The adventures of a mouse

A mouse, weary from traveling along the ocean shore, swims for ten days and nights before finding a piece of floating bark to rest upon. After drifting asleep, he awakens to find himself near a house where two girls are playing. The mouse sneaks into their cache, steals dried whitefish and oil, but as he carries his loot along the bank, he slips, and the falling fish fatally crush him.

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

► Themes of the story

Quest: The mouse embarks on a journey across the ocean, facing challenges and seeking sustenance, embodying the quest motif.

Conflict with Nature: The mouse’s struggle against the vast ocean and its search for survival depict a conflict with natural forces.

Tragic Flaw: The mouse’s overconfidence or lack of caution leads to its demise when it falls and is crushed by the dried fish, illustrating a fatal flaw.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Koyukon Lore

Learn more about Koyukon people

A mouse was going along on the shore of the ocean, and at last he became tired and swam in the ocean a night and a day, and at length he became exhausted. Ten days and nights (passed), and he saw a piece of bark floating on the water. He climbed up upon it, and went to sleep, and I know not how many days it was that he was asleep. And then he awoke. The bark was bumping against the shore with him. He looked up at the land, and saw a house above him. There were two girls playing, and he went ashore and went toward them. Now, they were making a little house, and suddenly he ran out in the shape of a Mouse. Those girls caught sight of him; and one girl seized a stick and struck at him, but she missed him; and he hid, and ran toward the house.

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And he looked and saw a cache, and climbed up upon the ladder (a notched stick), and went in and got some dried whitefish and oil, and came down, and carried them away from the house, and took them to the bank. He kept going along the bank, and missed his footing and fell down; and the dried fish fell on him, and he died.

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The old woman has spring-fever

An elderly woman, feeling the stirrings of spring, wishes aloud for goose gizzards to eat. As she voices her desire, she accidentally falls through her home’s smoke-hole into a bowl of water she had left on the floor and drowns. This story highlights the unexpected consequences of idle wishes and the unpredictability of fate.

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

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Nature: The woman’s interaction with the natural elements—observing the geese and the changing season—sets the stage for her accidental death, highlighting the delicate balance between humans and their environment.

Tragic Flaw: The woman’s deep sigh and expressed longing lead to her accidental fall, suggesting that her desires or inattentiveness contribute to her fate.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts a cautionary message about the consequences of unguarded desires and the importance of mindfulness in one’s actions.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Koyukon Lore

Learn more about Koyukon people

There was once an old woman who lived by herself. One day she washed her hair; and she left the water on the floor and went outside, and saw that it was spring. She went up on the top of her house, and saw the geese coming, and she sighed deeply. She saw another flock coming; and she said, “I wish that I had some goose gizzards to eat!” and as she said this, she fell through the smoke-hole into the bowl of water that she had left on the floor, and was drowned.

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Origin of Duci’ne

The Duci’ne originated from a boy of evil disposition who killed people. His mother was an Indian woman, and his father unknown. As he grew, he progressed from shooting small animals to eventually killing a dog, for which his mother punished him. After fatally shooting another boy during a game, he fled to the mountains, where he crafted numerous obsidian arrowheads, discarding those he deemed imperfect. The unfinished arrow and spearheads found scattered across the land are believed to be his discarded creations.

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

Transformation: The boy undergoes a significant change from a mischievous child to a wild, malevolent figure isolated from society.

Tragic Flaw: The boy’s inherent violent tendencies lead to his downfall and complete estrangement from his community.

Ancestral Spirits: The boy’s actions and transformation may reflect themes of ancestral influence or the consequences of defying cultural norms.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

The Duci’ne originated from a boy of evil disposition who killed people. His mother was an Indian woman, and his father unknown. When just a tiny boy, he made arrows. As he grew up, he made the arrows larger and put stone heads on them. He shot first at marks, and then at small animals, such as mice. Later he shot larger animals, and finally a dog. His mother thrashed him for this. After this he made stronger arrows. One day he was playing a shooting-game with other boys, and shot one of them. The people were angry, and blamed the mother for not correcting him and for allowing him to behave badly. The boy ran away, and his mother followed him. She held out her breasts to him, and entreated him to come back, saying, “Come, here are your breasts!” He shot her through the breasts. He became completely wild now, and never returned. He went to the mountains where obsidian is abundant, and made many arrow-heads.

