A person living at Having-Humpback-Salmon dreamed. (He said) “Don’t stay thus, children! I have dreamed of the supernatural power that we get from time to time (we inherit).” Thus he said. He wakened his children. Then the children arose. He instructed his children, (saying) that he had dreamed of the place where he always found dead animals on account of the one-horned mountain-goat, the large mountain-goat, that only mother of the mountain-goats. (He said,) “Go on, go on, start, children! Go to our place at K*â’tâlê.” K*â’tâlê was the name of the place where he found dead animals on account of the one-horned mountain-goat. Then his children went up the river of Having-Humpback-Salmon. They arrived at the place of their father, Hamâ’lak*aua?ê. Hamâ’lak*aua?ê was the name of their father.

Then the children started. They were four. Four were their dogs, all hunting-dogs. Then they sat down on the bank of the river. They were sitting there and looking about over the country. The eldest one of the children saw something white on a meadow. “What may that be, friends?” said he to his younger brothers. “Evidently that is what our father referred to. Evidently that is the thing about which our father gave us instructions.” Then it was shown to the dog. The dog discovered the white thing on the meadow. The dog went to the meadow. The dog started. The dog reached the white thing on the meadow, and barked, barking at the white thing on the meadow. Then the owners of the dog spoke. “Evidently that is what we came here for.” Thus said the children.

The dog came back to his master. Then the dog raised his head to his master. They say the dog probably knew about the mountain-goat lying dead on the meadow. Then the brothers started, and the oldest one tried to get ahead of the others, although the youngest advised his elder brothers, (saying,) “Don’t walk too fast, friends!” Thus said the youngest one to his elder brothers. Then the youngest one tried to speak again. “Take heed of the advice of our father!” Thus said the youngest one. He, the youngest one, alone spoke wisely. The eldest one arrived at the place where the large one-horned mountain-goat was lying dead on the meadow. The mountain-goat had a piece of quartz standing on its forehead. Then the eldest brother desired it overmuch. That eldest one twisted off the quartz from One-Horn. “Yä,” said the youngest one. He, the youngest one, alone spoke wisely, trying to advise his elder brothers. Then the elder ones began to skin it. They skinned it quickly. Only the youngest one warned his elder brothers; but they disobeyed the instructions of their father, although the father tried to instruct his children (well).

The elder brothers were quick, and they quickly took off the tallow. Then they cut open (the mountain-goat) to take off the kidney-fat. The elder brothers tried to get everything; but the youngest one was just sitting on the meadow, because he felt badly on account of his elder brothers, who overstepped the advice that their father had tried to give them in regard to their actions. The elder ones tried to get all the fat of the intestines of the one-horned mountain-goat. Then the youngest one spoke. “Be quick before anything happens, slaves (of misfortune)! Something important is going on above in the sky.” Then a fog appeared above. In vain the elder brothers fought among themselves for the fat of the intestines, and for all the kidney-fat, and for the skin of the mountain-goat, In vain they tied it up quickly. Then they saw the sky. Smoke was rolling down the mountains. Evidently it was going to snow. Then it began to snow from above.

The youngest one just pinched off a little of the fat of the intestines, and then he also pinched off a little of the kidney-fat, which he kept in his mouth,–the youngest one. The youngest one continued to speak wisely. He followed the instructions of the father to his children, for the father knew what the ancestors of Hamâ’lak*aua?ê had been doing. The youngest one said to his elder brothers, “Make a start, slaves (of misfortune).” They started again and again (to go back).–Then a very heavy fall of snow came down. The -snow kept on coming down. The youngest one did not carry anything, Only the elder brothers carried much on their backs; but the youngest one just followed the words of his father, that had been given as advice by the father to his children, although be had repeated it often when he tried to instruct his children, and when Hamâ’lak*aua?ê told them much about his ancestors.

The brothers were all coming down, the youngest one in the rear. The youngest one just thought that his elder brothers would be unlucky. In vain the brothers cried, because they were afraid of the snow. Then the snow reached the top of their feet. Then the snow reached up to their necks. They just sat down, and they would cry on account of what might happen. Only the youngest one did not cry in vain. He was only sad because he had in vain tried to speak wisely to his elder brothers, because he tried to follow the instructions of his father to his children.

They were coming (down), and arrived at a gorge on the mountain. A brook was trickling down there. Their trail led along under the brook, (which was falling down) from an overhanging cliff, so that the trail led along under it. Then they sat down by the dripping brook, and they cried, for what could they do? for the bushes were covered to the top by the snow. They reached the dripping brook on account of the dogs, for the doors made a trail for their masters, and the dogs marked (a trail) along the snow for their masters. They were followed by their masters, (who went) on the trail of the dogs. Therefore they arrived at the place where they were going to endure hardships. Then the brothers were just crying on the rocks, for they could not do anything because their trail was all ice, for it was really overhanging, the place under which the children had to go along.

Then the youngest one spoke to his elder brothers. Then he blamed his elder brothers. “Oh, you who disagree with me!” he said to his elder brothers, “why did you do that, although our father tried to advise us?” Thus said the youngest one to his elder brothers. He just scorned his elder brothers because the elder children were just crying. Then it occurred to the eldest one to send his dog over the rocks to start along the trail. There was snow on top of the ice, and there was ice on the trail. The dog started across. Then an accident happened to the dog of the eldest brother, and the dog of the eldest brother tumbled down. He dropped into the gorge, and he was dead. Then the eldest brother cried in vain on account of what had happened to his dog, who fell down and dropped into the gorge. Then the dog of the next eldest brother also made an attempt. The dog of the third brother also walked on it. They just did the same as the dog of the eldest brother. The dog of the third brother just dropped into the gorge. Then the dog of the one next to the youngest tried to walk. He did just the same as the dog of his brother. The dog of the one next to the youngest had an accident.

Then the eldest one spoke. “Let me try and go along the trail.” Thus said the eldest one to his younger brothers. “Go on, and try!” said the younger brothers to their elder brother. Then the eldest brother tried to go across. He walked on the ice, and just the same happened to him as to the dogs. That man just dropped down into the gorge, to the same place to which the dogs had dropped. Then his younger brothers cried in vain. The second one went across on the trail; and just the same thing happened to him, he dropped into the gorge; and the same thing also happened to the other one, he just dropped into the gorge. Then the three men and their dogs were all dead.

The youngest one alone was alive. He sat on the rock and cried on account of his elder brothers. The boy had half a mind to go on and just die, together with his dear elder brothers. He was crying. The boy cried on account of his elder brothers, and the dog, howled. The dog was crying with his master. Then the boy stopped crying, and directed his mind to a thing on the rock. The dog, however, almost [not] spoke to his master. The dog would go and nudge his master, who was sitting on the rock, as though the dog would hurry his master to walk along the rock. After a little while it stopped snowing.

