Cenakatla’x; or, the salmon girl

A young girl, dissatisfied with moldy salmon, vanishes and is taken to the Salmon people’s realm. Unable to consume their food, she gathers herring eggs, leading to ridicule. The following spring, she returns as a salmon, is caught by her parents, and transforms back into a girl, imparting lessons on respecting salmon to ensure their continued return.

Source:
Tahltan Tales
by James A. Teit
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.32, No.124, pp.198-250
April-June, 1917
Vol.34, No.133, pp.223-253
July-September, 1921
Vol.34, No.134, pp.335-356
October-December, 1921

► Themes of the story

Underworld Journey: Her voyage to the Salmon country, a realm beyond the human world, mirrors a descent into an underworld.

Harmony with Nature: It underscores the need for humans to live in balance with the natural world, particularly with the salmon upon whom they depend.

Rebirth: The narrative touches upon the salmon’s life cycle, illustrating themes of death and renewal as the salmon return each year.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about the Tahltan people

Cenakatla’x mean “mouldy salmon.” The Salmon people are said to have named the girl thus.

A number of people were living on a salmon stream just before the first run of salmon commenced. They were short of food. A girl asked for something to eat, and they gave her a piece of old mouldy dried salmon. She would not eat it, and threw it away. About the end of the salmon-run she disappeared, and no one knew what had happened to her. They thought she had been drowned, but she had been taken to the Salmon country with the last salmon in the stream. The Salmon country is far away in the sea, and there are very many people there. She could not eat the kind of food they ate; so she went along the beach, and gathered herring-eggs. One day some Salmon people saw her eating, and called out, “Look at the girl eating excrements!” After this she always hid when eating. The next spring the Salmon said, “Very soon we shall go and see our friends inland,” meaning the Indians. They started in canoes. Some salmon branched off here, and others there, into different streams, where they were accustomed to go annually. The humpback salmon all went into shallow streams.

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Indians were fishing on many of the streams, and had weirs across the creeks. Sometimes the salmon broke part of the weirs and went through. Then they said, “We have played a trick on our friends.” The girl was swimming with the king salmon, and went to the stream where her people lived. Her mother was very busy cutting up salmon. The girl swam back and forth close to the bank so as to see her mother well. Presently the mother called her husband to come with his spear. The girl then ran back and told the king salmon. He told her not to be afraid, but to let the people spear her. He said, “You cannot die. When people club you on the head, your soul at once passes to your tail, and afterwards, when you are dead, goes to the Salmon country, returning again next spring as a salmon. Thus salmon never die, and each succeeding year as many come up the streams as ever. See the old salmon rotting where they have spawned! They are not dead. Their bodies have been left up here,’ and are rotting; but their souls have returned to Salmon Land, and will return next year.” The girl then went back to where her mother was, and her father speared her. It was a fine-looking small young fish; and her parents said, “Let us eat it fresh!” They brought the basket to boil it, and her mother began to cut the fish up. When she made the first cut, the knife struck something hard and glanced off. She looked to see what it was, and saw some dentalia. On further examination, she recognized it as the necklace of dentalia worn by their daughter when she was lost. They thought the fish must be their daughter, so they wrapped it up in feathers and a clean mat. Then they fasted for eight days. During this time it gradually changed from the form of a fish to that of a girl. On the ninth day they recognized their daughter, who in appearance was just the same as before. She said to her parents, “I have come back to tell you about the Salmon people. You must treat them respectfully; you must never talk evil of them, nor disparage them or their flesh. If you do not heed these things, then they will take revenge on you.”

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The child who became a sea-gull

A seagull in human form abducts a woman’s young daughter, taking her to a nest on a nearby islet. The mother searches and hears her child, now transformed into a seagull, singing to her. Despite recognizing her mother’s presence, the child flies away with the other seagulls whenever her mother approaches, leaving the mother unable to retrieve her.

► Themes of the story

Loss and Renewal: The mother experiences the loss of her child, who is renewed in a different form as a sea-gull.

Conflict with Nature: The human characters face a direct conflict with a creature from nature that has supernatural abilities.