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Whenever he made one which did not suit him, he threw it away. He spent all his spare time making arrow and spear heads. All the unfinished arrow and spear heads found here and there scattered over the country were made by him. They are the “heads” he discarded in his travels around the country and when hunting. He used no flakers of any kind. He flaked the arrow-heads with the palms of his hands, which were of bone.

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.

The man and his sister

A man secretly engages in an affair with his sister, neglecting his own family. When her husband discovers the infidelity, the brother kills him and desecrates his body. The man’s wife uncovers the betrayal and, seeking revenge, kills both her husband and his sister, desecrating their bodies in turn. She then moves her children to the sister’s camp, utilizing the ample meat supply, and later shares her story with their community, who commend her actions.

► Themes of the story

Love and Betrayal: The narrative centers on the man’s betrayal of his own family through his affair with his sister and the subsequent treachery involved in murdering her husband.

Revenge and Justice: The man’s wife seeks retribution for the wrongs committed by her husband and his sister, ultimately delivering justice through their deaths.

Tragic Flaw: The man’s moral weaknesses—his lust and betrayal—lead to his downfall and death.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

A man lived with his wife and children near the head of a creek; and near by, at the head of another creek on the opposite side of the mountain, lived his sister and her husband. Often, when her husband was out hunting, the man went to his sister and cohabited with her. Her husband became suspicious and watched her. On several successive days he saw a man go into the camp. He asked his wife who it was that visited her; and she answered, “Only my brother, that is nothing.” The husband said no more. After this he came home one day and found him with his wife. He was angry, and they fought. The brother killed him, and, opening up his body, defecated inside. After this the brother spent more time with his sister than with his wife. The game that he killed he took to her, and nothing to his wife and family. His wife noticed that he looked tired every night, and in many ways showed that he had killed game.

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Still he always came home empty-handed, and claimed to have killed nothing. The family was starving; and the wife proposed that her husband go and see his brother-in-law, as he might have plenty of meat. He answered that he had been there, and his brother-in-law also could get no game and was out of food (he wanted his wife to starve). One day when her husband was away, the woman went to her sister-in-law’s camp, and found it full of meat. She also found the dead body of her sister-in-law’s husband, and saw what had been done to it. Her own husband was not there. She returned to camp, and made an arrow with a specially large head. The next day, when her husband was away, she went to his sister’s camp, and concealed herself in a place adjacent to the dead body in which he defecated, but at a lower level. When he came to the place to defecate, she shot the arrow up his anus. He cried out, “Come, sister! Some one is killing me!” His sister ran out, and the woman killed her also. She opened up both the bodies and defecated in them, saying, “Now I have my revenge.” As she had many children, she moved to the camp where the dead bodies were, and lived there, as there was a vast supply of meat. Later she and her children returned to the main body of the people, and told them of the wickedness of her husband and his sister. They approved of her deed.

Story of Tcix’qa’; or, the hunter who could not kill game

A young man, mocked for his poor hunting skills, deceives a woman into marrying him by darkening his thumbs to appear as the best hunter. Unable to provide game, he resorts to a desperate act, leading to his death. The story explains why women often prefer skilled hunters and attributes the red tips of certain lichens to this event.

► Themes of the story

Tragic Flaw: The young man’s dishonesty and laziness prevent him from becoming a proficient hunter, leading to his downfall.

Origin of Things: The tale explains the behaviour of women toward hunters and the way the lichens are coloured.

Cultural Heroes: The story reflects societal values and serves as a cautionary tale within the Tahltan culture, highlighting the traits admired and admonished in their community.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Tcix’qa’ is said to be the name for the camp or lodge which adolescent boys use.

