第3章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Myths and Legends of the Sioux",免费读到尾

  \"Whatisthetrouble,grandchild,\"criedtheoldwoman。Buttheboycouldnotanswer。\"Didyouseeanythingunnatural?\"Heshookhishead,\"no。\"Hemadesignstothegrandmotherthathislungswerepressingsohardagainsthissidesthathecouldnottalk。Hekeptbeatinghissidewithhisclenchedhands。Thegrandmothergotouthermedicinebag,madeaprayertotheGreatSpirittodriveouttheevilspiritthathadenteredhergrandson’sbody,andaftershehadappliedthemedicine,theprayermusthavebeenheardandanswered,astheboycommencedtellingherwhathehadheardandseen。

  Thegrandmotherwenttothechief’stentandtoldwhathergrandsonhadseen。Thechiefsenttwobravewarriorstothelaketoascertainwhetheritwastrueornot。Thetwowarriorscrepttothelittlehillclosetothelake,andthere,sureenough,thelakewasswarmingwithlittlemenswimmingabout,splashingthewaterhighupintotheair。Thewarriors,too,werescaredandhurriedhome,andinthecouncilcalledontheirreturntoldwhattheyhadseen。Theboywasbroughttothecouncilandgiventheseatofhonor(oppositethedoor),andwasnamed\"WankanWanyanka\"(seesholy)。

  ThelakehadformerlybornethenameofTruthLake,butfromthistimeonwascalled\"Wicasa-bde\"——ManLake。

  THEHERMIT,ORTHEGIFTOFCORN

  Inadeepforest,farfromthevillagesofhispeople,livedahermit。Histentwasmadeofbuffaloskins,andhisdresswasmadeofdeerskin。Farfromthehauntsofanyhumanbeingthisoldhermitwascontenttospendhisdays。

  Alldaylonghewouldwanderthroughtheforeststudyingthedifferentplantsofnatureandcollectingpreciousroots,whichheusedasmedicine。Atlongintervalssomewarriorwouldarriveatthetentoftheoldhermitandgetmedicinerootsfromhimforthetribe,theoldhermit’smedicinebeingconsideredfarsuperiortoallothers。

  Afteralongday’srambleinthewoods,thehermitcamehomelate,andbeingverytired,atoncelaydownonhisbedandwasjustdozingofftosleep,whenhefeltsomethingrubagainsthisfoot。

  Awakeningwithastart,henoticedadarkobjectandanarmwasextendedtohim,holdinginitshandaflintpointedarrow。

  Thehermitthought,\"Thismustbeaspirit,asthereisnohumanbeingaroundherebutmyself!\"Avoicethensaid:\"Hermit,Ihavecometoinviteyoutomyhome。\"\"How(yes),Iwillcome,\"saidtheoldhermit。Wherewithhearose,wrappedhisrobeabouthimandfollowed。

  Outsidethedoorhestoppedandlookedaround,butcouldseenosignsofthedarkobject。

  \"Whoeveryouare,orwhateveryoube,waitforme,asIdon’tknowwheretogotofindyourhouse,\"saidthehermit。Notananswerdidhereceive,norcouldhehearanynoisesasthoughanyonewaswalkingthroughthebrush。Re-enteringhistentheretiredandwassoonfastasleep。Thenextnightthesamethingoccurredagain,andthehermitfollowedtheobjectout,onlytobeleftasbefore。

  Hewasveryangrytothinkthatanyoneshouldbetryingtomakesportofhim,andhedeterminedtofindoutwhothiscouldbewhowasdisturbinghisnight’srest。

  Thenexteveninghecutaholeinthetentlargeenoughtostickanarrowthrough,andstoodbythedoorwatching。Soonthedarkobjectcameandstoppedoutsideofthedoor,andsaid:

  \"Grandfather,Icameto——,\"butheneverfinishedthesentence,fortheoldmanletgohisarrow,andheheardthearrowstrikesomethingwhichproducedasoundasthoughhehadshotintoasackofpebbles。Hedidnotgooutthatnighttoseewhathisarrowhadstruck,butearlynextmorninghewentoutandlookedatthespotaboutwherehethoughttheobjecthadstood。Thereonthegroundlayalittleheapofcorn,andfromthislittleheapasmalllineofcornlayscatteredalongapath。Thishefollowedfarintothewoods。Whenhecametoaverysmallknollthetrailended。Attheendofthetrailwasalargecircle,fromwhichthegrasshadbeenscrapedoffclean。

  \"Thecorntrailstopsattheedgeofthiscircle,\"saidtheoldman,\"sothismustbethehomeofwhoeveritwasthatinvitedme。\"

  Hetookhisboneknifeandhatchetandproceededtodigdownintothecenterofthecircle。Whenhehadgotdowntothelengthofhisarm,hecametoasackofdriedmeat。NexthefoundasackofIndianturnips,thenasackofdriedcherries;thenasackofcorn,andlastofallanothersack,emptyexceptthattherewasaboutacupfulofcorninonecornerofit,andthatthesackhadaholeintheothercornerwherehisarrowhadpiercedit。Fromthisholeinthesackthecornwasscatteredalongthetrail,whichguidedtheoldmantothecache。*

  Fromthisthehermittaughtthetribeshowtokeeptheirprovisionswhentravelingandwereoverloaded。Heexplainedtothemhowtheyshoulddigapitandputtheirprovisionsintoitandcoverthemwithearth。BythismethodtheIndiansusedtokeepprovisionsallsummer,andwhenfallcametheywouldreturntotheircache,andonopeningitwouldfindeverythingasfreshasthedaytheywereplacedthere。

  Theoldhermitwasalsothankedasthediscovererofcorn,whichhadneverbeenknowntotheIndiansuntildiscoveredbytheoldhermit。

  *Hidingplace。

  THEMYSTERIOUSBUTTE

  Ayoungmanwasoncehuntingandcametoasteephill。Theeastsideofthehillsuddenlydroppedofftoaverysteepbank。Hestoodonthisbank,andatthebasehenoticedasmallopening。Ongoingdowntoexamineitmoreclosely,hefounditwaslargeenoughtoadmitahorseorbuffalo。Oneithersideofthedoorwerefiguresofdifferentanimalsengravedintothewall。

  Heenteredtheopeningandthere,scatteredaboutonthefloor,laymanybracelets,pipesandmanyotherthingsofornament,asthoughtheyhadbeenofferingstosomegreatspirit。Hepassedthroughthisfirstroomandonenteringtheseconditwassodarkthathecouldnotseehishandsbeforehisface,sobecomingscared,hehurriedlylefttheplace,andreturninghometoldwhathehadseen。

  Uponhearingthisthechiefselectedfourofhismostdaringwarriorstogowiththisyoungmanandinvestigateandascertainwhethertheyoungmanwastellingthetruthornot。Thefiveproceededtothebutte,andattheentrancetheyoungmanrefusedtogoinside,asthefiguresoneithersideoftheentrancehadbeenchanged。

  Thefourenteredandseeingthatallinthefirstchamberwasastheyoungmanhadtold,theywentontothenextchamberandfounditsodarkthattheycouldnotseeanything。Theycontinuedon,however,feelingtheirwayalongthewalls。Theyfinallyfoundanentrancethatwassonarrowthattheyhadtosqueezeintoitsideways。Theyfelttheirwayaroundthewallsandfoundanotherentrance,solowdownthattheyhadtocrawlontheirhandsandkneestogothroughintothenextchamber。

  Onenteringthelastchambertheyfoundaverysweetodorcomingfromtheoppositedirection。Feelingaroundandcrawlingontheirhandsandknees,theydiscoveredaholeinthefloorleadingdownward。Fromthisholecameupthesweetodor。Theyhurriedlyheldacouncil,anddecidedtogonofurther,butreturntothecampandreportwhattheyhadfound。Ongettingtothefirstchamberoneoftheyoungmensaid:\"Iamgoingtotakethesebraceletstoshowthatwearetellingthetruth。\"\"No,\"saidtheotherthree,\"thisbeingtheabodeofsomeGreatSpirit,youmayhavesomeaccidentbefallyoufortakingwhatisnotyours。\"\"Ah!

