Turtle
A Wyandot (Huron) Legend
Many years ago the world had two parts. Animals lived in the lower part, which was completely covered in water and had no land or soil. Above was the Sky World, where the sky people lived. The Sky World had lots of soil, with beautiful mountains and valleys. One day a girl from the Sky World went for a long walk and became very tired.

"I'm so tired, I need to rest," she said. She sat down under the spreading branches of an apple tree and quickly fell asleep. Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound like thunder and the ground began to crack. A big hole opened up next to the apple tree.

"What's happening?" screamed the frightened girl. She tried to move but it was too late. She and the tree slid through the hole and tumbled over and over towards the watery world below.

"Help me! Help me!" screamed the girl. Luckily two swans were swimming below and saw the girl tumbling down from the sky. "Come on!" yelled one swan. "Let's catch her before she hits the water." "Okay!" yelled the other. The swans spread their wings together and caught the girl on their soft feather backs. "Whew! That was lucky," said the girl. "But what do I do now? I can't get back up to the Sky World and I can't stay on your backs forever."

"We'll take you to Big Turtle," said the swans. "He knows everything." After hearing what happened, the Big Turtle called all the animals in the water world to a meeting. He told them an old story about soil being found deep under the water. "If we can get some of that soil, we can build an island on my back for you to live on," said the Big Turtle.

"Sounds good to me," said the young girl.

The Otter, Beaver and Muskrat started arguing over whom would dive for the soil. "I'll go," said the sleek Otter, brushing his glossy fur. "No! I'll go," said Beaver, slapping the water with his big flat tail. "I'm the best swimmer," said Muskrat "I'll go."

"Aaaachooo!" sneezed the young girl." Guys, guys, would just one of you go. These swan feathers are getting up my nose and making me sneeze."

"Sorry" said the swans.

"That's alright," said the young Sky girl.

Then Toskwaye the little Toad popped up out of the water. "I'll go. I can dive very deep," she said. The other animals started laughing and pointing at Toskwaye. "You! You're too small and ugly to help." Cried the others, laughing.

"Be quite!" said Big Turtle in a loud, stern voice. "Everyone is equal and everyone will have a chance to try". The sleek Otter smoothed his glossy fur, took a deep breath and slid into the water. He was gone for a long time before he came up gasping for air. "It was too deep," he said. "I couldn't dive that far."

"Now it's my turn," said Beaver. He slapped the water with his tail as he disappeared. After a long time he came to the surface again. "It's too far" he gasped. "No one can dive that deep." Muskrat tried next and failed.

"Aaaachoo!" sneezed the young girl. "This is not looking good."

"Now it's my turn," said little Toskwaye the Toad. She took a deep breath and jumped into the water. She was gone a very long time and everyone thought they wouldn't see her again.

Suddenly Otter pointed at the water, shouting, and "Look, look bubbles!" Toskwaye's small, ugly face appeared through the water. She spat a few grains of soil onto the Big Turtle's back, then fell back into the water - dead.

The Turtle ordered the others to rub the soil grains and spread them around on his shell. The grains grew and grew, until a large island was formed - big enough for the girl to live on. It grew into our world, as we know it today. And the descendants of the Sky girl became the Earth's people.

Today, some people say the whole world still rests on Big Turtles back. When he gets tired and changes his position, we have earthquakes.

Toad has not been forgotten either. American native Indians call her "Mashutaha", which means 'Our Grandmother'. No one is allowed to harm her.

Why the leaves have many colors in Autumn
A Wyandot (Huron) Legend
The wise men turned to him who wrote, Then they looked at the trees on many hills. It was the autumn. The leaves had many colors.They said, " We will tell you the story of the battle fought by the deer and the bear in the land of the sky."

The bear was selfish and proud. He often made trouble among the Animals of the Great Council. When he heard that the Deer had walked over the rainbow Bridge into the sky land he was angry. "I WILL PUNISH THE DEER " he said.

The Bear went to the Rainbow Bridge He leaped along its beautiful way of glowing colors. He came into the sky land. There he found the deer and said to him; This sky land is the home of the Little turtle, Why did you come into this land? Why did you not come to meet us in the Great Council? Why did you not wait until all the Animals could come to live here?

Then the Deer was angry, Only the Wolf might ask him such questions. The Bear had no right to speak like that to the Deer.

The Deer said to the bear, you have gone about making trouble among the Animals long enough You shall never do that again.

The Deer said he would kill the Bear he arched his neck. He tossed his head to show his long sharp horns. The hair along his back stood up. His eyes blazed as if a fire burned in them. He thought to slay the bear with a single stroke of his terrible horns.

The Bear was not afraid. His claws were very strong. He stood erect for the mighty conflict. His deep growls shook the sky like rolling thunder. The struggle was terrific and long. The Bear was torn by the cruel horns of the Deer.

When the remaining Animals of the great Council heard the awful noise, the Wolf went up into the sky to stop the dreadful battle.

All the animals had to obey the Wolf, So the Deer turned and ran away. And the Bear fled along the paths of the sky. As the Deer ran, the Blood of the Bear dropped from his horns. It fell down to the Lower World and made the leaves of the trees many colors. Some were Red, some Yellow, Some were Brown. Some Scarlet, and some Crimson.

Now each year when the Autumn comes the leaves of the trees take on these many colors. The forests are flooded with soft and glowing beauty. The Wyandots then say the blood of the Bear has again been thrown down from the sky upon the trees of the Great Island.

Chinook Wind
A Yakima Legend
Once five brothers lived on Great River. They were the Chinook brothers and they caused the warm wind to blow.

There were five other brothers who lived on Great River. They lived at Walla Walla, the meeting of the waters. They caused the cold wind to blow.

Now the grandparents of all these brothers lived at Umatilla, the place of wind-drifted sands.

Walla Walla brothers and Chinook brothers were always fighting. They made the winds to sweep over the country, they blew down trees and raised great clouds of dust, they froze the rivers and thawed them so as to make floods. It was very hard for the people.

At last Walla Walla brothers said to Chinook brothers: "We will wrestle with you. Whoever falls down shall have his head cut off. Thus he shall be dead."

