Sacred Texts Native American Northwest Index Previous Next
[1-17, told by Philip; 18 to 20 and 3a told by Moses]
1. There was a chief who had a daughter who swallowed a leaf of a cedar when drinking water. Then she had a pretty child, a boy. The child was able to walk, but he did not eat. Then his grandfather worried. He called two old men to chew some food for the child. The two old men did so. They chewed some salmon and grease, and one of them scratched a scab from his shin. He put it among the salmon that he had chewed. Then the child ate what the old man had chewed; he ate very much. In the evening he ate one salmon in the house of his grandfather. He was hungry all the night, after the two old men who
had chewed for him left the house. Then he did not sleep, but he ate until the day broke. Now his grandfather was glad; but the boy ate all day, and after a short time all the food was gone. Then he ate all the provisions in another house, and he ate all the provisions of the whole village. Then his grandfather was troubled. He wanted to get rid of him because he knew that the boy had done wrong. He said, "My grandchild has eaten scabs of Wâ'sE, therefore I will get rid of him. Go, slave, and tell the tribe." The slave ran out and said, "Great tribe, you shall move to-morrow morning." On the following morning the people moved. They deserted the prince.
2. What was he to eat? He went toward the beach searching for some food, but he did not find anything. Behold, there was a fish in
the water. It was not moving. Then he called it ashore to talk to it. The fish came toward the shore. Its name was Bullhead. The prince thought he would kill it. Now it was almost within reach, but it swam back into the water. Then the prince was much depressed because he was hungry, The fish knew his intentions. It swam back from the shore saying, "Do you think I do not know you, Giant?" Then he acted as though he were taking bold of the image of the fish, and, stretching out his band, said, "You shall have a thin tail. Only your head shall be thick." Then it became the Bullhead. The bullhead used to be remarkably stout. Txä'msEm cursed it, and therefore it is thin at one end.
3. Then the prince put on his grandfather's dancing blanket. He went on, not knowing where he went. He tore his dancing blanket and was
very poor. Then be caught a number of ravens, and used any means be could invent to kill them. He took their skins and tied them together, and put on the raven blanket. Then he went about dressed up nicely. Now he saw a good dancing blanket like the one he had worn before. At once he tore his raven blanket and took the dancing blanket that hung before him. Behold it was no dancing blanket; there were only lichens on the trees. Now he saw that there were nothing but lichens. He sat down weeping. He took his raven blanket, tied it together again, and walked on, hungry and weeping.
4. Now he wanted to go to war. He mot a pretty slave whose name was K*?ixō'm. He took him along, and they came to the house of a chief. The chief called to him, "Come in, my dear, if it is you who ate the scabs of Wâ'sE." Then he was ashamed. He entered with his
slave, and they sat down. The chief (a small bird) fed them. First they ate salmon, then the waiters served crab apples mixed with grease. When Txä'msEm saw this he became very desirous of eating it; therefore with a low voice be said to his slave, "Tell them that I like to eat what they have there." The slave said, "Oh, chief! he says he does not like to eat what you have there," and the slave ate it all alone, and Txä'msEm sat there looking on. He did not eat anything. After they had finished eating, they went out, Txä'msEm first.
5. Then they came to a deep canyon. He took the dried stein of a skunk-cabbage (?)and laid it across. He made a bridge. Then he himself went across, and after he had done so he called K*?ixō'm (that was the name of his slave) to come across; but the slave was afraid to follow Txä'msEm. After a while, however, he followed him, and when he
reached the middle of the bridge it broke. He fell down into the canyon, and his belly burst. When Txä'msEm saw what had happened, and saw the food of which he had not been able to partake, then he flew to the bottom of the canyon and ate the contents of the slave's stomach. He simply took the food with his hands. When he had finished eating, the slave arose and said, "He eats excrements." Then Txä'msEm was ashamed. The slave recovered and parted company with Txä'msEm.
Thus the slave found out that it was Txä'msEm. When the latter went about murdering he heard himself called very bad names. First the Bullhead called him Giant, and then the chief called him Eating-scabs-of-Wâ'sE. He was again very hungry.