  Youfellowsarelikeoldwomen,\"saidhe,takingafinebraceletandencirclinghisleftwristwithit。

  Whentheyreachedthevillagetheyreportedwhattheyhadseen。

  Theyoungmanexhibitedthebracelettoprovethatitwasthetruththeyhadtold。

  Shortlyafterthis,thesefouryoungmenwereoutfixinguptrapsforwolves。Theywouldraiseoneendofaheavylogandplaceastickunder,bracingupthelog。Alargepieceofmeatwasplacedaboutfivefeetawayfromthelogandthisspacecoveredwithpolesandwillows。Attheplacewheretheuprightstickwasput,aholewasleftopen,largeenoughtoadmitthebodyofawolf。Thewolf,scentingthemeatandunabletogetatitthroughthepolesandwillows,wouldcrowdintotheholeandworkinghisbodyforward,inordertogetthemeat,wouldpushdownthebraceandthelogthusreleasedwouldholdthewolffastunderitsweight。

  Theyoungmanwiththebraceletwasplacinghisbaitunderthelogwhenhereleasedthelogbyknockingdownthebrace,andthelogcaughthiswristonwhichheworethebracelet。Hecouldnotreleasehimselfandcalledloudandlongforassistance。Hisfriends,hearinghiscall,cametohisassistance,andonliftingthelogfoundtheyoungman’swristbroken。\"Now,\"saidthey,\"youhavebeenpunishedfortakingthewristletoutofthechamberofthemysteriousbutte。\"

  Sometimeafterthisayoungmanwenttothebutteandsawengravedonthewallawomanholdinginherhandapole,withwhichshewasholdingupalargeamountofbeefwhichhadbeenlaidacrossanotherpole,whichhadbrokenintwofromtheweightofsomuchmeat。

  Hereturnedtothecampandreportedwhathehadseen。Allaroundthefigurehesawmarksofbuffalohoofs,alsomarkeduponthewall。

  Thenextdayanenormousherdofbuffalocameneartothevillage,andagreatmanywerekilled。Thewomenwerebusycuttingupanddryingthemeat。Atonecampwasmoremeatthanatanyother。Thewomanwashangingmeatuponalongtentpole,whenthepolebrokeintwoandshewasobligedtoholdthemeatupwithanotherpole,justastheyoungmansawonthemysteriousbutte。

  EverafterthattheIndianspaidweeklyvisitstothisbutte,andthereonwouldreadthesignsthatweretogoverntheirplans。

  Thisbuttewasalwaysconsideredtheprophetofthetribe。

  THEWONDERFULTURTLE

  NeartoaChippewavillagelayalargelake,andinthislaketherelivedanenormousturtle。Thiswasnoordinaryturtle,ashewouldoftencomeoutofhishomeinthelakeandvisitwithhisIndianneighbors。Hepaidthemostofhisvisitstotheheadchief,andontheseoccasionswouldstayforhours,smokingandtalkingwithhim。

  Thechief,seeingthattheturtlewasverysmartandshowedgreatwisdominhistalk,tookagreatfancytohim,andwheneveranypuzzlingsubjectcameupbeforethechief,hegenerallysentforMr。Turtletohelphimdecide。

  Onedaytherecameagreatmisunderstandingbetweendifferentpartiesofthetribe,andsoexcitedbecamebothsidesthatitthreatenedtocausebloodshed。Thechiefwasunabletodecideforeitherfaction,sohesaid,\"IwillcallMr。Turtle。Hewilljudgeforyou。\"

  Sendingfortheturtle,thechiefvacatedhisseatforthetimebeing,untiltheturtleshouldhearbothsides,anddecidewhichwasintheright。Theturtlecame,andtakingthechief’sseat,listenedveryattentivelytobothsides,andthoughtlongbeforehegavehisdecision。Afterthinkinglongandstudyingeachsidecarefully,hecametotheconclusiontodecideinfavorofboth。Thiswouldnotcauseanyhardfeelings。Sohegavethemalengthyspeechandshowedthemwheretheywerebothintheright,andwoundupbysaying:

  \"Youarebothintherightinsomewaysandwronginothers。

  Therefore,Iwillsaythatyoubothareequallyintheright。\"

  Whentheyheardthisdecision,theysawthattheturtlewasright,andgavehimalongcheerforthewisdomdisplayedbyhim。Thewholetribesawthathaditnotbeenforthiswisedecisiontherewouldhavebeenagreatsheddingofbloodinthetribe。Sotheyvotedhimastheirjudge,andthechief,beingsowellpleasedwithhim,gavetohimhisonlydaughterinmarriage。

  ThedaughterofthechiefwasthemostbeautifulmaidenoftheChippewanation,andyoungmenfromothertribestraveledhundredsofmilesforanopportunitytomakelovetoher,andtrytowinherforawife。Itwasalltonopurpose。Shewouldacceptnoone,onlyhimwhomherfatherwouldselectforher。Theturtlewasveryhomely,butashewasprudentandwise,thefatherchosehim,andsheacceptedhim。

  Theyoungmenofthetribewereveryjealous,buttheirjealousywasalltonopurpose。Shemarriedtheturtle。Theyoungmenwouldmakesportofthechief’sson-in-law。Theywouldsaytohim:

  \"Howdidyoucometohavesoflatastomach?\"Theturtleansweredthem,saying:

  \"Myfriends,hadyoubeeninmyplace,youtoowouldhaveflatstomachs。Icamebymyflatstomachinthisway:TheChippewasandSiouxhadagreatbattle,andtheSioux,toonumerousfortheChippewas,werekillingthemoffsofastthattheyhadtorunfortheirlives。IwasontheChippewasideandsomeoftheSiouxwerepressingfiveofus,andweregainingonusveryfast。Comingtosomehighgrass,Ithrewmyselfdownflatonmyface,andpressedmystomachclosetotheground,sothepursuerscouldnotseeme。

  TheypassedmeandkilledthefourIwaswith。Aftertheyhadgoneback,Iaroseandlo!mystomachwasasyouseeitnow。SohardhadIpressedtothegroundthatitwouldnotassumeitsoriginalshapeagain。\"

  Afterhehadexplainedthecauseofhisdeformitytothem,theysaid:\"TheTurtleisbrave。Wewillbotherhimnomore。\"ShortlyafterthistheSiouxmadeanattackupontheChippewas,andeveryonedesertedthevillage。TheTurtlecouldnottravelasfastastherestandwasleftbehind。Itbeinganunusuallyhotdayinthefall,theTurtlegrewverythirstyandsleepy。Finallyscentingwater,hecrawledtowardsthepointfromwhencethescentcame,andcomingtoalargelakejumpedinandhadabath,afterwhichheswamtowardsthecenteranddiveddown,andfindingsomefinelargerocksatthebottom,hecrawledinamongthemandfellasleep。Hehadhissleepoutandarosetothetop。

  Swimmingtoshorehefounditwassummer。Hehadsleptallwinter。

  Thebirdsweresinging,andthegreengrassandleavesgaveforthasweetodor。

  HecrawledoutandstartedoutlookingfortheChippewacamp。Hecameuponthecampseveraldaysafterhehadlefthiswinterquarters,andgoingaroundinsearchofhiswife,foundherattheextremeedgeofthevillage。Shewasnursingherbaby,andasheaskedtoseeit,sheshowedittohim。Whenhesawthatitwasalovelybabyanddidnotresemblehiminanyrespect,hegotangryandwentofftoalargelake,wherehecontentedhimselfwithcatchingfliesandinsectsandlivingonseaweedtheremainderofhislife。

  THEMANANDTHEOAK

  ThereoncelivedaSiouxcouplewhohadtwochildren,aboyandagirl。Everyfallthisfamilywouldmoveawayfromthemaincampandtakeuptheirwinterquartersinagroveoftimbersomedistancefromtheprincipalvillage。Thereasontheydidthiswasthathewasagreathunterandwhereavillagewaslocatedforthewinterthegamewasusuallyveryscarce。Therefore,healwayscampedbyhimselfinordertohaveanabundanceofgameadjacenttohiscamp。

  Allsummerhehadroamedaroundfollowingthetribetowherevertheirfancymighttakethem。Duringtheirtravelsthisparticularyeartherecametothevillageastrangegirlwhohadnorelativesthere。Nooneseemedveryanxioustotakeherintotheirfamily,sothegreathunter’sdaughter,takingafancytothepoorgirl,tookhertotheirhomeandkepther。Sheaddressedherassister,andtheparents,onaccountoftheirdaughter,addressedherasdaughter。