So Coyote was made judge. He was also to cut the heads off those who fell down.

Now Coyote secretly told the grandparents of Chinook brothers to throw oil on the ground. Then their sons would not fall. Coyote also secretly told the grandparents of Walla Walla brothers to throw ice on the ground. Then their sons would not fall.

The oil and the ice made the ground very slippery. But the Walla Walla grandparents had thrown ice on the ground last. So Chinook brothers fell down. First one fell and then another, until all fell down. Then Coyote cut off their heads.

Now the oldest Chinook brother had a baby son. The baby's mother taught him he must revenge his father and uncles. So Young Chinook grew very strong. At last he felt himself very strong. He could pull up large fir trees and throw them around like weeds.

Then Young Chinook went up Great River. Wherever he went he pulled up large fir trees and threw them around like weeds. In the valley of the Yakima he turned aside and went to sleep by Setas, the creek. The mark of his sleeping-place can still be seen on the mountain side.

Then Young Chinook came back to the Great River and went to Umatilla, the place of wind-drifted sands. Here he found his grandparents very cold and hungry. Walla Walla brothers caused the northeast wind to blow all the time. They also stole their fish, when they were returning to the shore. Always they stole the fish.

Young Chinook said: "We will go fishing now." So grandfather started out to fish. Young Chinook lay down in the bottom of the boat. When the boat was full of fish, grandfather started back for the shore.

Then Walla Walla brothers started out from the shore to rob grandfather. But they could not catch the boat. Every time Walla Walla brothers came near the boat, it would shoot ahead. So grandfather reached the shore with his fish.

Then Young Chinook took his grandparents to the river and bathed them. All the straw and grass and bark which he washed off became trout. That is how trout came to be in Great River.

Now Walla Walla brothers knew that Young Chinook was alive. They sent a messenger to him. They said: "We will wrestle with you. Whoever falls down shall have his head cut off. Thus he shall be dead."

So Coyote was made judge. He was also to cut off the heads of those who fell down. Now Coyote secretly told the grandparents of Walla Walla brothers to throw ice on the ground. Coyote also secretly told the grandparents of Young Chinook to throw oil on the ground. But he told them to throw oil last.

So young Chinook wrestled with Walla Walla brothers, one after another. So the Walla Walla brothers fell to the ground. First one fell and then another, until four had fallen. Then Coyote cut off their heads. The fifth one yielded without wrestling. So Coyote let him live. But Coyote said: "You must blow only lightly. You must never freeze people again."

To Young Chinook, Coyote said: "You shall blow hardest only at night. You shall blow first on the mountain ridges to warn the people."

Thus now winter is only a little cold.

Creation of the Yakima World
A Yakima Legend
In the beginning of the world, all was water. Whee-me-me-ow-ah, the Great Chief Above, lived up in the sky all alone. When he decided to make the world, he went down to the shallow places in the water and began to throw up great handfuls of mud that became land.

He piled some of the mud so high that it froze hard and made the mountains. When the rain came, it turned into ice and snow on top of the high mountains. Some of the mud was hardened into rocks. Since that time the rocks have not changed - they have only become harder.

The Great Chief Above made trees grow on the earth, and also roots and berries. He made a man out of a ball of mud and told him to take fish from the waters, and deer and other game from the forests.

When the man became lonely, the Great Chief Above made a woman to be his companion and taught her how to dress skins, how to find bark and roots, and how to make baskets out of them. He taught her which berries to gather for food and how to pick them and dry them. He showed her how to cook the salmon and the game that the man brought.

Once when the woman was asleep, she had a dream, and in it she wondered what more she could do to please the man. She prayed to the Great Chief Above for help. He answered her prayer by blowing his breath on her and giving her something which she could not see or hear, smell or touch.

This invisible something was preserved in a basket. Through it, the first woman taught her daughters and granddaughters the designs and skills which had been taught her.

But in spite of all the things the Great Chief Above did for them, the new people quarreled. They bickered so much that Mother Earth was angry, and in her anger she shook the mountains so hard that those hanging over the narrow part of Big River fell down.

The rocks, falling into the water, dammed the stream and also made rapids and waterfalls. Many people and animals were killed and buried under the rocks and mountains.

Someday the Great Chief Above will overturn those mountains and rocks. Then the spirits that once lived in the bones buried there will go back into them.

At present those spirits live in the tops of the mountains, watching their children on the earth and waiting for the great change which is to come. The voices of these spirits can be heard in the mountains at all times. Mourners who wail for their dead hear spirit voices reply, and thus they know that their lost ones are always near.

We did not know all this by ourselves; we were told it by our fathers and grandfathers, who learned it from their fathers and grandfathers. No one knows when the Great Chief Above will overturn the mountains.

But we do know this: the spirits will return only to the remains of people who in life kept the beliefs of their grandfathers. Only their bones will be preserved under the mountains.

Tsi - Laan (Deep Water)
A Yakima Legend
Once there was more than enough game, plants, and fish of every kind for the people. to eat. But they took their wealth for granted and were rude to Spilyay (coyote) when he offered them more food. Consequently, they lost almost everything they had. This is the story I will tell you...

There was a time that coyote was going around telling the animal world that there was going to be a change. He told them, "We are going to be reduced in power. There are others coming who are going to be rulers over all of us, and over all this country." Coyote was talking about the new people, the people with two legs - people we now call native Americans.

So he began to prepare. One day, coyote came up the Columbia River to the Chelan River. He looked it over and felt there was something he should do here. He asked his "power" what he should do (the power or counselors were his five sisters which he carried around inside of him). The sisters told him that there were no fish in the Chelan River that he should fix it so the fish could swim up the river. At that time the Chelan River was too swift and the salmon could not go up the river.

Coyote decided to build steps with rocks for the salmon to swim up the river. He widened a narrow gorge for them to swim through. He made a deep pool under the falls so the salmon could rest up before they swam up river.

And that is not all the coyote did! When he came up to Mud Flats, he found that the river was too shallow, so he built a high rocky cliff and a rapids and made another little pool for the fish to rest. Coyote was very busy. He traveled to many places, fixing streams and rivers so that the salmon could come and spawn. He did this for the new people.

