The Giant walked from below. He shouted as he journeyed up the mountain, shouted all of the way. He shouted to the people as he searched for them, shouted all around the hills.
Chipmunk answered him. Chipmunk told the people that someone was coming up the mountain shouting. "Perhaps he comes to tell us something," said Chipmunk. "I shall meet him." Chipmunk said to his wife, "I think your brother comes. I shall meet him, for I think he comes.
It was raining heavily when Chipmunk went to meet the newcomer. Chipmunk called to him, "Come, tell us who you are." The Giant answered Chipmunk by saying, "There is my meat." Chipmunk again answered the Giant's call, for he thought that his brother-in-law was coming.
Chipmunk at last realized that the newcomer was not his brother-in-law, and he said to himself, "I have found someone. I have met someone. He is not my brother-in-law." When Chipmunk saw the burden basket on the back of the Giant, he knew that he was not his brother-in-law. Chipmunk said to himself, "I do not think I will go anywhere now. I do not think I will be able to reach home." Just then the Giant approached him and asked him where he was going. Chipmunk replied, "My assembly house is over there." The Giant said, "Go ahead and I will go with you."
Upon arriving at the house, Chipmunk told the Giant to enter ahead of him, while he obtained wood and built a fire. The Giant insisted, however, that Chipmunk take the lead, saying that he was not a member of the family. "You are the owner of the house," said the, Giant. "You lead into your own house. I am not the owner of it." Chipmunk demurred and asked the Giant to go ahead. "Take the lead, or you will freeze," he said to the Giant. "You have been in the rain and have become wet. I will build a fire for you."
Chipmunk's insistence was of no avail. Again the Giant said, "You take the lead. You are the owner of the house." Then Chipmunk, to save further argument, led the way into the house. The
Giant followed him. As they approached the door, the Giant reached into his basket, securing a stone. He threw the stone at Chipmunk, striking him on the back and killing him.
After he had killed Chipmunk, the Giant told Chipmunk's wife to help him bring in the meat. He then made himself at home and married Chipmunk's widow. He cooked Chipmunk, the owner of the house, whom he had killed. He told his new wife to eat of Chipmunk's flesh after he had cooked it. She said, "You eat it." The Giant insisted, "You eat it, you eat it."
After the Giant left the house, his wife (Chipmunk's widow) dug a hole in the ground. She placed in the hole her daughter by Chipmunk. She fed the little girl with deer meat.
The Giant returned at sundown. He had in his basket many people, whom he had killed. When he entered the house, he said to his wife, "We will not starve. We have plenty of meat." The woman told the Giant to eat the human flesh himself. She cooked deer meat for herself. She ate the deer meat. The Giant ate the people whom he had killed.
The Giant's wife cooked deer meat, with which she fed her daughter, whom she had hidden in the pit. She did not wish the Giant to see her daughter, for fear that he might eat her.
As the Giant departed the next morning, he said to his wife, "You have a better husband than you had before. He obtains more meat than your former husband, Chipmunk. I go now to get you more meat." He proceeded into the hills in search of more people. He told his wife before he left, that he would be back at sundown. As he departed he rolled a big boulder against the door, so that his wife might not escape. He rolled large boulders against both ends of the assembly house, and also one over the smoke hole at the top of the assembly house, where the smoke emerges. He closed the doors tightly with large boulders. After he had closed the doors, he went into the hills, to capture more victims. He returned with a load of people in his basket. He had captured many large, fat people for his wife. He rolled the boulders aside, and entered the house.
While he was away, his wife had cooked deer meat. The Giant wished to feed his wife upon fat people. He told her to eat the flesh of fat people. She said, "Yes,'' but instead she ate deer meat. The Giant thought that she ate the fat people, but instead she ate deer meat. He threw away some of the human flesh, because he could not eat it all. Again he obtained more fat people and cooked them. He
told his wife to eat the flesh of the fat people. He said, "If you do not eat them, I will kill you." He said, "I think you have a very good husband. He always obtains plenty of meat, when he hunts. He never misses a person with his stone." Again he returned with a large load of victims, whom he cooked for his wife. He cooked, and he cooked, and he cooked. When it became dark he danced. He was so tall that his head projected through the smoke hole of the assembly house.