Then the dog of the youngest one tried to cross on the rock. The dog held on to the edge of the rock where the ice was at the overhanging place. The dog went safely across the ice. Then he came back and went straight to his master and nudged him, as though he were saying to his master, “Don’t stay in this manner!” Then the dog hurried his master. Then the boy thought that he would listen to his dog, for his dog almost [not] spoke to him. Only he did not understand what the dog said to his master. Then the boy arose on the rock and lay on the back of his dog. He held on to the back of his dog, who then went across the ice. Then he was taken across the ice by his dog. Thus the boy went across, being carried across by his dog. Then the boy and his dog were safe.

He still held in his mouth the tallow that he had pinched off. Four pieces were held by him in his mouth. He had only cut off a little from the skin of the one-horned one. He had just put that skin of the one-horned mountain-goat in his armpit. Then the dog just put his master down on the rock, and he just sat down at the place where they had endured hardships. The dog went on marking the way downward, making a trail for his master through the snow, and then he returned to his master every time he had finished making a trail through the snow for his master. Only (by) doing like this repeatedly did the dog go on, continuing down his trail through the snow for his master, and coming back every time, asking his master (to go on). The dog came down, continuing his trail downward through the snow, and in this manner almost arrived at the river.

Then the boy was tired out. He came to the bank of the river, and the dog went down the river. His mind was just one with that of the dog; and the dog was thinking of the village, and he was also thinking of the man. In this manner he just tried to bring his master home to the house at a place called Q!awâ’k*as. There is a fishing-station of the A’wiLEla at Q!awâ’k*as; and it was as though the dog spoke to his master, that the dog thought of bringing his master to the fishing-place at Q!awâ’k*as. Then the dog thought that he would swim and carry his master on his back [to swim] down the river [with his master], for the boy was tired out, as the snow covered the tops of the trees, and the dog was tired out from marking the way through the snow. Therefore he swam down the river with his master.

They arrived at a house in which a man lived at Q!awâ’k*as. That was what the dog had thought of. Then he just put his master down on the bank, but the boy could not walk well. The dog entered the house. Probably it had not been long since the owner of the house had gone down the stream with the current, frightened by the snow. The dog dug in the fireplace, and just bade his master sit in the hole at the fireplace; and he buried him and covered him with ashes. Only his mouth showed after he had buried his master. Thus he tried to warm his master. He just lay down, coiling himself around his master. The father wailed for his children because he thought that it had gone wrong with his children. He [only] gave up his children for lost when he saw the snow coming down; and he already thought that his children had perished.

Now it stopped snowing, after it had [just] snowed from morning till night. For just two days it had been snowing, and the snow reached the tops of the bushes. Then the father called his tribe and sat down with his tribe. He asked his tribe what to do. “What shall we do, my dear ones?” Thus he said to his tribe. “It may be that one of my children has survived.” Then the tribe said that they would go and try to go up the river of Having-Humpback-Salmon. One of them said, “I wonder what we shall do! Shall we walk, or shall we go in a canoe?” Thus said one of the men. “Don’t let us do that,” said the one who spoke in the house. “Let us push down four planks. Let us continue to lay them down flat and put them down endwise, changing their positions. Let us take four and lay them down flat on the snow.”

They tried to pole up the river, but they just gave it up on account of the snow which was floating on the water. Then the tribe agreed to change the position of the planks, laying them down flat on the snow, while they were going up the river of Having-Humpback-Salmon. Then they put down the planks going up the river towards Q!awâ’k*as. Then they arrived at a tributary. Then one man discovered an opening in the snow. “What may this be?” said the man. “Maybe a wolf,” said the man, “which made this opening as a sign.” Thus said the man while they approached the trail of the dog,–of that dog of the only one of the children of Hamâ’lak*aua?ê who was left,–which was the trail that the dog had made for his master, and that came down the river. The men just went in the tracks that the dog had made for his master. Then the tribe arrived at Q!awâ’k*as, where the only one of the children of Hamâ’lak*aua?ê that was left over had stopped. They entered the house, and saw the child buried in the floor. Then the people cried when they discovered the child, for only its mouth showed. Then the boy was pulled out by the men. The boy got out of the hole, and they saw his entire body. His feet were just falling off, for they and his fingers were frostbitten; and the skin of his whole body came off, for it was frozen. Therefore the A’wiLEla just cried out of pity for the boy, for the boy looked ragged because he was frozen.

Then they made up their minds what to do in case they should take the boy down the river, for he was not well enough to be handled roughly; for the boy was almost as though there were no life left in him, because he was frozen. Then the people tried to go down river. They cut two poles; and four men carried them, one at each end and the boy lay between them as they were carried at each end by the four men. They started and went home, walking on the boards, which were joined end to end.

Then one man, his uncle, spoke, saying that they should leave the boy a while a little above the village, that the boy should stop there. Then his father was told that only one of his children was left. Then the father of the children, Hamâ’lak*aua?ê, spoke. “Indeed, that is what I said to my children. Don’t let them bring this my child out of the woods.” Then his father made up his mind what to do for the only one of his children who was still alive. Hamâ’lak*aua?ê thought that he would make a winter dance for the only one among his children who was still alive. The people did not say that one was still alive: they just said that they were all dead, for they kept it secret on account of what Hamâ’lak*aua?ê, had said, because he was just going to show his great dance, the property of his family. It was to be the wolf-step for his child. It was to be the great dance from above, that would give his child supernatural power.

Then he cleared his house. Then the A’wiLEla just came stepping like wolves to the one who was still alive, who had encountered danger in hunting mountain-goats. Then the A’wiLEla surrounded him; and the great supernatural one, the great dance from above, came stepping like wolves. That was the great dance from above of the ancient tribe at Having-Humpback-Salmon. Then the great dance from above came down to the beach from the woods, and the dancers entered the house. Many of the ancestors of the people of Having-Humpback-Salmon, the ancestors of the Thunder-Birds, danced the supernatural dance. They brought it into the house, and the great dance from above 1was just the great supernatural power of Hamâ’lak*aua?ê at Having-Humpback-Salmon.

Then he showed what his child had taken from the great mountain-goat, the one-horned one, the tallow that he had pinched off, and which had just been kept in the mouth by his child. He put it on the floor of his house, and showed what had been held in the mouth. Then it increased in size, and the house of his father was very full. That was the supernatural treasure obtained from the one-horned one, that was valued, and that was obtained (found dead) from the large one-horned mountain-goat. What the boy had just held in his mouth was increasing in size: therefore that youngest boy was lucky, for he was not foolish, but had followed the advice of his father; but his elder brothers were dead.

