Part 14

After they had drunk the water, the poor boy told the story. He said that all the other warriors had been killed; that every one of them was scalped and was lying in the lake; that he had waded waist-deep into the water to get clean water. Some of the boys made fun of the poor boy and said that he had imagined all this. But the poor boy said, “If you do not believe me I am going to get one of them and bring him in here, and you will see that all I have said is true.” They said, “All right.” They did not believe the poor boy would go. But he did go out, and dragged the Scalped-Man to the entrance of the tipi. Old and young men crawled out and ran away. The poor boy laughed at them for being afraid of a dead man. The leader was the only one who stayed. The Scalped-Man told the leader not to be afraid; that they would give them success, so that they might take revenge on the people who had killed them. So the men came into the tipi, but not till the poor boy had taken the dead man out. Then they all wanted to go home at once. They left the tipi and went on. The next day they found a hunter, an enemy. They lay low, and when he was within reach of them they shot him and killed him. Now the other young men wanted to go home, but the poor boy said, “Let us go on.” They kept on. Each day they killed one or two of the enemy. When they had killed a number equal to the number in the lake the boy was satisfied. Then they returned home. The chiefs heard of the poor boy’s bravery. They sent for him through their council, and they made of him a brave. So the poor boy became a brave man, and executed the orders of the chiefs.

FOOTNOTES:

[42] Told by Standing-Bull.

42. THE GIRL WHO WAS BLEST BY THE BUFFALO AND CORN.[43]

In one of the lodges in a village there stood a mother, and in her arms was a baby girl. It was about to rain and the mother wanted to bring in her corn and other things to keep them dry, but she did not know where to put the baby. In her excitement she forgot that there was a bed, and she laid the baby up on the buffalo skull at the altar, then went about her duties. The buffalo skull was thankful, because he thought the baby was given to him. He cried out, saying, “Hi ni, hi ni—you have pleased me, you have pleased me, giving me the baby.” But Mother-Corn, who stood over the buffalo skull, told him that the baby girl had not been given to him, but had been placed there for the buffalo skull and herself to watch while the mother was busy. The buffalo skull and Mother-Corn blessed and poured their mercy on the baby girl. After a while the mother came in and took the baby. The child grew, and showed some signs of having power from some of the gods. She would eat no corn, squash, or anything, except chicken or duck. The girl grew to womanhood, and all the people respected and honored her.

One time famine prevailed, and the people were in much distress. The medicine-men did all they could, but all in vain. Some came and talked to the woman, and she told them that it was an easy matter to give them aid. She advised all the people to open and clean their cellars. They did so. The people took out the little corn they were saving for seed and gave it to the woman. Again she advised them to stand by their cellars until she had relieved them. So she went with a little corn, beans, and squash, and when she came to the first one she asked what things were usually kept in that cellar. The owner of the cellar gave his or her answer—such as, “Corn and beans were kept in this.” The woman then would throw down the seeds in the cellar and tell them to cover them up. She did this to all the people’s cellars, and they were all covered. She advised them not to open the cellars until at the end of four days. So the people waited, and after the fourth day they all opened their cellars and beheld the corn, beans, squash, and other things, which filled their cellars. The people were pleased and showed more respect and honor to Mother-Corn. Later, the woman did many other things for them.

FOOTNOTES:

[43] Told by Hawk.

43. THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE ARIKARA AND THE SNAKES.[44]

One summer the Arikara went out to hunt buffalo, deer, and antelope. On their way they saw by the path a pretty little snake. Some of the old people told the others to give presents to the snake, such as deer meat and moccasins. There were two foolish boys in the rear of the crowd, coming along on foot. When the foolish boys saw the pile of presents they wondered what it was for. They looked all around the pile, but could see nothing; but after a while they saw the little snake on top of the presents. The boys were mad, and said: “We are poor. We are living with these people and they do not give us anything, although they know that we need help, and here they have given these things to this little snake.” “Let us kill it,” said one of the boys. The other one said, “All right.” So they killed the snake. The boys told the people that they had killed the snake. The people turned back from their hunt and went to their village, and they began to climb upon high arbors for refuge. From the top of the arbors they saw something coming down both sides of the Missouri River. Soon they discovered that what they saw were all kinds of snakes. They were ready to meet the snakes, for they knew what they had done, and they were ready to die. They took their clubs and killed the snakes, although the snakes killed many of the Arikara. By and by the snakes killed one of the foolish boys. They bit the other boy all over, but he killed many of them. After a while they went away, but they had killed many people, and all because the foolish boys had killed the young snake.

FOOTNOTES:

[44] Told by Two-Hawks.

44. THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE ARIKARA AND THE BEARS.[45]

There was a young man who had a beautiful wife, whom he loved. She had a garden in the woods where she went every day in the spring to hoe. Each morning, before starting to the garden, she prepared pemmican and dried meat to take with her. She took enough for two or three persons. Her husband noticed this. One day while she was preparing the meat he asked her why she was preparing so much, for he thought that she must have some of her relatives to help her in her garden. The woman made no reply. One day, as she went out to the garden, her husband secretly followed her. When her husband came to her garden he hid near by. He saw that the garden was well cared for, and he knew by this that some one had been helping her to clean it. The man waited a little while, and there came forth from the woods a man, who walked right over to the woman. The woman seemed glad to see this man who met her, and the man was glad to meet the woman. This strange man was painted, and upon his head were feathers, and a set of bear’s claws were about his neck. The man went to work in the garden, helping the woman. The woman’s husband lay upon the top of the hill, watching them. When the sun was high, the strange man and the woman stopped working. They went over in the shade of some trees, and they ate the meat that the woman had prepared. After eating, the strange man lay with the woman. The woman’s husband saw all that went on. He slowly made his way toward the camp and went home. When he got home he took down his bow and arrows and began to fix the arrow-points and bow-string. In the meantime, the woman returned. She asked her husband where he was going, and he made reply that he was fixing up his bow and arrows to go hunting the next day. The man then asked his wife how she was getting along with the work in her garden, and she said she was nearly through.

The next morning the woman got her meat and things ready to go to her garden again, and the man got ready to go hunting. The woman went first to her garden. The man went afterwards, in a different direction. After a while he circled around to his wife’s garden. He got to the garden and lay down. He waited for the strange man to come. The woman sat around near her garden, doing nothing, for there was nothing to do; she had already got through with her field. The man looked up and again he saw the strange man come from the timber and begin to talk to his wife. They sat around until the sun was high. They again ate meat together, and after they had eaten, the strange man again lay with the woman. While they were lying together, the woman’s husband came up from behind them, took an arrow, put it in the bow-string and pulled it. He shot the man. The man made a big groan, got on his feet, and ran through the timber.

When the woman got up, her husband got a stick and clubbed her. The woman said: “My husband, you should first have found out who that man was who was with me, before you shot him.” Her husband said that he did not care who he was. The woman said that he was a Bear, and that was the reason she let him lie with her, for she was afraid of him. She said that the Bear told her that if anybody did anything to him while he was with her he would get all his people together and kill everybody in the Arikara camp. The man said he did not care.

About three days afterwards the people saw what seemed to be buffalo in large droves, coming from the hills. When they came near the village the people found out that they were Bears instead of buffalo. The young man who had shot the Bear in the garden said to the people, “The Bears are coming to kill us, for I shot the Bear.” The Bears soon reached the camp and tore the people to pieces, as many as they got hold of; but some of the people, who hid in their cellars, were saved. The Bears did not stop until they had killed the man who had shot the Bear.

FOOTNOTES:

[45] Told by Two-Hawks.

45. THE WIFE WHO MARRIED AN ELK.[46]

There was a man who went hunting with his wife. They were alone. Whenever the man was out hunting the woman would stay at the lodge and take care of all the things that the man had brought in, and she would also jerk meat. There she stayed, while her husband went out day after day. One time when her husband was gone a man came to see her, but she did not know who he was. One day five men came, and the fifth one she liked best. He was fine-looking, and young. This fifth man asked her to go home with him. She liked him so much that she did not feel like refusing him, so she went with him.

When the husband returned he found that his wife was gone. He looked all around until at last he found their tracks. He ran along, following the tracks. The poor man was getting tired, but the more he thought of his wife the more he felt like following her, for he thought a great deal of her. He caught up with her, and to his great surprise he saw his wife walking beside an animal. The man ran and shot at the animal, but could not kill it. This animal was an Elk. Not far away was a lake, toward which the Elk and the woman were headed. The Elk and the woman went right into this lake. The man shot at the animal, but the arrows did not seem to harm the Elk. When the man came to the lake he remained there. He would think of going away, but when he thought of his wife he would stay. He cried and cried. He neither ate nor drank.

At last the woman came out from the lake, for she felt sorry for her husband. She said: “You must go home, and whenever you start upon the war-path come to this place before you go and I will see you, and I will do anything to get out of this place so that I can tell you where to go, and if I can go with you I will do so.” So the man went home, and when he got there, the people asked him what had become of his wife. He told the people what had happened to her. After many days, the man thought he would go on the war-path. He invited several young men, and they went out. When they were near the lake, the man told his companions to stay at a distance from the lake, while he went on by himself. The man had a dress for the woman. When he got to the lake she told him to go west; that in a few days he would find three tipis; that there were three men living in the tipis, and that he should kill them; and that he would capture all their ponies. The woman then disappeared. The man threw the dress into the lake and went back. The man then led the war-party to the west. In a few days they found the three tipis. They attacked them and killed the people in them. Their ponies they captured, so that it all came true, as the woman had said. Then they went home and had a great time dancing the scalp-dance.

