Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 10, 1899.djvu/234

 206 heard his prayer, and as a sign of his favour gave him the beautiful red cap which now distinguishes his avial descendants to this day. When he had thus secured the favour and blessing of Kōkpĕ, he returned from the mountain and married his two wives. He became a great hunter. Six sons were born to him by his wives—three by each. After the children were born, he lost his love for the grizzly and showed a marked preference for the black bear. This made the grizzly bear very angry and jealous; but she hid her feelings and determined upon a revenge which included not only her co-wife and three sons, but also her husband himself. So one day, when the woodpecker w^as away hunting, she called her eldest son to her and gave him the following instructions: "The black bear and I are going out root-digging to-day. When we have gone, I want you to make some berry-soup. You must make it very thin and poor. The black bear's boy will also make some. He will make his very thick and rich. When you have made yours, give it to the black bear's boy, and he will give you his in exchange. Your soup will make their stomachs ache. When you have eaten your soup, ask your half-brothers to go and bathe with you in the river. When you are in the water together, seek an opportunity to drown your half-brothers, the black bear's children, and roast the youngest for me, that I may eat him for my supper when I return to-night." The son promised to do as his mother had bidden him. The black bear in some way got to know what the grizzly had instructed her eldest son to do, and warned her first-born to be on his guard against his half-brother. She further told him to make some soup also, and give it to the grizzlies in return for theirs, but to make his soup rich and thick and tempting, and then they would eat heartily of it and become very full and heavy, so that when they went into the water they would be unable to swim. After each of the mothers had thus instructed her first-born, they set out together to dig roots. The root-ground was some distance from their home, and on reaching it they sat down side by side to rest before beginning the work. Sitting thus, the grizzly bear presently began to admire the black bear's hair. "What lovely hair you have, dear sister!" said she, stroking it as she spoke. "But I see some lice in it; lay your head in my lap, and I will take them out for you." The black bear did as the other suggested, and the grizzly made pretence to crush the lice between