Then his father, Hamâ’lak*aua?ê, kept inviting (the people) all the time, for the supernatural treasure of his child had increased in size, that which his child had had in his mouth, the child of Hamâ’lak*aua?ê. Then his father danced. It was the great dance, from above. That was the great dance from above of the A’wiLEla, who lived at Having-Humpback-Salmon; and that was the song they sang first. Then they sang. The songs were sung because he had obtained supernatural power, the one who was endangered in hunting mountain-goats at Having Humpback-Salmon. Therefore he just turned into the great dance from above,–he, the only one who remained alive of those who were endangered in hunting mountain-goats. Therefore the great dance from above belongs to the great tribe at Having-Humpback-Salmon, and that came to those who were gathered at Gwa’dzê?,–those who had a winter dance together at Gwa’dzê?, and they came to be one when they came to dance the winter dance together at Gwa’dzê?.

Then Copper-Maker-Face and Pearl-Maker-Face asked Wood-Carver, the ancestor of the Kwakiutl, the ancestor of the Wood-Carvers, to make a Showing-Teeth headdress (wolf head-dress) for the great dance from above. He was the ancestor of the clan K*!îg*aê’noxu. Now they continually plaited ropes for leading the dE’nts!êq of the war-dance. Then Listened-to came and sat behind them when he learned about what is called “great dance from above” of the ancestors of the A’wiLEla, when they were dancing the winter dance together at Gwa’dzê? at the north side of G*iô’x.

Then the clan sat down, looking among their children (to see) who among the ancestors of the K*!îg*aê’noxu, the clan of the A’wiLEla, should disappear. Then the boy was instructed: “just go into the water all the time in the lakes in the woods, and always sprinkle yourself with water. Rub your body with hemlock-branches four times.” Thus the boy was told by his father and uncles. “Just go straight to the place named Qwa?nêqwâ’la, at the lake above G*iô’x, above Tâ’yaqôL.”

Then the child went. He would go at once into the water at the lake that was reached first, and he would rub his body with hemlock-branches. He followed the advice of his father and his uncles. He did those actions in which he was instructed by his father and his uncles. He went on, and arrived at the lake named Qwa?nêqwâ’la. The name of the lake of G*iô’x is Qwa?nêqwâ’la. The boy went, and came to the shore of the lake. He went right into the water and bathed in the lake. “Evidently this is what my father and uncles referred to,” said the boy. “Evidently this is named Qwa?nêqwâ’la,” said the boy. Then the boy swam to an island in the lake in Qwa?nêqwâ’la. Qwa?nêqwâ’la is the name of the lake. The nesting-place of all kinds of birds is in this lake.

Then the boy slept. It was just as though he was unconscious [asleep]. Then he heard the sound of paddling. “Hôi, hôi,” said the noise of the paddles. Behold, it was he who is called Warrior-of-the-World. “Wôi, wôi,” said what was heard by the child on the lake, in Qwa?nêqwâ’la. Then the boy made up his mind. Then the boy sat down on the island in the lake. The boy just went under water and sat in the water of the lake. While he was sitting there, he listened for the sound of paddling that had been heard to come again,–that which said “Wôi, wôi.” Soon it approached the place where he was sitting. It came near. Then he went under water, and he looked at it from underneath. He sat under water in the lake. Then he took hold of the canoe of him who is called Warrior-of-the-World. He nearly [not] upset the canoe of him who is called Warrior-of-the-World. Then the boy put his month out of the water while he was tipping over the canoe of him who is called Warrior-of-the-World. One man in the canoe spoke: “What may be the matter with you?” Thus said one man among those who are called Warriors-of-the-World. “Don’t do that, my dear!” said another man in the canoe of the Warriors-of-the-World. Then the boy was just entreated. There was nothing that was not said to the boy. The one who is called Warrior-of-the-World was afraid that he might be capsized by the boy. “Don’t do that, my dear! Now I will give you supernatural power.” Thus he was told. Then the boy let go of the canoe of Warrior-of-the-World. Then Warrior-of-the-World went on, and left the child.

Then the boy went out of the water. The boy just sat down right on the rock, and felt as though he had to sleep on account of what he had done. Behold! he was dead. He was taken by Warrior-of-the-World. Evidently he was given something bad. He was killed by Warrior-of-the-World, whom he had almost upset. Then the boy was awakened on the rock. “Oh,” he was told, “don’t stay thus on the rock!” he was told. Then he uncovered his face, and he just looked about. He looked around to see who had awakened him. He did not see any one who had awakened him. Then he bit a hole in his blanket, and then he discovered a little feather. “What are you doing on the rock?” he said. “Don’t merely handle things roughly. I have seen you.” Thus said the boy.

Then he was invited to enter the house of the one who is called Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. Then the house of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World opened, and the house of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World was open. Behold! that was the house of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World where the boy had slept. Behold! that was the door of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World where he had slept. Then he stood on the floor of the house of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World, and he was asked, “What does our friend want?” Thus the boy was told when he was standing on the floor. Then the boy said, “I want to get supernatural power.” Thus said the boy. “Go on, take what you desire!” he was told by Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. “I desire to be a cannibal. I shall be a cannibal.”–”Go on, sit down!” Thus the boy was told.

Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World took some of his red cedar-bark, and he for whom it was tried by Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World tried it on. Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World uttered the Cannibal cry and went around his house. “Watch me!” the boy was told. “That is the way you will do.” And the boy watched the ways of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. Then he finished what had been the reason of his endeavors. “I do not wish to stay long,” said the boy. “I do not wish to be permeated too much by my supernatural power, else those who will praise me will be too much afraid of me.”–”Wa! [you will not be]!’ thus he was told by Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. “Now you shall go home to your house.” It was only plaited in at the nape of his neck, what was his Cannibal-pole. Only a small piece of hemlock was plaited in at the nape of the neck of the boy. The boy came out of the woods. Then he was expected, and the A’wiLEla tried to catch him in the great dance from above. Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World came uttering the Cannibal cry. Behold! they came across dancing the great dance from above. Then they came across. Then they hauled the rope, and the rope reached across. The rope went right across. They were pulling the dE’nts!êku,–the dE’nts!êq of the war dance. Now they were half across (on the way to) Gwa’dzê?.