Family Dynamics: The story centers on the relationship between the mother and her child, highlighting themes of separation and the enduring bond between them.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Some people were camped near a lake, and among them a woman who had a little girl (or baby?). Near by, on an islet in the lake, seagulls had their nests. One day a sea-gull came in human form and stole the little girl from the people’s camp, and took her to her nest. Her mother searched for her, and came to where the sea-gulls were. The girl recognized her, and sang:

Mother, here I am, here I am!

The mother followed the voice, and saw her child in the form of a little sea-gull in the nest. She tried to catch her child, who continued to sing; but she did not succeed, for the sea-gulls always flew away when she came near, and the child went with them.

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The girl who married a toad

A wealthy man’s daughter repeatedly encounters a toad at her door, which she dismisses. One night, the toad transforms into a young man who proposes marriage, and she agrees, unaware of his true identity. They elope to his father’s lakeside home. Later, when she visits her family, they urge her to stay. However, a multitude of toads besiege the house, compelling her to return to her husband. This story explains why women fear toads, believing they can abduct people.

► Themes of the story

Love and Betrayal: The girl’s initial acceptance and subsequent return to the toad husband highlight complex emotional dynamics.

Forbidden Knowledge: The girl unknowingly enters a union with a supernatural being, leading to unforeseen consequences.

Cultural Heroes: The narrative serves to explain cultural beliefs and practices, highlighting foundational figures in the society.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

A wealthy man had a daughter who lived in a little room by herself. She had just finished the training that girls undergo at puberty. For several successive mornings she noticed a toad (or frog?) lying at the door, and kicked it out of the road. One night the toad changed into a young man, and asked the girl if she wanted him for a husband. She did not know that it was the toad, and answered, “Yes.” The girl put on her marten robe and eloped with the young man. That night they went to a big lake, where the house of the Toad chief, the wealthy father of the youth, was located. Her parents and all the people searched for her, but could find no trace of her. [Some narrators say that they found her robe.] After she had been with the Toad people a while, the chief, her father-in-law, told her to go and visit her parents. Her people saw her coming, followed by her husband. Her father invited them into the house, and gave them a good (or high) place to sit in [place where nobles or people of rank sit down].

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He ordered his slaves to cook for them and give them to eat. They noticed that the Toad ate no meat, so they gave him berries to eat. He and his wife finished their dishes. The chief asked his daughter not to go back with Toad, but to stay with them. She told her husband, and he left her. Now the people closed all the chinks of the house, so that no Toads could enter. In the morning they saw that many Toads had surrounded the house. Soon they came in; and finally they filled the house, much to the terror and annoyance of the people. The girl’s father offered to pay the Toads for the girl, but they paid no attention. Then the girl said to her father, “Let me go with them!” The girl returned to the Toad chief’s house, and all the Toads left. For this reason women are now afraid of toads, who steal people.

The man who married a grizzly bear

A hunter insults Grizzly Bear after slipping on its excrement. Soon after, he meets a woman who leads him to her home, where they live together for months, though it feels like days to him. Unbeknownst to him, she is a Grizzly Bear in human form. Eventually, his brothers, aided by his loyal dog, track him down. The man returns to his human family but remains connected to his Grizzly Bear wife and their children.

► Themes of the story

Family Dynamics: The man’s relationships with both his human and grizzly bear families explore complex familial bonds and loyalties.

Conflict with Nature: The narrative delves into the tensions between humans and the natural world, exemplified by the man’s initial disrespect towards the grizzly bear and his subsequent immersion into her realm.

Love and Betrayal: The man’s union with the grizzly bear woman and his eventual return to his human family touch upon themes of love, fidelity, and the challenges of dual existence.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

A man who was married and had several children was hunting. He happened to step on some grizzly-bear excrement, which made him slip and fall. He was angry, and called Grizzly Bear nasty names. Shortly afterwards he met a nice-looking woman, who asked him if he cared to go with her. She said, “We shall go only a little way, then we will camp and lie down together.” The man agreed, and went with her. As they went along, he thought he was stepping over logs; but in reality each time he seemed to step over a log, he stepped over a mountain. After travelling a long way, they came to the house of the Grizzly woman. They entered, and staid there three months. The man thought it was only three nights. The woman asked him sometimes if he was hungry; and when he answered, “Yes,” she cooked dried salmon for him, and fed him dried berries after soaking them to freshen them. At the end of three months the woman, who was a shaman, sang.

