Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)
Abstracts.
In the beginning the deer were able to jump from one mountain-top to another. They were transformed into ordinary deer by being struck with the breech-clout of a woman.
A troublesome boy is deserted by the tribe. When he tries to follow them, he is misled by sounds. Discovers his grandmother hidden in a basket. He kicks her, but she gives him fire, and makes him small bows and arrows, with which he shoots, first mice, then blue jays and magpies. The skins of these the grandmother makes into blankets, which please the Sun, who in exchange for the blankets gives the boy great power.
Originally the Sun is near the earth. There is a cannibal and gambler who has lost his all. He reaches a great lake which he crosses on a gray cloud. He reaches the Sun's house, meets the latter's son, who hides him under robes. The Sun, on his return, smells him, but is quieted by his son. The next morning the Indian returns. The Sun's son gives him a bundle, which he is not allowed to look at until he reaches home. When he puts it down it assumes enormous size, and is filled with presents of all descriptions. The Loon and Goose give the gambler their daughters. He takes them to the Sun, who in return promises to move away from the earth, and to cease killing people.
The Sun is the daughter of a man who lived at Lytton. A stranger from the East marries her and takes her home. Her father is angry because she does not visit him for a long time. After two children are born, her husband deserts her, saying that she is too hot. When she returns to her father, he hides from her. She becomes the Sun; her children, the sun-dogs. When the Sun-woman is looking for her father, she travels from east to west.
People in the North make the cold winds when walking about. People in the South make the south winds in the same way: Owing to disagreements between these people, the country is troubled by the hot and cold winds. The Indians make peace between the Winds, and the daughter of the South Wind marries the son of tile North Wind. The woman visits her own relatives in the South. On her return north, she is accompanied by her elder brother. When nearing the north country, it grows cold. He throws his sister's child into the water, and it is transformed into a floating piece of ice. For this reason ice floats on rivers and lakes after wild winds.
When the Thunder desired to eat blood, the Mosquito told him that he obtained it from the tops of the trees. For this reason the Thunder strikes the tree-tops.
(First Version.) -- The Swallow, sent by the Beaver and the Eagle, discovers the owners of the fire at Lytton. The Eagle flies away, holding a clamshell. The Beaver allows himself to be caught by the owners of the fire. When they begin to carve him, the Eagle appears. The people run to shoot him. The Eagle drops the shell into the house, where the Beaver fills it with the fire, causes the house to be flooded, and both make their escape.
(Second Version.) -- Two brothers obtain supernatural flowers. The elder one asks his brother to kill him, to allow animals to eat of his body, and to catch an Eagle when it should come. After this has been done, the elder brother revives, then the younger brother catches the Beaver in the same manner. They transform themselves into an Eagle and a Beaver. (The rest same as first version.)
Fire and water kept in boxes in a monster's house. The Elk opens the boxes out of curiosity. Thus fire and water were obtained.
(First Version.) -- Skunk's four brothers are married. He covets their wives and proposes to his brothers to make war against the trees, intending to kill them. They set out, and one night he catches many humpback salmon. He cuts off their heads, and orders them to utter the war-whoop. He promises his brothers to watch while they sleep, then he kills them with his secretion. At home he tells their wives at what part of the body their husbands were wounded by the enemy. While sitting among them his brothers, who had revived, return. They try to kill him, but are unable to do so. He says the only way to kill him is to set him adrift in a basket, which they do.
(Second Version.) -- Skunk and his brothers go to war against the Shuswap. When they camp, he creates yellow pine, the bark of which they burn. While his brothers are asleep, he kills them with his secretion. He transforms some of his dung into a slave, whom he instructs to say that he has captured him in war. The dung does not obey, and is scattered by the Skunk. (The next part the same as in the preceding version.) The brothers remove the smell of the Skunk with bear-berry plant, and transform the Skunk into the ordinary animal.
The Grizzly Bear tries to extinguish a large fire by throwing dirt on it. The Chipmunk puts on new supplies of fuel, and in doing so cries, "Tci'x·a ma''a !" (= Crackling of fire, light.) The Bear cries, "Li'pa ! " (= Dark!) The animals fight. When Chipmunk runs away, the Bear just touches his back with his claws, thus causing the stripes of the Chipmunk. If the Bear had killed the Chipmunk, it would always be dark.
