1. Txä’msᴇm (The Raven Legend)

(1) Origin of Txä’msᴇm

At one time the whole world was covered with darkness. At the southern point of Queen Charlotte Islands there was a town in which the animals lived. Its name was Kungalas.[2] A chief and his wife were living there, and with them a boy, their only child, who was loved very much by his parents. Therefore his father tried to keep him out of danger. He built for his son a bed above his own, in the rear cf his large house. He washed him regularly, and the boy grew up to be a youth.

When he was quite large the youth became ill, and, being very sick, it was not long before he died. Therefore the hearts cf his parents were very sad. They cried on account of their beloved child. The chief invited his tribe, and all the (animal) people went to the chief’s house and entered. Then the chief ordered the child’s body to be laid out; and he said, “Take out his intestines.’ His attendants laid out the body of the chief’s child, took out the intestines, burned them at the rear of the chief’s house, and placed the body on the bed which his father had built for his son. The chief and the chieftainess wailed every morning under the corpse of their dead son, and his tribe cried with them. They did so every day after the young man’s death.

One morning before daylight came, the chieftainess went again to wail, She arose, and looked up to where her son was lying. There she saw a youth, bright as fire, lying where the body of their son had been. Therefore she called her husband, and said to him, ‘Our beloved child has come back to life” Therefore the chief arose and went to the foot of the ladder which reached to the place where the body had been. He went up to his son, and said, ‘Is it you, my beloved son? Is it you?” Then the shining youth said, “Yes, it is I.” Then suddenly gladness touched the hearts of the parents.

The tribe entered again to console their chief and their chieftainess. When the people entered, they were much surprised to see the shining youth there. He spoke to them. “Heaven was much annoyed by your constant wailing, so He sent me down to comfort your minds.” The great tribe of the chief were very glad because the prince lived again among them.- His parents loved him more than ever.

The shining youth ate very little. He staid there a long time, and he did not eat at all; he only chewed a little fat, but he did not eat any. The chief had two great slaves—a miserable man and his wife. The great slaves were (called) Mouth At Each End. Every morning they brought all kinds of food into the house. One day, when they came in from where they had been, they brought a large cut of whale meat. They threw it on the fire and ate it. They did this every time they came back from hunting. Then the chieftainess tried to give food to her son who had come back to life, but he declined it and lived without food. The chieftainess was very anxious to give her son something to eat. She was afraid that her son would die again. On the following day the shining youth took a walk to refresh himself. As soon as he had gone out, the chief went up the ladder to where he thought his son had his bed. Behold, there was the corpse of his own son! Nevertheless he loved his new child.

One day the chief and chieftainess went out to visit the tribe, and the two great slaves entered, carrying a large piece of whale meat. They threw the whale fat into the fire and ate of it. Then the shining youth came toward them and questioned the two great slaves, asking them, “What makes you so hungry?” The two great slaves replied, “We are hungry because we have eaten scabs from our shin bones.” Therefore the shining youth said to them, “Do you like what you eat?” Then the slave-man said, “Yes, my dear!” Therefore the prince replied, “Twill also try the scabs you speak about.” Then the slave-woman said, “No, my dear! Don’t desire to be as we are.” The prince repeated, ‘I will just taste it and spit it out again.” Then the male slave cut off a small piece of whale meat and put in a small scab. Then the female slave scolded her husband for what he was doing. “O bad man! what have you been doing to the poor prince?” The shining prince took up the piece of meat with the scab in it, put it into his mouth, tasted it, and spit it out again. Then he went back to his bed. When the chief and the chieftainess came back from their visit, the prince said to his mother, “Mother, I [am very hungry.” The chieftainess said at once, “Oh, dear, is it tine, is it time She ordered her slaves to feed her beloved son with rich food. The slaves prepared rich food, and the youth ate it all. Again he was very hungry and ate everything, and the slaves gave him more to eat than before.

He did so for several days, and soon all the provisions in his father’s house were at an end. Then the prince went to every house of his father’s people and ate the provisions that were in the houses. His was because he had tasted the scabs of Mouth At Each End. Now the provisions were all used up. The chief knew that the provisions of his tribe were almost exhausted. Therefore the great chief felt sad and ashamed on account of what his son had done, for he had devoured almost all the provisions of his tribe.

