HOW WEK'-WEK WAS SAVED FROM THE FLOOD

FRAGMENT OF A TALE OF THE OLAMENTKO TRIBE OF BODEGA BAY

PERSONAGES

O'-ye the Coyote-man

Wek'-wek the Falcon

Pe'-leet the Grebe

p. 157

HOW WEK'-WEK WAS SAVED FROM THE FLOOD

O'-YE the Coyote-man, and Wek'-wek the Falcon-man quarrelled. Then O'-ye gathered up the people and took them away with him across the ocean, leaving Wek'-wek alone. Then he made the rain come and cover the world with water. The water grew deeper and deeper and covered all the trees and all the hills and all the mountains until nothing was left but water.

Wek'-wek could find no place to rest--nothing to stand on--and had to fly and fly and fly till he was all tired out. By and by he could fly no longer and fell on the water and was floating around nearly dead when his wing caught on a little stick. This stick stuck up from the top of the roundhouse of Pe'-leet the Grebe, who came up to see what was the matter. He found Wek'-wek (a relative of his) nearly drowned and pulled him down into his roundhouse and saved him.

Then O'-ye the Coyote-man let the water down and brought the people back.

Next: Why the Bodega Bay Indians can not Stand Cold