6. Then he arrived at another village, and saw little children playing at the end of the town. They were throwing pieces of seal blubber at one another. He stepped among them and ate the blubber. He ate all the blubber which the children were throwing at one another. Then they wondered what had become of it. Txä'msEm asked them, "Where do you get that blubber?" And they told him where they got it. They said, "We climb up a tree and throw ourselves down. When we strike the ground, we open our eyes and say, 'High piles of our blubber,' and immediately there are high piles of blubber." Therefore Txä'msEm also climbed the tree. He threw himself down, saving, "High." Then the children looked and saw that he
was dead. They laughed at him and left him. After a while Txä'msEm opened his eyes. He did not find anything to eat.
7. Txä'msEm found another house which belonged to Chief Cormorant. The house was full of provisions, and he sat down and ate. 'Then he asked the Cormorant to join him in catching halibut. Txä'msEm did not catch anything, while Chief Cormorant caught a great many. Then Txä'msEm Went up to him in the canoe. He took a louse from the Cormorant's neck, held it up to him, and said, "Open your mouth and I will put your louse into it." The Cormorant replied, "No! Put it overboard into the water." "You will not catch anything if I put it into the water." Txä'msEm urged him, "Put out your tongue and let me put it on." Then the Cormorant did so.
He put out his tongue. Txä'msEm seized it and tore it out. Then the chief was dumb. They returned to the shore and quitted fishing. The Cormorant's wife went down to the beach, and Txä'msEm said to her, "The chief fainted, and lost his speech." But Chief Cormorant said, "Gogogo!" "Now you hear he says that he caught all this halibut, but I caught it." Yet he had not caught it. In this way the Cormorant lost his speech. Then they carried up the halibut, and Txä'msEm told how the chief had lost his speech.
8. Txä'msEm did another thing. He came to a chief, who called him into his house. His name was TEnō'kuLEnx. The house stood
all alone. Txä'msEm was very glad because he saw much food there.
He ate there all the time. Then he saw TEnō'kuLEnx's club. It hung on the house post and was inlaid with abalone shell. Txä'msEm said, "He acts like a bad slave." He saw that the chief had large teeth. The chief arose and took the club, intending to kill Txä'msEm, but he ran out of the house. Then Txä'msEm spoke kindly, "I said you are acting nicely, Chief." TEnō'kuLEnx said, "No, you said, 'He acts like a bad slave.'" "I shall not say so again, Chief. Let me sit near you." Then TEnō'kuLEnx agreed. Txä'msEm reentered the house and stayed there a long time. Now Txä'msEm went into the woods near the house. He made a club of rotten wood. He pounded mussel shells and inlaid the rotten wood with it. Then he took TEnō'kuLEnx's club
and hung in its place the club of rotten wood which looked like it. Then he hid TEnō'kuLEnx's club, and sat down, and said again, "How bad acts that slave to whom I came!" Then TEnō'kuLEnx rose. He took his club, and Txä'msEm ran out of the house. As soon as TEnō'kuLEnx came outside he struck Txä'msEm on the head, who said, "My brother is using a rotten wood club to kill me." Then he took TEnō'kuLEnx's own club and killed him. He threw the body on the beach. He stayed in the house and ate all of TEnō'kuLEnx's food.
9. Another time Txä'msEm came to the house of the Seal. The Seal invited him in. He was eating salmon. He took a dish and placed it near the fire; then he held up his hands near the fire so that they grew warm. Then grease dripped from his fingers and ran into the
dish. He gave it to Txä'msEm to dip the salmon in the grease. Txä'msEm ate the salmon with the seal blubber. He ate very much, and was satiated. Then he left. Now Txä'msEm made a house. He finished it and invited the Seal to visit him. The Seal entered, and sat down in the rear of the house, and Txä'msEm took a dish. He placed it near the fire and held up his hands so that they grew warm, but his hands were scorched. Then Txä'msEm turned back secretly, crying, "Mmmmmm!" When the Seal saw that Txä'msEm was crying, he rose. There was no grease in the dish. Then he said, "He tries to imitate what I do." Txä'msEm was ashamed. He put pitch on his hand because it hurt. Then he said, "You ought not to try such things. You would better get food for me that I may eat." He was
greatly troubled, therefore he said so. He spoke to his hand. For that reason the hands of man are bent (in old age) to this day.
