two brothers encounter a large group of strangers. The elder brother hesitates to attack due to their numbers, but the younger insists. They approach the group under the guise of being scolded members of a larger party and invite four young men to accompany them. After nightfall, one brother uses supernatural powers to induce sleep, allowing them to kill the men with knives.
Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912
► Themes of the story
Cunning and Deception: The brothers employ deceit by pretending to be harmless and gaining the trust of their enemies before attacking.
Magic and Enchantment: They use supernatural powers to induce sleep in their victims, showcasing the use of magic in achieving their goals.
Conflict with Authority: By deceiving and killing members of another group, the brothers challenge and disrupt the established order, leading to conflict.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Dane-zaa people
Two men started out to kill people. As they were going along the road they saw a large number of people sitting down. The two men were not themselves seen. “Well, let us get away from them,” said the elder brother, and they turned back. “Let us shoot them anyway,” said the younger brother. “There are too many people, we will get caught,” the older one insisted. “Let us shoot them anyway,” the younger brother repeated and pointed his gun at them again. “We will get caught, there are too many of them,” the older said again. “Well, turn back, if you are afraid,” the younger one said, and they turned back. “I will fool them,” one of them said. They put their weapons on the ground and went where the people from a distant country were sitting.
► Continue reading…
When these people saw them they asked the young men what they were looking for. They replied that they were not out on a foolish errand but belonged to a large party who were traveling over by the river. They had gone off by themselves because they had been scolded. They proposed that four young men should return with them.
With these four men they came down to a very large river. After sunset they went to bed. One of the two young men tried to make them sleep by use of supernatural power. “One of them must be a powerful medicineman,” he said to himself. After considerable time he caused them all to sleep. “Now,” he said to his companion, and they killed them all with their knives.
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Dreamtime Whispers 