But one day while coyote was working on a place called Dry Lake, he left his canoe on the shore. He had seen a pretty girl living with the new people. He told the people, "I want the most beautiful princess you have in your village and I'll fix up a lot of places where you can catch many fish. I'll even make places where you can dry your own fish." But the people told him, "We don't need your fish. We will not give you our prettiest girl. We have enough game here to live on. We have mountain goats, mountain lion, game birds, quail, grouse and turtle doves and we have bear and deer. We don't need your fish."

Coyote (who was known for a having a very bad temper, as well as being a trickster), grew angry. He had worked very hard to make places for the salmon to live so that the new people would have fresh fish to eat. So he started back and began destroying everything that he had created. He destroyed all of the fishing sites, drove out all the fish from the spawning grounds, and he made the water holes dry up. He left his canoe in the Chelan River, but so that no one would get any use out of it, he turned it into stone (there is a cliff there now). He took back everything that was worthwhile.

Now most of the lakes have only small fish. Coyote said, "they can have a few minnows, but there will never be any more big fish". This is why many places in North Central Washington are without Salmon. The only way to get fish in many lakes is by planting them there.

Legend of the Lost Salmon
A Yakima Legend
This story is about when the people ignored the directions of the Creator about caring for the salmon, the salmon disappeared. All of their attempts to bring the salmon back failed until Snake used his powers to revive the salmon. The people were not fooled by Coyote's pretentious effort to revive the salmon.

The Creator taught the people how to care for this food which was created especially for them. He said, "Do not neglect this food. Be careful that you do not break the rules in taking care of this salmon. Do not take more than you need". He told them if they observed these rules, the salmon would multiply several times over as long as they lived.

At first the people diligently obeyed the rules, and they lived happily without problems. All along the river there were different bands of people living in their fishing villages, busy catching and drying their supply of salmon.

But one day something strange happened. The people became careless and they neglected to follow the instructions made by the Creator. They became greedy. They did not take care of the salmon. They let them go to waste when they caught more than they needed for their families. They would not listen to the advice from those who were trying to follow the rules. Suddenly the salmon disappeared.

When the salmon were no longer coming up the stream for the people to catch everybody frantically searched the rivers, but all in vain. There was not one salmon left to be found. Soon they became hungry, their little children were crying and the old people were forced to beg for food.

One day, while they were searching the river, they found a dead salmon lying on the bank of the river. They stared down at it in disbelief when they realized what had happened. They began to cry out in shame and lament their mistakes, "If we are given one more chance, we will do better. If only we could awaken this salmon, the other salmon might come up the stream."

The people called a council and they talked about how they could give life back to the salmon. In legendary times those with supernatural powers could revive a lifeless creature by stepping over it five times. The people tried to use their own spiritual powers to revive the salmon. One by one they each stepped over the salmon five times, but to no avail.

There was a recluse named Old Man Rattlesnake. He never went anywhere always staying off by himself. He was very ancient and all the people called him "Grandfather". Somebody said, "let's ask Grandfather to help us! He is a powerful man. Let him revive the salmon!." A messenger was sent. "Oh Grandfather, would you come and help us revive the salmon. Everybody has failed." Old Man Rattlesnake listened and said, "What makes you think I am capable of reviving this lone salmon after everyone else has failed? I am an old man, how do you expect an old man like me to possess powers to do the impossible!". The messenger was sad. "You are our last hope. Please help us, Grandfather". Finally Old Man Rattlesnake agreed, "I will do my best". He was so old it was very painful for him to move fast. He moved ever so slowly and it seemed like such a long way for one so old.

While Grandfather was on his way, Coyote tried desperately, using all his wily skills to convince the people he possessed supernatural powers. He was thinking to himself, "If I revive this salmon I will be a very famous person." He stepped over it four times, and just as he was stepping over the fifth time, he pushed the salmon with the tip of his toe to make it appear as though it moved. He announced loudly, "Oh, look, my people, I made the salmon come to life. Did you see it move?" But the people were wise to the ways of Coyote and they paid him no attention.

Finally, Old Man Rattlesnake arrived. Painfully he crawled over the salmon four times. The fifth time something magical happened! Grandfather disappeared into the salmon and the salmon woke up and came back to life and the salmon came back to the rivers. The people learned their lesson well and took care to protect their salmon from then on.

Today when you catch a salmon, and you are preparing it for eating or preserving, if you break the spine you will find a white membrane inside. That is old Man Rattlesnake who gave life back to the salmon.

We did not know all this by ourselves; we were told it by our fathers and grandfathers, who learned it from their fathers and grandfathers. No one knows when the Great Chief Above will overturn the mountains.

But we do know this: the spirits will return only to the remains of people who in life kept the beliefs of their grandfathers. Only their bones will be preserved under the mountains.

Coyote and Crow
A Yakima Legend
Coyote traveled through the country, fighting monsters and making the world ready for the new people, the Indians who were to follow. He crossed the Cascade Mountains and came into the Puget Sound country. He was hungry, very hungry.

He saw Crow sitting on the peak of a high cliff, with a ball of deer fat in his mouth. Coyote looked at Crow with this fat and thought how good it would taste. Becoming hungrier and hungrier, he wondered how he could get the fat for himself. He thought hard. Then he laughed.

"I know what to do. I know how I can get the fat from Crow."

Then coyote came close to the base of the cliff and called. "Oh, Chief! I hear that you can make a good noise, a pleasing noise with your voice. You are a big chief, I know. You are a wise chief, I have heard. Let me hear your voice, Chief. I want to hear you, Chief Crow."

Crow was pleased to be called chief. So he answered, "Caw!"

"Oh, Chief Crow," called Coyote, "that wasn't much. You can sing better than that. Sing a good song for me, Chief. I want to hear you sing loud."

Crow was pleased again. So he opened his mouth wide and called from the cliff in a loud voice, "C-a-a-w!"

Of course the ball of deer fat fell down from Crow's open mouth.

Coyote grabbed it quickly. Then he laughed.

"You are not a wise chief," said Coyote. "you are not a chief at all. I called you 'Chief' just to fool you. I wanted your deer fat. I am hungry. Now you can go hungry cecause of your foolishness."