Txä'msEm went on, and came to a nice house. There he found Chief Ts?Enk?oa'ts, who had stores of provisions. The chief invited in Txä'msEm, who sat down. Then he ate salmon, good salmon. After he had eaten he drank water. Ts?Enk?oa'ts took a nice dish, and stretched his foot out over the dish; then he took a stone, struck his ankle, and pulled out fish roe. He placed it before Txä'msEm, who ate it. He was very glad. He left the house of Ts?Enk?oa'ts when he had eaten enough. Then Txä'msEm thought he would invite his friend to visit him. He made a house and invited in Ts?Enk?oa'ts, who sat down. Then Txä'msEm took a dish and stretched his foot out
over the dish. He took a stone and struck his ankle. He fell down backward, and said, "Oh! I am dead; I am almost dead." Ts?Enk?oa'ts said, "He tries to imitate me," and left the house. Then Txä'msEm was ashamed. His foot was swollen.
He went on, not knowing which way to turn. He came to the house of Salmon-berry-bird, who invited Txä'msEm in. Then he ate salmon. When he had finished eating, he drank. Now, Salmonberry-bird took a nice dish. He wiped it out. Then he rose and said, "Miyâ'! Miyâ'!" He said so very often. Then the dish was full of salmon-berries. Txä'msEm saw them and ate. Then he thought he would do the same. Secretly he took an unripe salmon-berry and put
it into his hand. He left the house. Then he made a house and invited in Chief Salmon-berry-bird. He imitated him. He arose after having placed the unripe salmon-berry in his dish. Then he stood there and said, "Miyâ'! Miyâ'!" He said so very often, but there remained just as many unripe salmon-berries in the dish as he had put in. He placed the dish before Chief Salmon-berry-bird, who rose, saying, "He tries to imitate me." Then Txä'msEm was ashamed. He did not imitate any more.
10. He went on, not knowing which way to turn. Behold, he came out of the woods to a large town. There were people in front of the town fishing for halibut. Txä'msEm thought, "They have much bait, and I will eat it." He dived, and he saw the bait. He took it from
the hook and ate it. He went from one hook to the other, eating all the bait. Then the bait of all the fishermen had disappeared, but they did not know how it had happened. Finally one of the men caught Txä'msEm's jaw. His jaw was caught on one of the hooks. Then the fisherman pulled. Txä'msEm was pulled up, although he was resisting. He could not take the hook out of his mouth. He held on to the rocks at the bottom of the sea. Then he was hauled up with the fish line. The fishermen came together and they all hauled the fish line. Txä'msEm said to the rocks at the bottom of the sea that they should help him, and finally he said to his jaw, "Break off, jaw! I am getting tired." Then his jaw broke off. When the fishermen saw the great jaw with a long beard, some of them laughed, but others were scared. They went ashore, and all the people assembled in the
chief's house. There they looked at the great jaw. Txä'msEm went ashore, coming out of the water. He was greatly worried. Then he repented and said, "I am always doing this to myself." He arrived at the town while the people were looking at the great jaw in the chief's house. Txä'msEm entered and sat down near the door. He saw the people looking at the great jaw. He held his blanket over his mouth to cover his lost jaw. When he saw his own great jaw he stretched out his hand, saying, "Give it to me." He took it and looked at it, turning it over and over, examining it. Then he put it on and ran out, and the people said, "That is Txä'msEm, the cheater!" Then Txä'msEm was well again.
11. Txä'msEm went on. He was very hungry, and he saw a steelhead salmon jumping in the river. hen he devised a plan. He
kicked a rock and made a deep hole. He said with a loud voice, "Steel-head salmon, hit my heart." After he had said so he sat down quietly. The steel-head salmon hit his heart, and Txä'msEm lay there dead. After a little while he opened his eyes and he saw that the salmon had jumped over the hole that he had made. Then he kicked the rock a second time, and he again told the salmon to hit his heart. He sat down again and the same was repeated. He told the salmon to hit his heart, and it did so. Again he was dead. After a while he opened his eves and saw the salmon lying in the hole near the water. He rushed down to catch it, but he could not reach it. He kicked the rock a third time, and sat down again. Then he told the salmon to bit his heart. It did so, and again he was dead. His heart
was swollen. Then he opened his eyes again, and saw the salmon which lay right in the, middle of the rock. He went down slowly and caught it.
