44 7ournal of American Folk-Lore.
 ONONDAGA TALES.
THE SERPENT AND THE THUNDERERS.
SA-GO-NA-QUA-DER, " He who makes every one angry," told me this story, which 1 reproduce nearly in his own words. An old Oneida came into his aunt's house at Onondaga Castle, and after all had
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given him the customary tobacco, the story-teller's fee, he related the following tale.
A long time ago, in an Indian settlement, were two wigwam,,;, not far apart, and in these lived two squaws who were very good friends. They had two children of about the same age, who played together, and when they had little bows and arrows they shot together. As they grew bigger they wanted strotiger bows and arrows, and their uncles made sonic for them. They used these every day, and became skilful in killing birds and small game, and then asked for some still stronger, that they might kill larger animals. They were now young men and good hunters. One of them, being handsome and kind, was very much liked by the women, and some of the maidens would have married him, but he refused all offers. At last his friend talked with him, and told him he had better marry, or something might hap-
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pen for which he would be sorry. This troubled him, and he said he would soon choose a wife, but first they would have a long hunt together.
They got ready for this, telling their mothers they were going away on a great hunt, far from their village, and might be gone many days. So their mothers took some corn and roasted it, and then pounded this into meal in their wooden mortars. This was light, and -would keep a long time. The young men filled their sacks, took their bows, and went to their hunting-ground. They walked all day, and camped in the woods. They walked all the next day, and camped on the hunting-ground, where they soon built a wig-
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wam.
After this they hunted every day, and one was lucky and brought home a great deal of game, but the one whom the young squaws liked came home without any and said very little. This happened for several davs, and the one who had been so happy and such a favorite seemed sorry all the time. Every morning they went off to hunt in opposite directions, and one day his friend thought he would follow him wid see what he did. They went out as before, and after he had walked a little way the lucky hunter turned back into the other's path. He soon saw him running very fast through the woods, and hurried after him, calling to him to stop ; but he did not. They ran till they came to a lake, and the first one plunged into the water
Onondaga Tales. 45
and swam across, while his friend went around the shore. The swimmer got there first, paying no attention to his loud calls. They ran on to a second smaller lake, where they did the same, but this time the one on shore got ahead. The sorry young man then turned back, and his friend ran past both lakes, and was hid in the bushes when the other came ashore. As the swimmer entered the woods the other jumped out and caught him, asking him what was the matter and why he acted so strangely.
At first the young man could say nothing and seemed to know nothing, but soon came to his senses. He told his friend that he was going to be married, and must leave him all alone, for he could not go back to his home. If he wished to see him at any time, he might come to the lake, bringing fresh Indian tobacco and clean clay pipes. These things he must lay on bark just from the tree, and then say to the lake, " I want to see my friend."
So he went off another way, and married the big serpent in the lake. When he had gone his friend went back to the wigwam, and he, too, was now very sorry, and did not wish to hunt. lie built a fire and sat down alone.
It was very still for a long time, and then he heard some one coming. When he turned around a young man stood in the doorway, dressed in white and with white feathers on his head. The visitor said, 11 You seem to be in trouble, but for all that you are the only one that can help us. My chief has sent me to invite you to our council." Then he gave him wampum, to show that he brought a true message. The hunter said, "Where is the council?" The young man in white answered, 11 Why, you came right by our wig-
wam in the woods, though you did not see it. Follow me, and you will find it quite near." So be went with him, not very far, till he saw smoke rising from the ground, and then a wigwam. Goitig in, he saw eight chiefs sitting quietly on the ground. All bad white feathers on their heads, but the principal chief had larger feathers than the rest. They gave him a place, and the hunter sat down and smoked with them. When the pipe came round to the principal chief, he rose and spoke to the young man.
11 You have come to help us, and we have waited for you a long time." The young man said, "How can I help you?" The chief answered, "Your friend has married the big serpent in the lake, whom we must kill. He has told you how to call him when you want to see him, and we will furnish the tobacco and pipes." The chiefs then gave him clean pipes and fresh tobacco, and the hunter took these and went to the lake. The principal chief said also, "When your friend comes you must ask to see his wife. She will want to know if the skv is clear. When she comes you must take
46 7ournal of American Folk-Lore.
them a little way from the lake and talk to them there. The chiefs will come in the form of a cloud, -on the lake, not in the sky."
So lie took the fresh tobacco, the clean bark, and pipes, and laid them by the shore. Then he stood by the water and called loudly for his friend, saying he was going away, and wished to see him once more. Soon there was a ripple out on the lake, and the water began to boil, his friend coming out of it. He had a spot on his forehead, and looked like a serpent and yet like a man. His friend talked with him, asking what he should say to his mother when he got home. Then he asked to see his wife, that he might tell his mother what she was like. The serpent man said that she might not wish to come, but he would try. So he went to the shore and lay down, placing his lips to the water and beginning to drink. Then the hunter saw him going down through the water, not swimming like a man, but moving like a snake. Soon the water boiled again, and he came back, saying that his wife would come; but she did not. Then he looked around to see if the sky was clear, and went to the shore once more, drinking again and going down in the water like a snake.