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Then she said to her husband, “People are coming. Tomorrow your brothers will find us.” The man’s brothers were hunting in the neighborhood of where the Grizzly had her den. It was in the middle of winter, and they had their lost brother’s dog with them. He was called Tsa’shwa [this is used as a dog-name among the Tahltan and Tlingit (-hwa is said to mean “young man” in the Tlingit language)], and was very keen of scent. He found the old tracks of his master under the snow, and followed them. Now, bears feel the steps of people who walk on their tracks, for it is as though sparks fell on them. The bears turn these aside, and then the people lose the track. If bears do not pay attention to the sparks, the people can track them down. Now sparks of considerable force fell into the Grizzly woman’s den, for the brothers were drawing near. The woman pushed them back as fast as she could; but Tsa’shwa was cunning, and kept right on the tracks. The brothers followed him closely. At last the Grizzly woman became tired, and allowed the sparks to fall. Tsa’shwa and the brothers now came close to the den. His master recognized his voice and called him. Then the dog became excited. The hunters thought their brother must be there; but they were afraid to encounter the bear in its den, for they heard people talking inside. They thought the inmates of the den might not be bears. They returned to camp, although Tsa’shwa was loath to leave. When they had gone, the Grizzly woman advised her husband to leave. They went to a distant place, and took up their abode near a salmon creek. The next day the brothers came back to the den accompanied by another brother, but they found the den empty. For a long time the man lived with the Grizzly woman at the salmon creek, and no one discovered their house. He hunted and fished, and they always had plenty of food. His wife bore two children. One day she said, “You have a wife and children among the people. Go back and visit them.” He went in a canoe. His brothers and the people were glad to see him. He saw his former wife, but was afraid to talk to her. After a while he returned to his Grizzly-bear wife. Thus he visited his people three or four times. On his last visit his former wife intercepted him when he was about to leave, and asked him why he never spoke to her and to his children. She said, “How can I support your children? They are the same as fatherless.” He spoke with her. Then he feared something evil might happen: therefore he called upon a wise old man, and asked his advice. The old man told him what the result of his indiscretion would be. The hunter then requested the seer to watch him with his mind (or invisible seeing-power) and to tell the people what would happen to him. The old man promised to do so. Then the hunter, full of evil forebodings, returned to his Grizzly bear wife. As he approached the shore, he saw her weeping. She had known at once when the man had spoken to his former wife, and became sorry and wept. As he came close to the shore, the two cubs ran out into the water to meet him. Their mother followed. She caught the man in her arms and tore him to pieces.

Origin of the grizzly-bear death-song

A woman married a grizzly bear and bore twin sons who appeared human but had bear-like features. During a village game where participants imitated bears, the mother and her sons donned bear skins, transforming into real bears. Overcome by their instincts, they attacked and killed many villagers. Filled with remorse, they retreated to the mountains, singing a mourning song. This “Grizzly-Bear Song” was heard and adopted by the people, becoming a traditional lament sung by hunters after killing a bear.

► Themes of the story

Loss and Renewal: The accidental killing of villagers by the transformed family leads to their departure and the creation of a mourning song, symbolizing loss and the emergence of a new cultural element.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts lessons about the consequences of actions and the importance of understanding and respecting the boundaries between human and animal realms.

Cultural Heroes: The bear-children and their mother become foundational figures in the culture, their story explaining the origin of a significant mourning song.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once a woman was taken away by a grizzly bear and became his wife. She bore twins, and after a year she returned home with her children, who were half bear. They had some hair growing between the shoulders and around the wrists. The people often had games of playing bear, both children and elders. Some of them dressed in bear-skins, and the others hunted them, carrying sticks and wooden knives. When a person acting bear was overtaken, he stood up and fought. The Grizzly children were asked by the other children to play. They said, “We want you to show us how your father does.” The Bear children asked their mother’s permission, but she would not consent. Many times the cubs were asked, but their mother always refused. One day, however, she gave them their bear-skins. She also said, “I shall play bear too.” As soon as the three put on their skins, they looked like real bears.