12. Now he did not know how to prepare his food. So he sat down and defecated. Then he asked his excrements, "What shall I do, my excrements?" They said, "Steam it in a hole." Then he cut wood, but while he was doing so he forgot what he was to do. Then he sat down again and defecated. Only a little came out. He asked, "What shall I do, my excrements?" They said, "Steam it in a hole." They spoke in a low voice. Now Txä'msEm gathered stones, and he said all the time, "Steam it in a hole." He said it as though he was singing.
[paragraph continues] He made a song of the words, "Steam it in a hole." When the hole was hot he went to gather leaves of the skunk-cabbage to cover it. Then he cut the salmon lengthwise and put it on top of the leaves in the, hole. A stump lay near the hole. Then he took part of the salmon out and said to the stump, shaking the salmon, "I am sure you envy me, Stump." Then he went to get some more leaves which were to serve as his dish. After he had left, the Stump moved and sat down on top of the hole. Now Txä'msEm returned to eat. Behold, the Stump was sitting on the hole. Then he opened his mouth and cried on account of his food. He took a long lever and turned the Stump over. Behold, it had eaten all the salmon. Then he hit the Stump with stones, and turned it all over with his lever until the Stump was broken. It was quite rotten. He found a few small
pieces of fresh salmon. He put these into his mouth and he was very hungry while doing so.
13. He went on toward the sea and entered the house of the Grizzly Bear. He asked him to join him in catching halibut, but the Grizzly Bear said that he had no bait. Txä'msEm replied, "We will use our own bodies as bait; we will use our testicles." He carried the tail of the steel-head salmon. Txä'msEm went down to the water and took the canoe of the Grizzly Bear. While he was doing so, the Bear rose and went into the canoe, and they started for the fishing bank. Now they reached it, and Txä'msEm pretended to cut off his penis and to tie it on to his hook for bait. The Grizzly Bear saw the act, but was afraid to do the same. He was surprised at what he saw Txä'msEm doing. The latter urged him, saying, "Go on, do the same;" but the
[paragraph continues] Grizzly Bear was afraid to do so. Then Txä'msEm pushed his knife along the canoe, handing), it to the Bear. Now the Bear cut off his penis, and he fainted. When he felt that he was dying, he made a rush at Txä'msEm, trying to kill him, but Txä'msEm jumped into the water and dived. He clung to the bow of the canoe, and when he knew that the Bear was dead, he boarded the canoe again. He went ashore and stepped up to the Bear's wife.
He put stones into the fire and told the female Grizzly Bear to swallow the hot stones. He said that the wives of those who do not catch anything must do so, and she was to do so, because her husband had not caught any halibut. The chieftainess trusted him. Txä'msEm took up the stones with tongs. He told her to open her
mouth and he put the hot stones into it. Then she tumbled about, and Txä'msEm hit her all over while she was doing so until she was dead. He walked down at once and took the Bear that he had killed first out of the canoe. He cut him first, and then his wife. Both the Bears were dead. He stayed there for many days eating. When he had eaten all the provisions of the Bear, he left again, not knowing where he went.
14. Then he went out of the woods and came to a house, the house of Little Pitch, who was rich, and lived there with his wife. Then Little Pitch invited him in and he ate. When he was satiated, he slept. Then he said that they would go to catch halibut. Little Pitch was willing, and said to him, "It is not good for me to be out after sunrise.
[paragraph continues] I must return while it is still chilly. I shall have enough by that time." Txä'msEm replied, "I shall do whatever you say, Chief." Little Pitch said, "Well!" Then they started for the fish bank. They fished all night. When the sun rose Little Pitch wanted to go ashore, but Txä'msEm said, "I enjoy the fishing. Lie down in the bow of the canoe and cover yourself with a mat." Little Pitch did so. Then Txä'msEm said, "Little Pitch!" "Heh!" he replied. After a while Txä'msEm called again, "Little Pitch!" He answered again in a loud voice. After some time Txä'msEm called again. Then Little Pitch's voice was weary. Now Txä'msEm hauled up his line and paddled home. He pretended to paddle strongly, but he put his paddles into the water
edgewise. Again he called, "Little Pitch!" "Heh!" Little Pitch replied, but his voice was very weak. Then Txä'msEm knew that Little Pitch was dying. Behold, pitch came out and ran over the halibut where Little Pitch died. Therefore the halibut is black on one side.