The next time the man went on the war-path he took several young men with him, and he again visited the lake. This time the woman came out, and said: “My husband, I can never leave this lake any more. You must go to the west, and there you will find the enemy. In the fight you will see a woman who looks like me. Go to this woman and catch her. She will become your wife and be good to you.” In a few days they found the enemy’s camp. They attacked the village, and they fought. While they were fighting, this man saw the woman who looked just like his wife. He stopped fighting and went after the woman. He captured her and took her home with him.

The man never went to the lake any more, but was happy with his new wife, for she looked very much like the woman who had gone into the lake with the Elk.

FOOTNOTES:

[46] Told by Standing-Bull.

46. THE FOUR GIRLS AND THE MOUNTAIN-LION.[47]

There were four girls who went to gather wood. While they were gathering wood they heard a Mountain-Lion coming, who said, “I want you girls for my wives.” The girls ran to different wonderful beings for protection. Each wonderful being said, “I can not do anything for you, for the Mountain-Lion is more powerful than I.” At last the girls came to a place where there was a man whose name was “Hair-Cut-in-Notches.” (His hair was so notched that one could see through the notches by looking at the side of his head.) The girls ran to this man, and said: “A Mountain-Lion is after us! Save us!” Hair-Cut-in-Notches said, “What shall I get if I save you?” The girls said, “We will live with you as your wives if you will save us.” Hair-Cut-in-Notches said, “You will go into my lodge and stay there.” Then he sang about his head and hair, for his hair was his arrows. When the Mountain-Lion came up Hair-Cut-in-Notches would make a motion toward his head, then to his bow, then shoot at the Mountain-Lion. Finally the Mountain-Lion dropped down, for he had killed it. Hair-Cut-in-Notches went into the lodge, and said: “You will now come out. Go to your homes. I shall not keep you here, for I am not a human being, but I am glad to have saved you from being killed by that animal.” The four girls thanked the man and returned to their homes.

FOOTNOTES:

[47] Told by Little-Crow.

47. THE DEEDS OF YOUNG-EAGLE.[48]

Many years ago the Arikara separated into two bands, one band going south, the other going north. But still the young men visited from one camp to the other. In the north village the leading chief had a daughter who had grown up to be a beautiful young woman. In the other village the leading chief had a son who was handsome. The young man’s name was Young-Eagle. The young girl’s name was Yellow-Calf.

When the north village visited the south village the north people told the south people about the chief’s daughter, who was very pretty. When the south people visited the north village they told of the chief’s son, who was very handsome, but who had never looked upon women with favor, for he had always kept himself in the lodge, not even having been on the war-path. When he came out of his lodge everybody looked at him.

Young-Eagle made up his mind to visit the north village to see the beautiful daughter of the chief. He told his sisters to make him several pairs of moccasins; for he intended to go to the north village. Now, Yellow-Calf, in the north village, also made moccasins for herself, for she had made up her mind that she would visit the south village and see the young man who was so handsome.

One day Young-Eagle started for the north village. On the same day Yellow-Calf started for the south village. Now, between the two villages there was a high hill, and as Young-Eagle was climbing the hill on the south side Yellow-Calf was climbing the hill on the north side. They both saw each other as they reached the top of the hill and were greatly surprised to see each other.

Young-Eagle asked Yellow-Calf where she was going, but she answered by asking where he was going. Finally the girl told him that she was going to the south village to see the man who was so handsome. Young-Eagle said, “I am that young man, and I am going to see the young girl who is so beautiful, down here at the south village.” They now knew that they were speaking of each other.

They sat down and talked, and here they found out each other’s mind. Young-Eagle wanted to know how many days it had taken Yellow-Calf to come there. She told how many days it had taken, and Young-Eagle told Yellow-Calf how many days it had taken him. They knew by this that the hill was just half-way between the two villages. This hill is known at the present time as “Lovers’ Hill,” because these two people met here. They agreed to place a pile of rocks upon the hill, and each was to place on the pile a number of stones equal to the number of days it had taken to come to the place. First, Young-Eagle placed a stone, then Yellow-Calf placed one, then Young-Eagle placed another, and so on, until they had a pile of stones. Yellow-Calf told Young-Eagle that she wanted to go with him to his home. But Young-Eagle said, “No, I would rather go with you to your home.” Yellow-Calf finally consented; so they went on. Yellow-Calf was satisfied and happy, for this young man was handsome and had a quiver filled with arrows, and a bow.