The Giant's wife gave birth to two boy babies. Both of them were little giants. She wished to kill them, but she feared that the Giant would avenge their deaths. She fed them and they grew. All the while she kept Chipmunk's daughter in the pit. She fed her continually with deer meet. By the Giant, she bore two little giants.
When the Giant departed for the day, she took her daughter from the pit, and held her in her lap, while the two little giants slept. She cried all day, when the Giant was away. She mourned for poor Chipmunk. She feared the Giant, but she could not escape, because the boulders, which the Giant put against the doors, were too heavy for her to push away. So each day she sat in the house and cried.
"You eat them. This is the meat which I cooked for you. You eat them. This is the best one. I selected it for you." The woman replied, "Yes." Then the Giant danced. he danced. He danced. His head went through the smoke hole, when he danced. When he felt happy he danced, his head going through the smoke hole.
He told his wife, "Care for my sons. Don't lose them, Care for my sons. Do not fear hunger, for I will always bring you plenty of meat. I am always sure to obtain meat when I hunt." He went into the hills again in the morning to capture more women and boys and men. He killed everybody, old people, young people, girls, and men. He killed so many that he filled his basket in a very short time. His wife, however, had plenty of deer meat which Chipmunk had obtained for her.
Every night, when the Giant came home, he danced. After he had danced, he cooked the meat for his wife, giving her old men and old women. He took for himself the young people. When he came home, he brought pine nuts with his victims. The old white-shelled pine nuts, that were worthless, he cracked and gave to his wife, "Eat these pine nuts. Here are plenty of pine nuts. You will not become hungry, if you stay with me. Thus he spoke to his wife, when he came home each night. He said to her, "Eat these pine nuts, for I
perceive that you are hungry." His wife said, "Yes." However, she deceived him, for she did not eat the pine nuts. When he was not looking, she threw them away. She threw them away, when he was not looking. At the same time, she made believe that she ate the pine nuts. She ate only pine nuts which Chipmunk had obtained for her. She did not eat those which the Giant brought to her. Each time that the Giant went away, she ate from her own stock of pine nuts, which Chipmunk had collected for her.
The old women and the fat women that the Giant obtained, he brought to his wife; also those women who were pregnant. He said to his wife, "Eat. Eat well." His wife replied, "Yes, I am eating them." Yet all the time she deceived him.
Again he went into the hills to hunt people. He travelled all over the country in his search. When he returned, he brought a large load of people. Upon his arrival, he cooked the old women for his wife. Then he danced outside of the assembly house. Afterwards he danced inside. His wife did not eat the old women whom he cooked for her. She said, "Yes, I am eating," but she always deceived him. She worried every day, for fear that the Giant would kill her. That which he cooked for her she put into a hole, making believe, however, that she ate it. Instead, she ate deer meat. The Giant thought that she ate the persons whom he cooked for her.
The deer meat, which she cooked each day while the Giant was absent, she fed to her daughter in the pit. Each day, when she took her daughter from the pit, she cried. She felt sorry for the girl, because her father had been cooked in the fire. The thought of Chipmunk's sad end depressed her and made her cry all day, while the Giant was away. When the Giant returned in the evening, she hid her daughter in the pit. She herself lay over the pit, so that the, Giant would not find her daughter. She sat over the pit, so that the Giant would not take the girl. The two sons of the Giant lay in the corners of the house. The Giant changed them from corner to corner, when he came home. The boys never cried. They laughed all the time. That is all that they did.
Chipmunk's brothers below dreamed about him. One of them said, ''I think I will visit him. I will see how he fares. I dreamed that he was sick." So spoke one of Chipmunk's brothers after he dreamed about him. He told no one that he was leaving, but proceeded secretly into the mountains. He did not follow the regular trail, but went through the brush, passing through the high
mountains. He spoke to no one of his proposed visit. He did not hasten, but travelled slowly toward his brother's home.
At last he arrived at Chipmunk's assembly-house, he said to his sister-in-law, "I am coming. Why are these large boulders against the door?" Then his sister-in-law answered him from within, saying, "Come in. The Giant killed your brother, He closes the door with those large boulders each time he goes out." Thus did his sister-in-law answer him, when he arrived at her house.