That is the end of another adventure of Txä'msEm. He always ate all the food of the chiefs. He killed two chiefs, Grizzly Bear and Little Pitch.
15. He did another thing. He found the town of the air. He saw houses, and heard people saying, "The chief is coming," but he did not see anyone. A man said to him, "Enter the house of the chief." Then he entered. He walked proudly and erect. Behold, a mat was being spread for him on one side of the house. Txä'msEm sat down on it. Behold, a box opened of itself and salmon came out
of it. A dish walked to the fire all by itself. Txä'msEm was much astonished. It lay down in front of him. He thought about it while he was eating. When he had finished, he drank. Then cranberries mixed with grease and water came from the corner of the house and placed themselves in front of him. Then a spoon came to him. He took the handle of the spoon, but nobody was holding it. Then he ate. The dish was very small, and he thought (?) (?) (?). Thus thought Txä'msEm. Then he heard many women laughing near the wall of the house. They said, "The Giant thinks (?) (?) (?)." He heard his own name, Giant, mentioned. He rose from the place where he was eating and went to where the women were speaking,
but he did not find anyone, although they were speaking right in front of him. He did not see them. He went back to the fire and sat down. He was quite out of breath. Then he thought, "I will take these things and eat them outside." He rose and took a bundle of salmon. He ran out of the house, but when he came to the door they dragged him back, and he almost fell down. Then be heard someone saying, "Sit down, Chief Giant." Txä'msEm sat down again. He was quite out of breath. He rose again and dragged the box from which the berries had come toward the fire. Then he was attacked and beaten with sticks, although he did not see a person. The sticks moved of themselves, hitting his body, his head, his hands, and his feet. Then he felt very badly. He went on, not knowing which way to turn.
16. Txä'msEm did still another thing. He came to the house where the Deer was living with his wife. There were two persons in the house. Then Txä'msEm sat down and said, "Let us go and cut wood." He called the Deer his brother-in-law. The Deer trusted him, and they went to cut wood. While they were splitting the wood the wedges jumped out all the time. Txä'msEm said to the Deer, "Hold the wedges." He did so. Txä'msEm struck the wedges with his hammer, and said to the Deer, "Come a little nearer to the wedges, friend!" The Deer was afraid; but Txä'msEm again asked him to come nearer, because the wedges were always jumping out. Txä'msEm sang while splitting wood, because he was very glad. "Hôho, hôho,
hîhî!" When he had said so, he hit the Deer's head. "O, my poor brother-in-law!" he said when the Deer died. Then he took the Deer into his canoe. He broke some mussel shells and stuck them into his body, saying that they were arrowheads. Then he paddled back to the village singing (?) (?) (?). Then the Deer's wife went down, and Txä'msEm showed her where the arrow points were sticking in the Deer's blanket. The woman believed him. They carried up the Deer which Txä'msEm had murdered. Then he killed the Deer's wife also. He stayed at the house and ate them. He had killed them for this purpose.
17. Then he came to the house of Smoke-hole. The house was at the foot of a mountain. He entered. The chief said to his grandchildren,
[paragraph continues] "Attack him, because he steals all the good things he sees." Txä'msEm took off the bark of an alder and chewed it. Then he entered the house of Smoke-hole, intending to steal his bow, which was ornamented with abalone shells. He transformed himself into a raven and took the bow. Smoke-hole said to his door, "Shut, Door!" Then Txä'msEm was unable to leave the house. They tried to catch him, intending to kill him. He cried, "Qa, qa, qa, qa!" Smoke-hole said to his smoke hole, "Shut!" and the smoke bole caught Txä'msEm's neck. He was dead, and his body was hanging in the smoke hole. Txä'msEm pretended to be dead. Then Smoke-hole made afire. Then Txä'msEm took his own voice and put it in the woods, in a bluff behind Smoke-hole's house. There it made an echo, crying, "Miserable chief, what are you doing? You are a chief and you eat the excrements of a
raven!" Then Smoke-hole was ashamed. Therefore he said to his smoke hole, "Open!" It opened, and Txä'msEm flew away, crying, "Qa, qa, qa, qa!" He was almost dead. He let the chewed alder juice run out of his mouth, pretending that blood was coming out of it. When Smoke-hole saw the alder juice he really believed that it was blood, and then he told his smoke hole to open entirely. He said, "Be ashamed of yourself, Txä'msEm, great slave! You were trying to steal again." Txä'msEm could not steal this time.