They say that Listened-to now wished the sea-monster to show itself, when Listened-to, the ancestor of the Dzâ’wadEênoxu, came and was sitting behind them. “Show yourself, sea-monster!” Thus he said. He wished Q!ê’q!ElsEla to show itself at Sea-Monster-Place. ‘They showed themselves,–?yâ’x*?yak*ilil, Q!ê’q!ElsEla, Wâ’wixêma,–those whom Listened-to wished to show themselves. Therefore an accident happened on the water to the supernatural power, the dance from above, that they tried to show on the water. Then the rope was cut with which they tried to lead the dE’nts!êq of the war dance. The dE’nts!êq of the war dance was rising out of the water. Then it was too much, what they were doing on the water, and the box containing the wolf-head masks just floated away. Listened-to, the ancestor of the Dzâ’wadEênoxu, came and looked for it, and found the box containing the wolf-head masks at LôlEla’ts!ê. That is the place to which the box containing the wolf masks floated. It was just stolen by Listened-to of the Dzâ’wadEênoxu. Therefore the ancestors of the Dzâ’wadEênoxu have the great dance from above. Listened-to [only] obtained by theft the box containing the wolf masks of those who danced the winter dance,–the box containing the wolf masks which had belonged to Pearl-Maker-Face and Copper-Maker-Face. They had been the owners of the box containing the wolf masks.

Now, the cannibal who had obtained as supernatural power Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World appeared on the beach. Then he devoured a man. He bolted down a man, although belonging to his own clan. Then it was difficult to catch him, but he was lassoed, and he was caught. Then he entered the house, and he was tied in the house. They took off what was plaited in at the nape of his neck by Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World,–that little piece of hemlock which was plaited in at the nape of his neck by Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. Behold! that was called the

Cannibal-pole. Then it was put (up, and reached) through (the roof of) the house. A hô’xuhoku was sitting on top of the Cannibal-pole of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World, and the body of the pole was snapping.

Then he was treated by his tribe. He was feared by his tribe because he was just bolting down the people of his own clan. Therefore his clan was ridiculed. Vomited was the name of this one Cannibal. Ku’n?watElag*ilidzEm was the name of another Cannibal. Then the ropes with which the Cannibal was tied were broken. He disappeared and did not come again. Then he had disappeared, he who was the ancestor of the K*!î’g*aênôxu, a clan of the A’wiLEla. Hamâ’lak*aua?ê was the ancestor of those living at Having-Humpback-Salmon. He brought the great dance from above to Gwa’dzê?, where the A’wiLEla danced the winter dance together. That is the end.

Footnotes
See F. Boas, Social Organization and Secret Societies of the Kwakiutl Indians (Report of the U.S. National Museum for 1895, p. 477, also p. 382).

Tradition of the A’waiLEla.

(Dictated by Hai’alk*îngamê?, a DEna’x*da?xu, 1897.)

Kwakiutl Tales, by Franz Boas; (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Volume II) New York: Columbia University Press; [1910] and is now in the public domain.

Now I will tell you a story about the ancestors of Those-who-throw-away, a clan of the Sea-Dwellers. It is said that the village of the ancestors of Those-who-throwaway was at River-in-Front. Their chief was Raven-Sound-in-House, and his princess was Hâ’da-Woman; and he had for his attendants Smell-of-Canoe and Staying-in-Canoe, and Expert-Canoe-Calker; and Hâ’da-Woman and Winter-Dance-Woman were friends.

They would all the time walk down to the beach at the other side of the point of the village. Hâ’da-Woman had two dogs; and she had a grandmother, an old woman. Chief Raven-Sound-in-House was really proud; and his tribe were happy on account of the number of the tribe; and it is said Hâ’da-Woman and Winter-Dance-Woman did not follow their tribe when they invited one another. One fine day when it was low water, Winter-Dance-Woman asked Hâ’da-Woman to go to the other side of the point of the village. Hâ’da-Woman got ready at once, and the friends went down to the beach. They were going to dig clams on the beach. Winter-Dance-Woman went ahead, and Hâ’da-Woman followed her.

Now, Winter-Dance-Woman saw some sea-urchins, and she picked up four of them. When she had just taken the four sea-urchins, Hâ’da-Woman came up to her. Then Winter-Dance-Woman spoke, and said, “O Hâ’da-Woman! Now do eat these sea-eggs, for they are really good.” Thus she said to her. Hâ’da-Woman replied to her, and said, “O Winter-Dance-Woman! Don’t say that, for I do not wish to be seen eating sea-eggs.” Thus she said to her. Then Winter-Dance-Woman spoke again, and said, “Oh, I am not going to talk about you, for you really desire to eat the sea-eggs.” Thus she said to her.

Then Hâ’da-Woman believed what the one who was wiser than she said. She broke the sea-eggs and ate them. Winter-Dance-Woman was just watching her. After she had eaten two, Winter-Dance-Woman spoke, and said, “K*âx, k*âx, k*âx, she is eating on the rocks, she is eating on the rocks, she is eating on the rocks, the princess of Raven-Sound-in-House!” Thus she said. Hâ’da-Woman tried to forbid her to act in this manner; but she only shouted louder, saying “K*âx, k*âx, k*âx, she is eating on the rocks, she is eating on the rocks, she is eating on the rocks, this princess of Raven-Sound-in-House!” Hâ’da-Woman tried in vain to take her four arm-rings, and said, “O Winter-Dance-Woman! I will pay you with these my four arm-rings if you will not talk about my eating sea-eggs.” Thus she said to her. Winter-Dance-Woman just went up a small hill, turned towards the village, and said again, “K*âx, k*âx, k*âx, mâ’wawô, mâ’wawô, mâ’wawô, she is eating sea-eggs on the rocks, she is eating sea-eggs on the rocks, she is eating sea-eggs on the rocks, this princess of Raven-Sound-in-House!” Thus she said.

Now she was heard by the people in the village, and the tribe understood her. Then Winter-Dance-Woman ran and went home; and as soon as she arrived at the house of Raven-Sound-in-House, she said to him, “K*âx, k*âx, k*âx, mâ’wawô, mâ’wawô, mâ’wawô; she is eating sea-eggs on the rocks, she is eating sea-eggs on the rocks, she is eating sea-eggs on the rocks the princess of Raven-Sound-in-House!” Then Raven-Sound-in-House spoke, and said, “Let us move, let us move, let us move, let us move, you, my younger brothers;” and at once his tribe pulled down the roof-boards of their houses, and they loaded them on their canoes; and as soon as they were all on board, Raven-Sound-in-House put out the fires in the houses, and they started. They were going to a good beach, the name of which is Kelp-Place.

Now they said that Raven-Sound-in-House did not know that his mother had gone and buried a burning slow-match (made of) fern-root. The old woman had put it into a clam-shell.