  Thisstrangegirlbecamedesperatelyinlovewiththeyoungmanofthefamily,butbeingaddressedasdaughterbytheparents,shecouldnotopenlyshowherfeelingsastheyoungmanwasconsideredherbrother。

  Inthefallwhenthemainvillagemovedintoalargebeltoftimberfortheirwinterquarters,thehuntermovedontoanotherplacetwodays’travelfromthemainwintercamp,wherehewouldnotbedisturbedbyanyotherhunters。

  Theyoungmanhadatentbyhimself,anditwasalwayskeptniceandcleanbyhissister,whowasverymuchattachedtohim。Afteralongday’shuntinthewoods,hewouldgointohistentandliedowntorest,andwhenhissupperwasreadyhissisterwouldsay,\"Mybrotherissotired。Iwillcarryhissuppertohim。\"

  Herfriend,whomsheaddressedassister,wouldnevergointotheyoungman’stent。Alongtowardsspringtherecameonenightintotheyoungman’stentawoman。Shesatdownbythedoorandkeptherfacecoveredsothatitwashiddenfromview。Shesattherealongtimeandfinallyaroseandwentaway。Theyoungmancouldnotimaginewhothiscouldbe。Heknewthatitwasalongdistancefromthevillageandcouldnotmakeoutwherethewomancouldhavecomefrom。Thenextnightthewomancameagainandthistimeshecamealittlenearertowheretheyoungmanlay。Shesatdownandkeptherfacecoveredasbefore。Neitherspokeaword。

  Shesatthereforalongtimeandthenaroseanddeparted。Hewasverymuchpuzzledovertheactionsofthiswomananddecidedtoascertainonhernextvisitwhoshewas。

  Hekindledasmallfireinhistentandhadsomeashwoodlaidonitsoastokeepfirealongtime,asashburnsveryslowlyandholdsfirealongtime。

  Thethirdnightthewomancameagainandsatdownstillnearerhisbed。Sheheldherblanketopenjustatrifle,andhe,catchinguponeoftheembers,flasheditinherface;jumpingupsheranhurriedlyoutofthetent。Thenextmorninghenoticedthathisadoptedsisterkeptherfacehiddenwithherblanket。Shechancedtodropherblanketwhileintheactofpouringoutsomesoup,andwhenshedidsohenoticedalargeburnedspotonhercheek。

  Hefeltsosorryforwhathehaddonethathecouldeatnobreakfast,butwentoutsideandlaydownunderanoaktree。Alldaylonghelaytheregazingupintothetree,andwhenhewascalledforsupperherefused,sayingthathewasnothungry,andforthemnottobotherhim,ashewouldsoongetupandgotobed。

  Farintothenighthelaythus,andwhenhetriedtoarisehecouldnot,asasmalloaktreegrewthroughthecenterofhisbodyandheldhimfasttotheground。

  Inthemorningwhenthefamilyawoketheyfoundthegirlhaddisappeared,andongoingoutsidethesisterdiscoveredherbrotherheldfasttotheearthbyanoaktreewhichgrewveryrapidly。Invainwerethebestmedicinemenofthetribesentfor。Theirmedicinewasofnoavail。Theysaid:\"Ifthetreeiscutdowntheyoungmanwilldie。\"

  Thesisterwaswildwithgrief,andextendingherhandstothesun,shecried:\"GreatSpirit,relievemysufferingbrother。AnyonewhoreleaseshimIwillmarry,beheyoung,old,homelyordeformed。\"

  Severaldaysaftertheyoungmanhadmetwiththemishap,therecametothetentaverytallman,whohadabrightlightencirclinghisbody。\"Whereisthegirlwhopromisedtomarryanyonewhowouldreleaseherbrother?\"\"Iamtheone,\"saidtheyoungman’ssister。\"Iamtheall-powerfullightningandthunder。Iseeallthingsandcankillatonestrokeawholetribe。WhenImakemyvoiceheardtherocksshakelooseandgorattlingdownthehillsides。Thebravewarriorscowershiveringundersomeshelteratthesoundofmyvoice。Thegirlwhomyouhadadoptedasyoursisterwasasorceress。Shebewitchedyourbrotherbecausehewouldnotlethermakelovetohim。OnmywayhereImethertravelingtowardsthewest,andknowingwhatshehaddone,Istruckherwithoneofmyblazingswords,andsheliestherenowaheapofashes。Iwillnowreleaseyourbrother。\"

  Sosayingheplacedhishandonthetreeandinstantlyitcrumbledtoashes。Theyoungmanarose,andthankedhisdeliverer。

  Thentheysawagreatblackcloudapproaching,andthemansaid:

  \"Makeready,weshallgohomeonthatcloud。\"Asthecloudapproachedneartothemanwhostoodwithhisbride,itsuddenlyloweredandenvelopedthemandwithagreatroarandamidstflashesoflightningandloudpealsofthunderthegirlascendedanddisappearedintothewestwithherThunderandLightninghusband。

  STORYOFTHETWOYOUNGFRIENDS

  TherewereonceinaverylargeIndiancamptwolittleboyswhowerefastfriends。Oneoftheboys,\"Chaske\"(meaningfirstborn),wasthesonofaveryrichfamily,andwasalwaysdressedinthefinestofclothesofIndiancostume。Theotherboy,\"Hake\"

  (meaninglastborn),wasanorphanandlivedwithhisoldgrandmother,whowasverydestitute,andconsequentlycouldnotdresstheboyinfineraiment。Sopoorlywastheboydressedthattheboyswhohadgoodclothesalwaystormentedhimandwouldnotplayinhiscompany。

  Chaskedidnotlookattheclothesofanyboywhomhechoseasafriend,butmingledwithallboysregardlessofhowtheywereclad,andwouldstudytheirdispositions。Thewelldressedhefoundwerevainandconceited。Thefairlywelldressedhefoundselfishandspiteful。Thepoorlycladhefoundtobegenerousandtruthful,andfromallofthemhechose\"Hake\"forhis\"Koda\"

  (friend)。AsChaskewasthesonoftheleadingwarchiefhewasverymuchsoughtafterbytherestoftheboys,eachonetryingtogainthehonorofbeingchosenforthefriendandcompanionofthegreatchief’sson;but,asIhavebeforesaid,ChaskecarefullystudiedthemallandfinallychosetheorphanHake。

  ItwasaluckydayforHakewhenhewaschosenforthefriendandcompanionofChaske。Theorphanboywastakentothelodgeofhisfriend’sparentsanddressedupinfineclothesandmoccasins。

  (WhentheIndians’sonsclaimanyoneastheirfriend,thefriendthuschosenisadoptedintothefamilyastheirownson)。

  ChaskeandHakewereinseparable。Whereonewasseentheotherwasnotfardistant。Theyplayed,hunted,trapped,ateandslepttogether。Theywouldspendmostofthelongsummerdayshuntingintheforests。

  Timewentonandthesetwofastfriendsgrewuptobefinespecimensoftheirtribe。Whentheybecametheagetoselectasweethearttheywouldgotogetherandmakelovetoagirl。Eachhelpingtheothertowintheaffectionoftheoneofhischoice。

  Chaskelovedagirlwhowasthedaughterofanoldmedicineman。

  Shewasverymuchcourtedbytheotheryoungmenofthetribe,andmanyahorseloadedwithrobesandfineporcupineworkwastiedatthemedicineman’stepeeinofferingforthehandofhisdaughter,butthehorses,ladenaswhentiedthere,wereturnedloose,signifyingthattheofferwasnotaccepted。

  Thegirl’schoicewasChaske’sfriendHake。Althoughhehadnevermadelovetoherforhimself,hehadalwaysusedhoneyedwordstoherandwasalwaysloudinhispraisesforhisfriendChaske。Onenightthetwofriendshadbeentoseethegirl,andontheirreturnChaskewasveryquiet,havingnothingtosayandseeminglyindeepstudy。Alwaysofabright,jollyandamiabledisposition,hissilenceandmoodyspellgrievedhisfriendverymuch,andhefinallyspoketoChaske,saying:\"Koda,whathascomeoveryou?Youwhowerealwayssojollyandfulloffun?YoursilencemakesmegrieveforyouandIdonotknowwhatyouarefeelingsodownheartedabout。Hasthegirlsaidanythingtoyoutomakeyoufeelthus?\"

