Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/98

 THE WOMAN IN THE MOON

Shuswap

OON was a very handsome man. During the winter he traveled constantly, camping every night in a different place. He had a wife called Wala and many children. When they were traveling, Moon always went ahead and prepared a house for his wife and children. White men call his house a halo.

Wala was always loaded down. She carried large birch-bark baskets on her back, and a birch-bark snow shovel in her hands. Wala used the shovel to fill the baskets with snow, for melted snow was all the water they could get in winter time.

One morning Wala said to Moon, "Where are you going to camp tonight?" Moon did not answer. Wala said, "Where will you pitch camp tonight?" Still Moon did not answer. Thus Wala kept asking, "Where are you going to camp tonight?" until Moon said crossly, "Oh, camp on my face!"

And Wala did that. She jumped right on his face and stuck there. We know this is true because Wala may still be seen on Moon's face, holding her birch-bark baskets and her snow shovel.