Therefore the chief invited all the people in, and said, * I will send my child away before he eats all our provisions and we lack food.” Then all the people agreed to what the chief had said. As soon as they had all agreed, the chief called his son. He told him to sit down in the rear of the house. As soon as he had sat down there, the chief spoke to his son, and said, ‘My dear son, I shall send you away inland to the other side of the ocean.”! He gave his son a small round stone and a raven blanket and a dried sea-lion bladder filled with all kinds of berries. The chief said to his son, “When vou fly across the ocean and feel weary, drop this round stone on the sea, and you shall find rest on it; and when you reach the mainland, scatter the various kinds of fruit all over the land: and also scatter the salmon roe in all the rivers and brooks, and also the trout roe; so that you may not lack food as long as you live in this world.” Then he started. His father named him Giant.

(2) Origin of Daylight

Giant flew inland (toward the east). He went on for a long time, and finally he was very tired, so he dropped down on the sea the little round stone which his father had given to him. It became a large rock way out at sea. Giant rested on it and refreshed himself, and took off the raven skin.

At that time there was always darkness. There was no daylight then. Again Giant put on the raven skin and flew toward the east. Now, Giant reached the mainland and arrived at the mouth of Skeena River, There he stopped ami scattered the salmon roe and trout roe. He said while he was scattering them, ‘Let every river and creek have all kinds of fish!” Then he took the dried sea-lion bladder and scattered the fruits all over the land, saying, “Let every mountain, hill, valley, plain, the whole land, be full of fruits!”

The whole world was still covered with darkness. When the sky was clear, the people would have a little light from the stars; and when clouds were in the sky, it was very dark all over the land. The people were distressed by this. Then Giant thought that it would be hard for him to obtain his food if it were always dark. He remembered that there was light in heaven, whence he had come. Then he made up his mind to bring down the light to our world. - On the followmg day Giant put on his raven skin, which his father the chief had given to him. and flew upward. Finally he found the hole in the sky, and he flew through it. Giant reached the inside of the sky. He took off the raven skin and put it down near the hole of the sky. He went on, and came to a spring near the house of the chief of heaven. There he sat down and waited. Then the chief’s daughter came out, carrying a small bucket in which she was about to fetch water. She went down to the big spring in front of her father’s house. When Giant saw her coming along, he transformed himself into the leaf of a cedar and floated on the water. The chief’s daughter dipped it up in her bucket and drank it. Then she returned to her father’s house and entered. After a short time she was with child, and not long after she gave birth to a boy. Then the chief and the chieftainess were very glad. They washed the boy regularly. He began to grow up. Now he was beginning to creep about. They washed him often, and the chief smoothed and cleaned the floor of the house. Now the child was strong and crept about every day. He began to cry, * Hama, hama!” He was crying all the time, and the great chief was troubled, and called in some of his slaves to carry about the boy. The slaves did so, but he would not sleep for several nights. He kept on crying, “Hama, hama!” Therefore the chief invited all his wise men, and said to them that he did not know what the boy wanted and why he was crying. He wanted the box that was hanging in the chief’s house.

His box, in which the daylight was kept, was hanging in one corner of the house. Its name was mā. Giant had known it before he descended to our world. The child cried for it. The chief was annoyed, and the wise men listened to what the chief told them. When the wise men heard the child crying aloud, they did not know what he was saying. He was crying all the time, “//ama, hama, hama, hama!”

One of the wise men, who understood him, said to the chief, * He is crying for the md.” Therefore the chief ordered it to be taken down. The man put it down. They put it down near the fire, and the boy sat down near it and ceased crying. He stopped crying, for he was glad. Then he rolled the md, about inside the house. He did so for four days. Sometimes he would carry it to the door. Now the great chief did not think of it. He had quite forgotten it. Then the boy really took up the ma, put it on his shoulders, and ran out with it. While he was running, some one said, ‘Giant is running away with the ma! He ran away, and the hosts of heaven pursued him. They shouted that Giant was running away with the md. He came to the hole of the sky, put on the skin of the raven, and flew down, carrying the mā. Then the hosts of heaven returned to their houses, and he flew down with it to our world.