18. He went on, and came to a house where a man lived near the beach. Then the Giant said: "I am your friend." The person replied, "That is good." The beach in front of the house was full of seals. The Giant ate them all during two nights. Then he killed his friend. He finished all the seals in front of the house, and he ate them all.
[paragraph continues] Now he was hungry again, and he used the canoe of the person whom he had killed. Only the man's canoe and harpoon remained. The Giant used them. Then he speared seals, and caught four. He returned and went ashore. He took the seals out of the canoe, and began cutting wood. Then he built a fire, and placed stones in it in order to heat them. Then he put the seals on a pile of hot stones. He cooked the four seals, and covered them with skunk-cabbage leaves. The Giant then raised the cover and took out a seal, which he ate when it was cooked. Then he stretched out his hand and took out another seal. There was a stump of a tree near by. The Giant held the seal in his hands and said to the stump, "Don't you envy me, Stump?" Then he went into the woods. Meanwhile the Stump rose and sat down on the hole in which the seals were steaming. The seals
were right under him. Now the Giant returned, carrying leaves of the skunk-cabbage. When he saw the Stump sitting on his seals. he cried; He was very much troubled, because he was hungry. Then he took a stick and dug the ground. He cried while he was digging. He found a little bit of meat and ate it. He was crying all the time because he was hungry. He could not do anything.
19. He went on and came to the shore of the sea. There he built a house. Then he made up his mind what to do. After he had finished his house, he dressed himself, put up his hair, and fastened his blanket. He took coal and rubbed it all over his face. He made a dagger and tied it to his hand. Then he rose, and ran out, saying, "I am sad," Thus he spoke while he was walking down to the beach. There he saw
a stump. He took it and said, "I caught you." Then he returned. He entered and put the little stump down in his house.
20. The Giant was sad all the time, because he was hungry and there was no food in the house. Therefore he resolved what to do. Early next morning be ran out of the house. Behold, there were ripples on the water. Salmon and halibut and bullheads and porpoises were swimming about in the water. There were all kinds of salmon. When the Giant saw this, he said, "Alâ! alâ! alâ! guts?ē'eku." Then the salmon said, "Hm!" There was one chief among the salmon who commanded all the others. He said, "I can not hear what the chief on shore there is saving;" thus he said to the Giant. Then
he called Little Porpoise, saying, "You will be able to hear what the chief on shore is saving." Little Porpoise swam ashore. He was not very large. Then the Giant ran out again and cried, "Alâ! alâ! alâ! guts?ē'eku." Then the chief of the salmon understood it, because Little Porpoise had told him. He said, "The chief ashore tells us what to do. He says that we salmon shall all swim together." Then the chief of the salmon repeated it, and all the salmon went ashore together. Then all the halibut were left dry on the beach. The Giant ran out of his house carrying a stick. He clubbed them and carried them up to the house. Then he dried some of them and ate others. He was eating all the time. He was a great eater. He ate them all and then he went on.
3a. Now he was very poor. He had no blanket. He was quite
naked. Then he was ashamed. He took a root and killed many ravens. After he had caught them he fastened their skins together and put them on. He went for a long time, and then he saw a dancing blanket hanging in front of him. He was very glad; he took off his raven blanket and tore it to shreds. He threw it down and went to take the dancing blanket, but behold, there was nothing but old, withered leaves. Then the Giant was troubled. It was no dancing blanket at all, and he cried with a loud voice. He returned and found the shreds of his raven blanket. He cried while he was gathering them up. Then he repaired the raven blanket, making a small blanket out of it, which he put on.