Coyote creates the Earth
A Yinnuwok Legend
Long ago there was no earth, only water. Coyote was floating around on a small raft when he met the ducks. They were the only other creatures. "My brothers," he said, "there is no one else around. It is no good to be alone like this. You must get me some earth so I can make things right." He turned to the red-headed mallard. "Dive beneath this water and try to bring up some earth. We’ll use it as a means of living."

The red-headed mallard dived. He remained down for a long time but came up without bringing any earth. Coyote turned to the pinto duck, "I sent the older one, but he was not able to get any earth. Now I will let you try."

The pinto duck came up after a long time and said, "My brother, I was not able to get any."

"How is that? I thought surely you would bring some."

Then Coyote asked a smaller, blue-feathered duck to dive. "If you do not bring up any, we will have no land to live on."

He dived down, but he came up with no earth. Coyote did not know what to do. Then the grebe spoke up. "My older brother, you should have asked me to go before you asked these others. The are my superiors, but they are helpless." He took his turn diving and stayed down a long time.

When he came up Coyote said, "What sort of luck did you have?"

"I have brought some." He had a little dirt between his webbed feet.

Coyote said, "To every undertaking there are always four trials. You have achieved it." Then he took the mud and said, "I will make this into the earth. You will live in the ponds and streams and multiply there where you can build your nests. Now, I an going to make this earth."

Coyote took the mud in his hand and he started in the east. "I will make it large so we have plenty of room."

As he traveled along he spread the mud around and made the earth. He traveled like this for a long time going toward the west. When he had finished he said, "Now that we have this earth, there are some things that want to be here." They heard a wolf howling. "Already there is one howling," said Coyote. He pointed toward the Sun, which was going down, and said, "Listen, there is another one out there now." It was a coyote. "That coyote has attained life by his own powers," said Coyote. "He is great." Then they all went for a walk.

Out on the plains they saw some shining objects. When they got up close they saw that theses were medicine stones. "This is part of the earth," said Coyote, picking up one of the stones which looked like a buffalo, "There shall be stones like this everywhere. They are separate beings." When they had gone on some way they saw a person standing near a hill. "Look." said Coyote, "there is a human being. He is one of the Stars, but now he is down here standing on the ground. Let’s go look at him." When they got up close, the star-person changed himself into a plant. It was the tobacco plant. There were no other plants around at the time. It was the first.

Coyote said, "From now on all people will have this plant, take it in the spring and raise it. It is the Stars up above that have come down like this. They will take care of the people. Take care of this plant. It will be the means of your living. Use it in dancing. When you plant it in the spring, sing this song: Female comrade, the earth, where shall I plant it?" After that , Coyote found there was no grass. "This is no good." He made it. "Let us make some mountains, hills and trees." He made them all. He saw there were no fish in the creeks, so he put some there. This is the way he started the whole thing.

The Prairie Falcon Loses
A Yauelmani Yokut Legend
At Kamupau, south of San Emidio, many people lived. The eagle was the chief. Coyote was there too. He was a good talker and knew everything. The prairie falcon was there. He was fierce. The large owl, hutulu, and the small ground owl, tokowets, both of them medicine-men, were there. The panther was there. He was a good hunter. The weasel, the fox, and the magpie lived there too. These three were all gamblers. Many others lived there.

Every day the hunters, the eagle, the prairie falcon and the panther, went out for rabbits. Coyote brought wood to every house. He never went hunting. When the hunters came back they called to Coyote: "Tutunusut!" That was his name. They gave him the intestines of the rabbits and he ate them. They also gave him the unborn rabbits [wasis]. When Coyote received these he spoke over them and blew on them and made them larger [sukhua, to make or create by blowing]. By the time he came to his house they were large rabbits. In this way he lived.

The gamblers played every day at the gambling ground with the hoop and poles. Now the small black-eared rabbit, tukuyun, came from pitnani [the forks of Kern river, the country of the Shoshonean Pitanisha or Tübatulabal]. Coyote said: "A stranger has come." They went to him and brought him into the chief's house. He was bringing food with him, pinenuts, and puhuk, and hapu. This he gave to the eagle.

Next morning he went to gamble with the fox. The rabbit won everything. He won also the weasel's beads. He won all that the magpie had. He won everything from all the gamblers. Coyote was about as an attendant. He helped them as they played and was paid for it. He did not ask to receive much. He did not expect to be made rich.

In the evening they stopped playing because the rabbit had won everything. Early in the morning they began again. Now the rabbit gambled with the prairie falcon. The prairie falcon won everything he had. He won all that the rabbit had won the day before as well as the beads which the eagle had given him for the food which he had brought. Then the rabbit told him: "I have nothing more." But the prairie falcon said to him: "Play for your ear." The rabbit agreed.

Then they played and the prairie falcon won his ear. He cut it off. "Try with the other," he said, and the rabbit consented. Then Coyote said to the rabbit: "Wait." Then he went off to the wife of the prairie falcon, who was in the house making a basket. He told her: "I want my gambling hoop. It is in the bed."

The woman said: "I cannot find it."

Coyote went there and found it. Then he cohabited with the woman. Then the prairie falcon began to lose. The rabbit won everything back again. He won everything that he had lost. He won everything that the prairie falcon had. Then the prairie falcon thought: "Tonight I must go away and die. I have nothing left." That night he went off toward the coast.

In the morning he was in the hills. He saw smoke. He went to the house there. An old woman and a girl were there. They took him in. The old woman got up and gave him acorn soup and fish to eat. Then the prairie falcon was married again. He married that girl. At night two boys came fighting. They were the girl's brothers. As they fought outside the house, the old woman went out and told them: "Be quiet. Your brother-in-law is inside. It is the prairie falcon." They laughed and fought; then they came in and ate. Then the old woman told them to go outside again. They went out.

Early in the morning they went to the ocean to fish. The prairie falcon went out into the brush and set snares for rabbits. He filled two sacks with rabbits and came home while it was still morning.

At night the two boys came again and ate of the rabbits. They said: "Our brother-in-law has killed game. We will eat it. He is a good hunter. In the morning we will take him with us to catch fish." Then the girl said: "Are you going fishing in the morning?" The prairie falcon said: "Yes, I will go."

