The knocked-down mouse

Source: 
Ten’a Texts and Tales
(from Anvik, Alaska)
by John W. Chapman
The American Ethnological Society
Publications, Volume 6 (ed. Franz Boas)
E.J. Brill, Leyden, 1914

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► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The old women possess knowledge or abilities beyond the ordinary, as they use the mouse’s teeth and toe-nails as needles.

Loss and Renewal: The mouse experiences loss through the disintegration of his body but achieves renewal by reclaiming and reassembling himself.

Conflict with Nature: The mouse’s initial playful interaction with the hill leads to his physical disintegration, highlighting a struggle against natural forces.

► From the same Region or People

• North America
  • Sub-Arctic Region
    • Koyukon Lore

Learn more about Koyukon people

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Told by Kate Phillips

A little Mouse was sliding down hill all day long; and as he slid down, he lost one of his front teeth. And he went up and slid down again, and lost another tooth. He went up and slid down again, and lost one of his legs; and he slid down again, and lost another leg. And so he lost all his legs, and he had not a leg to stand on; and he went rolling down over the ice, and rolled into the water-hole. It was very deep, and there was ice at the bottom; so he rolled out, and went rolling up the path that led to the water-hole, until he heard some one talking. Then he saw a large house, and he rolled up the roof to the smoke-hole, and saw two old women who had his fore-legs, and two other old women who had his hind-legs, and two other old women who had his teeth; and they were using his teeth and his toe-nails for needles. He rolled down off the house and into the entrance, and got his feet and his teeth, and put himself together, and went outside in a passion. When he got outside, he saw that the ice had gone and that summer had come, and he ran away squeaking.