At that time the world was still dark! He arrived farther up the river, and went down river. Giant had come down near the mouth of Nass River. He went to the mouth of Nass River. It was always dark, and he carried the md about with him. He went on, and went up the river in the dark. A little farther up he heard the noise of the people, who were catching olachen in bag nets in their canoes. There was much noise out on the river, because they were working hard. Giant, who was sitting on the shore, said, ‘Throw ashore one of the things that you are catching, my dear people!” After a while, Giant said again, “Throw ashore one of the things you are catching!” Then those on the water scolded him. ‘Where did you come from, great liar, whom they call “Txä’msᴇm?”” The (animal) people knew that it was Giant. Therefore they made fun of him. Then Giant said again, “Throw ashore one of the things that you are catching, or I shall break the ma!” and all those who were on the water answered, “Where did you get what you are talking about, you liar?” Giant said once more, “Throw ashore one of the things that you are catching, my dear people, or [ I shall break the md for you!” One person replied, scolding him. Giant had repeated his request four times, but those on the water refused what he had asked for. Therefore Giant broke the ma. It broke, and it was daylight. The north wind began to blow hard; and all the fishermen, the Frogs, were driven away by the north wind. All the Frogs who had made fun of Giant were driven away down river until they arrived at one of the large mountainous islands. Here the Frogs tried to climb up the rock; but they stuck to the rock, being frozen by the north wind, and became stone. They are still on the rock. The fishing Frogs named him Txä’msᴇm, and all the world had the daylight.

(3) Stone and Elderberry Bush

Txä’msᴇm went along up Nass River, and came to the place where Stone and Elderberry Bush were quarreling, discussing who should give birth first. Stone wished to give birth first, and Elderberry Bush also wished to give birth first. Txä’msᴇm listened to what they were saying. Stone said, “If I give birth first, then people will live a long time; if you give birth first, people will live a short time.” Giant went to the place where they were and looked, and, behold! Stone had almost given birth to her child. Then he went to Elderberry Bush and touched her. He said, “Give birth first, Elderberry Bush.” Then Elderberry Bush gave birth to her child. For that reason people do not live many years. Because Elderberry Bush gave birth to her child first, man dies quickly. If Stone had given birth first to her child, it would not be so. That is what our people say. That is the story of Elderberry Bush’s children; and therefore the Indians are much troubled because Stone did not give birth to her children first. For this reason the people die soon, and elderberry bushes grow on their graves.

(4) Origin of Fire

Again Txä’msᴇm went on, and the people began to multiply on the earth. However, they were distressed because they had no fire to look their food and to warm themselves in winter; and Giant remembered that they had fire in the village of the animals. Therefore he tried to fetch it for the people. He started, wearing his raven blanket which his father, the chief, had given to him before he left yonder. Soon he arrived; but the people of his father’s village refused to let him have fire, and sent him away from their town. He tried in every way to get fire, but he failed, for the people would not let him have it.

Finally he sent one of his attendants, the Sea Gull, to carry a message to the people; and this is the message the Sea Gull carried: “A good-looking young chief will come soon to the people to have a dance in your chief’s house.”. Then the whole tribe made ready to welcome the young chief. Then Giant caught a deer and skinned it. At that time the deer had a long tail, like a wolf’s tail. Giant tied pitch wood to the long tail of the deer. He borrowed the canoe of the great Shark, and they came to the village, where the chief had a large fire in his house. The big Shark’s canoe was full of crows and sea gulls; and Giant was sitting in the center of the canoe, dressed in his deer skin. Then all the people entered. They built a large fire, larger than it had been before, and the great house of the chief was full of his tribesmen. Then all the newcomers were seated on one side of the large house, ready to sing. Soon the young chief began to dance, and all his companions beat time with their sticks, and one had a drum. They all sang a song, and some of the birds clapped their hands, and they all sang together.