A number of young men were living together in a camp or lodge such as young men use at the age of puberty. Nearly every day they went hunting. One of them never killed any game, and the others laughed at him. In the same place lived a wealthy man who had a young marriageable daughter. He thought it was time for her to marry; and one day he said to her, “Carry a dish of food to the young men’s lodge. Give it to the best hunter, and then sit down beside him [thus proposing marriage] and become his wife. You will be able to tell the best hunter by examining the young men’s hands. The one who has the darkest mark at the base of the thumbs is the best hunter.” [It is believed that good hunters have darker skin on the part of the thumb adjoining the palm than poor hunters] The young man who was an indifferent hunter happened to overhear these instructions. He went to the camp-fire and blackened the front part of his thumbs with charcoal. Then he sat down among the other young men and exposed his thumbs, that the girl might see them.

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In the evening the girl came, peered in through the brush of the lodge, and looked at the hands of the young men. She noticed that Tcix’qa’s thumbs were much darker than any of the others: therefore she entered the lodge, gave him the food, and sat down beside him. On the following day all the young men went hunting. They staid out two days; but, as usual, Tcix’qa’ had no game. They all laughed at him, and said that marrying had not changed his luck. [It is believed that marrying often changes a person’s luck.] After his marriage he left the young men’s camp and went to live with his wife and father-in-law. He went hunting with the latter, but never killed anything. His father-in-law thought this was strange for a man chosen as the best hunter of all the young men. He resolved to watch him, to learn why the youth did not kill any game. He saw him going after a caribou. He just ran a short distance, then stopped and walked on with long strides, to make people believe by his track that he had been running. The father-in-law went home, and said to his daughter, “Now I see what your husband does. He is no good. He cannot run, and therefore he never gets any game.” At last Tcix’qa’ felt bad because he could get no game. He cut his anus and pulled out about a yard of his intestines, cut them off, and put them in a bag. Then he plugged the hole with moss and went home. When he reached there, he threw down the bag beside his wife, and told her to cook the contents. His wife said, “He has killed game at last,” and hurried to cook it. Her father stopped her, saying, “It smells bad. Let him cook it himself! There is something wrong.” He hung the intestines on a stick above the fire to cook. When he reached up, the plug fell out of his anus, followed by his entrails and blood, and he died right there. This is why today women always fancy the best hunters, but some choose and marry men who are very poor hunters. Also this is why lichens (Cladonia hellidiflora) have red tips, for the man used them as a plug. The red are the blood-stains.

The Lion In Bad Company

A young Lion befriends a cunning Wolf despite his parents’ warnings. The Wolf manipulates the Lion into hunting ponies, leading to repeated thefts from the king. The king’s archer ultimately shoots the Lion during a raid, and the Wolf, abandoning loyalty, flees to the woods. The tale highlights the dangers of ignoring wise counsel and trusting unworthy companions.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The Wolf manipulates the young Lion into stealing the king’s ponies for his own desire for horse-meat.

Tragic Flaw: The young Lion’s disregard for his parents’ advice and his naivety in trusting the Wolf lead to his downfall.

Moral Lessons: The tale teaches the importance of heeding wise counsel and the dangers of associating with untrustworthy companions.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

Learn more about Jataka Tales

One day a young Lion came suddenly upon a Wolf. The Wolf was not able to get away, so he said to the Lion: “Please, Great Lion, could you take me to your den, and let me live with you and your mate? I will work for you all my days.”

This young Lion had been told by his father and mother not to make friends with any Wolf. But when this Wolf called him “Great Lion,” he said to himself: “This Wolf is not bad. This Wolf is not like other Wolves.” So he took the Wolf to the den where he lived with his father and mother.

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Now this Lion’s father was a fine old Lion, and he told his son that he did not like having this Wolf there. But the young Lion thought he knew better than his father, so the Wolf stayed in the den.

One day the Wolf wanted horse-flesh to eat, so he said to the young Lion, “Sir, there is nothing we have not eaten except horse-meat; let us take a horse.”

