Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/524

 1 76 Journal of American Folk-Lore.

the mud. The boy tried all day, apparently, to get it out, while the others fought. But somehow he got a good white horse. He, too, now became a bright young man with a war-bonnet, otterskin, and eagle tail-feathers on his spear, while his clothes were all beaded. He rode right among the enemy, killed seven with his spear, and drove the rest away. Then he ran back and got on his pig. When the people returned, they saw him still there, ridiculed him, and threw mud at him. They tried to find out who had ridden into the battle ; but they could not. That night the boy made the same prediction to his friend as before. Everything happened as on the preceding day, except that he was given a black and white pig, and rode a black and white painted horse in the fight. The third time he had a black horse. Now it was agreed that the horse of this unknown should be cut on the buttock, so that he might be recognized. The fourth day the boy rode a bay painted horse. White-man rode the same kind of horse as the boy, and when the fight was over, he rode down to the creek and cut his horse, and wounded himself a little. So they thought that it was White-man, and he married the girl, though she was his own sister. Next morning the boy came into camp, handsome, finely dressed, with feathers on his spear, otterskin, and so on. All saw him coming and ran up. He got off and led his horse, for it was quite lame. The people spread blankets to carry him, but he walked. His wife ran out to meet him and took his arms from him. The people cleaned the place they had soiled. So they found that White-man was an impostor. Four men seized him by the hands and legs, to throw him into deep water. He was strong and resisted, but at last they dragged him to the bank and threw him in. They could see the fish eating him, until only bones were left. Then the chief wanted his daughter and his son-in-law to leave the old woman's dirty place and to live with him, and even prepared a tepee for him. But they refused. The boy took out his book, and they had a house. But the boy felt bad about his treat- ment. That night he blew his whistle, and white men came out, and at daylight they killed the whole tribe. (This shows that the whites have more power than the Indians.) 1

1 This curious tale is evidently not altogether of Indian origin. The portion relating to the war is identical with part of a European (Norse) folk-tale. Yet stories similar to this one are found among the Omaha (Dorsey, op.cit. pp. 114^^.; see, also, p. 604), the Thompson Indians (J. Teit, Traditions of the Thompson River Indians, xxxiv.), and the Chilcotin (collected by Dr. L. Farrand). In all these tales a boy has a book, picture, or paper, that gives him magic power. He travels, does deeds, wins a wife, is deprived of her by treachery or deceit, but at last triumphs and regains his wife. All these tales agree in containing un-Indian elements. Yet they differ enormously in detailed incident. It is remarkable that what is appar- ently the same tale should assume such varying forms, and that while it always

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