Raven-Sound-in-House and his tribe began to build houses at Kelp-Place. In the evening Hâ’da-Woman, with her two dogs, came home. Then she saw that the village site was quite bare (without a house). Then she gathered together old mats to make a roof for her little house. She was hard up for something to start a fire, for all the fires on the ground were extinguished, and her dogs were hungry. Then they scratched the old fireplaces, and there it is said one of the dogs found buried under the floor of the house a burning slow-match made of fern-root. Hâ’da-Woman took it at once, and she started a fire with it. Now she began to have a fire in this manner. Then she worked at her house, and she also went to dig shell-fish for her food.

When she had finished, she felt downcast. Her two dogs were lying down on the ground, and Hâ’da-Woman tried to speak to them. She said, “Oh, you dog, I wish you were a man, that I might send you for what I want to get, I mean cedar-twigs to make a fish-trap.” Then the dog spoke. “What do you think I am? Am I not a man? Will I not go and get them?” Thus he said to her. Then, it is said, the dog went out of the house, and Hâ’da-Woman spoke to the other dog. She said to him, “O dog! I wish you were a man, that I might send you to go and get spruce-root to tie my fish-trap that I am going to make.” Thus she said. Immediately the dog answered, and said, “Oh, what do you think I am? Am I not a man?” Thus he said, and went out of the house.

It was not long before the two dogs came and entered the house, carrying on their backs cedar-twigs and the spruce-roots which they had gone to get, and they put them down on the floor of the house. Immediately Hâ’da-Woman took the cedar-twigs and put them on the fire, and she took the tongs and stripped the bark off the cedar-twigs. As soon as the bark of the twigs was off, she split the spruce-roots; and when the roots were split, she at once wove a basket. She made a fish-trap. It did not take long before she had finished two fish-traps; and she plaited a rope out of the bark of the cedar-twigs for an anchor-line for her fish-traps.

Now it was evening; and in the morning, when day came again, she arose early. Immediately Hâ’da-Woman carried the two fish-traps in her hands. She carried them down to the rocks. She was going to the point of land. Then she sent the two dogs to go and get some mussels. The speaking dogs went at once, and it was not long before the dogs came back, bringing many mussels. Hâ’da-Woman took the mussels at once and broke them to pieces, and threw them into the fish-traps. Then she threw one of the traps into the water; and she said, “I want to obtain Wealthiest in this trap.” Thus said Hâ’da-Woman. Then she took the other fish-trap and threw it into the water, and said, “O fish-trap! I want you to catch the prince of Wealthiest.” Thus she said. The fish-traps had not been under water long when she pulled them up again. They were really full of kelp-fish. Then Hâ’da-Woman spoke, and said, “Why did you come, for, working on this rock I did not want to catch you. I am trying to catch Wealthiest on this rock.” Thus she said, while she poured the kelp-fish out on the rock.

Then she again threw the fish-trap into the water, and said, “Now you will catch Wealthiest.” Thus she said to it. Then she pulled up also the other fish-trap, and it is said it was full of really large kelp-fish; and Hâ’da-Woman at once said what she had said before. Then she also said, “O you! I don’t want to catch you, working on this rock. I want to catch the prince of Wealthiest on this rock.” Thus she said. Then she poured them out on the rock. Then she threw the fish-trap again into the water, and said, “That is what I wish for. It is that you catch Wealthiest.” Thus she said to it.

Then she pulled up the basket-trap again, and it was full of kelp-fish. Then Hâ’da-Woman said, “O you! I am not working for you on this rock. I am trying to catch the prince of Wealthiest on the rock.” Thus she said while she poured them out. Then she threw the fish-trap into the water again, and again she pulled it up. Then she saw a really handsome man sitting in the fish-trap; and a little small box was at one end in the fish-trap, and a little house was put down in the other corner of the fish-trap. As soon as Hâ’da-Woman saw the handsome man, she spoke, and said to him, “Are you Wealthiest, whom I am trying to catch in my fish-trap?” Thus she said to him. The handsome man replied to her at once, and said on his part, “O you! I am the prince of Chief Wealthiest. I will have you for my wife.” Thus he said to her. Hâ’da-Woman spoke at once, and said, “Thank you, my dear! I am poor now. Come, and let us go up from the beach.” Thus she said.

Then the handsome man took the little box and the little house out of the fish-trap, and he carried them. The name of the place where Hâ’da-Woman caught the prince of Wealthiest is Having-Fish-Traps. As soon as the handsome man came up to the high-water mark, he put down his little box, and he took off the cover of the box, and he took out of it a little small whale, and he put it down at the foot of the bushes; and he took out another whale also; and as soon as he had put it down on the beach, the two whales became large. Then the handsome man spoke, and said, “This food is given to me by my father.” Thus he said to her. Then Hâ’da-Woman spoke, and said, “Oh, my dear, welcome! Let us go to my house.” Thus she said to him. Then they went up from the beach, and they entered the house covered with old mats. As soon as he saw the house of Hâ’da-Woman, he spoke, and said, “Let us go and clear from bushes (a place) ten fathoms in length and ten fathoms in breadth.” Thus he said to her, and went out of the house made of old mats. Then Hâ’da-Woman and the handsome man began to work together; and it did not take them long before they finished working. Then the handsome man took the small house and put it down on the ground in the middle of [their work] the place they had cleared. As soon as he had put the small house on the ground, it became large, and the large house had a snapping door. Then he took (out of the box) all kinds of things to eat, and grease-dishes.

Then his house was finished, and the prince of Wealthiest really had Hâ’da-Woman for his wife. As soon as they were husband and wife, Hâ’da-Woman spoke to her two dogs in the evening. She said, “Go on, howl! and this is what you shall say. ‘Howl! for the tribe of this my mother.’ Thus you will say,” she said to them. Immediately the dogs howled. Then night came; and in the morning, when day came, Hâ’da-Woman heard the sound as though really many people were talking. Then she arose and went out of her house. As soon as she had gone out of the door of her house, she saw four large houses north of her house; and she turned her face southward from the house, and she saw four large houses. They were really full of men and their wives. The house of Hâ’da-Woman was in the middle of the village. Hâ’da-Woman did not know where these many tribes came from. Immediately the many tribes felt happy. They visited each other, and they began to carve the two large whales. The many tribes treated the prince of Wealthiest as their chief.