Then he rolled aside the boulders at each end of the house. His sister-in-law said to him after he entered, "The Giant killed your brother. Just see us. There are the Giant's two sons." Her brother-in-law then inquired about her daughter. "Where is my brother's girl?" he, said. The woman replied, "She is in this hole. I did not want the Giant to see her." Thus spoke his sister-in-law, when she answered him.
Chipmunk's brother asked his sister-in-law when the Giant would return. She said, "Sometimes he returns after sundown, sometimes before sundown. Today he went far and will not return until tomorrow morning."
Then her brother-in-law told her to crush some obsidian. He said, "You can go home. The Giant has many brothers. If they overtake you, and try to catch you, while you are on your way home, throw the crushed obsidian in their faces. I shall not go. I shall remain here."
She crushed obsidian and placed it on a deer hide. After she crushed it, her brother-in-law told her to start for home. He warned her especially not to lose the obsidian. "If they catch you," he said, "you can use it. Throw it in their eyes." He then proceeded to dig holes in different directions.
Following his advice she started. Meanwhile he dug holes, one, toward the south, one toward the east, one toward the north, and one toward the west, He dug them so that he might conceal himself and dodge from one to the other in case he were pursued. He made holes all around the assembly house, both inside and outside. After he had finished digging the holes, he did nothing. He rested and walked about outside of the assembly house.
He thought about the Giant and wondered when he would return. He went into the hills and cut a manzanita stick, sharpening one edge of it. He worked upon it all day, making it sharp. His sister-in-law
told him to be careful with it. He asked her what the Giant did when he came home. She told him that the Giant always danced, and that every time he danced, his head projected through the smoke hole, his head projected through the smoke hole at the top of the house. Chipmunk's brother said, "All right." He finally finished sharpening the manzanita stick, making it very sharp.
Then he walked around, he walked around. While he watched the Giant came over the hill. He said to himself, "I think that is he coming now." He stood outside and watched the Giant. As the Giant approached the house, Chipmunk's brother stepped inside. The Giant saw him and said, "There is another victim. There is another victim." The Giant was glad that he had another person to kill. The Giant followed close behind him into the house.
Chipmunk's brother had killed the two young giants. He gouged out their eyes after he killed them and threw their eyes into the fire, putting one in each corner. Before his sister-in-law had left, he had asked her where the young giants kept their hearts. She had told him, "In the ankle," and that is where he hit them with the stick, when he killed them. After he had thrown their eyes into the fire, he went outside. The young giants were in each corner beside the fire. The two young giants were dead.
Chipmunk's brother now talked to the Giant. He asked him, "What do you do first, when you come home?" The Giant replied, "I dance. Just watch me dance."
Then Chipmunk's brother went into his holes and came forth in different places. The Giant tried to catch him and followed him about, but Chipmunk's brother was too quick for him and dodged into the holes. The Giant chased him around the assembly house. Every time that the Giant neared him, he jumped into a hole, appearing again in another part of the house.
He told the Giant, "You cannot catch me unless you dance. After you dance, I will let you catch me. I want to see you dance first."
Chipmunk's brother stayed outside, while the Giant danced. He shouted at the Giant and said, "Dance more. Jump higher through that smoke hole. I like to see you dance."
The Giant did as Chipmunk's brother told him. While he danced, Chipmunk's brother with his manzanita stick climbed on top of the assembly house. Suddenly he struck the Giant across the neck, decapitating him. The head rolled down close to the spring near the house
and the body of the Giant collapsed inside of the house. Chipmunk's brother then cut the Giant to pieces and scattered the flesh over the trees, on top of the rocks, and inside of the assembly house.
One of the Giant's brothers dreamed. He dreamed that his brother was obtaining plenty of meat. He said to the other brothers of the Giant, "Let us visit our brother. He is married now and obtains plenty of meat every day."
Then a large number of the Giant's brothers proceeded to the Giant's assembly house. When they arrived at the house., they saw the meat hanging on the trees. "Plenty of meat, plenty of meat, plenty of meat. Our brother is quite expert with his stone,'' they said.
