It was winter, and many people were living in a large underground lodge, and many others were living in numerous mat lodges near by. The people were losing their food-supplies, but no one knew who was stealing them. Many children of all ages had been stolen. The thefts happened every winter when the people had camped there, and continued until spring. One night an old woman could not sleep. She heard some one enter the lodge, run around the house, and then go up the ladder and vanish. On the following morning it was noticed that a number of things had been stolen. The woman informed the people, who in the following night lay down undressed but armed. About midnight some one came down the ladder and began to pick up food and other things, which he put into a sack. They recognized him as Bush-Tailed Rat. When he went out, all the people followed him. He went to his house, which was located between the rocks, and called to the door, "I'li'qa!" Then it opened. He entered with his load, and called "Tla'qi'pa!" and it shut. Then a man who followed close on his heels jumped forward and placed a large thunder arrow-head crossways in the entrance, preventing the shutting of the door. Now the people went in and discovered their property and their children that had been lost for years. Some of the children who had been young when they were taken, were now grown up. There were piles of ornaments, clothes, and food. They attacked Rat and crushed him. They threw him outside among the rocks. They transformed him, and said, "Henceforth you shall be a rat, and shall steal only a little at a time. You shall eat rose-berries and prickly-pears, and roll them to your house. Your excrement shall be valuable as medicine."2
10. THE BUSH-TAILED RAT.
(From the Upper Thompson and Lytton.)Marten and his elder brother Fisher lived together in an underground lodge. Fisher went hunting, while Marten kept house. One day Fisher said to Marten, "If any bird alights on top of the house-ladder, do not shoot at it." That day, when Fisher was hunting, Red-Headed-Woodpecker came and sat on the ladder. Marten shot at it, and missed. He went out to search for his arrow, and at last came to what seemed the end of a ladder of an underground lodge. His arrow had hit it. He went up to it, and saw the entrance to a lodge. While he was pulling out his arrow, he was pushed from behind, and fell down the hole. Red-Headed-Woodpecker, in the shape of a woman, descended behind him, and took her place near the foot of the ladder, on the side of the fire opposite Marten. She built a large fire. Then she brought out some fat from the back of a deer, and handed it in a bark dish to Marten across the fire. As he was taking hold of it, she caught his hands, and pulled him face down into the fire, where he was badly burned. She picked him up and threw him out. He crawled back to his lodge, where he lay down on some mats and covered himself up. Fisher came home, and said, "xwe'hwe, take down my staff. Where are you? Take down my meat." Marten simply repeated Fisher's words. Fisher threw down his staff and pack, and entered. He knew at once what had happened, and charged Marten with disobedience. Marten related what had happened. Then Fisher tried to cure his brother. He took pieces of his packstrap (or robe) of marten-skin, spit on them, and covered those parts of Marten's face and body from which the skin had fallen off. He could not make him as good-looking as he had been before, nor could he smooth out the skin of his face. This is the reason of the peculiar appearance of the marten of the present day. On thenext morning, while Fisher was still there, Red-Headed-Woodpecker perched on the ladder; and Fisher shot his arrow at it, wounding it. He shot a second arrow, which hit it, but the bird did not fall. Fisher said to Marten, "That is the way to shoot." He went up to get the bird; but, as soon as he touched it, it turned into excrements. Fisher left Marten, and went to Red-Headed-Woodpecker's lodge. On entering, he took a position opposite her. She passed him some deer-fat, and tried to pull him into the fire; but he jumped over it, knocked down the woman, fell on her, and touched her privates. Then he returned to Marten. He said to him, "A woman will arrive to-morrow, your sister-in-law. You must treat her well. You must give her of the best food to eat. Pick out the best skins from the pile that you have dressed, and make clothes for her, -- moccasins, leggings, dress, and robe."
Fisher went hunting; and while he was away, the woman came. Marten gave her the lower parts of deer-legs, which she could not chew, and clothes which were too small and made of half-dressed skin. He moistened the skin, and she managed to put on the dress; but soon the skin dried and shrunk, so that she suffered pain and felt very uncomfortable. She was crying when Fisher returned. He was angry at Marten, and compelled him to give her clothes made of the best skins. In due time the woman bore a son, who grew rapidly.
TOP
