50. Light and Darkness.
(cont.)Bridge, the world would become light again; so he set fire to its roots, and poked the ashes away with a stick, that the wind should fan the flame. When the tree fell, the earth became light. Then Grisly Bear appeared in a great rage, and commenced to extinguish the flame by throwing earth on the log and on Chipmunk, and crying, “le pa, le pa!” Chipmunk would poke the log, and cry, “Tse ka, tse ka!” and light would stream up; but when Grisly Bear threw on earth, darkness would come again. Thus they strove, and neither altogether prevailed; so it was agreed that it should be part day and part night. Grisly Bear was angry at Chipmunk, and chased him into a hole, tearing his back, and leaving the marks or stripes we see on the chipmunk now.
51. Thunder and Turtle.1
Thunder was angry, and urinated, trying to drown the people. He could not urinate long enough, however, to cause a heavy flood, and the people all escaped. Then he shot arrows at them, and killed and wounded many. They all hid, except Turtle, who said, “I am not afraid: he cannot harm me.” Turtle called out to Thunder, “You shoot in vain. You cannot kill people. Shoot at rocks and trees; you may kill them.” Thunder laughed, and answered, “You liar! I have already killed some of them.” Turtle said, “You have not killed them. They lie still, and only pretend to be dead.” Thunder answered, “You liar! I shall kill you;” and he shot many times at Turtle, who moved around quite unconcerned, for the arrows all glanced off his back. When Thunder saw that he could not hurt Turtle, he believed all people were like him: and since then he has always fired his bolts at trees and rocks. Thus Turtle saved the people.
52. Thunder and Mosquito.2
Thunder lived in the clouds,3 and Mosquito used to visit him. Thunder said to the latter, “How is it you are so fat while I am so lean? What do you eat on earth to make you so fat?” Mosquito replied that he ate blood. Thunder said, “Where do you get it? I, also, want to eat blood and become fat.” Now, Mosquito knew, that, if he told the truth, Thunder would kill the people; so he answered, “I suck it from the tree-tops.” Then Thunder shot at the trees, and killed many of them, but could find no blood. Again Mosquito visited Thunder, and the latter said, “Why did you lie to me? Now tell me where you get blood, or I will kill you.” Mosquito answered,“I get it from the Turtle.”
1. Compare No. 52.
2. Compare with Shuswap, p. 709; also with Traditions of the Thompson River Indians, XI., and Uta'mqt, p. 229 of this volume.
3. Some say, the sky.
