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17.--TRUHOHI YOKUTS. THE ORIGIN OF DEATH.

Told by a Tachi Yokuts.

There were two insects, Shoyo and Kokwiteit.[1] The latter was a chief. He, did not want many people to live. He gathered the people and said: "We will go. I do not know where. We must go somewhere. It will fill up. It is best if we make it that medicine-men will kill people. Then there will be a great ceremony for the dead." Coyote liked that. The others did not like it. Coyote said: "When a chief or one of his family dies we will go to his village. We will have a great gathering. We will dance and enjoy ourselves." Then the people liked the idea. But it was Kokwiteit who was the cause. So now, here in this world, if one meets a kokwiteit in the road, people say: "There will be too many; let us kill him." So they kill him. Shoyo did not want people to die, but Kokwiteit made it that they do.

[1. C-oyo, nearly Shroyo; the t's in Kokwiteit are palatal, approaching ch. Kokwiteit resembles the word for raven in other dialects.]


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