When Hâ’da-Woman had carved the whales, she saw a sea-gull woman flying along, and Hâ’da-Woman spoke to her while she was flying, saying, “O Daylight-Receptacle! I wish you were a person, that I might send something on your back to my grandmother.” Thus she said to her. Immediately the Sea-Gull-Woman replied, and said to her, “Am I not a person? Go on, and send something [to me] on my back.” Thus said Daylight-Receptacle to her. Hâ’da-Woman at once made a package of whale-blubber, and hung it on the back of Daylight-Receptacle; and Hâ’da-Woman said to her, “O Daylight-Receptacle! I send this blubber to the old woman who will be seen by you crying on the beach. Then report to her that I am well, and also that I have this Copper-Maker for my husband.” Thus she said to her.

Then Daylight-Receptacle flew away, and went northward to River-in-Front. It was not long before she saw an old woman mending her blanket, and she was crying. Then Daylight-Receptacle sat down by her side, and repeated the word (that was sent) to the old woman; and she gave the blubber to her. The old woman began to eat of the package at once.

Some of the grandchildren of Raven-Sound-in-House were playing on the beach at the place where the old woman was sitting. At this place the children saw her biting a piece of what was sent to her. Then the old woman was asked by the children what she was doing, for the old woman was chewing something after she had bitten the blanket that she was mending. The old woman just went home to the house of Raven-Sound-in-House, and she just sat down in a corner of the house, for the tribe of Raven-Sound-in-House were really hungry. Then the old woman was watched by the children while she put the end of the blubber through the blanket she was mending. She pretended to bite what she was mending. Then the children saw that the old woman was chewing some food, and they went and told Raven-Sound-in-House. Raven-Sound-in-House went at once and questioned the old woman. Then the old woman got really angry at Raven-Sound-in-House, and she threw the blubber at him. Then Raven-Sound-in-House said, “Ah! where did you get this piece of blubber?” Thus he said to her. Then the old woman spoke, and said, “Oh, you ugly one! The sea at the place where Hâ’da-Woman stays smells (of blubber); and it is said that she has Copper-Maker, the prince of Wealthiest, for her husband.” Thus she said to him.

Raven-Sound-in-House at once made a request of his three attendants, Smell-of-Canoe, Staying-in-Canoe, and Expert-Canoe-Calker, and said, “Let us go in our canoe to Place-without-Landing to get some mussels.” Thus he said to them. Immediately they got ready and went aboard the canoe that was anchored out at sea. He was going to get mussels, for he knew that Hâ’da-Woman desired mussels. Therefore he wished to go for mussels, for he was going to make up with his princess. He was wearing a bear-skin blanket. Now they arrived at Place-without-Landing, and they quickly gathered the mussels. As soon as they had done so, they came paddling along, and went to River-in-Front.

Hâ’da-Woman and her husband were sitting on the summer seat outside of their house when Raven-Sound-in-House came in sight. Hâ’da-Woman recognized him at once, and she spoke to her husband, and requested that they should go into the house because her father was coming. Thus she said to him. Therefore Copper-Maker and his wife at once went into the house, and they barred the door of the house. Then Raven-Sound-in-House arrived at the beach of the house, and went up from the beach. He knocked at the door of the large house, and said, “O Hâ’da-Woman! open the door, my dear! I have brought some mussels for you from Place-without-Landing.” Thus he said to her. It was not long before Copper-Maker opened the door of the house, and he saw his father-in-law wearing the bear-skin blanket.

Then Copper-Maker invited them in, and gave Raven-Sound-in-House and his three attendants the dried edge of some red cod to eat. Then Hâ’da-Woman took a small grease-dish with a bowl as large as the thumb of a man; and Hâ’da-Woman whispered under the small grease-dish, and said, “O grease-dish! keep full.” Thus she said to it. Then Hâ’da-Woman put the small grease-dish and the dried edge of red cod before her father. Raven-Sound-in-House spoke at once to his three attendants, and said, “Oh, you Smell-of-Canoe, and you Staying-in-Canoe, and you also Expert-Canoe-Calker! don’t dip your food in this whale-oil, that I may eat alone for a while.” Now the little grease-dish was full, and in vain he dipped into the whale-oil. The whale-oil never decreased. Then Raven-Sound-in-House put really much whale-oil on what he was eating, and he did not know that the whale-oil was going right through him (and out) at his anus. The floor of the house was just overflowing with whale-oil where he was sitting. Afterwards he broke wind. Then Raven-Sound-in-House said, “Oh, my new bear-skin blanket creaks!” Thus he said to them. Then Hâ’da-Woman became ashamed of her father, and he was driven out of the house.

That is the end.

Traditions of the L!a’L!asiqwEla.

(Recorded by George Hunt.)
Taken from: Kwakiutl Tales by Franz Boas. [1910] (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Vol. II.)

Hâ’dahô was camping on the beach at the place Sea-Otter-Cove,–he who was the harpooner of the chief of the ancestors of the Divided tribe. The steersman of Hâ’dahô was Unsurpassed; and in the middle of the canoe was sitting the prince of the chief, whose name was Moon-in-Sky. In the morning, when the harpooner wakened his crew, it was very fine weather. Immediately they arose and carried their hunting-canoe down to the beach. Then they steered for Right-Distance. They were going to hunt sea-otters there.

They had not gone far out when it began to be foggy. They did not know where they had come from. However, many sea-otters were seen by them sleeping on the water, and also many laughing geese. As soon as the harpooner tried to get close to the sea-otters, the geese would fly up and flap their wings over the sea-otters, thus driving them away. Therefore Hâ’dahô became angry. Then Hâ’dahô spoke, and said to the geese, “Oh, you little ones who eat any kind of food! probably your good food is the reason that you make so much mischief, you without ancestors, for you eat only seaweed and sand on the sea.” Immediately the geese disappeared.

Then the fog was really thick. Hâ’dahô did not know which way they were going. Then Hâ’dahô heard the sound of paddling. Immediately he told his crew. Then he saw a canoe paddling along, and approaching the place where they were lying. As soon as they were near, Hâ’dahô discerned three persons, all men, in the little canoe. They came paddling straight to the canoe of Hâ’dahô, and they took hold of it. Then the one who was sitting in the bow spoke, and said, “O friend Hâ’dahô! I have been sent by Chief Returning-in-One-Day to invite you and your crew (to come).” Thus said the man, whose hair was tied over his eyes. However, the hair of the three men was done up in the same way. Hâ’dahô was really thankful for the words of the man. He said at once, “Go on, paddle! that we may follow you paddling.” Thus said Hâ’dahô to the three men. The messenger, who was sitting in the bow of the canoe, pushed off Hâ’dahô’s canoe, and paddled off, and Hâ’dahô also paddled.

