31. Old-One and the Creation of the Nicola Country.
(cont.)Then he formed lakes, and made water in the form of rivers and creeks, and created fish, animals, and birds to inhabit it. He also made grass, trees, and bushes to grow to where required. He said, “Water will be the life of the earth and everything on it.” Now he created four men and a woman,1 who became the first human inhabitants of the Nicola valley. They knew not how either to eat or work. He said to them, “Drink water: you need nothing else to sustain you. It is the life of the earth, and from it you will draw life also. I will leave you now, but will visit you ere long.” These people had the desire to eat and to work, but knew not how to do either. The woman often gazed at the ground and grass, and felt she had some connection with them, or required to do something to them, or receive something from them, but knew not what. Likewise the men. One went to the trees and would gaze at them. He had the same feeling as the woman. Another went to the water and gazed at the fish swimming; another, at the deer running through the bushes; and another, at the beaver working in the lake. Sometimes they threw stones at the fish and animals; but these took no effect. At last Old-One returned to the country, and, saw the man gazing into the water. He asked him what he was looking at. The man answered, “I am looking at the fish swimming, and I feel I need them, but do not know for what purpose, nor yet do I know how to procure them. Perhaps you are the chief: you may help me.” Old-One took a magic knife from his right side and gave it to the man, saying, “Go to that service-berry-tree, and say to it, ‘My friend, I require you’ then make the motion of cutting it down with the knife, and at once it will fall down as if it had been cut. Then bring it here to me.” The man did as directed, and. when he had brought the tree, Old-One told him to squat down and shut his eyes. Now Old-One made motions at the tree with his knife, and it soon formed itself into a fish-spear. The man was asked to open his eyes, and was astonished, when he did so, to see the spear in front of him. Old-One said, “Take it in your hand, and come with me. I will show you how to use it.” They went to the edge of the stream, and saw a large fish swimming; and Old-One told the man to make the motion of spearing it. When he did this, the fish transfixed2 itself on the spearhead, and was thrown on the land dead. Old-One said, “Henceforth men will spear fish in this fashion.”
Now he came to the man who was watching deer on a trail, and asked him what he was looking at. The man answered, “I am watching the deer, and feel as if I had need of them, but know not why. I spend my time doing this.” Giving him his magic knife, Old-One told him to go up the mountains to the yew-tree, and, after praying or talking nicely to it, to make pretence of cutting it down, and, when it fell, to bring a piece of the timber to him.
1. Some say, four women.
2. Some say, jumped ashore, and died.
