Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)
Abstracts.
The Skunk and the Badger go to gamble with the Okanagon, and win all their possessions. The Skunk tries to marry an Okanagon girl, but is refused. The Badger tries the same, takes away her breath. She is buried. Skunk tries in vain to resuscitate her, while the Badger succeeds by restoring her breath. The Skunk is jealous, and is quieted by the present of a roan horse. After some time the woman returns to her country, where she is recognized by her younger sister, who reports the return of the woman to her mother, who, however, does not believe her.
A boy sets a snare for the Wind. After making the snare smaller every night, he succeeds in catching the Wind, which he takes home. He frees it on condition that the Wind will not do any more harm to the people. The young man travels south to marry the daughter of a chief. After having worn out all his moccasins, he meets Coyote, who invites him to a seat on his back. The young man shoots various animals which the Coyote eats. Then the Coyote goes faster and faster. He reaches the chief's house, and elopes with his daughter, stealing at the same time two of the best horses. They are pursued, and he transforms the horses into painted pieces of birch-bark, and hides in the bushes. The young man meets his two brothers, who had accompanied him part of the way. They take the woman, throw the young man into a chasm. The animals try to pull him out by their tails, and the Coyote succeeds. He re-transforms his piece of birch-bark into a horse, and overtakes his wife.
A girl at Lytton refuses all the natives, and is married to a Stranger, the Raven, who takes her home without giving marriage presents. The Raven does not dare to take her to his father's house, and leaves her at a place surrounded by a deep chasm, and transforms one of his feathers into a house, where he asks the woman to stay. The following day he transforms feathers into food and slaves. The chief, on seeing the house, sends one of his sons, who by request of the Raven says the house is uninhabited. The chief goes himself and finds the Raven. The father tries to kill the Raven, who, however, evades him. The Raven and his brother begin to travel towards the place where the Raven's wife is hidden. A thin log is placed over a chasm, which turns over when stepped upon. The brother bounds across the log, and marries the Raven's wife. She refuses to accompany him on his travels with the Raven, but gives him a knife and a piece of painted birch-bark, which will become a horse when the man wishes to ride. The Raven, when he meets his brother, knows what has happened, and resolves to kill him. While they are camping, he cuts off his head, buries the body, and takes the horse. He marries the daughter of a chief. When seated with his wife and brother-in law, his brother enters. He disappears with the horse during the night. He builds a house for his second wife, and lives for some time with his second wife.
The Moon is an Indian who invites the stars to his house. Only the Pleiades come and crowd his house. He sends his sister for water. She returns, finds the house full and does not know where to sit down. He asks her to jump on his face. She is there still, darkening the Moon's brightness.
An Indian steals a horse. He is pursued by the owner. He creates several obstacles which the pursuer has difficulty in passing, -- first a river, then a tract of mud, a thicket, and a field of smooth ice. He is unable to pass the last-named obstacle. The owner of the horse then retires to the mountains to fast, obtains supernatural power, and creates a lake which stretches to his enemy's village. He creates a canoe and starts. The prow of the canoe is painted red, and shines like fire. The thief transforms the horse into a loon. The wife of the owner of the horse obtains great power by fasting. She transforms her husband into a fish, and marries the Teal Duck.
Two brothers reach a Cannibal's house. They find only his wife at home. When the Cannibal returns, she protects the brothers. At night they change places with the Cannibal's sons. Then they steal the Cannibal's magic staff and escape. Reaching a river, they cross it on the staff. The Cannibal kills his own children, and, on discovering his mistake, pursues the boys; but the river stops his pursuit. The boys work for saloon-keepers, the elder one squandering all his money, but the younger one saving his money. A chief orders them to steal the Cannibal's fire, which the younger one proceeds to do. He induces the Cannibal to gorge himself by putting salt into his dinner. When he goes to drink, he steals the fire. Next he steals his wagon and horses, and finally the Cannibal himself, whom he makes drunk.
TWO TRADITIONS OF THE LILLOOET.
A girl marries the root Kokwe'la. She has a son, the ancestor of the Upper Lillooet. He transforms into a fish a boy who abuses him. He asks his mother the name of his father. She tells him that the latter was drowned. He takes bow and arrows to kill the Water, but is informed that the Water has never seen him. He goes back to his mother, who gives him more evasive answers. He travels up Fraser River, down Thompson River, meets the Qoa'qoal. They try their strength. He feeds them from a very small dish. They are unable to empty it; but when they try him, the young man empties their dish easily. They lie down to sleep, and the marks of their bodies may be seen to this day.
Tsu'ntia throws his mother into a lake. She becomes the ancestor of a fabulous people. The men of Lillooet marry some of the young women of this people, but are overcome by the smell of their food, which consists of frogs. A young man obtains magical power by fasting, and enters the house of the Frog-people, marries two girls, and is not killed. He sees that they are hunting enormous frogs. Later on he compels them to eat deer meat. After they have partaken of it, they become human beings, and settle with the other people at Lillooet. Only three refuse to eat deer meat, and are transformed into dogs.