The had not been paddling long, when they saw many houses in Blubber-cutting-Bay; and at once, when they saw Hâ’dahô’s canoe coming in sight, many people made a great noise. Then the messengers of Returning-in-One-Day landed in the middle of the village site; and as soon as the canoe of Hâ’dahô also landed, a tall man arose outside, and began to speak. He said, “O friend Hâ’dahô! In behalf of my chief here, Returning-in-One-Day, I invite you to come.” Thus said the tall man. As soon as he stopped speaking, the young man went down to the beach and went to meet them. Immediately the canoe was carried up by the young men. Then it was put down on the ground near the door of the. house of Chief Returning-in-One-Day. Then Hâ’dahô stepped out of his canoe, and was called into the house of Returning-in-One-Day.

As soon as Hâ’dahô had entered, he saw the chief sitting in the rear of the house. Immediately Hâ’dahô was led (to a seat). He was asked to go and sit down in the right-hand corner of the house. As soon as Hâ’dahô and his crew had sat down, the tall man began to speak, and said, “Go on, get the dried halibut for them to eat!” Thus he said. At once two young men opened a box and took out four pieces of dried halibut. Immediately they broke it and put it into a dish; and a grease-box was taken, and some grease was dipped out of it into a grease-dish, and it was put before Hâ’dahô and his crew. Immediately Hâ’dahô and his crew began to eat. Hâ’dahô had just begun to eat, then the Talkative-Geese also got ready, and the White-Geese and the Laughing-Geese. Those were the ones who had their hair tied up. They were the waiters of Chief Returning-in-One-Day.

Then the Talkative-Geese opened a box and took out cakes of salal-berries, and the White-Geese and Laughing-Geese took dishes and put water into them. Then they broke the berry-cake and put it into the water in the dishes, and the small Geese squeezed the berry-cakes. After they had finished squeezing them, the White-Geese took grease and poured it over the berries. Then they put it before Hâ’dahô and his crew, and Hâ’dahô at once began to eat the berries.

As soon as Hâ’dahô had begun to eat the berries, the little Geese, the White-Geese, and the Laughing-Geese got ready again. They opened a box and took out clover-roots. Then the Laughing-Geese took stones and put them on the fire of the house, and the White-Geese took cooking-boxes and put them down by the fire. The stones had not been on the fire long before they got red-hot. Immediately the small Geese took tongs and picked up the red-hot stones and put them into the cooking-box. As soon as the cooking-box was half full of red-hot stones, they stopped putting them into it, and they took clover-roots and put them into the water. Then they took them out of the water again and put them on the stones in the steaming-box. Then the steaming-box was full, and they poured water on it. Then they covered it up, and it was not long before they uncovered it. Then they put the clover-roots in the dishes. Then the White-Geese took grease and poured it on the clover-roots. Then they put them before Hâ’dahô and his crew, and immediately Hâ’dahô and his crew began to eat.

Then the little Geese opened another box and took out cinquefoil-roots, and the White-Geese put stones on the fire in the house. The stones had not been on the fire long before they were red-hot. Then the Laughing-Geese took the tongs and picked up the stones and put them into a cooking-box; and as soon as the cooking-box was half full of stones, the little Geese took the cinquefoil-root, dipped it into water, then they took it out of the water again, and placed it on the stones in the cooking-box. As soon as the cooking-box was full of cinquefoil-roots, they poured water in it and covered them up; and they had not been on the stones long before they were done. Then they took the cover off and put them in a dish. Then they poured grease on them, and put them in front of Hâ’dahô and his crew. Immediately they began to eat.

As soon as Hâ’dahô began to eat, the tall man–the Crane–sat up and began to speak. He said, “O friend Hâ’dahô! look at my food. These various kinds of food that are inside can never be finished. This our chief, Returning-in-On e-Day, gives some of the various kinds of food to you, friend Hâ’dahô. These various kinds of food cannot be finished. Now, you shall not tell where you obtained them.” Thus said Crane.

Then he asked the little Geese and their friends to take a little of each kind that was in the boxes. Then the attendants took of all the kinds of food. One clover-root, and one cinquefoil-root, and one piece of the edge of various kinds of berry-cakes, were taken, and also grease that was in the grease-box; and then they brought it out to him, and all the various kinds of food were put into a small basket. As soon as they had finished, the attendant–namely, Crane–spoke, and said, “O friend Hâ’dahô! now go home. Now you shall take the boxes of our tribes to put them into your house; and you shall take one clover-root and put it into the bottom of a box, and it will at once fill it,” thus said Crane to Hâ’dahô; “and also this cinquefoil-root, you will also do the same with it; and also these berry-cakes, put them flat in the bottom of a box; and everything that is in this small basket, part of our provisions. As soon as you put it in a box, it will be full at once, for this is what increases when something is taken from it, and cannot conic to an end from one end of the year [day] to the other; even if you should try for ten winters to use up what you have secured, it will never decrease. Now I will warn you. Do take care, and don’t tell where you got the various kinds of food!” Thus he said.

Then one of the attendants of Returning-in-One-Day, Laughing-Geese, spoke, and said, “O friend Hâ’dahô, go on, look at our food on the water! We do not eat what you mentioned as our food, seaweed and sand; our only food on the water is good food.” Thus he said. Immediately Hâ’dahô guessed that these were the Laughing-Geese that were scolded by him on the sea. The Laughing-Geese continued to speak, and said, “O friend Hâ’dahô! we shall be glad if you should desire to have us for your dances. This is our chief, the one who is sitting in the rear of the house. His name is Only-One-speaking and Swan-Dancer and Returning-in-One-Day and Going-to-and-fro-in-the-World-in-One-Day. He is the one to whom you common people refer as the Swan, this our chief Returning-in-One-Day; and I am the one to whom you refer as Laughing-Geese. It would be good if you use me in your dance. My name is Place-where-Property-meets and From-Whom-Property-falls-down-in-the-World, and I have the throwers’ dance in the winter dance, and I have the name To-Whom-Everybody-goes.” Thus said Laughing-Geese to Hâ’dahô.

As soon as he finished speaking, the houses disappeared; and as soon as the houses disappeared, all kinds of birds flew up,–swans, large geese, and (?) geese, and brant geese, and laughing geese, and little geese, and cranes, and all the different kinds of birds. Hâ’dahô and his crew were just out of their minds; and as soon as all the birds had passed, Hâ’dahô and his crew recovered their senses. Then he spoke, and said, “Let us go home, and let us wait (and see) if anything will happen.” Thus he said. Immediately they got ready and loaded their canoe with the various kinds of food. Then they started paddling, and went to their camping-place at Sea-Otter-Cove.