Then they cooked the meat which they found on the trees, not knowing it was their brother's flesh. They thought that it was the flesh of various people whom he had killed. Each of them ate a piece. They had all that they wished.
The brother desired a drink, so they searched for the spring, which they found. Just as the youngest one was about to drink, he noticed the head lying beside the spring. "We ate our brother," he said to his older brothers. Then they all returned to the house. The youngest one said, "Someone killed our brother."
"What shall we cry?" the youngest one said. One of the others answered, "Well, we will cry 'oak.' I do not know who killed our brother. We do not know whence the murderer came. Let us sleep and dream about it."
After sleeping, they arose. The one who had proposed that they sleep pointed to the south. The others did not believe that the slayer of their brother came from that direction. Each of the others said, "I have not dreamed about him yet. Let us sleep again." Again they awoke and the one who had dreamed said, "A man from the north killed our brother."
Again they slept, for they did not believe each other. One of them awoke and awakened the rest. "A man from the east killed our brother," he said. But they did not believe him.
The youngest brother, who found the head near the spring, started to cry. The others tried to stop him. He went again to the spring and thrust his head into the water. When he returned to his brothers, he pretended that he had cried more than they. They thought that the water on him was tears. They said, "He is the only one who really mourns for his murdered brother." Then they said, "Let's sleep again.
The youngest brother dreamed and awakened the others. He told them that he dreamed that a man from the west had killed their brother. He said, too, "Our sister-in-law is on the way to her father's house. I surely dreamed it."
They all said, "Let's cry." The youngest one objected, saying, "Let's sleep before we cry." Then he dreamed again. He dreamed that his sister-in-law was on the way to her father's house.
"Well, let's arise," said the youngest brother. "Let's try to catch our sister-in-law before she reaches her father's home." Thus spoke the youngest brother. "We must hurry," he said. "After we have made a good start, we can slacken our pace." They all proceeded on their way shouting.
Chipmunk's brother laughed after he killed the Giant. The Giant's brothers all ran and Chipmunk's brother laughed. Before their sister-in-law reached her father's house, the Giants overtook her. One of them said, "Here is our sister-in-law. You catch her," he said to one of his brothers. As one of them seized her, she threw a handful of crushed obsidian into their faces. They shouted, for she had thrown it into their eyes. Each one said, "Something is in my eyes. Hurry, remove it. Hurry, remove it. Hurry, remove it. Hurry, remove it." They examined each other's eyes for the obsidian. They looked and looked and looked. While they were examining each other's eyes, their sister-in-law left them. Again they pursued her and overtook her before she reached her father's house. They said to each other, "Catch her, catch her, catch her."
One of them caught her. Again she threw the crushed obsidian. She threw it into his face before he caught her. "I have something in my eye," he said. "I have something in my eye. I have something in my eye. I have something in my eye." Again they examined each other's eyes to remove the crushed obsidian. They looked and looked and looked.
Again they followed her. They said, "Let's hurry. Let's catch her before she reaches home. Hurry. She has her daughter on her back." Then they ran. They ran to catch her. Just as they were about to seize her, she threw the crushed obsidian in their faces again. Each of them said, "She has thrown something into my eyes." Then while they examined each other's eyes, she escaped.
After they had removed the obsidian from their eyes, they said, "Hurry. Let's catch her." Then they ran. "Catch our sister-in-law. Hurry," they said. When they attempted to capture her again,
she threw the obsidian in their eyes. "Something has come into my eyes. Something has come into my eyes. Something has come into my eyes. Hurry, remove it," each one said. "Hurry, so that we may catch her." They ran after her again. Every time they ran they shouted. Once more she threw the obsidian in their faces and one of them got it in his eyes. Again she ran and they pursued her. They said, "We will catch her and hold her this time. She will soon exhaust her obsidian," Again she threw the obsidian in their faces, when they tried to lay hands on her. She threw it into their eyes. Then they looked into each other's eyes and removed the pieces.
