75. Muskrat.
(Nkamtci'nEmux.)The parents of a pubescent girl who was still living in her but Were visited by many men, who offered them presents, and asked for their daughter in marriage as soon as her period of training was over. The parents, however, refused to accept any of them. Among the rejected suitors 1 was Muskrat, who was an ugly youth with a big belly. He became angry, and said to himself, “I will be avenged on these people.” He shot his supernatural power into the girl, and she became sick. She saw a woman going by her lodge to fetch water, and upon her return, she threw stones to attract her attention.2 The woman asked her what she wanted, and the girl told her to tell her parents that she was sick. Her parents visited her, and asked her what her sickness was. She said. "I do not know, but I feel very ill." They carried her to their underground house. and engaged shamans to cure her; but they failed to effect a cure. While Magpie was in the act of treating her, Muskrat, who was sitting near by, began to sing to himself in a low voice, saying, `Try your best to cure her, shaman. but you do not know what is the matter with her." Then he said, 'Oh ! I did not mean to say that.' Continuing he sang, "Try your best. Magpie, you may succeed, but I am afraid you cannot, for I shot her.'' 3 Then he said, a “Oh! I made a mistake in talking," and laughed. Now the people said. "Muskrat must have done something to the girl. Let him treat her.” Muskrat said, ‘I will treat her, if you put her back into her lodge.' The people did this, and Muskrat entered and began to sing a medicine song. Now he stopped singing, and had connection with the girl. Then he sang another song, and came out. When he arrived at the underground house he said to her parents, 'I have cured your daughter with two songs. The other shamans sang many songs, and could not cure her.' The girl got quite well, but some time afterwards was discovered to be pregnant. The parents asked her who the father of her child was, and she answered, "He who treated me and made me well.' When her child was born, the people threw the young woman, Muskrat, and the child into the water, and transformed them into muskrats like those we see at the present day. They said, '`You will henceforth be muskrats, and live together in water and in swamps.
1 Some say several of the suitors tried to seduce the girl, but failed.
2. This was a custom. .t girl when living apart was not allowed to speak first to any one. If she saw people passing, and wished to speak, she threw stones on the trail in front of them. Then the passer-by stopped, and asked what she wanted. She did not show herself, but threw the stones and spuke without leaving the lodge.
3 Some say he said, "1 had sexual intercourse with her."