As soon as they arrived there, they just hurried to load their canoe with their cargo; and they started again, for they were really about to go home to Trees-on-Rock, for that was the real village of the ancestors of the Divided tribe. When they arrived there, Hâ’dahô at once unloaded his cargo. Then they were called by Moon-in-Sky, the chief of the ancestors of the Divided tribe. Hâ’dahô arose at once, and entered the house of the one who had invited him in. Immediately the wife of Moon-in-Sky took some food. They were fed twice by the chief. As soon as they had finished eating, Moon-in-Sky spoke, and said, “O children! go on, and report to me what happened while you were on the water.” Thus said Moon-in-Sky to them. Hâ’dahô spoke at once, and said, “O chief! we really had a hard time in the fog, and so we never reached the island Right-Distance. In vain I tried to go. Immediately I lost my way in the fog. We were just drifting about on the sea, and we drifted ashore in Long Bay, and we never began to hunt. I just came home.” Thus said Hâ’dahô to Moon-in-Sky. Then the chief began to feel sorry on account of what he had said; and Moon-in-Sky wished to kill Hâ’dahô because he had not brought any game. Then Moon-in-Sky sent Hâ’dahô home to his house.

As soon as Hâ’dahô arrived in his house, he sent Unsurpassed to go and borrow one box from each fire in the houses, and the people were surprised that Unsurpassed should borrow so many boxes. Now Unsurpassed was carrying the boxes; and as soon as all the boxes were in the house, Hâ’dahô took the small baskets and opened them. Then he took out one piece of clover-root and put it in the bottom of a box. Then he put the cover on it, and immediately the box was full. Then Hâ’dahô also took cinquefoil-root and put it in the bottom of another large box. He put on the cover, and at once it also was full. He kept on doing the same thing with other boxes. Then Hâ’dahô felt glad, for he had not believed what the Crane had told him when he said that the various kinds of food would increase as soon as he put them into boxes. Now the various kinds of food were all in the boxes, and they were all full of food.

Then Hâ’dahô called the carver, whose name was Beam-Carrier, to carve a house-dish in the form of a man’s skull with open mouth, and also a house-dish in the form of a man’s bladder. Hâ’dahô said that he obtained these from the chief of the birds. He meant Returning-in-One-Day. Soon Beam-Carrier finished his carving. Beam-Carrier was the first carver of the Divided tribe, therefore his carver’s name was Head-Carver. Immediately Hâ’dahô sent Unsurpassed to call the ancestors of the Divided tribe; and it was not long after Unsurpassed had called them before the guests all came in. Immediately Hâ’dahô asked Unsurpassed to take the two dishes and put them down near the fire in the house. Then he took many stones and put them on the fire of the house. Then he also took empty grease-boxes and placed them close to the fire. Then he opened the box containing clover-roots and took them out. One root was not taken out. Then he put the cover on again. He put the roots into the water. When the stones were red-hot, Hâ’dahô took the tongs, picked up the red-hot stones, and put them in the grease-box; and when the box was half full of red-hot stones, Unsurpassed took the clover-roots and put them on. Then they poured water on,, and covered the box with an old mat. They only imitated what the little Geese and the Laughing-Geese had done when Unsurpassed was invited in at Blubber-cutting-Bay by all the birds.

Now the feast was ended, for they had all tasted the various kinds of food. Then the chief, Moon-in-Sky, began to speak, and said, “Now these house-dishes are mine.” Thus he said. Immediately Hâ’dahô began to speak, and said, “O chief, Moon-in-Sky! now it will be yours when I finish giving a feast to you, chief, and to our tribe here.” Thus said Hâ’dahô to Moon-in-Sky. Hâ’dahô always gave feasts. Then Unsurpassed felt badly on account of Hâ’dahô’s doings, who was the only one to give feasts always. Then Hâ’dahô gave a feast again. After he had finished, Moon-in-Sky spoke, and said, “O friend Hâ’dahô! go on, tell me where you got these different kinds of food.” Thus he said. Immediately Unsurpassed spoke, and said, “O Moon-in-Sky! I’ll tell you. These different kinds of food came from the Swan.” Thus he said. Immediately all the different kinds of food disappeared.

That is the end

Tradition of the G*â’p!ênoxu.
(Recorded by George Hunt.)
Taken from: Kwakiutl Tales by Franz Boas. [1910] (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Vol. II.)

Then he took a rope and tied it to the salmon. Only its tail he tied to it, and put it on as a belt. Then he asked some one to go with him fishing halibut. Behold! that was the Grizzly Bear and the Cormorant and also Gum. There were three in the canoe. Then, with Greedy-One, there were four in the canoe. They paddled. “What is your bait?” Thus said Greedy-One to Grizzly Bear. “Our bait is squid,” said Grizzly Bear. “Don’t take that for your bait. Let your testicles be your bait.” Thus said Greedy-One to Grizzly Bear. “Let me see,” said Grizzly Bear. “Look at this!” said Greedy-One. Then he pretended to cut off his testicles. Behold! what he cut off was salmon. He pretended to cut his testicles. Then he put it into the water, and the halibut bit. Then Grizzly Bear cut his testicles, and Grizzly Bear died.

“Hë,” said Greedy-One. “There are many lice here.” Then he did this. “Put out your tongue and bite this!” Then (the Cormorant) put out his tongue and kept it out. (Greedy-One) cut it off. “Now, speak,” said Greedy-One to Cormorant. Then Cormorant tried to speak. “A’lElElE,” he only said. The Cormorant did not speak in the right way when his tongue had been cut out by Greedy-One.

Then he went ashore. “Go and look for fire-wood,” said Greedy-One to Gum. Then Gum climbed the tree, and Greedy-One made a fire under it,–a large fire. Then it burned. Gum could not do anything on account of the fire. “Gum!” said Greedy-One. “Yau!” said Gum. His voice was that of a large man, when Gum said “Yau!” Then Greedy-One called his name again. “Gum!”–”Yu!” he said with a small voice. Behold! he was nearly dead. “Gum!” said Greedy-One. “Hm!” said Gum. Then he was dead. That is our gum now.

Kwakiutl Tales, by Franz Boas; (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Volume II) New York: Columbia University Press; [1910] and is now in the public domain.

Then (Greedy-One) looked about again where to get food. Greedy-One became hungry. Then he lay down on the beach. Hë, hë, I am sick, I am sick!” he said. “Come, take pity on this sick one!” Thus he said to Salmon. The Salmon came and jumped on his back. Then Greedy-One clubbed the Salmon and ate it.

Kwakiutl Tales, by Franz Boas; (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Volume II) New York: Columbia University Press; [1910] and is now in the public domain.