Now a greater sight was seen. The lake boiled again, not in one spot, but all over, and great waves rolled up on the shore, as though there had been a strong wind, but there was none. The waves grew larger, and then the serpent man's wife came out of the water. She was very beautiful and shone like silver, but the silver seemed like scales. She had long hair falling all around her, as though it had been gold and silver glittering in the sun. Her husband came with her through the waves and up on the shore, and all three sat down on a log and talked together.
The hunter remembered the chief's words, and at last saw something like a cloud a great way off, moving upon the water, and not through the sky. Then he asked them to go into the woods, where the sun was not so hot, and there talk with him. When they did this he said he must step aside, and then he ran away, as the chiefs had told him. As he ran, a great cloud came at once over everything, and terrible thunder and lightning followed where they had sat, with rain everywhere.
At last all was quiet again, and the hunter went back to the lake, where a big and a little serpent lay dead upon the ground. They were the serpent woman and his friend. The eight chiefs were there, too, and had a great dance, rejoicing over their dead enemy. When this was over they cut up both serpents, making eight equal bundles of them. Each chief put one on his back, and then they were ready to go. All thanked the young man for what he had done, and told him lie should always be lucky, saying, "Ask us for what you want at any time, and you shall have it." Then they went off through
Onondaga Tales. 47
the woods in Indian file, and as he looked they seemed to step higher and higher, until they went up to the sky. Then there was a great thunder-storm, for the chiefs were the Thunderers.
The hunter went back to his wigwam, but it was quiet and lonesome, and he was sad ; so he took down part of his meat, carrying it a half day's journey into the woods, where he hung it up on the trees. Then he returned for more, doing the same with the rest until he got home, where he told the story to the mother of his friend. She was very sorry for the death of the son whom she had loved, but adopted him in his place, and so the young man had two mothers.
So far, the old Oneida said, it was "all a true fact," but he had an opinion about the place, which was not a part of the story. He thought Crooked Lake, in a group of ponds far up the valley, was the first lake the young man swam across, and Round Lake the sec-
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ond. This seemed likely to him, but it was only his opinion.
THE TERRIBLE SKELETON.
This story has been told somewhat differently by my late friend, Mrs. E. A. Smith. My version was given me by Albert Cusick, as it is found among the Onondagas.
In old times the Onondagas lived on a much larger reservation than now, a great land, but they made hunting parties to the North Woods. A party went off in which were an old man, his daughter and her husband, and their little boy. They went one day and camped, and another day and camped, and then separated. The old man, his daughter, and her husband turned one way, but the little boy accidentally went the other way with his uncle. The three kept on, and late in the day found an empty cabin in a clearing. There was an Indian bedstead on each side within, and as no one seemed to live there they resolved to stay for the night. They gathered plenty of fuel, stripping long pieces from the shag-bark hickory, built a fine fire, spread their deerskins on the bedsteads, and then went to sleep; the old man on one side, and the man and his wife on the other. When the fire became low, and it grew dark in the cabin, the young people were awakened by a sound like a dog gnawing a bone. They stirred about, and the noise ceased, but was followed by something like rattling bones overhead. They got up and put on more fuel, and were going back to bed when they saw something like water flowing from the other couch. it was blood, and the old man was dead. His clothes were torn open, and his ribs broken and gnawed. They covered him up and lay down again. The same thing happened the second time, and this time they saw it was a terrible skeleton, feeding on the dead man. They were frightened, and
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in whispers devised a plan of escape. They made a greater fire, and the wife said, 11 Husband, I must go to the spring and get some water; I am so thirsty." So she quietly went out, but when she had got a little way she ran with all her might towards her own country.
When her husband thought she had a good start, he made a very big fire, to last a great while, and then he said, 11 What has become of my wife ? I am afraid she is drowned in the spring. I must go and see." So he went out, and when he had got some way he ran with all his might, too, and when he overtook his wife he caught her by the arm, and they both ran on together. By and by the fire went down, and the skeleton came again, and when he found they were gone he started in chase. Soon they heard him howling terribly behind them, and they ran faster.
It happened that night that the Onondagas were holding a feast, and it now drew near morning. The man and woman heard the drum sounding afar off, lum-tum, tum-tum, and they ran harder, and shouted, but the skeleton did the same. Then they heard the drum again, TUM-TUM, tum-tum, and it was nearer, and they shouted again. Their friends heard the distress-hallo, and came to their rescue with all their arms. The skeleton fled. The fugitives fell down fainting, and did not regain their senses for four hours ; then they told their story.
A council was held, and the warriors started for the dreadful spot. They foutid the hut, and a few traces of the old man. In the loft were some scattered articles, and a bark coffin in which was the skeleton of a man, who had been left unburied by his friends. They determined to destroy everything, and fuel was gathered on all sides and fire applied. Then the warriors stood with raised tomahawks and bended bows to destroy the terrible skeleton if he burst forth upon them. The fire grew hot, the cabin fell in, and out of the flames rushed a fox, with red and fiery eyes, burst through the ranks and disappeared in the forest. The dreadful skeleton was never heard of more.
But what had the little boy to do with all this ?
Oh, that is to show how well it was he went the other way."
W. Al Beauchamp.