“But where are there horses?” asked the Lion.

“There are small ponies on the river bank,” said the Wolf.

So the young Lion went with the Wolf to the river bank when the ponies were bathing. The Lion caught a small pony, and throwing it on his back, he ran back to his den.

His father said: “My son, those ponies belong to the king. Kings have many skilful archers. Lions do not live long who eat ponies belonging to the king. Do not take another pony.”

But the young Lion liked the taste of horse-meat, and he caught and killed pony after pony.

Soon the king heard that a Lion was killing the ponies when they went to bathe in the river. “Build a tank inside the town,” said the king. “The lion will not get the ponies there.” But the Lion killed the ponies as they bathed in the tank.

Then the king said the ponies must be kept in the stables. But the Lion went over the wall, and killed the ponies in their stables.

At last the king called an archer, who shot like lightning. “Do you think you can shoot this Lion?” the king asked him. The archer said that he was sure he could. “Very well,” said the king, “take your place in the tower on the wall, and shoot him.” So the archer waited there in the tower.

By and by the Lion and the Wolf came to the wall. The Wolf did not go over the wall but waited to see what would happen. The Lion sprang over the wall. Very soon he caught and killed a pony. Then the archer let fly an arrow.

The Lion roared, “I am shot.”

Then the Wolf said to himself: “The Lion has been shot, and soon he will die. I will now go back to my old home in the woods.” And so he did. The Lion fell down dead.

The Foolhardy Wolf

A Lion and a Wolf form an alliance where the Wolf scouts for prey, and the Lion hunts and shares the spoils. The Wolf, growing arrogant from abundance, desires to hunt an elephant alone, ignoring the Lion’s warnings. Attempting the feat, the Wolf fails and is killed by the elephant. The Lion remarks on the Wolf’s folly, underscoring the dangers of overestimating one’s abilities.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The wolf’s initial strategy of aligning with the lion to secure food showcases cunning behavior.

Tragic Flaw: The wolf’s overestimation of its abilities and subsequent arrogance lead to its downfall, highlighting a classic tragic flaw.

Moral Lessons: The narrative imparts a lesson on the perils of hubris and the importance of recognizing one’s limitations.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

Learn more about Jataka Tales

A lion bounded forth from his lair one day, looking north, west, south, and east. He saw a Buffalo and went to kill him. The Lion ate all of the Buffalo-meat he wanted, and then went down to the lake for a drink.

As the Lion turned to go toward his den for a nap, he came upon a hungry Wolf. The Wolf had no chance to get away, so he threw himself at the Lion’s feet.

“What do you want?” the Lion asked.

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“O Lion, let me be your servant,” said the Wolf. “Very well,” said the Lion, “serve me, and you shall have good food to eat.”

So saying, the Lion went into his den for his nap. When he woke up, the Lion said to the Wolf: “Each day you must go to the mountain top, and see whether there are any elephants, or ponies, or buffaloes about. If you see any, come to me and say: ‘Great Lion, come forth in thy might. Food is in sight.’ Then I will kill and eat, and give part of the meat to you.”

So day after day the Wolf climbed to the mountain top, and seeing a pony, or a buffalo, or an elephant, he went back to the den, and falling at the Lion’s feet he said: “Great Lion, come forth in thy might. Food is in sight.”

Then the Lion would bound forth and kill whichever beast it was, sharing the meat with the Wolf.

Now this Wolf had never had such fine meat to eat, nor so much. So as time went on, the Wolf grew bigger and bigger, and stronger and stronger, until he was really proud of his great size and strength.

“See how big and strong I am,” he said to himself.

“Why am I living day after day on food given me by another? I will kill for my own eating. I’ll kill an elephant for myself.”

So the Wolf went to the Lion, and said: “I want to eat an elephant of my own killing. Will you let me lie in your corner in the den, while you climb the mountain to look out for an elephant? Then when you see one, you come to the den and say, ‘Great Wolf, come forth in thy might. Food is in sight.’ Then I will kill the elephant.”