"Hurry," they said, "so that we may catch our sister-in-law." Then they ran. Once more she threw obsidian in their eyes, when they were about to seize her. Again she ran and this time they were close behind her. They shouted continually, while they ran. When they attempted to seize her again, she threw the crushed obsidian in their eyes. They looked in each other's eyes and removed the obsidian. This delayed them and prevented them from capturing her. Again they said, "Hurry, so that we may catch our sister-in-law." Once more they caught her and she threw the obsidian in their eyes.
"She approaches her father's home. Hurry, that we may catch our sister-in-law," they said. They ran. The woman had not lost her daughter, while she was running. When the giants overtook her again, she once more threw obsidian in their eyes.
The woman said to her daughter, "We will reach home safely. We will reach your grandfather's. Hurry and do not become tired. Hurry, or they will catch us." In the meantime the Giant's brothers were drawing closer to her. When they went to catch her, she again threw the obsidian into their eyes. They examined each other's eyes and removed the crushed obsidian. She escaped from them again, while they were removing it. She had very little obsidian left, but she was nearing her father's house. She was approaching it, while the Giants picked the obsidian from each other's eyes. "We are nearing home," she told her daughter, "so do not be frightened. Your grandfather (Lizard) will save us when we arrive there."
The giants ran close behind her, shouting as they ran. They stopped frequently to dance and to sing. Then they would run after her to catch her. When. they were about to catch her, she threw the crushed obsidian at them.
She drew near her father's house. The Giants ran after her, saying to each other, "We must catch her before she reaches home."
When they had nearly captured her, she threw the crushed obsidian in their eyes. That was the only way she could escape from them. At last she reached the house.
She called to her father to open the door. She said, "A Giant killed your son-in-law. Hurry, open the door. The Giant ate your son-in-law." Thus she called to her father. Then he opened the door, which was a large rock. After his daughter had stepped inside, he spat on the door so that the Giant's brothers could not open it. The assembly house turned into rock, when be spat upon the door, turned into rock all around. The Giants encircled the house several times inquiring for the door. Lizard did not answer them. They finally became tired and sat down. Then they began to sing and dance. The old man asked his daughter, "Who are they? Who are they?" She replied, "They are the Giant's brothers." The old man, her father, said, "Let the wind blow them away. Let the wind blow them away. Throw them away. I do not want them here." Then a great wind came, but the Giant's brothers turned and blew the great wind back.
Then the old man in the assembly house called a great snow. The great snow came and covered everything. "Come and cover everything," said the old man, when he called the snow. After the snow had covered the Giants, they shouted and it melted. They shouted and the snow melted. After the snow melted, the old man said, "It is strange that they do not mind me. What is the matter with them? It is strange that they do not mind." Then he called the hail. He called the hail to try and force them to go away. He hoped that the hail would chase them away. Thus spoke Lizard, when he called the hail. When the hail started, the Giant's brothers shouted. The hail ceased immediately. Then Lizard, the woman's father, called for a flood. He wished the water to wash away the Giant's brothers. Thus spoke Lizard, when he called for the flood to help him. The flood came suddenly and washed away the Giant's brothers, before they had an opportunity to shout. They did not return, for they were drowned by the water.
Then the woman told Lizard, her father, "The Giant killed my daughter's father. He killed him. The Giant killed him. He ate him after he killed him. When the Giant came, we thought that it was Chipmunk's brother coming to tell us something. I told Chipmunk to go and meet him, when he shouted. I did not know that it was a Giant coming. Then Chipmunk went to meet the Giant. When
Chipmunk approached the Giant, he shouted to him and asked who he was. The Giant replied, 'Come here. I am here.' Thus spoke the Giant, when Chipmunk met him. Then the Giant said, 'That is my meat over there. I caught him, caught him, meat.' Thus spoke the Giant. We knew nothing about the Giant, but thought that be was Chipmunk's brother coming for a visit. Then Chipmunk brought the Giant home, brought the Giant home. He feared the Giant and tried to leave him in the hills, but the Giant followed him. Chipmunk's brother is there now. He has taken his dead brother's place. I do not know how he fares. He said to me, 'You go to your father. I will stay here. I will stay here and take my brother's place. I am ready for an other Giant.'"
[The Giant made his home on Table Mountain, near Jamestown, Tuolumne County.]