In the morning they went. They went in a boat out on the ocean. They caught fish and filled the boat. Then the wind blew the boat out to sea. The two boys [by sukhua, magic by blowing] then created a string with which they pulled the boat back to land.

Next day the prairie falcon went fishing again with his brothers-in-law. They caught many fish and filled the boat. Now the wind came and blew them out to sea again. Then the prairie falcon fell into the water and drowned. The two boys fought in the boat because their brother-in-law was dead. When they came to land they fought again. Then they went home.

Now Coyote, another coyote who was the prairie falcon's mother's brother, knew that he was dead. He knew it because he had supernatural power [tipni]. He was in the house with his wife. When the prairie falcon died he felt bad. His heart came out of his mouth, he felt so sorry. He would have died, but he caught his heart as it was in the air and put it back into his month.

Then he went to where the prairie falcon's new wife was. "Where is the prairie falcon?' he asked the old woman. Then the two boys took him where the prairie falcon bad died. "Where did he fall in?" Coyote asked. "Here," they said. Then he took tobacco and dived far down into the water.

He came to seven trails. He could not tell which way to go. Then he took his tobacco and by means of it chose one trail. He followed this and came to a large communal house [gawi]. There he saw a man with his knees burning. "You are burning," he said. He did riot answer. Coyote took tobacco, spoke over it, and made the person able to talk again. The prairie falcon was in the house. Only his feathers were left. Now he sang in the Tokye [Chumash] language: "Kapikh, tata, shakhshaniwash, salialama. You came, my uncle. You will die."

Then Coyote sang also. He sang: "I am dead already. You know it." He meant that he should have died when he had jumped into the water, and therefore could not really die. Then he took the prairie falcon. No one was there except the old man whose knees were being burned for wood. So Coyote took the prairie falcon back with him. Then he put blue rock-paint on him as medicine and made him well again. This was through his supernatural power. He took a small sharp grass and stuck him in the anus. Then the prairie falcon got up.

The girl, the old woman, and the two boys were spiders of a species called ulumush or kolokilwi. The prairie falcon's uncle, Coyote, came from Nohomo, southwest of San Emidio.

The race of the Antelope and Deer
A Tachi Yokut Legend
The antelope and the deer were together. The antelope said: "I can beat you running."

The deer said: "I think not."

The antelope said: "Well, let us try."

The deer said: "We shall run for six days," and the antelope agreed. The deer said: "Let us go south and run northward."

Then they went far to the south "across the ocean" [or Tulare Lake], in order to run northward to the end of the world. The antelope said: "This will be my path on the west here. You take the path on the east." The deer agreed.

Then they started. Their path was the milky way. On the side where the antelope ran there is a wide path; on the other side there are patches. That is where the deer jumped. The antelope had said: "If I win, all this will be my country and you will have to bide in the brush."

The deer said: "Very well, and if I win it will be the same for me." Then they ran and the antelope won. So now he has the plains to live in, but the deer hides in the brush.

The theft of fire
A Truhohi Yokut Legend
There was no fire. It was very cold. Then the eagle told the roadrunner and the fox to go out. These two were good runners. Coyote said: "Let the crow go. He is good at looking about."

The eagle said: "They are better;" but he let the crow go. Then Coyote said: "I am going too," though the eagle wanted him to stay.

Then the eagle told the crow: "Start early. If you see fire anywhere tell us."

Late in the day the crow saw fire in the west. He came back and said: "They have fire there." Then the eagle sent out the roadrunner and the fox. Coyote and the crow went with them.

They went directly north along the Coast Range. Before, when the crow had gone alone, he first went eastward and then north and then to the west and back south. Now Coyote said: "Wait until the sun is down. Then we will steal it." They agreed.

Now it was dark in the west. Then Coyote said: "Now they are all asleep." The crow said: "We will not all go there. Let one who can jump well take the fire. You, fox, go."

Coyote said: "I will go too. I am a good jumper too." The crow said: "No, we will be killed." But Coyote said: "No, we are all good runners. And I will take the fire. Even if you come with me it is I who will take the fire."

Then they came to one end of the village. "Here is good fire," they said. They took fire, and put it in a net-sack. Then Coyote told them: "Run ahead. I am going to kill this little one."

"No, do not," said the fox.

"Yes, I will," said Coyote. Then the fox and the others went ahead.

Coyote took the child, threw it in the fire, and killed it. Then he leaped out of the house and ran. It was another coyote who was living there. He called out: "Take care! Someone has come!"

Now as the fire-stealers ran, their path was the San Joaquin river. The fog, gumun, and a duck, wolwul, pursued them. Coyote jumped from side to side and the pursuers ran here and there after him. That is why the river is crooked.

They kept on running southward. Then Coyote reached his sweat-house. He entered and closed it. They could not catch him. He had the fire inside. He had succeeded in taking it away from them. Then in the morning they made fire there.

From that day they had fire and were well off.

The Thunder Twins
A Tachi Yokut Legend
All the land in the plains north of Tulare Lake where the Tachi lived in summer was burned bare. Nothing was growing there, no seeds and no tule. The people were starving. In the mountains to the west, where the Tachi lived in winter, there were two little twin boys.

They were covered with sores and stank. Whenever they had finished eating, their father whipped them out of the house. They came back crying, but their parents took no pity on them. Only their grandmother took care of them.

Now the chief of the people in the plains said to his people: "Go about the land and see if you cannot find food. We will move wherever anything is growing." Then runners went southwestward. There they found a high mountain and near it a little lake, which is now dry. There were tule roots and seeds to be had and the people moved there.

Now the father and mother of the two boys abandoned them. But their grandmother stayed with them and cried over them. For two years they lived in this way. Sometimes the old woman found a few tule roots, and with these she fed the boys and they grew.

Now, when they were two years older, they no longer wanted to eat anything. They turned into thunders. At a high mountain west of the north end of the lake is a spring. There the boys went and there they are living now. They told their grandmother: "Grandmother, next month we shall have many fish from that water." Then in a month the spring was full of fish. They caught them and dried them.