Said the Lion: “Wolf, only Lions can kill elephants. The world has never seen a Wolf that could kill an elephant. Give up this notion of yours, and eat what I kill.”

But no matter what the Lion said, the Wolf would not give way. So at last the Lion said: “Well, have your own way. Lie down in the den, and I will climb to the top of the mountain.”

When he saw an elephant the Lion went back to the mouth of the cave, and said: “Great Wolf, come forth in thy might. Food is in sight.”

Then from the den the Wolf nimbly bounded forth, ran to where the elephant was, and, howling three times, he sprang at the elephant.

But the Wolf missed his aim, and fell down at the elephant’s feet. The elephant raised his right foot and killed the Wolf. Seeing all this, the Lion said, “You will no more come forth in your might, you foolhardy Wolf.”

The Turtle Who Couldn’t Stop Talking

A Turtle befriends two Geese, who invite him to their distant home. Unable to fly, the Turtle agrees to be carried by holding a stick in his mouth while the Geese fly. Warned not to speak, he grows offended by onlookers’ comments and tries to respond, losing his grip and falling to his death. The story underscores the value of self-control and silence.

Source:
Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Moral Lessons: The narrative underscores the importance of self-control and the dangers of excessive talking, teaching readers the value of knowing when to speak and when to remain silent.

Cunning and Deception: The turtle’s initial agreement to remain silent during the journey demonstrates a form of cunning, as he devises a plan to travel with the geese. However, his inability to maintain this deception leads to his downfall.

Tragic Flaw: The turtle’s incessant need to talk represents a fatal flaw that ultimately causes his demise, highlighting how personal weaknesses can lead to one’s undoing.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

Learn more about Jataka Tales

A Turtle lived in a pond at the foot of a hill. Two young wild Geese, looking for food, saw the Turtle, and talked with him. The next day the Geese came again to visit the Turtle and they became very well acquainted. Soon they were great friends.

“Friend Turtle,” the Geese said one day, “we have a beautiful home far away. We are going to fly back to it to-morrow. It will be a long but pleasant journey. Will you go with us?”

“How could I? I have no wings,” said the Turtle.

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“Oh, we will take you, if only you can keep your mouth shut, and say not a word to anybody,” they said.

“I can do that,” said the Turtle. “Do take me with you. I will do exactly as you wish.”

So the next day the Geese brought a stick and they held the ends of it. “Now take the middle of this in your mouth, and don’t say a word until we reach home,” they said.

The Geese then sprang into the air, with the Turtle between them, holding fast to the stick.

The village children saw the two Geese flying along with the Turtle and cried out: “Oh, see the Turtle up in the air! Look at the Geese carrying a Turtle by a stick! Did you ever see anything more ridiculous in your life!”

The Turtle looked down and began to say, “Well, and if my friends carry me, what business is that of yours?” when he let go, and fell dead at the feet of the children. As the two Geese flew on, they heard the people say, when they came to see the poor Turtle, “That fellow could not keep his mouth shut. He had to talk, and so lost his life.”

The One-who-finds-nothing

A small, unlucky man, unable to find success in hunting, fishing, or daily tasks, grows despondent and decides to die outside his village. As he lies awaiting death, two ravens argue over his fate. One offers a knife in his beak, which the man seizes. Refusing to return it despite the raven’s warnings, he attempts to return to the village but suddenly ages and dies, cursed by his decision.

Source:
The Eskimo about Bering Strait
by Edward William Nelson
[Smithsonian Institution]
Bureau of American Ethnology
Eighteenth Annual Report
Washington, 1900

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The protagonist undergoes a sudden physical change—rapid aging leading to death—after taking the raven’s knife, symbolizing the consequences of his actions.

Divine Intervention: The ravens, often seen as spiritual or supernatural beings in Inuit culture, influence the man’s fate by offering the knife and cursing him upon his refusal to return it.

