Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)
XIX. THE HARE AND THE GRIZZLY BEAR.
[Nkamtci’nemux]
The Hare lived with his old grandmother, in an underground lodge on one side of a large liver ; whilst on the other side lived the Grizzly Bear family, consisting of the parents and four children. The Grizzly Bears had plenty of dried salmon209 in their cellar, but the Hare had none. He said to his grandmother, " I will go and steal the dried fish of the Grizzly Bears from their cellar." The old woman said, "Don't do so; they may kill you. They are powerful people." But he replied, " Oh, no they cannot kill me: I will kill them." He went across in his canoe at night, and stole all the dried fish of the Grizzly Bears, and digging a hole in his underground lodge, hid it there. On the next morning the Grizzly Bear's wife came along, and entered their house, saying, "have you seen any stranger around ? Someone has stolen all our dried salmon."
The Hare was sitting on top of the hole where the stolen salmon were buried, and he mocked the Grizzly Bear, imitating her tone of voice, and repeating her words, instead of answering her questions. The Grizzly Bear got angry, and said, " I believe it is you who have stolen our salmon."210 At the same time he attacked him. In the fight which followed, the Bear tried to bite and to strike the Hare; but the latter was too quick, jumping from side to side, and underneath and over the Grizzly Bear, who now pressed her antagonize' hard. The Hare was getting out of breath, therefore he cried to his grandmother, "Throw the pitch wood in the fire! the Grizzly is getting the better of me." The old woman did so, and immediately there was a great blaze and heat, and the house was soon full of smoke,211 consequently the Bear, who was inconvenienced thereby, commenced to lose ground, and finally was clubbed and killed by the Hare, who skinned her, and cut her up, hanging the paws and some of the fat underneath the ladder. Next morning the husband of the bear came across the river and asked if they had seen his wife. The Hare mocked and mimicked him, as he had done the wife. Just then a drop of fat fell down on the Bear's nose from his wife's paws, for he was sitting under the ladder. He looked up , and, seeing parts of his wife's body hanging there, at once accused the Hare of having killed his wife, and attacked him fiercely. The Hare was getting the worst of the engagement again, so he cried to his grandmother to throw the pitch wood in the fire. She did so, and the Bear at once became embarrassed, and finally was killed by the Hare, who butchered him and hung up his carcass.212 He then told his grandmother that he would go across the river, and kill the Grizzly children. She advised him not to do so ; but he went, and, entering their underground lodge, he killed three of them. The youngest one escaped. If it had not done so, there would now be no Grizzly Bears in the world.
Some time afterwards the Hare said to his grandmother, " Wash yourself," which she did. Then he said, "Comb and dress your hair." She did so. Then he said, " paint your face,"213 and she did as told. He then killed her.214
[Nkamtci’nemux]
All the birds agreed to help the Hala'u215 to steal the wife of the Baldheaded Eagle, who was a very good woman, but got treated bad by her husband. The Hala'u said, " We will all go to the underground lodge of our grandfather, the Baldheaded Eagle. I will stay outside whilst all of you go inside, and engage him in a game of lahal, and you will at the same time complain of the cold, and keep putting wood on the fire, until the house gets very hot, then his wife will be sure to come outside to cool herself." Accordingly all the birds entered, and engaged the Baldheaded Eagle in a game. They did as directed by the Hala'u, and soon the place was very hot. Before long the wife arose and said, " I am going out to cool myself. I cannot stand the heat." As soon as she got outside, the Hala'u took possession of her, and conducted her to his house. Shortly afterwards the birds ceased playing with the Baldheaded Eagle, and all went home in a body. As the woman did not return, the Baldheaded Eagle knew what had happened, and began to train himself. After training for some time, he donned a collar of several thickness of birch-bark, and repaired to the house of the Hala'u, where all the birds were assembled. Here he took up his position on the top of the ladder, and challenged them to battle. Each one of the smaller birds went in succession to the woman to get his hair combed, and straightway to fight the Baldheaded Eagle; but they all fell an easy prey to their warlike and powerful enemy. Then the larger and more powerful birds had their hair combed and went out ; but they also were slain. The Raven had his hair combed by the woman and then went out ; but he, too, soon fell a victim. Next came the Chicken Hawk ; but he soon shared the same fate. Then the Fish Hawk sailed forth, and there was a stubborn fight ; but eventually the Baldheaded Eagle killed him and cut off his head. After that the Hala'u himself went forth with a bitch-hack collar around his neck, and forthwith ensued a fierce battle. The combatants rose to the clouds, and dropped to the earth, fighting ; but at last the Hala'u was slain and decapitated. The woman then commenced to wail inside the house, for there was only one bird left, viz., the Ha'tabat,216 who also had his hair combed, and went to give battle to the Baldheaded Eagle. The contest was a very furious one. The combatants flew up to the clouds several times, and back again. At last the Baldheaded Eagle was slain, and the Ha'tahat took possession of the woman. Afterwards he went around and healed the wounds of the dead birds, put their heads on their bodies, and they all came to life again, except the Baldheaded Eagle.217
