101. Sna'naz and the Shaman.
(cont.)Now the shaman said, -There is a chief in a distant land who is talking to me. By noon to-morrow you must let me know what he says.' Sna'naz placed on the ground the large ear that he had in his canoe. It heard the chief talk, and reported to Sna'naz what he said. On the following day he told the shaman correctly what the strange chief had said.
Now the shaman said, "To-morrow you must run a race with my daughter.' She was very fleet of foot, and able to run faster than a deer. Sna'naz obtained the antelope's powers, and he beat the girl in the race.
Now the shaman asked him to make music;1 and Sna'naz, obtained the powers of the ati'tia-bird, and produced music as if he were playing on a flute. These and many other tests the shaman made him go through, but with the help of the animals he succeeded in passing. them all. The shaman said, "Indeed you are great in magic, and surpass even me. Now I give you my daughter to wife.' Sna'naz took all the animals back to their several places of abode, and thanked them for their assistance. He returned to his own country with his wife, and lived with his people.
Before very long his brothers became envious of his beautiful wife, and made up their minds to get rid of Sna'naz. They told him that they had seen a large nugget of gold at the bottom of a deep chasm, but were afraid to descend and get it. Sna'naz at once said he would make the attempt, went to the chasm with his brothers, and they lowered him down with a rove. When he had reached the bottom, they threw the rope down, and left him to his fate.
When Sna'naz did not return home, they pretended to search for him, and declared that he must have been lost, or have died in the mountains. The eldest brother claimed his sister-in-law; but their father refused to give his sanction, and protected her. He said, "Sna'naz, was gifted with much magic, and may yet return. Besides, it is too soon after my son's death to think of your cohabiting." Then the brothers tried to steal the woman from their father, but he foiled them.
Sna aaz tried in vain to escape from the deep cleft in which he had been left, and would have died, had not Coyote happened along and found him. Sna'naz saw him peering over the edge of the cliff, told him of his predicament, and asked for his help. Coyote lowered his tail down, but, finding it far too short, he gathered up all the other coyotes, took off their tails and joined them together until he had sufficient length to reach Sna'naz. After pulling the latter up, he distributed the tails again and the coyotes put them on. When Sna'naz reached home and told of his brothers' treachery, their father would have killed the eldest for his baseness, but Sna'naz prevented him.
1 Some say, 'better than his daughter could play."
