Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)
7. STORY OF THE SISTERS WHO MARRIED THE COYOTE AND THE LYNX (ALSO CONTAINING THE STORIES OF THE LYNX AND THE COYOTE'S SONS).90
[Nkamtci’nemux.]
There lived formerly a certain maiden, who was very good-looking. Although she had many offers of marriage, she did not consent to accept any of her suitors. Many a man tried to overcome her resolutions, unknown to her parents; but in spite of their requests, she refused them all, and so remained a virgin. At last she became annoyed by the importunities of her numerous suitors, and left her father's house, taking her younger sister with her. She intended to visit their grandmother, the female mountain sheep. After travelling several days, they came in sight of an underground lodge. This was the home of the Coyote, and he was busy inside, beating (or softening) buckskin. He knew of their departure from their father's house, and wished to make them his wives. When they approached his abode, he made cold weather. Then the younger sister said, "Let us enter that house and warm ourselves." After some persuasion, the elder consented. On entering, they were kindly treated by the Coyote, who built a large fire for them. Then he took some food91 and put it before them, saying, "Eat some fat. You must be hungry." The elder sister was suspicious, and threw some of it in the fire; and when she saw that it did not burn, but only crackled and smoked, she told her sister not to eat of it. But the latter disobeyed, and as a result became at once pregnant. The sisters then continued their journey. When they were out of sight, the Coyote took his underground lodge on his back, ran ahead to a place where the girls had to pass, and began to dress buckskin as before. Again the women were forced to come inside, owing to the cold weather, when they were treated in the same manner as before. This was done four times by the Coyote. The last time the younger sister was taken in travail, and the elder sister left her in the Coyote's house. On leaving, the Coyote said to her, "Your sister is my wife. If she has a female child, I will kill it; but if a male, it will be well."
The elder girl went on. Her grandmother knew of her coming, and sent out the Hare to meet her with some food, after telling him to await her arrival in a patch of brush and timber through which the trail led. The Hare, instead of doing as ordered, crept under a fallen log. The woman came along and stepped over the fallen log. The Hare then ran out, crying, "How ugly you are!"92 At this the woman got angry, and threw her rootdigger at the Hare, making a hole through his nose.93 This is the reason that the hare has such a peculiar nose and nostrils at the present day. She then went on, coming presently to a very wide prairie, on the other side of which, among hills, was her grandmother's dwelling.
When she came in sight, although far off, her grandmother said to all the young men, "Run out and meet your sister. Whoever reaches her first shall be her husband." Then the Grizzly Bear, the Antelope, the Coyote, the Wolf, the Lynx, the Eagle, the Hawk, the Woodpecker, the Hummingbird, and many others, ran out to meet the girl; but the Hummingbird took the lead and kept ahead of the others. Her grandmother then ran out, passed the others, took her granddaughter back to the house and hid her. Then she watched carefully over the girl, not allowing any men to enter the house. When she slept, the girl slept beside her.
Now94 the Lynx, who was a very handsome young man with beautiful features, was displeased at these proceedings. He made a hole in the roof of the underground lodge, exactly above the girl's bed, and spat down on her, his spittle falling on her navel, and thus making her pregnant. When she told her grandmother that she was with child, the latter became angry, saying that some man must have been with her, and asked her who the father of her child was. She answered, "I have never known a man, and I do not know how I came to be as I am." But her grandparents and the other people would not believe her.
The girl at length gave birth to a boy, who grew up to be a handsome lad; still no one knew his father. When he was old enough to handle a bow and arrow, the girl's grandparents called all the people together, and addressed them, saying, "The time has now come when we shall know the father of our granddaughter's child. Each of you bring your bow and arrows, and hand them to the boy. He whose bow and arrows pleases the lad, and suits his hand best, is his father."The Coyote, the Magpie, and the Raven each claimed the lad; but the old people said that they lied, and would not recognize either of them as such. The Lynx, who was afraid, sat leaning against the ladder of the underground lodge and never said a word. All the people in turn handed their bows and arrows to the lad; but as he tried each of them he threw them away. The Coyote came at last with a finely-made bow and arrows.