The boys did not eat any of them, for they had turned into supernatural beings. Now their mother's brother, who had gone away with their parents, came back, bringing the boys a little food. Then they shot him. They nearly killed him, but cured him again. He told them: "When your father and your mother come, kill them." Then he went back with the fish which they had given him.

When he returned, he told the people: "They are well off now. They have much to eat." Then the boys' father and mother went there with other people. The boys shot at them and killed their parents and those that went with them.

Next day those of the people who had not yet gone, said: "Perhaps they were given many fish and that is why they did not come back last night." But their mother's brother told them why they should not go to that place. So the remainder of the people stayed where they were and were not killed. The mountain where the thunder twins live is called Chenhali.

The visit to the Dead
A Yaudanchi Yokut Legend
A woman died. Her husband went to where she was buried. At night he slept there. The next night he went and slept there. The next night he slept there again. Then in the middle of the night his wife came out of the grave. She stood tip and brushed the earth from herself. She faced north, not looking at him, and brushed herself entirely clean. She brushed her hair clean. Then she went north [khushim, actually somewhat west of north, in a direction at right angles to the prevailing course of the streams]. Her husband followed her.

They went on during the night. Then the dead woman turned into a log. At night she arose and brushed herself. Then they went on again. Then she turned to a log again. Again she got up and brushed herself and again they went on. Then they came to the bridge of the world of the dead [chedangdu wa tibiknicha]. There the woman crossed. Her husband was unable to.

On the other side were watchmen. They saw the man across the water. Then the watchmen were told to make a bridge for him. Then he crossed. The watchmen smelled of him. They told him: "Sit there." Then he sat in that place. The watchmen knew how he felt. They said: "Perhaps he is hungry. Give him something to eat." Then they gave him one pinenut. He ate the pinenut. Then there were more in his hand. He ate these and again there were more. At last he was satisfied.

At night the people there danced. Next day they again danced at night. Then the watchmen told him: "Take away the woman." They said to her: "It will be well if you too go back." Then they started. But they told him: "Do not sleep." Now they went. They spent a night on the way. They went on again. Again they spent the night. They went another day. Then at night he slept. Then he was lying with a log.

The Wolf and the Crane
A Tachi Yokut Legend
The wolf constantly hunted, but never gave his wife and two boys any meat. Once in the morning He went hunting. Then his wife, the crane, ran off. He returned and found her gone. He followed her. He was angry and wanted to kill her. He saw her and tried to shoot her, but she was high up in the air. Slowly she settled and at last lit far off. Then he shot and hit her. He went to her.

With her bill she tried to stab him. He used an arrow to ward off her blows, and tried to stab her. Then she pierced his breast and knocked him down. She stabbed him again and again, until she killed him.

Then she went off with her boys. They turned into stars in the sky. She is in advance; her two boys are following her. They are called yibish, the three stars of Orion.

Thunder and Whirlwind
A Yaudanchi Yokut Legend
Thunder and Whirlwind each had a boy. Thunder said: "You cannot find your boy. I have hidden him from you." He had put him away enclosed in stone. Then the Whirlwind rushed. He whirled by the rock, tore the top off, and found his boy. Then the Whirlwind took Thunder's boy and whirled off with him. He took him far away into the water.

Thunder began to look for his son. It became foggy. There was fine rain all around. Thunder came with great noise. He hurled the rain and fog aside. He found his son. So each of them succeeded in getting his boy again.

TALES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS
[Stith Thompson, 1929]
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CHAPTER I
MYTHOLOGICAL STORIES[1]
I. SEDNA, MISTRESS OF THE UNDERWORLD[2]
(Eskimo: Boas, Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, vi, 583)
Once upon a time there lived on a solitary shore an Inung with his daughter Sedna. His wife had been dead for some time and the two led a quiet life. Sedna grew up to be a handsome girl and the youths came from all around to sue for her hand, but none of them could touch her proud heart. Finally, at the breaking up of the ice in the spring a fulmar flew from over the ice and wooed Sedna with enticing song. "Come to me," it said; "come into the land of the birds, where there is never hunger, where my tent is made of the most beautiful skins. You shall rest on soft bearskins. My fellows, the fulmars, shall bring you all your heart may desire; their feathers shall clothe you; your lamp shall always be filled with oil, your pot with meat." Sedna could not long resist such wooing and they went together over the vast sea[3]. When at last they reached the country of the fulmar, after a long and hard journey, Sedna discovered that her spouse had shamefully deceived her. Her new home was not built of beautiful pelts, but was covered with wretched fishskins, full of holes, that gave free entrance to wind and snow. Instead of soft reindeer skins her bed was made of hard walrus hides and she had to live on miserable fish, which the birds brought her. Too soon she discovered that she had thrown away her opportunities when in her foolish pride she had rejected the Inuit youth. In her woe she sang: "Aja. O father, if you knew how wretched I am you would come to me and we would hurry away in your boat over the waters. The birds look unkindly upon me the stranger; cold winds roar about my bed; they give me but miserable food. O come and take me back home. Aja."

When a year had passed and the sea was again stirred by warmer winds, the father left his country to visit Sedna. His daughter greeted him joyfully and besought him to take her

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back home. The father, hearing of the outrages wrought upon his daughter, determined upon revenge. He killed the fulmar, took Sedna into his boat, and they quickly left the country which had brought so much sorrow to Sedna. When the other fulmars came home and found their companion dead and his wife gone, they all flew away in search of the fugitives. They were very sad over the death of their poor murdered comrade and continue to mourn and cry until this day.[4]

Having flown a short distance they discerned the boat and stirred up a heavy storm. The sea rose in immense waves that threatened the pair with destruction. In this mortal peril the father determined to offer Sedna to the birds and flung her overboard. She clung to the edge of the boat with a death grip. The cruel father then took a knife and cut off the first joints of her fingers. Falling into the sea they were transformed into whales, the nails turning into whalebone. Sedna holding on to the boat more tightly, the second finger joints fell under the sharp knife and swam away as seals; when the father cut off the stumps of the fingers they became ground seals.

