27. Hare and Grisly Bear.1
(Upper Uta' mqt.)Hare lived with his old grandmother in an underground lodge on one side of a large river, while on the other side lived Grisly Bear and her family. One day Hare was engaged making a double-pointed dagger (nkatci'ntin)2 of stone; and Grisly Bear, coming along, asked him what he was doing. He said, "I am making a toy to play with." Grisly Bear little knew that he intended to use the weapon on her.
Hare was hard up for food, so he went across the river one night and stole Grisly Bear's stores of dried salmon. He carried them home and buried them underneath the floor of his lodge. Grisly Bear suspected Hare of the theft, so she visited his lodge to see if she could find any trace of the stolen provisions. Hare sat down on the top of the hole he had the fish in, so that Grisly Bear might not see that the earth had been disturbed there. Grisly Bear stayed a while in the lodge, conversing with Hare, who was engaged filing his double-pointed dagger to a sharp point; but, as she did not see any trace of the stolen property in the lodge, she prepared to leave. Just as she was leaving, Hare said to her, "Why did you say that I should sell my headband of hare-skin to my nieces or aunts to wear when making baskets?" Grisly Bear denied the charge, and Hare called her a liar, and she retorted by calling him a thief and accusing him of stealing her dried fish.
Thus they quarrelled, and then they fought. Hare was much quicker than Grisly Bear, and stabbed her often with his weapon, while he always managed to evade her blows. At last he got out of breath, and called on his grandmother to throw the pitch-wood into the fire, because Grisly Bear was getting the better of him. The old woman did as directed, and the house became filled with smoke. Now Grisly Bear could hardly see or breathe, and Hare soon despatched her with his weapon. He skinned her and hung up the carcass. The following night he crossed the river and murdered all her children except one that managed to escape.
Some time afterwards Hare told his grandmother to wash herself, to comb her hair, and to paint her face. Then, taking a fancy to her, he had sexual intercouse with her, which killed her. Some time afterwards he was sitting on the top of his lodge, when Duck flew by. He asked her if she had any news, to which she answered in the negative. Next day she flew by again, and he asked her the same question. On the fourth day he repeated his query ; and Duck, who was annoyed at his repeated questions, answered, "Yes, I have news. Hare had sexual intercourse with his old grandmother and killed her.' Hare was ashamed, and went down into his lodge without speaking.
1 Compare this story with No. 19, Traditions of the Thompson River Indians, p. 66.
2 This dagger had a hand-hold in the middle. It was used as a weapon of war, but is said to have been originally or principally used, for killing bear by placing it perpendicularly in the animal's mouth, and allowing it to close its jaws on the points. The literal meaning of the name is tithing for placing in the mouth."