  \"Wait,friend,\"saidChaske,\"untilmorning,andthenIwillknowhowtoansweryourinquiry。Don’taskmeanythingmoretonight,asmyheartishavingagreatbattlewithmybrain。\"

  Hakebotheredhisfriendnomorethatnight,buthecouldnotsleep。Hekeptwonderingwhat\"PrettyFeather\"(thegirlwhomhisfriendloved)couldhavesaidtoChasketobringsuchachangeoverhim。Hakeneversuspectedthathehimselfwasthecauseofhisfriend’ssorrow,forneverdidhehaveathoughtthatitwashimselfthatPrettyFeatherloved。

  Thenextmorningaftertheyhadeatenbreakfast,Chaskeproposedthattheyshouldgooutontheprairies,andseeiftheywouldhavethegoodlucktokillanantelope。Hakewentoutandgotthebandofhorses,ofwhichtherewereoverahundred。Theyselectedthefleetesttwointheherd,andtakingtheirbowsandarrows,mountedandrodeawaytowardsthesouth。

  Hakewasoverjoyedtonotethechangeinhisfriend。Hisoldtimejollityhadreturned。Theyrodeoutaboutfivemiles,andscaringupadroveofantelopetheystartedinhotpursuit,andastheirhorseswereveryfleetoffootsooncaughtuptothedrove,andeachsinglingouthischoicequicklydispatchedhimwithanarrow。Theycouldeasilyhavekilledmoreoftheantelope,butdidnotwanttokillthemjustforsport,butforfood,andknowingthattheyhadnowallthattheirhorsescouldpackhome,theydismountedandproceededtodresstheirkill。

  Aftereachhadfinishedpackingthekillonhishorse,Chaskesaid:

  \"Letussitdownandhaveasmokebeforewestartback。Besides,IhavesomethingtotellyouwhichIcantellbettersittingstillthanIcanridingalong。\"Hakecameandsatdownoppositehisfriend,andwhiletheysmokedChaskesaid:

  \"Myfriend,wehavebeentogetherforthelasttwentyyearsandI

  haveyetthefirsttimetodeceiveyouinanyway,andIknowIcantruthfullysaythesameofyou。NeverhaveIknownyoutodeceivemenortellmeanuntruth。Ihavenobrothersorsisters。Theonlybrother’sloveIknowisyours。Theonlysister’sloveIwillknowwillbePrettyFeather’s,forbrother,lastnightshetoldmeshelovednonebutyouandwouldmarryyouandyouonly。So,brother,Iamgoingtotakemyantelopetomysister-in-law’stentanddeposititatherdoor。Thenshewillknowthatherwishwillbefulfilled。Ithoughtatfirstthatyouhadbeenplayingtraitortomeandhadbeenmakinglovetoherforyourself,butwhensheexplaineditalltomeandbeggedmetointercedeforhertoyou,IthenknewthatIhadjudgedyouwrongfully,andthat,togetherwithmylostlove,mademesoquietandsorrowfullastnight。Sonow,brother,taketheflowerofthenationforyourwife,andI

  willbecontenttocontinuethroughlifealonelybachelor,asneveragaincanIgiveanywomantheplacewhichPrettyFeatherhadinmyheart。\"

  TheirpipesbeingsmokedouttheymountedtheirponiesandChaskestartedupinaclear,deepvoicethebeautifullovesongofPrettyFeatherandhisfriendHake。

  Suchisthelovebetweentwofriends,whoclaimtobeasbrothersamongtheIndians。Chaskegaveuphisloveofabeautifulwomanforamanwhowasinfactnorelationtohim。

  Hakesaid,\"Iwilldoasyousay,myfriend,butbeforeIcanmarrythemedicineman’sdaughter,Iwillhavetogoonthewarpathanddosomebravedeed,andwillstartintendays。\"Theyrodetowardshome,planningwhichdirectiontheywouldtravel,andasitwastobetheirfirstexperienceonthewarpath,theywouldseekadvicefromtheoldwarriorsofthetribe。

  OntheirarrivalatthevillageHaketookhiskilltotheirowntent,whileChasketookhistothetentoftheMedicineMan,anddepositeditatthedoorandrodeofftowardshome。

  ThemotherofPrettyFeatherdidnotknowwhethertotaketheofferingornot,butPrettyFeather,seeingbythisofferingthathermostcherishedwishwastobegranted,toldhermothertotakethemeatandcookitandinvitetheoldwomenofthecamptoafeastinhonoroftheson-in-lawwhowassoontokeepthemfurnishedwithplentyofmeat。Hakeandhisfriendsoughtoutalloftheoldwarriorsandgainedalltheinformationtheydesired。

  EveryeveningHakevisitedhisintendedwifeandmanyhappyeveningstheyspenttogether。

  Themorningofthetenthdaythetwofriendsleftthevillageandturnedtheirfacestowardthewestwherethecampsoftheenemyaremorenumerousthaninanyotherdirection。Theywerenotmountedandthereforetraveledslowly,soittookabouttendaysofwalkingbeforetheysawanysignsoftheenemy。Theoldwarriorshadtoldthemofathicklywoodedcreekwithintheenemies’bounds。Theoldmensaid,\"Thatcreeklookstheidealplacetocamp,butdon’tcamptherebyanymeans,becausethereisaghostwhohauntsthatcreek,andanyonewhocampsthereisdisturbedallthroughthenight,andbesidestheyneverreturn,becausetheghostisWakan(holy),andtheenemiesconquerthetravelerseverytime。\"

  Thefriendshadextramoccasinswiththemandoneextrablanket,asitwaslateinthefallandthenightswereverycold。

  Theybrokecampearlyonemorningandwalkedallday。Alongtowardsevening,thecloudswhichhadbeenthreateningallday,hurriedlyopenedtheirdoorsanddowncamethesnowflakesthickandfast。Justbeforeitstartedsnowingthefriendshadnoticedadarklineabouttwomilesinadvanceofthem。Chaskespoketohisfriendandsaid:\"IfthisstormcontinueswewillbeobligedtostayovernightatGhostCreek,asInoticeditnotfaraheadofus,justbeforethestormsetin。\"\"Inoticeditalso,\"saidHake。

  \"Wemightaswellentertainaghostallnightastolieoutontheseopenprairiesandfreezetodeath。\"SotheydecidedtoruntheriskandstayintheshelteringwoodsofGhostCreek。Whentheygottothecreekitseemedasiftheyhadsteppedinsideabigtepee,sothickwasthebrushandtimberthatthewindcouldnotbefeltatall。Theyhuntedandfoundaplacewherethebrushwasverythickandthegrassverytall。Theyquicklypulledthetopsofthenearestwillowstogetherandbyintertwiningtheendsmadethemfast,andthrowingtheirtentrobeoverthis,soonhadacosytepeeinwhichtosleep。Theystartedtheirfireandcookedsomedriedbuffalomeatandbuffalotallow,andwerejustabouttoeattheirsupperwhenafigureofamancameslowlyinthroughthedoorandsatdownnearwherehehadentered。Hake,beingtheonewhowasdoingthecooking,pouredoutsometeaintohisowncup,andputtingapieceofpoundedmeatandmarrowintoasmallplate,placeditbeforethestranger,saying:\"Eat,myfriend,weareonthewarpathanddonotcarrymuchofavarietyoffoodwithus,butIgiveyouthebestwehave。\"

  Thestrangerdrewtheplatetowardshim,andcommencedeatingravenously。Hesoonfinishedhismealandhandedthedishandcupback。Hehadnotutteredawordsofar。Chaskefilledthepipeandhandedittohim。Hesmokedforafewminutes,tookonelastdrawfromthepipeandhandeditbacktoChaske,andthenhesaid:

  \"Now,myfriends,Iamnotalivingman,butthewanderingspiritofaoncegreatwarrior,whowaskilledinthesewoodsbytheenemywhomyoutwobraveyoungmenarenowseekingtomakewarupon。ForyearsIhavebeenroamingthesewoodsinhopesthatImightfindsomeonebraveenoughtostopandlistentome,butallwhohavecampedhereinthepasthaverunawayatmyapproachorfiredgunsorshotarrowsatme。ForsuchcowardsastheseIhavealwaysfoundagrave。Theyneverreturnedtotheirhomes。NowIhavefoundtwobravemenwhomIcantellwhatIwantdone,andifyouaccomplishwhatItellyoutodo,youwillreturnhomewithmanyhorsesandsomescalpsdanglingfromyourbelts。Justoverthisrangeofhillsnorthofus,alargevillageisencampedforthewinter。Inthatcampisthemanwholaidinambushandshotme,killingmebeforeIcouldgetachancetodefendmyself。Iwantthatman’sscalp,becausehehasbeenthecauseofmywanderingsforagreatmanyyears。Hadhekilledmeonthebattlefieldmyspiritwouldhaveatoncejoinedmybrothersinthehappyhuntinggrounds,butbeingkilledbyacoward,myspiritisdoomedtoroamuntilIcanfindsomebravemanwhowillkillthiscowardandbringmehisscalp。ThisiswhyIhavetriedeverypartywhohavecampedheretolistentome,butasIhavesaidbefore,theywereallcowards。Now,Iaskyoutwobraveyoungmen,willyoudothisforme?\"

  \"Wewill,\"saidthefriendsinonevoice。\"Thankyou,myboys。

  Now,Iknowwhyyoucamehere,andthatoneofyoucametoearnhisfeathersbykillinganenemy,beforehewouldmarry;thegirlheistomarryismygranddaughter,asIamthefatherofthegreatMedicineMan。Inthemorningtherewillpassbyinplainsightofherealargeparty。Theywillchasethebuffalooveronthatflat。Aftertheyhavepassedanoldmanleadingablackhorseandridingawhiteonewillcomebyonthetrailleftbythehuntingparty。Hewillbedrivingaboutahundredhorses,whichhewillleaveoverinthenextravine。Hewillthenproceedtothehuntinggroundsandgetmeatfromthedifferenthunters。Afterthehuntershaveallgonehomehewillcomelast,singingthepraisesoftheoneswhogavehimthemeat。Thismanyoumustkillandscalp,asheistheoneIwantkilled。Thentakethewhiteandblackhorseandeachmountandgotothehuntinggrounds。Thereyouwillseetwooftheenemyridingaboutpickingupemptyshells。

  KillandscalpthesetwoandeachtakeascalpandcomeovertothehighknollandIwillshowyouwherethehorsesare,andassoonasyouhandmetheoldman’sscalpIwilldisappearandyouwillseemenomore。AssoonasIdisappear,itwillstartinsnowing。

  Don’tbeafraidasthesnowwillcoveryourtrail,butnevertheless,don’tstoptravelingforthreedaysandnights,asthesepeoplewillsuspectthatsomeofyourtribehavedonethis,andtheywillfollowyouuntilyoucrossyourownboundarylines。\"

  Whenmorningcame,thetwofriendssatinthethickbrushandwatchedalargepartypassbytheirhidingplace。Sonearweretheythatthefriendscouldhearthemlaughingandtalking。Afterthehuntingpartyhadpassed,asthespirithadtoldthem,alongcametheoldman,drivingalargebandofhorsesandleadingafinelookingcoalblackhorse。Thehorsetheoldmanwasridingwasaswhiteassnow。Thefriendscrawledtoalittlebrushcoveredhillandwatchedthechaseaftertheshootinghadceased。Thefriendsknewitwouldnotbelongbeforethereturnoftheparty,sotheycrawledbacktotheircampandhurriedlyatesomepoundedmeatanddranksomecherrytea。Thentheytookdowntheirrobeandrolleditupandgoteverythinginreadinessforahurriedflightwiththehorses。Scarcelyhadtheygoteverythinginreadinesswhenthepartycameby,singingtheirsongofthechase。Whentheyhadallgonethefriendscrawleddowntothetrailandlaywaitingfortheoldman。Soontheyheardhimsinging。Nearerandnearercamethesoundsofthesonguntilatlastatabendintheroad,theoldmancameintoview。Thetwofriendsaroseandadvancedtomeethim。

  Onhecamestillsinging。Nodoubthemistookthemforsomeofhisownpeople。Whenhewasveryclosetothemtheyeachsteppedtoeithersideofhimandbeforehecouldmakeanoutcrytheypiercedhiscowardlyoldheartwithtwoarrows。Hehadhardlytouchedthegroundwhentheybothstruckhimwiththeirbows,winningfirstandsecondhonorsbystrikinganenemyafterhehasfallen。Chaskehavingwonfirsthonors,askedhisfriendtoperformthescalpingdeed,whichhedid。Andwantingtobesurethatthespiritwouldgetfullrevenge,tookthewholescalp,earsandall,andtiedittohisbelt。Thebuffalobeefwhichtheoldmanhadpackedupontheblackhorse,theythrewonthetopoftheoldman。Quicklymountingthetwohorses,theyhastenedoutacrossthelongflattowardsthehuntinggrounds。Whentheycameinsightofthegroundstheretheysawtwomenridingaboutfromplacetoplace。

  Chasketookaftertheoneontheright,Haketheoneontheleft。

  Whenthetwomensawthesetwostrangemenridinglikethewindtowardsthem,theyturnedtheirhorsestoretreattowardsthehills,butthewhiteandtheblackweretheswiftestofthetribe’shorses,andquicklyovertookthetwofleeingmen。Whentheycameclosetotheenemytheystrungtheirarrowsontothebowstringanddrovethemthroughthetwofleeinghunters。Astheywerefallingtheytriedtoshoot,butbeinggreatlyexhausted,theirbulletswhistledharmlesslyovertheheadsofthetwofriends。Theyscalpedthetwoenemiesandtooktheirgunsandammunition,alsosecuredthetwohorsesandstartedforthehighknoll。Whentheyarrivedattheplace,therestoodthespirit。Hakepresentedhimwiththeoldman’sscalpandthenthespiritshowedthemthelargebandofhorses,andsaying,\"Ridehardandlong,\"disappearedandwasseennomorebyanywarparties,ashewasthusenabledtojoinhisforefathersinthehappyhuntinggrounds。

  Thefriendsdidasthespirithadtoldthem。Forthreedaysandthreenightstheyrodesteadily。Onthefourthmorningtheycameintotheirownboundary。Fromthereontheyrodemoreslowly,andletthebandofhorsesrestandcropthetopsoflonggrass。Theywouldstopoccasionally,andwhileoneslepttheotherkeptwatch。

  Thustheygotfairlywellrestedbeforetheycameinsightofwheretheircamphadstoodwhentheyhadleft。AllthattheycouldseeoftheoncelargevillagewasthelonetentofthegreatMedicineMan。Theyrodeupontoahighhillandfartherontowardstheeasttheysawsmokefromagreatmanytepees。Theythenknewthatsomethinghadhappenedandthatthevillagehadmovedaway。

  \"Myfriend,\"saidChaske,\"IamafraidsomethinghashappenedtotheMedicineMan’slodge,andratherthanhaveyougothere,Iwillgoaloneandyoufollowthetrailofourpartyandgoonaheadwiththehorses。IwilltaketheblackandthewhitehorseswithmeandIwillfollowonlater,afterIhaveseenwhatthetroubleis。\"

  \"Verywell,myfriend,Iwilldoasyousay,butIamafraidsomethinghashappenedtoPrettyFeather。\"Hakestartedonwiththehorses,drivingthemalongthebroadtrailleftbythehundredsoftravois。Chaskemadeslowlytowardsthetepee,andstoppingoutside,stoodandlistened。Notasoundcouldhehear。TheonlylivingthinghesawwasPrettyFeather’sspottedhorsetiedtothesideofthetent。Thenheknewthatshemustbedead。Herodeoffintothethickbrushandtiedhistwohorsessecurely。Thenhecamebackandenteredthetepee。Thereonabedofrobeslaysomeoneapparentlydead。Thebodywaswrappedinblanketsandrobesandboundaroundandaroundwithparflecheropes。Thesehecarefullyuntiedandunwound。Thenheunwrappedtherobesandblanketsandwhenheuncoveredtheface,hesaw,ashehadexpectedto,thefaceofhislostlove,PrettyFeather。Ashesatgazingonherbeautifulyoungface,hisheartachedforhispoorfriend。Hehimselfhadlovedandlostthisbeautifulmaiden,andnowhisfriendwhohadwonherwouldhavetosuffertheuntoldgriefwhichhehadsuffered。

