were monstrous, showing that they were not common persons. Then the woodpecker sat still; and our lady, the daughter of our chief, began again. She was a qô'los. 1 Our lady did her utmost with the little Dzô'noq!wa woman.

Then our lady said that she was tired of the little Dzô'noq!wa woman. They had been flying around the house for a long time, going to and fro in the house, flying to and fro. Then they sat still and came to their senses in the house. Scab and his father just enjoyed looking at the doings of his (Scab's) wives. Then they finished in the house. Then our lady, the daughter of our chief, spoke. "Behold, really you are not an ordinary person." Thus said our lady to the little Dzô'noq!wa woman. "I know that you are not an ordinary person." Thus said our lady. Then she was glad, and she was very friendly with the second wife. They gave to eat to their father-in-law and to their husband.

Scab did not love the little Dzô'noq!wa woman much. He loved the daughter of our chief. He had a dislike for the little Dzô'noq!wa woman. Now they had been in

p. 79

their house for a long time. They were happy in the house. Then our lady became downcast, and Scab said to his wife, "Don't deny it if you long for your parents." Thus said Scab to his wife. "I desire to go home," said our lady. "Let us go home to your house," said Scab. Then our lady put on what she used to have on, and they went out of the house.

"Don't feel uneasy about me," said Scab to his father, "we shall not be (away) long; a little while and we shall see you again." Then our lady spoke. "Take care," she said to her husband, "hold fast and cling to my shoulder," thus she said to her husband, "else you may hurt yourself. It would be your mind if you should let go from clinging to my shoulder." Then Scab was flown away with, and they were, going to the house of his wife. For a long time she had been flying along with Scab. They were halfway to where they were going and whence they had come (before). It seems, Scab did not know what he had done before,--he must have been asleep,--and therefore he let go of his wife, and he fell down, and Scab came down spinning around. Our lady just went on flying to our chief. Then our lady reached her house. She was asked by her parents, "Where is your husband?" Thus said our chief. "He made a great mistake," said our lady to her father. "I tried to warn him that he should take care and cling to my shoulders while we were coming this way. Evidently he did not know what he was doing; evidently he fell asleep; therefore he did not know what he was doing; therefore he did not tell me. I just saw him going, spinning around, going downward." Our chief did not say anything about what his daughter had done.

Then the father of Scab became uneasy. He was not

p. 81

quiet; he always had some place where he wanted to go about at both sides of the house. His father paddled about. Then he saw his dead son drifting about. He recognized at once that it was his son. "Evidently you made a mistake, Found-by-Good-Luck." Thus he said to his dead child. Then he took his child aboard, for he was dead, and he went home to his house. Then he buried him behind his house. He did not tell his daughter-in-law, the little Dzô'noq!wa woman, about what her husband Scab had done; and the father of Scab lived now with his daughter-in-law. That is the end.


Footnotes

77:1 A mythical bird.


Next: 5. L!â'lamîn