33. Owl and Tsa'au'z.
(Lower Uta' mqt.)
(cont)They said this in joke, thinking to frighten him into quietness. Some time after dark, Owl came, carrying a basket full of insects,1 and, putting the boy in the basket, went away with him. Next morning tile people searched for the boy in vain, and bewailed him as dead. Owl reared him as his own son; and when he became big, he took him hunting, so that after a time he became a famous hunter. '
One day he said to Crow, "Can you procure me some different kind of food? I am tired of living on meat and insects." Crow said he would, and determined to try and get some roots from the people. He went to the houses of the people, and there met the boy's mother and sister join-to their cellar for roots. They were weeping as they went along. He asked them for some roots, which he said he wished to give to the person they were weeping for. They asked him where the boy was, and he told them he was living with Owl. After Crow had received the roots, he flew away. They called out all the people to watch in which direction Crow had disappeared; but none of them were able to see so far, except the small owl,2 whose eyes did not water. The following day the people journeyed towards where the small owl had seen Crow disappear, and finally found the house in which Owl lived. They took the lad out, and burned the house; while the lad cursed Owl, saying, "Henceforth you shall be an ordinary owl, and shall never again be able to steal children.'
On the way back they came to a lake; and, as it was very hot weather, the lad told the people he intended to bathe in it. They advised him to desist; but he persisted, and, as soon as he entered the water, he was changed into a loon. The people went home sorrowing ; but a young woman said, "I can get him back, you need not sorrow.' On the following day she repaired to the lake, after telling the lad's sisters to follow her. She hid herself near the lake's edge, and called on Loon, who came ashore. He left his loon covering at the edge of the water, went to the woman, and lay down beside her. She gave a signal ; and the sisters, running up, threw medicine of herbs3 over their brother, who thus became his natural self again.
On their way home they had to pass a house where a man called Tsa'au'z lived. He was spotted, and covered with sores, and was.also a cripple. The lad said he must go into the house and see him. Although they advised him not to enter, yet he went in, and, taking Tsa'au'z by the nose, shook him, so that all his bones fell out. Then, he crawled inside and became Tsa'au'z himself. As soon as he had done this, he was sorry, because he felt the pain from the sores much. The women went home, leaving him moaning.
1. Some say insects and snakes.
2. A small variety of owl (ska'quq or sqa'qek).
3. A decoction of medicinal herbs.