Meantime the storm subsided, for the fulmars thought Sedna was drowned. The father then allowed her to come into the boat again. But from that time she cherished a deadly hatred against him and swore bitter revenge. After they got ashore, she called her dogs and let them gnaw off the feet and hands of her father while he was asleep. Upon this he cursed himself, his daughter, and the dogs which had maimed him; whereupon the earth opened and swallowed the hut, the father, the daughter, and the dogs. They have since lived in the land of Adlivun,[5] of which Sedna is the mistress.

II. SUN SISTER AND MOON BROTHER[6]
(ESKIMO: Boas, Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, vi, 597)
In olden times a brother and his sister lived in a large village in which there was a singing house, and every night the sister with her playfellows enjoyed themselves in this house. Once upon a time, when all the lamps in the singing house were extinguished, somebody came in and outraged her. She was unable to recognize him; but she blackened her hands with soot and when the same again happened besmeared the man's back with it.[7] When the lamps were relighted she saw that the

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violator was her brother.[8] In great anger she sharpened a knife and cut off her breasts, which she offered to him, saying: "Since you seem to relish me, eat this." Her brother fell into a passion and she fled from him, running about the room. She seized a piece of wood (with which the lamps are kept in order) which was burning brightly and rushed out of the house. The brother took another one, but in his pursuit he fell down and extinguished his light, which continued to glow only faintly. Gradually both were lifted up and continued their course in the sky, the sister being transformed into the sun, the brother into the moon.[9]Whenever the new moon first appears she sings:

Aningaga tapika, takirn tapika qaumidjatedlirpoq; qaumatitaudle.
Aningaga tapika, tikipoq tapika.

(My brother up there, the moon up there begins to shine; he will be bright.
My brother up there, he is coming up there.)

III. GLOOSCAP[10]
(MICMAC: Rand, Legends of the Micmacs, p. 232, No. 35)
The tradition respecting Glooscap is that he came to this country from the east,--far across the great sea; that he was a divine being, though in the form of a man. He was not far from any of the Indians (this is the identical rendering of the Indian words used by my friend Stephen in relating the sketches of his history here given). When Glooscap went away, he went toward the west.[11] There he is still tented; and two important personages are near him, who are called Kuhkw and Coolpujot,--of whom more anon.

Glooscap was the friend and teacher of the Indians; all they knew of the arts he taught them.[12] He taught them the names of the constellations and stars; he taught them how to hunt and fish, and cure what they took; how to cultivate the ground, as far as they were trained in husbandry. When he first came, he brought a woman with him, whom he ever addressed as Grandmother,[13]--a very general epithet for an old woman. She was not his wife, nor did he ever have a wife. He was always sober, grave, and good; all that the Indians knew of what was wise and good he taught them.

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His canoe was a granite rock.[14] On one occasion he put to sea in this craft, and took a young woman with him as a passenger. She proved to be a bad girl; and this was manifested by the troubles that ensued. A storm arose, and the waves dashed wildly over the canoe; he accused her of being the cause, through her evil deeds, and so he determined to rid himself of her. For this purpose he stood in for the land, leaped ashore, but would not allow her to follow; putting his foot against the heavy craft, he pushed it off to sea again with the girl on it, telling her to become whatever she desired to be. She was transformed into a large, ferocious fish, called by the Indians keeganibe, said to have a huge dorsal fin,--like the sail of a boat, it is so large and high out of the water.

The Indians sometimes visit Glooscap at his present residence, so says tradition; this is in a beautiful land in the west. He taught them when he was with them that there was such a place, and led them to look forward to a residence there, and to call it their beautiful home in the far west,--where, if good, they would go at death.

The journey to that fair region far away is long, difficult, and dangerous; the way back is short and easy. Some years ago, seven stout-hearted young men attempted the journey, and succeeded. Before reaching the place, they had to pass over a mountain, the ascent of which was up a perpendicular bluff, and the descent on the other side was still more difficult, for the top hung far over the base. The fearful and unbelieving could not pass at all; but the good and confident could travel it with ease and safety, as though it were a level path.

Having crossed the mountain, the road ran between the heads of two huge serpents, which lay just opposite each other; and they darted out their tongues, so as to destroy whomsoever they hit. But the good and the firm of heart could dart past between the strokes of their tongues, so as to evade them.[113b] One more difficulty remained; it was a wall, as of a thick, heavy cloud, that separated the present world from that beautiful region beyond. This cloudy wall rose and fell at intervals, and struck the ground with such force that whatever was caught under it would be crushed to atoms; but the good could dart under when it rose, and come out on the other side unscathed.[15]

This our seven young heroes succeeded in doing. There they found three wigwams,--one for Glooscap, one for Coolpujot,

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and one for Kuhkw. These are all mighty personages, but Glooscap is supreme; the other two are subordinates. Coolpujot has no bones. He cannot move himself, but is rolled over each spring and fall by Glooscap's order, being turned with handspikes; hence the name Coolpujot (rolled over by handspikes). In the autumn he is turned towards the west, in the spring towards the east; and this is a figure of speech, denoting the revolving seasons of the year,[16]--his mighty breath and looks, by which he can sweep down whole armies and work wonders on a grand scale, indicating the weather: frost, snow, ice, and sunshine. (Such was Stephen's very satisfactory explanation.)

Kuhkw means Earthquake; this mighty personage can pass along under the surface of the ground, making all things shake and tremble by his power.

All these seven visitors had requests to proffer, and each received what he asked for;[17] though the gift did not always correspond with the spirit of the request, it oftentimes agreed with the letter. For instance, one of these seven visitors was wonderfully enamoured of a fine country, and expressed a desire to remain there, and to live long; whereupon, at Glooscap's direction, Earthquake took him and stood him up, and he became a cedar-tree.[18] When the wind blew through its boughs, they were bent and broken with great fracas,--making a thunder-storm that rolled far and wide over the country, accompanied by strong winds, which scattered the cedar-boughs and seeds in all directions, producing all the cedar-groves that exist in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and elsewhere.

The other men started, and reached home in a short time.