  Whatwasthat?Couldithavebeenaslightquiveringofthenostrilsthathehadseen,orwasitmadfancyplayingatrickonhim?Closerhedrewtoherface,watchingintentlyforanothersign。Thereitwasagain,onlythistimeitwasalong,deepdrawnbreath。Hearose,gotsomewaterandtakingasmallstickslowlyforcedopenhermouthandpouredsomeintoit。Thenhetooksomesage,dippeditintothewaterandsprinkledalittleonherheadandface。Thereweremanyparflechebagspiledaroundthetepee,andthinkinghemightfindsomekindofmedicinerootswhichhecouldusetoreviveherhestartedopeningthemoneaftertheother。Hehadopenedthreeandwasjustopeningthefourth,whenavoicebehindhimasked:\"Whatareyoulookingfor?\"Turningquickly,hesawPrettyFeatherlookingathim。Overjoyed,hecried,\"WhatcanIdosothatyoucangetupandridetothevillagewithme?MyfriendandIjustreturnedwithalargebandofhorsesandtwoscalps。Wesawthistentandrecognizedit。

  Myfriendwantedtocome,butIwouldnotlethim,asIfearedifhefoundanythinghadhappenedtoyouhewoulddoharmtohimself,butnowhewillbeanxiousformyreturn,soifyouwilltellmewhatyouneedinordertoreviveyou,Iwillgetit,andwecanthengotomyfriendinthevillage。\"\"Atthefootofmybedyouwillfindapieceofeaglefat。Buildafireandmeltitforme。

  Iwilldrinkitandthenwecango。\"

  Chaskequicklystartedafire,gotoutthepieceoffatandmeltedit。Shedrankitatonedraught,andwasabouttoarisewhenshesuddenlysaid:\"Rollmeupquickandtakethebuffalohairropeandtieitaboutmyspottedhorse’sneck;tiehistailinaknotandtiehimtothedoor。Thenrunandhidebehindthetrees。Therearetwooftheenemycomingthisway。\"

  Chaskehurriedlyobeyedherorders,andhadbarelyconcealedhimselfbehindthetrees,whentherecameintoviewtwooftheenemy。Theysawthehorsetiedtothedoorofthedesertedtent,andknewthatsomedeadpersonoccupiedthetepee,sothroughrespectforthedead,theyturnedoutandstartedtogothroughthebrushandtrees,soasnottopassthedoor。(TheIndiansconsideritabadomentopassbythedoorofatepeeoccupiedbyadeadbody,thatis,whileintheenemy’scountry)。SobymakingthisdetourtheytraveleddirectlytowardswhereChaskewasconcealedbehindthetree。Knowingthathewouldbediscovered,andtherebeingtwoofthem,heknewtheonlychancehehadwasforhimtokilloneofthembeforetheydiscoveredhim,thenhestoodabetterchanceatanevencombat。Ontheycame,littlethinkingthatoneofthemwouldinafewminutesbewithhisforefathers。

  Chaskenoiselesslyslippedacartridgeintothechamberofhisgun,threwitintoactionandtookdeliberateaimatthesmallerone’sbreast。Aloudreportrangoutandtheonehehadaimedatthrewuphisarmsandfellheavilyforward,shotthroughtheheart。

  ReloadingquicklyChaskesteppedoutfrombehindthetree。Hecouldeasilyhavekilledtheotherfromhisconcealedposition,but,beingabraveyoungman,hewantedtogivehisopponentafairchance。Theotherhadunslunghisgunandaduelwasthenfoughtbetweenthetwolonecombatants。Theywouldspringfromsidetosideliketwogreatcats。Thenadvanceoneortwostepsandfire。

  Retreatafewsteps,springtoonesideandfireagain。Thebulletswhistledpasttheirheads,toreuptheearthbeneaththeirfeet,andoccasionallyonewouldhititsmark,onlytocauseafleshwound。

  Suddenlytheenemyaimedhisgunandthrewitupontheground。Hisammunitionwasexhausted,andslowlyfoldinghisarmshestoodfacinghisopponent,withafearlesssmileuponhisface,expectingthenextmomenttofalldeadfromabulletfromtherifleofChaske。Notso。Chaskewastoohonorableandnobletokillanunarmedman,andespeciallyonewhohadputupsuchabravefightashadthisman。Chaskeadvancedandpickeduptheemptygun。TheToka(enemy)drewfromascabbardathisbeltalongbowieknife,andtakingitbythepointhandedit,handlefirst,toChaske。

  Thissignifiedsurrender。ChaskescalpedthedeadTokaandmotionedforhisprisonertofollowhim。InthemeantimePrettyFeatherhadgottenupandstoodlookingattheduel。Whensheheardthefirstshotshejumpedupandcutasmallslitinthetentfromwhichshesawthewholeproceedings。Knowingthatoneorbothofthemmustbewounded,shehurriedlygotwaterandmedicineroots,andwhentheycametothetentshewaspreparedtodresstheirwounds。

  Chaskehadabulletthroughhisshoulderandonethroughhishand。

  Theywereverypainfulbutnotdangerous。Theprisonerhadabulletthroughhisleg,alsoonethroughthemuscleofhisleftarm。PrettyFeatherwashedanddressedtheirwounds,andChaskewentandbroughttheblackandwhitehorsesandmountingPrettyFeatheruponthewhitehorse,andtheprisoneronherspottedone,thethreesoonrodeintothevillage,andtherewasagreatcryofjoywhenitwasknownthatPrettyFeatherhadcomebacktothemagain。

  Hake,whowasinhistentgrieving,wastoldthathisfriendhadreturnedandwithhimPrettyFeather。HearingthisgoodnewsheatoncewenttotheMedicineMan’stentandfoundtheMedicineManbusilydressingthewoundsofhisfriendandastranger。TheoldMedicineManturnedtoHakeandsaid:

  \"Son-in-law,takeyourwifehomewithyou。Itwasfromgriefatyourabsencethatshewentintoatrance,andwe,thinkingshewasdead,leftherforsuch。Hadn’titbeenforyourfriendhere,shewouldsurelyhavebeenacorpsenow。Sotakeherandkeepherwithyoualways,andtakeasapresentfrommefiftyofmybesthorses。\"

  Hakeandhisbeautifulbridewenthome,wherehisadoptedmotherhadafinelargetentputupforthem。Presentsofcookingutensils,horses,robesandfinelyworkedshawlsandmoccasinscamefromeverydirection,andlastofallChaskegaveasapresenttohisfriendtheTokamanwhomhehadtakenasprisoner。Onpresentinghimwiththisgift,Chaskespokethus:

  \"Myfriend,Ipresenttoyou,thatyoumayhavehimasaservanttolookafteryourlargebandofhorses,thismanwithwhomIfoughtatwohours’duel,andhadhisammunitionlastedhewouldprobablyhaveconqueredme,andwhogavemethesecondhardestfightofmylife。

  ThehardestfightofmylifewaswhenIgaveupPrettyFeather。

  Youhavethemboth。TotheToka(enemy)bekind,andhewilldoallyourbiddings。ToPrettyFeatherbeagoodhusband。\"

  Sosaying,Chaskeleftthem,andtruetohisword,livedtheremainderofhisdaysaconfirmedbachelor。

  THESTORYOFTHEPETCROW

  Onceuponatimetherecametoalargevillageaplagueofcrows。

  Sothickweretheythatthepoorwomenweresorelytriedkeepingthemoutoftheirtepeesanddrivingthemawayfromtheirlinesofjerkedbuffalomeat。IndeedtheygotsonumerousandweresuchagreatnuisancethattheChieffinallygaveorderstohiscampcriersorheraldstogooutamongthedifferentcampsandannouncetheordersoftheirChief,thatwarshouldbemadeuponthecrowstoextermination;thattheirnestsweretobedestroyedandalleggsbroken。Thewarofexterminationwastocontinueuntilnotacrowremained,excepttheyoungestfoundwastobebroughttohimalive。

  Foraweekthewaronthecrowscontinued。Thousandsofdeadcrowswerebroughtindaily,andattheendoftheweeknotabirdofthatspeciescouldbeseenintheneighborhood。Thosethatescapedthedeadlyarrowofthewarriors,flewaway,nevertoreturntothosepartsagain。

