Sacred Texts Native American Southeast Index Previous Next
Two girls living in an Indian village wanted beads and said, "Let us travel to see Upward-shooter who throws down beads." They started on. As they were going they came to an Owl by the trail hunting for something in a water hole. "Where are you going?" he said. "To the home of Upward-shooter," they said. "Where is the trail to Upward-shooter's house?" "This good trail goes to my house," he said to them. "Go along the bad trail." "What are you hunting for," they said. "I have lost in the water a sapia 1 which I always carry on my back," he said.
Then they started along the bad trail. The Owl flew around ahead, reached his house, broke a necklace of beads that was about his sister's neck, and threw the beads on the ground. Then he picked up some of the beads, put them into his mouth, and sat down. When the young women got there the Owl tried to cough as he sat and scattered beads about his yard. Then the girls picked some of them up, but there were not many.
At sundown Owl was invited to a dance. They said, "Go quickly! He wants you, Owl," so he started on that same evening. "Shut those young women up in the house," he said to his sister. So she shut up the house. He said to her, "I have placed chamber pots in the house for them." But they did not want to urinate into them, and went outside to urinate. Then he said, "Prevent them from going anywhere." When he was gone she tried to watch them, but they did not want to stay there and said, "Let us try to run to that place." So they started on.
They went on until they came to the place and found Owl dancing there with entrails tied about his neck. Beads were everywhere about. They arrived and picked up the beads. Then Owl returned home and when he got there whipped his sister until she cried, but the young girls stayed where they were, picking up beads. Owl did not like this; he did not like it at all. He sharpened a deerhorn. After he had sharpened it, and Upward-shooter had lain down to sleep, he took the deerhorn there, inserted it in his ear, struck against it, and killed him. Then he ran off. He got home. Then all of the people informed one another and came together. And the Owl wept, "I am all alone by myself, I am all alone by myself." "The one who talks that way is the one," they said. "No, indeed, I am saying that I am left all alone by myself." When they buried the man, the people said, "Whoever cuts off his hair and fills this box with it completely shall have one of these girls." When they put things into it the Owl cut off all of his sister's hair, which was very long, and put it in. But the box was not full. An orphan cut off his hair and filled it completely.
But the girl was not given to him. They said, "Whoever kills a white deer shall have this girl." Then Owl got a white dog and killed it, cut off its head and feet and brought it to the place. "It is not a deer," they said. The orphan killed a white deer and brought it thither on his back. "This is a white deer," they said.
Then they said, "Whoever kills a white turkey shall have her." All of the men assembled, got into a canoe, and went to the other side of a great sheet of water. When the canoe was brought to land they separated to hunt the white turkey. "As soon as a gun is discharged we will all come back quickly to the canoe and get into it," they said, and when the orphan discharged his gun all came there quickly, got into the canoe, and started back over the water. They started before the orphan had arrived and when they were far out he got back and shouted, "Hold on! I want to get in with you." But they went on out. Then he shot at them and broke their canoe, when some died in the water while some flew back home.
Then the orphan, left alone, took the white turkey and wandered along on that side close to the water. As he was going on a Bird came and perched on a tree near by and said, "bi'sisis." "Heye', I will kill you," he said. "Don't do it. I am going to tell you something. I come to let you know that something big is following your trail. Make four chunk stones, climb up into a willow tree with them, and sit down." So he went on for a while, made four chunk stones, climbed up into a willow tree bending over the water, and sat down there. Then he heard something coming behind striking against the bushes. "Ohoho," it said, "I will never let you go."
Then Roller's dogs came along. They were spotted panthers which came on each side of him. They kept coming, and when they got to the bent tree they wanted to climb it. While they were below he threw a roller down into the water. Then the spotted panthers jumped into the water and hunted about. After they had remained there for a while they got out and wanted to climb the tree again. Again he threw down a roller and again they jumped into the water, hunted about and came out. They reached the same tree and were about to climb it when he threw down another roller and again they jumped in and hunted about for it in vain. He threw in the last one and they hunted all about for that to no purpose.
Then he (the monster) set a brass bucket upon the ground, filled it with water, killed his dogs, put them in as they were and built a fire underneath. After the pot had boiled for a long time and they were cooked, he took it off and ate both of them. After he had eaten both he washed the brass bucket, tied it up, and set it on the water. Then he threw the dog bones into the water, shouted to them, and all came to life, and they went on. He took them with him, started off, and disappeared. The man sitting in the tree got down and started along by the shore of the ocean.
