Creation Myths of Primitive America Part 60

All the people of the village came soon, and there were so many that the venison was dressed quickly. They cooked and ate in company.

Others came from beyond the river south of them, and ate all the venison they wanted. Many sat down under oak-trees and gambled; some shot arrows at marks, and others raced.

All day they amused themselves; all day they feasted, and went home at sunset very glad and praising t.i.tindi Maupa.

West of Wakaruwa, was a large village and many people, all Wakara's sons-in-law, all married to his daughters; and the chief was Lawalila.

"I wonder what my father-in-law is doing," said each of these people; "he has very loud talk in his sweat-house. There has never been such talk there before."

Lawalila called his two sons and said: "Go and see what your grandfather is doing. Your youngest aunt has a husband; perhaps that is why there is such loud talk at the sweat-house."

The two boys stole up to the house carefully, and peeped into it. The younger saw Paiowa, his aunt, in one corner, and t.i.tindi Maupa sitting near her. Wakara saw the boy peeping in, and hurled a stick at him.

The two boys ran home.

"My aunt has a husband," said the younger boy.

"She has not," said the elder.

"I saw him," said the younger.

"You did not," said the elder.

Lawalila stopped the boys; he was satisfied. He went out, and calling to all said, "Paiowa, the youngest daughter of Wakara, is married!"

All were very angry now, all were enraged, for there were many in that village who wanted Paiowa.

Next morning Lawalila roused the village early, and said: "I want you, my people, to play to-day. You must play your best; you must beat t.i.tindi Maupa, Wakara's new son-in-law."

After they had eaten he called all his people together and said, "We will go over to my father-in-law's, to Wakara's, and shoot at a mark there with arrows."

They went to Wakara's and asked: "Where is t.i.tindi Maupa? We wish to try him; we want to shoot arrows at a mark against him."

t.i.tindi Maupa came out and shot. He won the first shot, the second; he won all the time, won everything that Lawalila's people wagered.

Just at noon Lawalila lost his temper, got angry, sprang up, tried to seize and take back all the things that his people had lost. t.i.tindi Maupa would not let him do that; he stood in his way, would not let him take anything.

Lawalila struck Wakara's new son-in-law. t.i.tindi Maupa threw down his opponent. Lawalila jumped up, ran toward his people, drew his bow, and tried to send an arrow through t.i.tindi Maupa. A great fight now followed.

Wakara's sons came and took t.i.tindi Maupa's part. Lawalila's people hurried to his side. t.i.tindi Maupa's young wife ran out to help her brothers and her husband.

They fought very hard on both sides. In the middle of the afternoon all were killed on Lawalila's side except himself. New forces came to Lawalila. t.i.tindi Maupa was so tired that he could not stand. At this moment his sister came. She picked up t.i.tindi Maupa, put him on her back, and gave him her bow and arrows. He shot from her shoulder, and used her strong arrows. Every man that they touched fell that moment.

Every one from the west was killed, Lawalila with the others.

t.i.tindi Maupa rested, and went to the sweat-house. His sister went with him. The dead of both sides lay all night where they fell.

Before daybreak t.i.tindi Maupa rose, took his fire-drill, went out, and turning the faces of all his brothers-in-law to the earth, struck them with the fire-drill. All came to life and went back to Wakaruwa.

Lawalila's people lay on the field all night, the next day, and the night following. t.i.tindi Maupa did not like to see all those dead people lying there; so he went before daybreak of the second day and struck each with his fire-drill. All came to life, rose up, were glad, and went home. Next morning they came to Wakaruwa, and had games again, with good feasting and pleasure. They did not get angry a second time.

t.i.tindi Maupa brought in deer every morning. His brothers-in-law came and ate with him; they were friendly and happy. t.i.tindi Maupa stayed twenty days at Wakaruwa. He killed deer for all of them. On the twenty-first morning Wakara said to his daughter,--

"I think your husband would like to go home now."

Next morning t.i.tindi Maupa set out for home with his wife and sister; they went in one day to Kurulsa Mauna.

Three nights later Topuna came to visit them; he came again to see t.i.tildi Marimi. She let him come now. She was afraid that her brother might leave her a second time.

So at last Topuna got the wife he wanted, and they all lived together at Kurulsa Mauna.

THE TWO SISTERS, HAKA LASI AND TSORE JOWA

PERSONAGES

After each name is given that of the creature or thing into which the personage was changed subsequently.

=Chuhna=, spider; =Haka hasi=, loon; =Hitchinna=, wildcat; =Jamuka=, acorn worm; =Juka=, silkworm; =Metsi=, coyote; =Tsanunewa=, fisher (a bird); =Tsore Jowa=, eagle.

At some distance east of Jigul matu lived old Juka. He had a great many sons and two daughters--a big house full of children.

Juka's two daughters were Tsore Jowa, the elder, and Haka Lasi, the younger. After a time Haka Lasi fell in love with her brother Hitchinna. One day she fell asleep and dreamed that he had married her.

Metsi lived, too, in Juka's house. He was no relative; he just lived as a guest there.

One day all the men were out hunting. It was then that Haka Lasi saw Hitchinna in a dream. She began to sing about him, and she sang: "I dream of Hitchinna; I dream that he is my husband. I dream of Hitchinna; I dream that he is my husband."

All the men came back from the hunt at night. At daylight next morning they went to swim, and Tsore Jowa made ready food for them. Haka Lasi took a very nice staff in her hand, and went on top of the sweat-house. She looked in and sang,--

"Where is my husband? Send him up here to me. I will take him away. We must go on a journey. Where is my husband? Send him up here to me."

All knew that she had no husband.

"You have no husband," said they.

Hitchinna was lying in one corner wrapped up in the skin of a wildcat.

"You have no husband in this house; all here are your brothers," said Juka.

"I have a husband, and I want him to come here to me," answered Haka Lasi.

"Well," said the eldest son, "I will go up to her. Let us hear what she will say." He went up.

"You are not my husband," said Haka Lasi. "Do not come near me."