In the evening they came to a lake, and Young-Eagle told Yellow-Calf that they must take a swim and wash themselves; that it was not right that they should go to the village without being washed. So Yellow-Calf went into the lake first and washed. When she came out, Young-Eagle, with his leggings and all his things on, waded into the water for some distance. He told Yellow-Calf to watch for him. He dived, and stayed a long time under the water. Towards evening, at dusk, Young-Eagle came out of the water, having all his clothes on. He came upon the bank, and Yellow-Calf saw that he was not the same young man who had left her a little while before. This young man now was not so tall, nor was he handsome. His hair was unkempt, his nose was all covered with sores, and he seemed to have vermin. The robe he had on was a little piece of buffalo robe. His leggings were made of deer skin, but were very dry. His belly looked so large and plump that people would take him for a “burnt-belly” boy or a “burnt-fingered” boy. Yellow-Calf became scared, but she thought Young-Eagle was only making fun, so she took him home that night.

Young-Eagle lay down by the side of Yellow-Calf, and the next morning, when the parents arose to prepare the meal, they went to the girl and found a young man lying by her. The old people, knowing that Yellow-Calf had been away for some time, thought, of course, that she had got married, and had brought her husband home. They waked the young man. He did not attempt to wash, but jumped at the pot with the food in it, and he licked the mush off from the spoon. The old folks looked at him, and were sorry that Yellow-Calf had brought him. Yellow-Calf, too, was ashamed of him. She prayed hard in her heart that the young man might turn into the young man that she had first been with. But the young man remained the same and the people made fun of him. They called him the “Big-Belly-Boy.” The boy acted childishly all the time. When there was a battle going on the boy never went out, but stayed around the lodge.

One time the boy heard that a war-party was going out. He told the girl to tell her youngest brother that when the party should be out three days he should get some long intestines from the buffalo that the warriors would kill, and also some bones; these he should put in the fire; and that in the night he would hear the whistling of a young eagle, and he must know that it was his brother-in-law coming. The girl told her youngest brother all that Young-Eagle had said, and the boy said that he would do so, only he was afraid that what she had told him would not come true; he did not believe that his brother-in-law would come. But the girl said, “Brother, watch out, and when he comes, do as he tells you, for he is wonderful.” But the brother felt like making fun of his brother-in-law, Young-Eagle. It was announced through the camp that the Big-Belly-Boy was going on the war-path with the rest. They all laughed at him and made fun of him because he was going on the war-path for the first time.

The warriors started out, and after they had been gone three days Young-Eagle took his wife out to the lake where he had dived once before, and there he told her to take a swim. The girl went in and washed. After she came up, Young-Eagle went in, just the same as he had done before, with leggings, moccasins, etc., and he waded into the lake, then he dived, and stayed a long time. At dusk, Yellow-Calf heard a noise in the water, and Young-Eagle came out, the same man that she had first met. Young-Eagle told her not to touch him, but to go home; that he would come home soon; and that she should watch for him. He sat down and covered himself with his robe. All at once the robe rattled, and there flew up a young Eagle. It flew towards the southwest, where the warriors had gone, and in the night, the brother-in-law heard the cry of an Eagle. He rose, and said, “That is my brother-in-law; he has come.” The other warriors who heard it made fun of him, and said, “Do you think that that Big-Belly-Boy brother would come this far?” But the boy did not say anything. He went out, and sure enough, there was his brother-in-law.

The boy gave Young-Eagle the intestine to eat, and also some bones to gnaw. Young-Eagle told his brother-in-law that the enemy were within a short distance, and that he was going out to bring all the ponies that they had in the village; and that he was to turn all the ponies over to him; and that his brother-in-law should divide the ponies among the warriors.

The leader of the war-party had sent out different scouts, but they had seen no enemy’s village, nor any ponies. But every once in a while Young-Eagle would appear, and this brother-in-law of his would go to meet him. The warriors still doubted that they were brothers-in-law.

The next day, when they saw a drove of ponies coming towards them and Young-Eagle driving them afoot, they knew him. Young-Eagle’s brother-in-law went out to meet him. Young-Eagle gave him all the ponies and told him to divide them among the people. Young-Eagle went back into the enemy’s camp. He killed one man, took his scalp, and gave it to his brother-in-law, who in turn gave it to the leader of the war-party.

Young-Eagle went back to the village, and about this time the enemy were coming after him. Young-Eagle killed several more, taking their scalps. He gave the scalps to his brother-in-law, who in turn gave them to the leader. They knew that the young man was brave. After the battle he went home as Young-Eagle. The others drove ponies.

Young-Eagle went into his lodge where his wife was. He did not tell her what had happened. Two days afterward, the war-party came, singing scalp songs and telling all that Young-Eagle had done. Yellow-Calf’s father sat upon the lodge, listening, and thought that they were making fun of his son-in-law.