9. THE RIVAL SUITORS.
(Continued)Two feathers1 were placed on the highest tree; and Eagle announced that if any one hit both feathers, he was to marry both his daughters; if he hit only one, then he was entitled to only one of them.
Walaetitsa was playing outside with his little bow and arrow. The young men shot at the feathers, but none could hit them. Coyote was there looking on. In the afternoon Walaetitsa passed by; and Coyote said to him, "Little boy, shoot at those feathers." Walaetitsa aimed at them, but did not shoot. He continued to play and jump about. Coyote said again, "Shoot at them." Thereupon the boy did shoot, and knocked down first one and then the other. Coyote shot at the same time, and claimed that it was his arrow that hit the feathers. The by-standers, however, testified that the boy had been victorious. As soon as he had hit them, the boy ran to his grandmother's tent.
Eagle called his daughters, and said, "You heard my promise. Now, go and be the wives of the boy." They set out, the elder one in the lead. When they reached the old woman's tent, she looked in and saw the dirty little boy jumping about inside. She said to her sister, "That is horrible. I am going back." -- "But it is father's command," remonstrated the younger one. "Just look in," her sister replied. "He is dirty. I am going back to join Raven. I shall not obey father." -- "Then go alone," said the younger girl. " I shall stay and obey father." So she went in. When she entered, the boy jumped aside, and said to his grandmother, "What does that girl want?" -- "She has come to live with you," the old woman answered. With that the boy crawled into his grandmother's blanket and slept with her. The young girl slept alone.
On the following morning Coyote2 announced that all the young, newly married people would have to go out hunting buffalo, and that they were to get ready. He expected that the boy would not be able to go.
That same morning, when the boy got up, he said to his grandmother, "Tell that girl to go back home to-day, and not to come back until this evening. She is to make me a pair of moccasins, and take the measure for them from her father's feet. She is to bring them with her when she returns." The grandmother gave the girl all her husband's instructions.
Then the boy said to his grandmother, "Put out the fire in your tent." When she had done so, he said, "Now tie me by the leg, and fasten me to the tent-pole head down. Then sit outside, and let no one come near until I tell you." The old woman obeyed his orders implicitly. She hung him up as directed, and then sat down outside. After some time he called her. She came in and cut him down. He had spilled all the things that he had swallowed. Then he said to her, "Now make a new tent. Put all these goods into it. I will go and take a bath.3 When you have finished, throw the old clothes away and call me." So he bathed and dressed up. When the old woman had finished, she called him. He came back, and found everything changed. The people saw the new tent, and wondered at it, saying, "It looks like Walaetitsa's tent."
The girl, in the mean time, had gone to her father's home. When she arrived there, she told her father that her sister had not obeyed him, but had gone with Raven. Her own husband, she went on to say, had told her to make a pair of moccasins according to her father's measure. She proceeded to do so; and while she was working on them, her sister came in and mocked her, saying, "Why not make baby moccasins? Did you sleep with him?" -- "No," she answered, "he slept with his grandmother." -- "How can you go near him?" her sister persisted. "Better come with me." -- "No, I am satisfied," was her answer.
Evening came; and when she returned to her husband's home,4 she saw a large new tent next to the old one. When she came closer and looked into the old tent, she saw nothing but wood. The old woman called her into the new tent. "This is your home now," she said, "and that is your husband." The girl did not recognize him, and had to be re-assured. "Don't be afraid," the old woman continued, "and don't be ashamed. Your bed is over there. This is your new home." So the girl came in, and had food and new clothes, and that night she slept with her husband.
Next morning, before day broke, he said to her, "I am going out to-day, and I want you to meet me with some water. I shall be very thirsty. I have a long way to go." So he left. Walaetitsa was the first to be ready for the buffalo-hunt that had been announced by Coyote.
He went on ahead, and found buffalo-chips, which he piled up. Then he walked and ran around them, and soon the chips began to move and shake. They turned into buffalo, and he drove them toward the camp.
1 The daughters were perched on the tree. The people were to shoot a feather off each girl's body. Coyote tried, but could not shoot high enough. Coyote asked the boy to shoot; and when he hit the bird, Coyote claimed that he had asked him to shoot for him. Fox replied that he was lying.
2 The chief announced that they would go hunting buffalo.
3 He sent here to get water. Then he washed, and put on his good clothes and his ear-rings.
4 She heard a noise in the tent, and thought the people were making fun of her husband. She looked in through a hole, and saw a handsome man. The old woman called her, and said, "This is your husband." He gave the girl fine clothes, and told her all that had happened.