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They ran uphill into a hole, and the people acting hunters chased them. The Indians shouted, “Hoh!” as men do when they want a bear to come out of his hole. The three bears came out of the hole and attacked the people. They killed most of them, and the others ran away. Then the grizzly bears went into the mountains and never came back. As they went along, they sang a mourning-song known as “The Grizzly-Bear Song,” because they were sorrowful for having killed their relatives. The people heard them singing, and learned the song.

This is said to have happened on the Upper Nass or Upper Skeena River: therefore, among the tribes to the south, hunters sing these mourning-songs for a bear whenever they kill one. The Grizzly twins were just like ordinary Indian children before they put on their bearskins (and were born as such).

The woman who married the black bear

A woman collecting berries slips on bear excrement and curses the bears. A man appears, offers to carry her berries, and leads her to his den, revealing himself as a bear. She transforms into a bear and becomes his mate, bearing two children. Visiting her people, they mock her bear-like children, prompting her to revert to bear form and attack, leading hunters to kill her and her offspring.

► Themes of the story

Forbidden Knowledge: The woman’s integration into the bear’s world exposes her to experiences and realms beyond typical human understanding.

Family Dynamics: The tale explores complex relationships, including the woman’s bond with her bear partner and their hybrid offspring, as well as her interactions with her human relatives.

Tragic Flaw: The woman’s inability to fully reconcile her dual identity and the ensuing rage when her children are mocked lead to her downfall and the destruction of her family.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Some women were coming down a steep side-hill, following one another Indian file. They had been out picking berries all day. The last woman slipped on some bear-excrement and fell. She was angry, and said, “Those dirty black bears defecate on the trail all the time!” Soon afterwards a man caught up with her and offered to carry her berries. She agreed, and went with him. She thought he was leading her to the camp, but he led her away to where he had his den. They entered and sat down. The bear bent his head down, but the woman sat upright. Bear said, “Bend your head forward as I do.”

She did this, and at once changed into a bear. Now they lay down together to go to sleep. She put one of her hands out of the den. The bear told her not to do this, and she obeyed; but after a while she stretched out her hand again involuntarily.

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One day her brother was hunting below the den. She knew he was near and below her. She took some snow, kneaded it into a ball, and let it roll down the slope. The snowball hit the toe of her brother’s snowshoe. He looked up, and saw what looked like a small hole in the hillside. He examined the snowball, and saw that it had been kneaded and bore the marks of fingers. He returned to the camp and told the people. On the following day they went to the den, but found it empty. During the night the bear and the woman had gone off and made a new home near a salmon creek. Here they lived, and the woman bore two children to the bear. After a time the bear told her she might go back to her people and see them, but forbade her to talk to her former husband. [Some informants say that the bear was a grizzly, and not a black bear.] On this visit she reverted to her former human form. One time the people made fun of her children because they looked like bears and had long nails. Then she became angry, changed into a bear, and killed many people. Then some hunters killed her and her children.

War with the Sky people or Swan people

A man discovers his wife has been taken by a swan to the sky world, inhabited by bird-people who appear human at home but as birds on Earth. He and his companions journey to the sky, facing challenges and seeking guidance from various bird tribes. Eventually, he finds his wife among the Swan people and persuades her to return home.

► Themes of the story

Underworld Journey: The protagonist embarks on a perilous journey to a realm beyond the human world—the sky country inhabited by bird people—to retrieve his wife.

Love and Betrayal: The man’s pursuit of his abducted wife underscores his enduring love and determination to reunite with her.

Supernatural Beings: The narrative features interactions with beings possessing dual natures—birds that transform into humans in the sky realm.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

The sky country was inhabited by birds. When at home, these people were just like human beings; but when they came to the earth, they appeared in the form of birds. Once a man lost his wife, and discovered that she had been taken away by a swan. He started in pursuit, and followed their tracks, which led to the edge of the earth, where the sky moves up and down like clouds on the mountains. He saw that the tracks left the earth and passed under the edge of the sky. He turned back, and came again accompanied by many of his friends. The country became colder and colder as they proceeded northward. When they came to the end of the earth, the sky was moving up and down so fast that they could not pass over. One of the party had the sky (and swan) for his guardian. He made the sky move up and down slowly. The people jumped on, and followed the tracks until they came to where the Ducks lived.