  Attheendofthewarmadeuponthecrows,therewasbroughttotheChief’stepeetheyoungestfound。Indeed,soyoungwasthebirdthatitwasonlythegreatmedicineoftheChiefthatkepthimaliveuntilhecouldhopaboutandfindhisownfood。TheChiefspentmostofhistimeinhislodgeteachingtheyoungcrowtounderstandandtalkthelanguageofthetribe。Afterthecrowhadmasteredthis,theChiefthentaughthimthelanguagesoftheneighboringtribes。Whenthecrowhadmasteredthesedifferentlanguagesthechiefwouldsendhimonlongjourneystoascertainthelocationofthecampsofthedifferentenemies。

  WhenthecrowwouldfindalargeIndiancamphewouldalightandhopabout,pretendingtobepickingupscraps,butreallykeepinghisearsopenforanythinghemighthear。Hewouldhangaroundallday,andatnightwhentheywouldallgatherinthelargecounciltent(whichalwaysstoodinthecenterofthevillage)todetermineupontheirnextraid,andplanforahorsestealingtrip,Mr。Crowwasalwaysnearbytohearalltheirplansdiscussed。Hewouldthenflyawaytohismaster(theChief)andtellhimallthathehadlearned。

  TheChiefwouldthensendabandofhiswarriorstolieinambushfortheraidingparty,and,astheenemywouldnotsuspectanythingtheywouldgoblindlyintothepitfallofdeaththussetforthem。

  Thusthecrowwasthescoutofthischief,whosereputationasaWakan(Holyman)soonreachedallofthedifferenttribes。TheChief’swarriorswouldintercept,ambushandannihilateeverywarpartyheadedforhiscamp。

  So,finallylearningthattheycouldnotmakewaronthischief’speopleunbeknowntothem,theygaveupmakingwaronthisparticularband。Whenmeatwasrunninglowinthecampthischiefwouldsendthecrowouttolookforbuffalo。Whenhediscoveredaherdhewouldreturnandreporttohismaster;thenthechiefwouldorderoutthehuntersandtheywouldreturnladenwithmeat。

  Thusthecrowkeptthecampallthetimeinformedofeverythingthatwouldbeofbenefittothem。

  Onedaythecrowdisappeared,overwhichtherewasgreatgriefamongthetribe。Aweekhadpassedaway,whenMr。Crowreappeared。

  Therewasgreatrejoicinguponhisreturn,butthecrowwasdowncastandwouldnotspeak,butsatwithadroopingheadperchedatthetopofthechief’stepee,andrefusedallfoodthatwasofferedtohim。

  Invaindidthechieftrytogetthecrowtotellhimthecauseofhissilenceandseeminggrief。Thecrowwouldnotspeakuntilthechiefsaid:\"Well,Iwilltakeafewofmywarriorsandgooutandtrytoascertainwhathashappenedtocauseyoutoactasyoudo。\"

  Uponhearingthis,thecrowsaid:\"Don’tgo。IdreadedtotellyouwhatIknowtobeafact,asIhavehearditfromsomegreatmedicinemen。Iwastravelingoverthemountainswestofhere,whenIspiedthreeoldmensittingatthetopofthehighestpeak。Iverycautiouslydroppeddownbehindarockandlistenedtotheirtalk。Iheardyournamementionedbyoneofthem,thenyourbrother’snamewasmentioned。Thenthethird,whowastheoldest,said:’inthreedaysfromtodaythelightningwillkillthosetwobrotherswhomallthenationsfear。’\"

  Uponhearingwhatthecrowstatedthetribebecamegriefstricken。

  Onthemorningofthethirddaythechieforderedanicetepeeplaceduponthehighestpoint,farenoughawayfromthevillage,sothatthepealsofthunderwouldnotalarmthebabiesofthecamp。

  Agreatfeastwasgiven,andafterthefeastingwasovertherecameinsixyoungmaidensleadingthewarhorsesofthetwobrothers。

  Thehorseswerepaintedanddecoratedasifforachargeontheenemy。Onemaidenwalkedaheadofthechief’shorsebearinginherhandsthebowandarrowsofthegreatwarrior。Nextcametwomaidens,oneoneithersideoftheprancingwarsteed,eachholdingarein。Behindthechief’shorsecamethefourthmaiden。Likethefirst,sheboreinherhandsthebowandarrowsofthechief’sbrother。Thenthefifthandsixthmaidenseachholdingarein,walkedoneithersideoftheprancinghorseofthechief’sbrother。

  Theyadvancedandcircledthelargegatheringandfinallystoppeddirectlyinfrontofthetwobrothers,whoimmediatelyaroseandtakingtheirbowsandarrowsvaultedlightlyupontheirwarsteeds,andsingingtheirdeathsong,gallopedoffamidagreatcryofgrieffromthepeoplewholovedthemmostdearly。

  Headingstraightforthetepeethathadbeenplaceduponthehighestpoint,adjacenttothevillage,theysoonarrivedattheirdestinationand,dismountingfromtheirhorses,turned,wavedtheirhandstotheirband,anddisappearedwithinthetepee。Scarcelyhadtheyenteredthelodgewhentherumblingsofdistantthundercouldbeheard。Nearer,andnearer,camethesound,untilatlastthestormoverspreadthelocalityinallitsfury。Flashuponflashoflightningburstforthfromtheheavens。Deafeningpealsofthunderfollowedeachflash。Finally,oneflashbrighterthananyoftheothers,onepealmoredeafeningthanthoseprecedingit,andthestormhadpassed。

  Sadlythewarriorsgatheredtogether,mountedtheirhorsesandslowlyrodetothetepeeonthehighpoint。Arrivingtheretheylookedinsidethelodgeandsawthetwobrotherslyingcoldandstillindeath,eachholdingthelariatofhisfavoritewarhorse。

  Thehorsesalsolaydeadsidebysideinfrontofthetent。(Fromthiscamethecustomofkillingthefavoritehorseofadeadwarriorattheburialoftheowner)。

  AstheIndianssadlyleftthehilltoreturnhome,theyheardanoiseatthetopofthetepee,andlookinguptheysawthecrowsittingononeofthesplinteredtepeepoles。Hewascryingmostpitifully,andastheyrodeoffheflewuphighintheairandhispitiful\"caw\"becamefainterandfaintertillatlasttheyhearditnomore。Andfromthatday,thestorygoes,nocrowevergoesnearthevillageofthatbandofIndians。

  THE\"WASNA\"(PEMMICAN)MANANDTHE

  UNKTOMI(SPIDER)

  Onceuponatimethereappearedfromoutofalargebeltoftimberamanattiredinthefatofthebuffalo。Onhisheadheworethehoneycombpartofthestomach。Tothiswasattachedsmallpiecesoffat。Thefatwhichcoveredthestomachheworeasacloak。Thelargeintestinesheworeasleggings,andthekidneyfatashismoccasins。

  Asheappearedhehadthemisfortunetomeet\"Unktomi\"(spider)

  withhishundredsofstarvingchildren。Uponseeingthefat,Unktomiandhislargefamilyatonceattackedtheman,who,inordertosavehislife,startedtorunaway,butsocloselydidUnktomiandhisfamilypursuehimthatinordertomakebettertimeandalsogetalittlebetterstart,hethrewoffhisheadcovering,whichtheUnktomifamilyhastilydevoured,andwereagainclosinginuponhim。Hethenthrewoffhiscloakandtheydevouredthat,andwerecloseuponhimagain,whenhethrewoffhisleggings。

  Thesewerehastilyeatenup,and,astheydrewneartoalake,themanthrewoffthekidneyfat,and,runningtotheedgeofthelake,diveddownintothewaterandkeptbeneaththesurface,swimmingtotheoppositeshore。AftertheUnktomifamilyhadeatenthekidneyfattheycametothewater’sedge,andthegreasewasfloatingonthesurfaceofthewaterwhichtheylappedup,untiltherewasnotagreasespotleftfloatingonthesurface。

  Thesmallmorselshadonlysharpenedtheirappetites,andastheysawthemansittingontheoppositeshore,Unktomiandhisfamilyproceededaroundthelakeandcameupontwomensittingontheshore。Unktomisawthattheothermanwas\"Wakapapi\"(poundedbeef)。ThefamilysurroundedthetwoandUnktomiorderedthemtofight。FearingUnktomiandhislargefamily,theyatoncecommencedtofightandPoundedMeatwassoonkilled。Thehungryfamilyatoncefelltoeatinghim。Sobusyweretheythatnonenoticedthefatmansneakoffanddisappear。

