Page:Kutenai Tales.djvu/324

Rh remove all the rotten bones, because one of these is Skunk's guardian. They go first to Chipmunk's hole, then to Big Chipmunk's, but both are too small. They climb a tree at the place where Fisher lives. When Skunk succeeds in getting home, he finds the tent empty, and after searching finds a single rotten bone that Big Chip- munk had left. Then he pursues the fugitives. By means of the bone, which is his guardian spirit, he finds the tree. He shoots it with his fluid, and it falls.* Fisher and his wife jump to another tree, but finally they fall down and are killed. Skunk restores the sisters, and they go to Big Chipmunk's tent. It is too small, but by shooting his fluid into it he enlarges it. They sleep in the tent. Wlien Skunk is sound asleep, the women leave him and go to search for Fisher. They reduce the size of the tent by means of their supernatural power, so that it becomes as small as before. They restore Fisher to life and move away. WTien Skunk is awakened, he finds himself in the narrow hole, unable to move. He succeeds in enlarging it a little by means of his fluid, and sees an opening. He pushes out his musk bag at the end of his bow; and Raven, who happens to fly by, takes it away. Skunk cuts off his legs and his arms,^ and puts one part of his body after another out of the hole. When outside, he puts himself together, l)ut parts of his entrails have been lost. He puts leaves in their place. Raven takes the musk bag to his village. He transforms it into a pup, and they play with it. Skunk reaches the village and is given food, which, however, falls right through him. He goes out, and sees the children playing with the pup. He makes signs to it, and the pup runs towards him. It is retransformed into his musk bag, which he takes away.^

44. The Star Husband (No. 70). — Two girls sleep outside and see many stars. One of them says that she wants to marry a small star that she sees there. When she wakes, she finds herself sitting next to an old man, who tells her that he is the star. The large stars are young men; the small stars, old ones. She goes out digging roots, and against the commands of the people breaks the ground near a tree. She can look down, and sees her relatives walking about. She makes a rope and lets herself down. At home she tells what has happened, and on the following morning she is found dead, killed by the star.

45. The Woman and the Giant (2 versions: No. 30 and VAEU 23:171). First 43 Version. — A woman who is traveling with her child meets a Giant. The Giant asks

» Shuswap (Teit JE 2:636).

Takelma (Sapir U^eim 2:53).

Thompson (Teit MAFLS 6:35, 82; JE 8:208, 253).

See also JAFL 25:259. « Takelma (Sapir UPemi 2:93).

Yana (Sapir UCal 9:124). » See Boas RBAE 31:569, No. 38; 706. < Arikara (Dorsey CI 17:14).

Assiniboin (Lowie PaAM 4:171).

Blackfoot (Wissler PaAM 2:58; W. McCIintock, The Old North Trail 491).

Caddo (Dorsey CI 41:27, 29).

Chilootin (Fjarrand JE 2:28).

Dakota (Riggs CNAE 9:90).

Ores Ventre (Kroeber PaAM 1:100).

Kaska (Teit JAFL 30:457).

Koasati (personal information from Dr. J. R. Swanton).

Micmac (Rand 160, 306).

Otoe (Kercheval JAFL 6:199).

Pavmee (Dorsey CI 59: 56; Grinnell JAFL 2:197).

Quinault (Farrand JE 2:108).

Shuswap (Teit JE 2:687).

Songish (Boas, Sagen 62).

Tahltan (Teit MS).

Thompson (Teit MAFLS 11:7).

Ts'ets'aut (Boas JAFL 10:39).

Wichita (Dorsey CI 21:298).

See also Arapaho (Dorsey and Kroeber FM 5:321); Crow (Simms FM 2:301).

BSce discussion in Boas RBAE 31:762 et seq.; also Chippewayan (Lofthouse, Transactions Canadian Institute 10:50).

BanpoU (Gould MAFLS 11:105).