He went on until he came to where two girls were bathing. They had left their clothing at some distance. They would come out of the water, run back, and jump into it. When they came out and were just starting to run back, he took their clothes, climbed up on a willow bent over the water and sat down. The girls hunted for their clothes and did not know where they were. They thought they had gotten caught in their feet and thrown into the water. So they hunted in the water, but in vain. While they were doing so the man spit upon the water. They looked up and saw him. Then they sat down in the water and asked him for their clothes but he would not give them up.
"Give them to us, uncle," they said. "No," he answered. "Give them to us, brother," they said. "No," he said. "Give them to us, grandfather." "No," he answered. Then they sat for a while urging each other to say something. Finally one said, "Give them to us, our husband." "That's it. That's it. That's it," he answered. Then he gave the clothes to them and they put them on.
"Come down," they said, and they took him home. Before they got there, they made him stop. They said, "We will go and see our grandmother who is a bad old woman." They went on ahead and told her. "Kohoho, have you got someone?" she said. So they went back for him. After they had brought him to the house they made him lie down, with a Crane standing at his head.
By and by, when it was nearly midnight, the old woman got up quietly, but the Crane said, "Koloñ," and she lay down again. Then she said, "Day comes upon me afraid of that person's creatures." She said that she had had diarrhea. The next night when he lay down a Rattlesnake was stationed near. When the old woman tried to get up quietly, it said, "Tcā+s," and she lay down quietly again. It continued that way until daylight. The next night, when they lay down, an earthen pot was placed at the head of the bed. The old woman got up quietly, seized a club, hit it, and broke it in pieces.
After that the man went hunting and shot forty quail. They roasted them. When they were strung together he made four arrows and started off with them. He reached the water with them and stood on the bank. "My friend," he said, and a big Alligator came out. "You are not the one," said he, and it cried and dived out of sight. The next time he called a big Turtle came out, but he said, "You are not the one," and it cried and dived out of sight. He called again and a long Snake came out, but he said, "You are not the one," and it cried and dived out of sight. When he called the fourth time Snake-crawfish (Horned Snake) came out, and he said, "You are the one. Come here!" It started to come and when it got near he jumped upon it, hung the roasted quail upon the horns and sat down between them.
Then he threw a roasted quail far out on the water and the Snake went on rapidly after it. He took it and ate it and started to go down into the water. But when he had nearly swallowed this one the man threw another roasted quail far out and he went on after it. He kept doing so until the roasted quail were used up and then he shot arrows which the Snake pursued in the same manner. He went rapidly to the place where an arrow had fallen, picked it up, and carried it along. It kept on that way until he shot the last arrow when he was close to land. The Snake went fast and struck the shore, and just then the man jumped to land and stood there. He went on and as he did so the bank broke under his feet, but he jumped and stood up, and when the land broke away again under his feet he went on again, jumped, and came out on a hill.
After he had reached firm ground he traveled on. He started for the house where his sisters lived, but before he reached it his sisters went out to get water and passed by him. Then he went to the trail, stuck an arrow up in the ground in the middle of the trail and bid himself. They got water and started back, but when they reached the place they saw the arrow. One of them said, "This is like our brother's arrow," but the other answered, "He is not about here. He went away and may be dead."
Then the man who was in hiding stood forth. "Whose children are these?" he said, indicating two infants which they had with them. "Owl's children," they answered. Then he said, "Take water and fill up the kettle quickly. Kindle afire beneath and make it boil. Then take the children and say to him 'Look! Look!' When the Owl looks in that direction, put them into the water and run toward me."
So when the water began to boil, they took the children, said "Look! Look!" and when Owl looked toward them, put them into the water and ran toward their brother. Then Owl said, "I will never let you go." He ran after them. Then they ran fast to the place where their brother stood. When Owl had almost caught them they reached the place and their brother with his bow ready came out from behind a tree which stood to one side of the trail. "Ai," said Owl, "I do not intend to hurt them." but the brother shot him down.
Then he took his sisters and started on. He went until he came to where his grandmother lived. "I have come," he said to her. His grandmother did not believe him, saying that people always lied to her in that way. Then he drew the point of an arrow across her eyes and she looked up with restored vision. And she was very happy.