9. He-spit-on-her-Belly (Pitseqa'nekatem).2
(Lower Uta' niqt.)
(cont.)Lynx was displeased at not being able to see the girl, and made a hole in the roof of the underground house, and in the lid of the basket, and every night spat down on the girl when she was asleep, his spittle falling on her navel, and thus making her pregnant. Each morning the girl found her belly wet when she awoke, and informed her aunt, who assembled the people to find out who had done the mischief; but all the young men denied it. Before long the girl gave birth to a male child, but his father was still unknown.
When the boy had grown to be of goodly size, Elk assembled the people, and asked all the men each to make a bow and arrow for the child, so that he might know who his father was. Coyote and Raven each claimed the lad; but Elk said they lied, and would not recognize either of them as his father. Lynx, who was afraid, sat leaning against the ladder of the underground house, and never said a word. All the men in turn handed their bows and arrows to the lad; but as he tried each of them, he threw them away. Coyote came with a finely-made bow and arrows ornamented with colored feathers; but they did not suit, and were thrown away like the rest. At last Lynx, who had been holding back, came forward and handed the boy a roughly-made bow and arrows made of fir-branches. On taking hold of them, the lad was highly pleased, and fired many arrows. Thus Lynx was known to be the boy's father.
Raven, Coyote, and some of the other men, were chagrined because they had not been able to prove themselves the father of the boy, and, as the people were dispersing, they beat Lynx, who was sitting at the bottom of the ladder. Raven kicked him in the face, and jumped on his head as he went up the ladder, thus disfiguring him, and causing Lynx's face to assume the shape it has at the present day.
Elk and all the people were displeased because Lynx was the father of the boy, therefore they deserted the woman and the boy. When they had all gone, the woman bound up Lynx's wounds, and he became her husband.
When Lynx became well again, he went out hunting, and gathered all the game together on one hill. Puma, Wolf, and all the best hunters of the people, could find no game, and a famine began to reign. Raven, who was nearly famished, returned to the village, and found the boy outside playing with a ring made out of deer-fat. He snatched up the ring and devoured it. The boy cried because of the loss of his ring; and his mother, running outside, caught Raven by the throat, and choked him so hard that his entrails began to project from his anus. Then she let him go, and told him to lick his protruding guts. When he had done this, she invited him inside, and gave him meat to eat.
He returned to the people's camp, and told them that Lynx's house was full of meat and fat: therefore all the famished people returned to the village, and were feasted by Lynx. He gave most meat and fat to those people who had formerly treated him kindly; but to Raven, Coyote, and others he gave very little.protruding guts. When he had done this, she invited him inside, and gave him meat to eat.
He returned to the people's camp, and told them that Lynx's house was full of meat and fat: therefore all the famished people returned to the village, and were feasted by Lynx. He gave most meat and fat to those people who had formerly treated him kindly; but to Raven, Coyote, and others he gave very little.