55.The Ants and the Fleas.
(cont.)Then the Dog transformed the Fleas, saying, “Henceforth you will be ordinary fleas, and will, in the warm season, cover the earth, jumping from place to place. You will always be shifting camp.”
The Dog changed himself into a Pine Jay,1 saying, “Henceforth I shall be a pine jay, and shall also be constantly on the move, hopping from branch to branch and from tree to tree.” Therefore the pine jay is seldom seen to hop back and forth like other birds, but almost always seems to be moving forward, as if on the march from one place to another.
56. Beaver and Muskrat.2
(Nkamtci'nEmux.)Formerly the muskrat had a broad tail like that of the beaver at the present day, while the beaver had a narrow tail, like that of the muskrat now. One day Beaver asked the loan of Muskrat's tail to try it, and gave his own to Muskrat to try. Beaver found that Muskrat's tail was much better than his own for swimming with, and thereafter kept it. He always avoided Muskrat, who was now unable to catch him. When they were transformed, it was ordained that each should keep the tail he had. The Transformer said that Beaver had more need of the large tail than Muskrat.
57. Blue Jay and Sweat-house.3
Blue Jay is related to Sweat-house. He was the greatest joker of the ancients, and was always poking fun at the people.4 If any one made fun of him, or imitated him, his mouth became twisted. He was the originator of the twisted-mouth disease, and introduced it into the world. Before that persons with twisted mouths were unknown.
Blue Jay and Sweat-house lived among the people, and slept in a corner of the house. Sweat-house took the form of the bent stick of a sweat-house, and slept by day. At night he changed into an old man, and wandered about, while Blue Jay slept in his place. The people did not know that Sweat-house was a man. Finally the people became tired of Blue Jay's mockery, and fearful of his magic, and made up their minds to desert him. They kept away for four years, living in a different place each summer and each winter. At the end of that time Blue Jay was still alive, and continued to live in the same place. Then they agreed to leave for food, and settled in another country. At last a transformer5 came along and transformed Blue Jay, saying, “Henceforth you will be a bird, and a chatterer and mocker forever, able to talk incessantly, and to imitate the cries of the eagle and other birds and animals.”
1. Pine Jay or Whisky Jack.
2. Compare Shuswap, p. 680.
3 Compare story of Old-One and the Sweat-house, Shuswap, p. 642.
4. Some add that he used to get up in a tree and hide, then by imitating the voices of other persons, would bring them near, and suddenly jump down among them with a fierce shout, frightening them. The blue jay has a habit of acting similarly with small birds.
5. Some say, Old-One; others say, Coyote, or, perhaps, Qwo'qtqwal.