One of them had asked for a medicine that would be effectual in curing disease. This he obtained; but, neglecting to follow implicitly the directions given, he lost it before he reached home. It was carefully wrapped up in a piece of paper, and he was charged not to undo the parcel until he reached home. His curiosity got the better of his judgment; he could not see what difference it could make if he just looked at his prize as he was going along. So he undid the parcel, and presto! the medicine slipped out on the ground, spread and slid in all directions, covering up the face of the earth, and vanishing from sight.[19]

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On another occasion several young men went to see Glooscap in his present abode. One of them went to obtain the power of winning the heart of some fair one, which all his unaided skill had failed hitherto to do; an hundred times he had tried to get a wife, but the girls all shunned him. Many of the party who started on this perilous expedition failed to overcome the difficulties that lay in their way, and turned back, baffled and defeated; but several of them succeeded. They were all hospitably entertained; all presented their requests, and were favorably heard. The man who sought power to captivate some female heart was the last to proffer his petition. Glooscap and his two subordinates conferred together in a whisper, and then Earthquake informed him that his ugly looks and still more ugly manners were the chief hindrances to his success; but they must try to help him. So he was handed a small parcel, and directed not to open it until he reached his own village; this he took, and they all set off for home together. The night before they arrived, he could restrain his curiosity no longer; he opened the parcel, the foolish fellow! Out flew young women by the scores and hundreds, covering the face of the earth, piling themselves in towering heaps, and burying the poor fellow, crushing him to the earth under the accumulating weight of their bodies. His comrades had cautioned him against disobeying the mandate, and had begged him not to undo the parcel; but he had not heeded the caution. They now heard him calling for help, but he called in vain, they could not help him; and his cries became fainter and fainter, and finally ceased altogether. Morning came at last. The young women had all vanished, and the fragments of their comrade were scattered over the ground; he had been killed and ground to atoms as the result of his unbridled curiosity and disobedience.

. MANABOZHO[20]
A. MANABOZHO'S BIRTH
(MENOMINI: Skinner and Satterlee, Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, xiii, 239)
In the beginning, there was a lone old woman living on this island. Nobody knows where she came from, nor how she got here, but it is true that she dwelt in a wigwam with her only daughter. Wild potatoes were the only food of the two women.

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Every day the old woman took her wooden hoe and went out to gather them. She packed them home and dried them in the sun, for in those days, there was no such thing as fire in that part of the world.

One day her daughter begged to go with her. "Mother, let me go and help you; between us we can dig more potatoes than you can alone." "No, my daughter, you stay here," said the old woman; "I don't want you to go. Your place is at home caring for the lodge." "Oh dear! I don't like to stay here alone all day," teased the girl; "it's so lonely when you are gone! I'd much rather go with you. There is another old hoe here that I can use. Please let me go too."

At last, the old woman consented to her daughter's pleading; the two armed themselves with their tools and set out. After a little journey they came to a damp ravine. "Here is the place where I always come to gather the potatoes," cried the mother; "you can dig here too. But there is one thing that I must warn you about, when you are digging these potatoes; I want you to face the south. Be sure not to forget this. It was because I was afraid that you could not be trusted to remember that I never brought you here before." "Oh, that's all right, I won't forget," cried the girl. "Very well then, you stay right here and work; I am going to dig over there."

The girl set to work with a will, and enjoyed her task very much. "Oh how nice it is to dig potatoes!" she said, and kept up a running stream of conversation with her mother as she labored. As the time passed by, the daughter gradually forgot her promise and at last turned round and faced in the opposite direction as she dug. All at once there came a great rushing, roaring noise from the heavens and the wind swept down where she stood and whirled her round and round. "Oh, mother! Help! Come quick!" she screamed. Her mother dropped everything and rushed to her aid. "Grab me by the back and hold me down!" cried the girl in terror. The old lady seized her with one hand and steadied herself, meanwhile, by catching hold of some bushes. "Hold me as tightly as you can!" she gasped. "Now you see why I told you to stay at home! You are being properly punished for your disobedience."

Suddenly the wind stopped. The air was as calm as though nothing had ever happened. The two women hastily gathered up their potatoes and hurried home. After that the old woman

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worked alone. Everything went well for a while, and then, one day the daughter complained. "I feel very strange and different, mother; there seems to be something within me." The old woman scrutinized the girl narrowly, but made no answer, for she knew that her daughter was pregnant." At last, she was brought to bed and gave birth to three children. The first of these was Manabozho, the second was a little wolf, Muh'wäse, and the last was a sharp flint stone. When the unfortunate mother gave issue to the rock, it cut her and she died. The old woman mourned her daughter greatly. In a paroxysm of rage and grief, she threw away the flint stone, but Manabozho[*] and Muh'wäse she cherished and cared for until they grew to be children.

B. MANABOZHO'S WOLF BROTHER
(MENOMINI: Hoffman, Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, xiv, 115)
When Manabozho had accomplished the works for which Kishä' Ma'nido[22] sent him down to the earth, he went far away and built his wigwam on the northeastern shore of a large lake, where he took up his abode. As he was alone, the good manidos concluded to give him for a companion his twin brother, whom they brought to life and called Naq'pote (which signifies an expert marksman). He was formed like a human being, but, being a manido, could assume the shape of a wolf, in which form he hunted for food. Manabozho was aware of the anger of the bad manidos who dwelt beneath the earth, and warned his brother, the Wolf, never to return home by crossing the lake, but always to go around along the shore. Once after the Wolf had been hunting all day long he found himself directly opposite his wigwam, and being tired, concluded to cross the lake. He had not gone halfway across when the ice broke, so the Wolf was seized by the bad manidos, and destroyed.[23]

Manabozho at once knew what had befallen his brother, and in his distress mourned for four days. Every time that Manabozho sighed the earth trembled, which caused the hills and ridges to form over its surface. Then the shade of Moquaio, the Wolf, appeared before Manabozho, and knowing that his brother could not be restored Manabozho told him to follow the path of the setting sun and become the chief of the shades in

[*. The hero's name appears in many forms. In this collection it is standardized.]

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the Hereafter where all would meet.[24] Manabozho then secreted himself in a large rock near Mackinaw. Here his uncles, the people, for many years visited Manabozho, and always built a long lodge, the mitä'wiko'mik, where they sang; so when Manabozho did not wish to see them in his human form he appeared to them in the form of a little white rabbit, with trembling ears, just as he had first appeared to Nokomis.