There were five brothers who had one younger sister. When she was grown up the grizzly bear carried her away. One year her brothers did not find her. Then her elder brother went to search for his younger sister. He went some distance and met a pheasant (?). He shot it and hung it on to the branch of a tree. He went on and found a house. He opened the door and saw an old man and a boy inside. He entered. Then the child jumped up and said: "Louse me, uncle!" He took the child and loused it. He found a louse and squeezed it. Immediately the old man bit his neck and cut off his head. Then the old man and the boy carried his body into the woods and hid it. The bear's wife and his daughter had gone digging gamass (camass) at that time.
Now four [brothers] only remained. One day the next eldest went. He also found a pheasant. He shot it and hung it on to the branch of a tree. He went a long distance and found a house. He opened the door and saw in old man and a boy inside. Then he entered. The boy jumped up and said: "Uncle, louse me!" He did so and found a louse. He squeezed it; then the old man bit his neck and cut off his head. Then the old man and the boy carried his body into the woods and hid it. The two women had again gone digging gamass. Then the daughter said to her mother: "Come, let us go home; somebody arrived at our house." The mother replied: "Wait a while." After some time the two women went home. Then the girl smelled blood in the house and knew at once what had happened. She grew angry and struck her father and her brother with a firebrand.
Now three [brothers] only remained. One day the next brother said: "I will go next." He went a long distance and he also found a pheasant.
[paragraph continues] He shot it and hung it on to the branch of a tree. He went on and found a house. He opened the door and found all old man and a boy inside. He entered and shared the fate of his brothers. Then the girl said: "Come, let us go home; somebody arrived at our house." Her mother replied: "Wait a while." Then she said to her: "Have you no relatives? "She replied: "You have five uncles." Then the two women went home. She became angry and struck her father and her brother.
Now it became day and one more made himself ready. He took his arrows and he also went. He went a long distance; then he found a pheasant. He shot it and hung it on to the branch of a tree. He went on and found a house. Then he opened the door and saw an old man and a boy inside. He entered. The boy jumped and said: "Louse me, uncle." He did so and found a louse. He squeezed it. Then the old man bit his neck and cut off his head. Then they carried the body inland and hid it. The girl [who was digging gamass with her mother] said: "Come, let us go home; somebody arrived at our house." But her mother replied: "Wait a while." Then they went home. They opened the door and she smelled the blood. She became angry and struck her father and her brother.
Now one only remained. He cried the whole night. When it became nearly daylight he fell asleep. He dreamt: "When you will go you will meet a pheasant. Do not shoot it. A monster carried away your younger sister and killed all your elder brothers. When you will go you will find a house. Do not enter at once. When you see two persons in there stay at the door." Now it became day. He awoke and continued to cry. Then he took his arrows and went. He went along distance and saw a pheasant. He did not shoot it. He went on and found a house. He opened the door. There was an old man and a boy inside. Then he stayed at the door. He remained there a long time. Then the girl spoke and said to her mother: "Come, let us go home; somebody arrived at our house." Her mother replied: "Let us turn back!" Then they went home. They reached their house and opened the door. Now there was a person. They entered. Then the girl grew angry. In the evening the man said to his younger sister: "All our brothers came here;" and she told her daughter: "All your uncles came here." [The daughter replied: ] "You did not believe me." [Her uncle asked:] "What shall we do with the old man and the boy? Shall we kill them? [She replied:] "Yes; they shall die." Then the man. said: "I will go and get pitchwood." He went and brought pitchwood into the house. Then the old man said: "What do you intend to do with that pitchwood?" "We shall use it to make fire in winter." Now they remained there a long time. [One night] he spoke to the old man a longtime. When it became nearly day [the old man] fell asleep. Then he said to his sister: "Arise! now we will burn them." She arose and left the house. Her daughter also arose and went out. Then be set
fire to the pitchwood. He went out. Now the house began to burn. The old man said: "Heh! brother-in-law! Rise! We are going to be burnt." He arose and found that the door was locked. Now he himself and his son were burnt.
Then she searched for her uncles. She found them in the woods and carried them to the water. She blew some water on the bodies. Then they all arose. They went home. They went a long distance and came to a lake. They bathed in the lake. Now the woman [their sister] dived and said: "Shall I dive?" The brothers replied: "Yes, dive!" "Do I look pretty in this lake?" "Yes, you look pretty in the lake." She dived again. "Shall I dive?" "Yes, dive." "Do I look pretty in this lake?" "Yes, you look pretty in the lake." Then she dived again. After she had dived three times hair began to grow on her. She said again: "Do I look pretty in this lake?" "Oh, no! you do not look. pretty in this lake." "Eh, why did you not tell me before?" Now she had dived five times, and she remained always in the lake and became a monster. They took only their niece along. They arrived at their house and stayed there. Now all the people wanted to marry the girl, but the brothers did not give her away. Finally a chief married her and she remained with him.