Tragic Flaw: The man’s inability to succeed in his tasks and his subsequent despair lead him to make fatal decisions, highlighting personal weaknesses that result in his downfall.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

from St. Michael

Once there was a small, ugly-face young man who could never find anything that he looked for. Whenever he went out with his sled for wood, he returned without any, because he could never succeed in finding any, not the least piece. Then he entered the kashim and sat down in his place over the entrance way. When he sat down there he would remain quiet for a long time. The one sitting beside him sometimes gave him water, which he would drink and then become quite still again. If forced to go out, he would put on his boots and go, but would return again very soon and sit as before. Once when thirsty he went out to the water hole for a drink, but when he came to the place he could not find the water hole, as it seemed not to be there. Then he returned to the kashim again without drinking and sat down in his place, the one beside him giving him water.

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At night in bed, not being able to sleep and being thirsty, he went out to find his elder brother’s house. After much searching he could not find the place, so went back to the kashim and lay down. Awaking in the morning, he took some fishing tackle and went fishing. When he came to the water he could not find it, and after looking for it unsuccessfully he returned without fishing. Thus he came back once more without anything and was hungry also when he sat in his place as usual.

Then he thought, “If I go to pick berries I suppose I will not be able to find any.” Taking a wooden bucket he went for berries. After looking, but failing to find any, he returned to his place in the kashim. The next morning, becoming hungry, he took his arrows and went hunting for wild geese. Not finding any, and seeing nothing else, he returned again. Other men brought back hair seals they had killed. The One-who-finds-nothing took his kaiak and putting it into the water went out seal hunting. He hunted long for the seals, but there seemed to be none; and seeing nothing, he came back to his place in the kashim.

Winter came, and he thought, “I do not know what to do with myself.” The next day he took his miserable bed and rolled it up with his poor tool bag, put the bundle on his back, and went out to the land ward side of the village, beyond the houses, and sat down. Being seated, he took his bundle from his back and, opening it, untied his tool bag. This being done, he scattered the tools about him and threw away the bag. Then he spread down his bed and, sitting upon it, lay back, saying, “Here will I die.”

There he lay all night without moving. When the sun came up he heard a Raven croaking, and then its mate. He remained quiet and the Raven came, alighting near him with its mate just beyond. The nearest Raven spoke, saying, “Look! here is something to eat. We have not eaten, and we had better not wait. Let us have his eyes.” The farthest Raven answered, “No, he is not dead.” “Why does he lie there, then, as if he were dead?” said the first Raven. “No, he is not dead; for look there, there is no smoke 1 by him,” replied the second one.

Then the first Raven became enraged and cast himself about, saying, “Why is he thrown out, then? Look at his things scattered about him.” “I do not wish any of it,” said the mate, “there is no smoke by him. I will leave you.” And he flew away. “All right: you can fly off,” said the first Raven; “I will have his eyes.”

Then the man opened his eyes very slightly and looked sidewise at the Raven. This one, coming toward the small, ugly-face young man, stood there holding up his beak, which became a fine knife. He went nearer, and between his eyelashes the man saw, raised by the hilt, a fine knife. He thought, “I have no knife.” Then the point came close to him. He thought again, “I have no knife.” He suddenly caught it and snatched it away from the Raven.

Back sprang Raven, and the man sat up. “Give me my knife,” said Raven. The man answered, saying, “I have no knife, and this shall be my knife. The Raven replied, “I will pay you for it with all kinds of game.” “No,” said the man, “I will not give it back. I always go out hunting and can get nothing.” “Then,” said the Raven, “if you wish to go back to the village you will not reach there when you try.” “I have no knife,” replied the man. Here the Raven coughed and fell down, saying, “Thus will you do. Keep my knife, if you prize it,” said he, and flew away.

The man sat up, still keeping the knife. Then he started to go back to the village. As he was going his throat contracted, his back bent over in front, and he rested his hands on his knees. Suddenly he became an old man. He could not walk. He lay on his face. He did not stir. He was dead.