  Whentheyhadfinishedthepoundedbeefmantheylookedaroundtofalluponthefatman,butnowherecouldhebeseen。Unktomisaid,\"IwilltrackhimandwhenIfindhim,Iwillreturnforyou,sostayhereandawaitmyreturn。\"

  Hefollowedthefatman’stracksuntilfarthereastontheshoreofthelakehefoundthefatmanintheactofskinningadeer,whichhehadkilled。(Hehadheldontohisbowandarrowswhenhejumpedintothelake)。\"My,\"saidUnktomi,\"thiswillmakeafinemealformyhungrychildren。Iwillgoafterthem,sohurryandcutthemeatupintosmallpiecessotheyeachcanhaveapiece。\"

  \"Allright,goaheadandgetyourfamily,\"saidFatMan。DuringUnktomi’sabsence,thefatmanhurriedlycutthemeatupintosmallpiecesandcarriedthemupintoatreethatstoodneartotheshore。Whenhehadcarrieditalluphethrewsandanddirtupontheblood,andsoleftnotraceofthedeer。

  OnthearrivalofUnktomiandhisfamily,nosignsofthefatmanorthedeercouldbefound。Theywanderedaboutthespotlookingfortrackswhichmightleadthemtowherethefatmanhadcachedthemeat,asUnktomisaidhecouldnothavecarrieditveryfar。

  Nowthefatmanwasupinthetreeandsatwatchingthem。Thereflectionofthetreewasinthewater,andsomeofthechildrengoingclosetotheshore,discovereditastheylookedatthereflection。Thefatmancutapieceofmeatandextendingittowardsthem,drewbackhishandandputthemeatintohismouth。

  \"Comequick,father,hereheiseatingthemeat,\"saidthechildren。Unktomicameandseeingthereflection,thoughtthefatmanwasdowninthelake。\"Wait,Iwillbringhimupforyou。\"Sosaying,hediveddown,butsoonarosewithoutanything。Againandagainhetried,butcouldnotreachthebottom。Hetoldthechildrentogatherrockforhim。Thesehetiedaroundhisneckandbody,anddiveddownforthelasttime。Thelastthechildrensawoftheirfatherwasthebubbleswhicharosetothesurfaceofthelake。Therocksbeingtooheavyforhim,heldhimfasttothebottom,andsomehungryfishsoonmadeafeastoutofthebodyofpoor\"Unktomi。\"

  THERESUSCITATIONOFTHEONLY

  DAUGHTER

  Thereoncelivedanoldcouplewhohadanonlydaughter。Shewasabeautifulgirl,andwasverymuchcourtedbytheyoungmenofthetribe,butshesaidthatshepreferredsinglelife,andtoalltheirheart-touchingtalesofdeepaffectionforhershealwayshadoneanswer。Thatwas\"No。\"

  Onedaythismaidenfellillanddayafterdaygrewworse。Allthebestmedicinemenwerecalledin,buttheirmedicineswereofnoavail,andintwoweeksfromthedaythatshewastakenillshelayacorpse。Ofcoursetherewasgreatmourninginthecamp。Theytookherbodyseveralmilesfromcampandrolleditinfinerobesandblankets,thentheylaidheronascaffoldwhichtheyhaderected。(ThiswasthecustomofburialamongtheIndians)。Theyplacedfourforkedpostsintothegroundandthenlashedstrongpoleslengthwiseandacrosstheendsandmadeabedofwillowsandstoutashbrush。Thisscaffoldwasfromfivetosevenfeetfromtheground。Afterthefuneraltheparentsgaveawayalloftheirhorses,finerobesandblanketsandallofthebelongingsofthedeadgirl。Thentheycuttheirhairoffclosetotheirheads,andattiredthemselvesinthepoorestappareltheycouldsecure。

  Whenayearhadpassedthefriendsandrelativesoftheoldcoupletriedinvaintohavethemsetasidetheirmourning。\"Youhavemournedlongenough,\"theywouldsay。\"Putasideyourmourningandtryandenjoyafewmorepleasuresofthislifewhileyoulive。Youarebothgrowingoldandcan’tliveverymanymoreyears,somakethebestofyourtime。\"Theoldcouplewouldlistentotheiradviceandthenshaketheirheadsandanswer:\"Wehavenothingtolivefor。Nothingwecouldjoininwouldbeanyamusementtous,sincewehavelostthelightofourlives。\"

  Sotheoldcouplecontinuedtheirmourningfortheirlostidol。

  Twoyearshadpassedsincethedeathofthebeautifulgirl,whenoneeveningahunterandhiswifepassedbythescaffoldwhichheldthedeadgirl。Theywereontheirreturntripandwereheavilyloadeddownwithgame,andthereforecouldnottravelveryfast。

  Abouthalfamilefromthescaffoldaclearspringburstforthfromthesideofabank,andfromthistrickledasmallstreamofwater,moisteningtherootsofthevegetationborderingitsbanks,andcausingagrowthofsweetgreengrass。Atthisspringthehuntercampedandtetheringhishorses,atoncesetabouthelpinghiswifetoerectthesmalltepeewhichtheycarriedforconvenienceintraveling。

  Whenitbecamequitedark,thehunter’sdogssetupagreatbarkingandgrowling。\"Lookoutandseewhatthedogsarebarkingat,\"

  saidthehuntertohiswife。Shelookedoutthroughthedoorandthendrewbacksaying:\"Thereisthefigureofawomanadvancingfromthedirectionofthegirl’sscaffold。\"\"Iexpectitisthedeadgirl;lethercome,anddon’tactasifyouwereafraid,\"saidthehunter。Soontheyheardfootstepsadvancingandthestepsceasedatthedoor。Lookingdownatthelowerpartofthedoorthehunternoticedapairofsmallmoccasins,andknowingthatitwasthevisitor,said:\"Whoeveryouare,comeinandhavesomethingtoeat。\"

  Atthisinvitationthefigurecameslowlyinandsatdownbythedoorwithheadcoveredandwithafinerobedrawntightlyovertheface。Thewomandishedupafinesupperandplacingitbeforethevisitor,said:\"Eat,myfriend,youmustbehungry。\"Thefigurenevermoved,norwouldituncovertoeat。\"Letusturnourbacktowardsthedoorandourvisitormayeatthefood,\"saidthehunter。Sohiswifeturnedherbacktowardsthevisitorandmadeherselfverybusycleaningthesmallpiecesofmeatthatwerehangingtothebacksinewsofthedeerwhichhadbeenkilled。

  (ThistheIndiansuseasthread。)Thehunter,fillinghispipe,turnedawayandsmokedinsilence。Finallythedishwaspushedbacktothewoman,whotookitandafterwashingit,putitaway。

  Thefigurestillsatatthedoor,notasoundcomingfromit,neitherwasitbreathing。Thehunteratlastsaid:\"Areyouthegirlthatwasplaceduponthatscaffoldtwoyearsago?\"Itboweditsheadtwoorthreetimesinassent。\"Areyougoingtosleepheretonight;ifyouare,mywifewillmakedownabedforyou。\"

  Thefigureshookitshead。\"Areyougoingtocomeagaintomorrownighttous?\"Itnoddedassent。

  Forthreenightsinsuccessionthefigurevisitedthehunter’scamp。Thethirdnightthehunternoticedthatthefigurewasbreathing。Hesawoneofthehandsprotrudingfromtherobe。Theskinwasperfectlyblackandwasstuckfasttothebonesofthehand。Onseeingthisthehunteraroseandgoingovertohismedicinesackwhichhungonapole,tookdownthesackand,openingit,tookoutsomerootsandmixingthemwithskunkoilandvermillion,saidtothefigure:

  \"Ifyouwillletusrubyourfaceandhandswiththismedicineitwillputnewlifeintotheskinandyouwillassumeyourcomplexionagainanditwillputfleshonyou。\"Thefigureassentedandthehunterrubbedthemedicineonherhandsandface。Thenshearoseandwalkedbacktothescaffold。Thenextdaythehuntermovedcamptowardsthehomevillage。Thatnighthecampedwithinafewmilesofthevillage。Whennightcame,thedogs,asusual,setupagreatbarking,andlookingout,thewifesawthegirlapproaching。

点击下载App,搜索"Myths and Legends of the Sioux",免费读到尾