Now, Blue-Jay was discontented because she never laughed. After a time she said [to her husband]: "I am getting tired. Go far away, then I shall laugh." "No, no, don't laugh!" After some time she said again: "I am getting tired." Then her husband replied: "Well, then laugh now." She said: "I will laugh because Blue-jay makes me tired. Go into the woods! Lie down on your knees and elbows and close your ears." Then early in the morning she went to bathe. She took a comb and combed herself. Then she went out. Now she said: "Where are you, Blue-jay? Now I shall laugh. Hahaheh! Blue-Jay!" Then she devoured all her husband's people. In the afternoon she came to herself and vomited all the bones. She searched for her husband but did not find him. Then she searched for him among the bones of all these people. She found him, but his legs up to the knees were gone. Then she put him into a basket and moved a short distance. She made a house and lived there. After some time she fell sick and gave birth to two boys. When her children became older she said to them: "Do not go there up the river; you must go only down the river." They obeyed. When they became older the elder one said to his brother: "Let us go there [up the river]." One day they went and found the ground strewn with bones of people. "Oh, come, let us go home! "They reached their home and the elder one said: "These poor people! How may they have died?" Now they grew up. One day they bathed; now they missed a comb. The elder one said: "O, brother! Perhaps we shall find a comb in that basket." "Let us take down that basket." Now they took down the basket and took out a mountain-goat blanket. Now they
found a person in that basket. [The person said:] "O my children! Your mother is bad. You see me. I am only half now! Quick! Hang me up again, else your mother will come and devour us!" They took their father and hung him up again. In the evening their mother came back. Now the boys were angry. They became young men; then they said to their father: "We will cure you." "Well," he replied. Now they took him and carried him to the river. They put him under water. Then they took their mother and transformed her into a dog.
Now the two young men [who were now called Cikla] traveled on. They came to a lake in which they saw a swan with two heads. "I will shoot that swan." "Oh, don't shoot it. Many monsters are in that lake." He, however, took his arrows and shot the swan. "I will swim across the lake and get it." He threw off his blanket, swam, and took hold of the swan. Then he disappeared under water. His elder brother cried. He picked up stones and made a fire in which he heated the stones. When they were hot he threw them into the lake and made it boil. Then the lake became dry. Then he said: "Oh, how many monsters there are! "Then he took his knife and opened their bellies. When he opened them all he said: "Oh, I cannot find my brother." He cried. Now only one small monster remained. He cut its belly and found his brother who held the swan in his hand. He carried him to the water and blew on him. Then he arose: "Oh, I told you not to swim! [I thought] you would be swallowed!"
They went on. They met a person who held his paddle in his hand and danced. "What are you doing there?" "I catch flounders." [The flounders jumped into his canoe while he was dancing.] "Come here; have you no dipnet?" "I have one." "Bring it here! Step near! Drive the flounders. Stand here! Put your dipnet into the water!" He did so and held the net under water a very long time. "Now lift it." It was nearly full. "Thus people shall always catch flounders."
Now they went on. They met a person who always made waâ'waâ'! "What are you doing?" "I shoot the rain." "Stay here!" Now they took his house, threw it away, and made a good house for him. 1 They said: "Stay here; henceforth people will not shoot the rain."
Then they went on. They found a country. There they bathed. Then they rubbed their arms and made people [of the dirt that they rubbed from their skin]. They blew upon them and they arose.
Now they came to Quinaielt. "Here people shall catch blue-back salmon."
They went on and found a person. [He said:] "I will sharpen my knives. When these people come who make everything good I shall kill them with these knives." Now they met him. "What are you doing, old man?" they said. "I shall kill those who make everything
good." "Give me your knife." He gave it. "Give me the other one." He gave it also. "Now put your head sideways." He put his head sideways. Now they fastened one knife to one side of his head. "Put your head to the other side." He did so, and they fastened the other knife to the other side. They fastened two to his head and one to his backside. "Now jump!" they said to him, and he jumped. "Turn round! You shall be called deer. You will not kill man!"
They went on and came to Uq!ô'nexôn. "What are you doing? they said. "I play." Then she took a child at its forearm and threw it into the depth. "Let our dogs fight together," said the two men. She replied: "Oh, their bitch is a monster. She devoured even her husband's people. She will certainly kill my bitch." "What is the name of your bitch," they said. "Her name is Head-eater. What is the name of your bitch?" "Her name is Flint-eater." Now the two dogs fought together and Cikla's bitch cut off the head of Uq!ô'nexôn's bitch. Then one of the young men said to her: "Now throw me down the precipice." He had said to the boys [down below]: "When she throws me down you must say 'Return to the land.'" She took him. Flint pieces stood upright [at the foot of the precipice]. She took him at his forearms. She swung him around five times; then she threw him down. She said to the boys: "Say 'Stay always away from the land.'" He, however, said to the boys: "Say 'Return to the land.'" [When throwing him down Uq!ô'nexôn said:] "Now come these two people, your fathers!" He fell down and lay there [at the foot of the precipice]. He arose whole. He was not hurt. He saw that down below there was a multitude of boys. He took water and blew it on all of them. Then they all arose. He said: "Watch her [when she comes down]." They took stones. He went up and arrived on the top of the rock. Then be said to Uq!ô'nexôn: "O, aunt, look! These people whom you threw down are not dead. I saw them down there. I was there a while. They dance and sing; they play itlukum and disks. Now I shall throw you down." Now he placed his pieces of flint upright. He took her at her hair and swung her around five times. Her belly burst. Now he threw her down. She fell and lay there. Then the boys pelted her with stones and cut her to pieces. Her body was scattered in all directions. Her legs were thrown to Nehelim, her hair was thrown inland, her ribs were thrown up the river [therefore the Nehelim have strong legs, the Cowlitz have long hair, and the tribes of the tipper river have bandy legs].
20:1 His house had no roof, and he protected himself by shooting at the rain.