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They asked them about the stolen woman, and they were told that she had passed with her husband long before. They came to the Geese and one after another to other birds, but they all gave the same answer. The weather was becoming warmer, for they were approaching the swan country, which is a long way down on the opposite slope of the sky. (They found that the sky sloped up to where it meets the earth. It was cold towards this end, and warm towards the other.) They came to two old Swan women. They asked them the same question they had asked the other birds, but they received no answer. One said to the other, “Tell them!” and the other said, “No.” Then the men took a knife, and threatened to cut off their heads if they did not tell. Then they told them that the woman had passed not long before, and was camped not far away. Soon they overtook a great many Swan people who were making camp. They saw the woman there, and waited until she came out to get brush. Her husband talked to her. She said, “You do not want me now. I am of no use to you.” He answered, “I want you, whether you are of use or not. You have not yet forgotten how you sewed for me and helped me on earth.” She answered, “Yes, I remember all I did for you.” He said, “Come out early in the morning and join us.” The Swan people suspected nothing, and all went to bed. When her Swan-husband was asleep, the woman ran away and joined the people. On the following morning, when the Swans found that the woman had run away and was already a long distance off, they followed, but turned back from near the edge of the sky, as the weather was too cold for them. It was winter-time there, and the Swans did not like the cold. The man with the sky (or swan) guardian made the sky move slowly at the edge of the earth. They jumped down, and in due time reached their own country.

The Lynx; or, the woman stolen by Lynx

A lynx abducts a woman. Her husband tracks them to their first camp while the lynx is hunting rabbits. The husband instructs his wife to claim he is her father. Initially suspicious, the lynx eventually believes her. That night, the husband kills the lynx, transforming it into a real lynx with a short, round nose.

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The lynx undergoes a physical change, turning into its animal form after being clubbed by the husband.

Love and Betrayal: The narrative centers on the husband’s efforts to reclaim his wife after her abduction, highlighting themes of love and loyalty.

Cunning and Deception: The husband’s strategy involves deceiving the lynx by pretending to be the woman’s father, showcasing the use of wit to achieve his goal.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once upon a time Lynx stole a woman. Her husband overtook them at their first camp, while Lynx was out hunting rabbits. The man instructed his wife to tell Lynx that he was her father. When Lynx came back, he wanted to shoot the man, but the woman called out that he was her father. Lynx sang as he came into the camp:

I do not know what makes me feel thus.
If he is your father, cook for him some good rabbit.

At first Lynx would not believe her; but finally he was persuaded, and went to bed with the woman. During the night the man clubbed him, and he turned into a real lynx. That is why the lynx has such a short round nose now.

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The girl who was stolen by owl

A young girl, denied food by her parents, is lured outside by an owl mimicking her grandmother’s voice. The owl abducts her to its tree lodge, feeding her live ants. The villagers’ mourning rituals intrigue the owl, leading it to ask the girl about them. Seizing the opportunity, the girl deceives and kills the owl, then escapes home. Upon warming by the fire, ants emerge from her body, and she dies.

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The owl in the story is portrayed with anthropomorphic qualities, capable of mimicking human speech and abducting the girl, indicating its supernatural nature.

Cunning and Deception: The owl deceives the girl by imitating her grandmother’s voice, luring her outside to facilitate the abduction.

Family Dynamics: The narrative highlights the relationships within the girl’s family, including her interactions with her parents and sister, and their reactions to her disappearance and return.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once a number of people who were living at a salmon creek engaged in putting up fish for winter use. In one house lived a girl with her parents and sister. Her grandmother lived near by in another lodge. The girl had been playing in her grandmother’s lodge, and came home late, after her parents had gone to bed. She asked them for something to eat; but her parents did not want to get up, and told her to wait until the next morning. The girl cried and cried. Suddenly they heard some one speak outside with a voice like that of the grandmother, saying, “Come here! I’ll give you a piece of salmon.” The mother told the girl to go; but it was dark outside, and she was afraid. She continued to cry, and her mother urged her to go. She went out, and came back, saying, “That woman is not my grandmother.” Her mother said, “Surely it is she.” She went out again, and Owl took her. She screamed, and her parents got up. All the people searched for the girl.

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They followed her to the foot of a mountain, in which she disappeared. Her cries became fainter and fainter, and finally ceased altogether. Owl took her through the mountain to her lodge, which was in a hollow tree on the other side. The people dug into the mountain, but gave it up when they heard cries far away on the other side. They returned home and sang a dirge, accompanying it with beats of a long staff. Owl heard the noise, and said, “Let us go and see what the people are doing!” Owl went, and perched with the girl on the roof of one of the lodges, and watched. Owl asked, “Why are they singing?” and the girl answered, “Because they are sorry.” Owl said, “That is funny.” The people kept up the ceremony for several nights, and Owl watched each night. She thought it was nice, and asked the girl, “How do they do it? Do they hold the pole and bring one end down on their heads?” Owl thought this, because to her everything looked upside down. The girl answered, “Yes,” and Owl said she would like to try it. The girl said, “Very well. Let me help you!” When they came home, the girl made a long pole, sharpened one end, and put a heavy flat stone on the other. She stood above Owl, who was standing up straight. She put the sharp end of the stick on Owl’s head just where the skull was weakest. She pushed the stick and drove it in with the stone. Owl tried to pull the stick out, but did not succeed. When dying, she tore holes in the tree with her hands. The girl left, and returned to her people. She was weak, for Owl had fed her on live ants, telling her to swallow them without chewing. At last she reached the place where the people drew water, and sat down. Her sister came, and recognized her. When she told her parents that her sister had returned, the mother would not believe it. She said, “Don’t speak of her! Long ago Owl took her.” The girl returned, and told her sister that their parents would not believe her. Then the returned girl took off part of the fringe of her marten robe and sent it to her mother. She recognized it, and came out at once and took her in. She told her story. There was a good fire in the camp; and when the girl became warm, the ants stirred in her belly, and came out through her mouth, nose, ears, and even her eyes, and every opening in her body. Then she died.

The Owl-Woman

A man marries a young girl undergoing traditional training, marked by wearing a large-hooded robe. While relocating their camp, the girl is enchanted by an owl’s nest, climbs a tree, and transforms into an owl herself. Her mother attempts to deceive the son-in-law by wearing the girl’s robe, but he uncovers the truth. Efforts to retrieve his wife fail, emphasizing the cultural belief that adolescent girls should avoid looking upward to prevent such enchantments.

► Themes of the story

Magic and Enchantment: The story imparts a lesson on the cultural expectations and taboos for adolescent girls.

Family Dynamics: The interactions between the girl, her mother, and her husband highlight complex familial relationships.

Cunning and Deception: The mother’s attempt to deceive her son-in-law by disguising herself as her daughter showcases themes of deceit.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once a man married a young girl who had not finished her training, and still wore the robe with large hood used by girls at this period. Her mother lived with them. The man was a good hunter, and always brought home plenty of meat. He brought home the paunch of a caribou for his wife to eat, for, being adolescent, she did not eat meat. That evening he said to his wife and mother-in-law, “We will move camp tomorrow. You women will carry everything over there; and I shall go hunting, and join you at night.” The following morning the women started with their loads, and on their way passed a tree where the owl lived. The mother said, “Oh, there is an owl’s nest in this tree!” The girl looked up, and at once had a strong desire to go there. The owl’s influence had come over her. She said, “I will climb up to see it.” While she was doing so, she began to hoot, and went into the nest, where she disappeared.

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When her mother called her, she looked down, and said, “I shall eat you.” Her mother noticed that her daughter’s face already looked like that of an owl. Her clothes had dropped off on her way up the tree. Her mother now picked them up and put them on, intending to deceive her son-in-law. She hid her face with the hood. The man came home. He mistook the old woman for his wife, and asked her where her mother was. The woman answered, “She has gone out.” The man gave her a paunch to cook and eat. As the old woman had very few teeth, she put charcoal in her mouth along with the food to make a crunching-noise. She thought the sound was exactly like that of some one chewing: so she said to her son-in-law, “Don’t you think I chew well? Listen to me.” He was made suspicious by this question, and thought the sound was different from that of some one chewing. He pulled back the hood, and discovered that she was his mother-in-law. He asked her where his wife was; and she answered, “On a big tree. She has turned into an owl.” Her husband went to the tree and called his wife. She flew down repeatedly close to her husband’s head, saying, “I shall take my husband’s hair.” He tried to catch her, but in vain. The owl took the girl because she looked up. An adolescent girl should only look along the ground.