The Deer entered at the door. He looked around, and entered leaping and dancing, and went around the large fire. Then all the people were well pleased to see him dance. Finally he struck his tail over the fire, and the pitch wood on his tail caught fire. He ran out with the firebrand at his tail and swam on the water. Then all his companions flew away out of the house. The great Shark canoe also left. The people tried to catch the Deer, intending to kill him. He jumped and swam quickly, and the pitch wood at his tail was burning. When he arrived at one of the islands, he went ashore quickly, struck a fir tree with his tail, and said, “You shall burn as long as the years last.” For that reason the deer has a short black tail.

(5) Txä’msᴇm Uses the Sinews of the Tomtit

Txä’msᴇm walked along the seashore and saw a long mass of seaweed way out at sea. There were very large sea eggs on it. Txä’msᴇm was anxious to eat them, but he could not get them because the seaweed Was too far out to sea. Therefore he made up his mind to invite in all the people from the land and from the sea; and when all the guests were in his house, Txä’msᴇm spoke: “Friends, I have invited you in because [ I want to borrow your sinews.” All the people promised to help him, and first he took the sinew of the large whale. Txä’msᴇm threw it out to sea, trying to reach the large sea egg that he saw on the long mass of seaweed which was floating on the sea. The whale sinew, however, broke. He tried the sinews of all the different animals, one at a time, but none of them were satisfactory. Finally he said,‘ Whose sinews have I not tried yet 7” Then the little Tomtit stood up and said, “Sir, you may take my sinews:” and he took out the sinews from his little belly and held them out to him. They were as thin as spider web. When all his sinews were out, he said, “Now, master, take hold of one end of my sinews and throw them out where the long mass of seaweed is; then we shall get your sea “egg.” Txä’msᴇm” could hardly hold the small sinew of the Tomtit. Nevertheless he tried. Finally Tomtit took hold of one end of (the rope made of) his own sinews, went down to the beach, and threw (the rope made of) his own sinews seaward to the place where the long mass of seaweed was, and caught it. Then all the people pulled at it, and the sinews of the little Tomtit were stronger than the sinews of all the other animals. Soon Txä’msᴇm had a large sea egg. He ate it and kept the shell. He was well pleased to have eaten the large sea egg. Then he gave power to Tomtit to be a chief overall the animals. Then Txä’msᴇm went on.

(6) Origin of Tides

Again Txä’msᴇm took his raven blanket and flew over the ocean with the firebrand in his hands. He arrived at the mainland and came to another house, which belonged to a very old woman, who held the tide-line in her hand. At that time the tide was always high, and did not turn for several days, until the new moon came, and all the people were anxious for clams and other sea food. Giant entered and found the old woman holding the tide-line in her hand. He sat down and said, ‘Oh, I have had enough, I have had all the clams I need!) The old woman said at once, “How is that possible? How can that be?) What are you talking about, Giant 2” -* Yes, I have had clams enough.” The old woman said, “No, it is not true.” Therefore Giant pushed her, so that she fell back. and he threw dust into her eyes and her mouth. Then she let the tide-line go, so that the tide ran out very low, and all the clams and shellfish were on the beach. So Giant carried up as much as he could. The tide was still low when he re-entered. The old woman said, ‘Giant, come and heal my eyes! I am blind from the dust.” Giant said, “Will you promise to slacken the tide-line twice a day?” She agreed, and Giant cured her eyes. He had eaten all the shellfish that he had carried up.

The old woman said, “How can you get water to drink, Giant?” He answered that it was under the roots of the little alder tree.[1] Soon Giant was thirsty, and he went to drink water, but he could not find any. Finally he went up Skeena River, and there he found water: because the old woman had dried up all the brooks and creeks. Therefore the tide turns twice every day, going up and down.

(7) Giant Gambles with Gull

He went on and made a house. He saw a sea gull flying about, and said, “Hey!” The Gull continued to fly about, crying, “Ha, ha!” Then Giant ran about and made sticks, intending to gamble, and the Sea Gull came to him. They began to gamble, and soon they began to quarrel; and Giant said, “His is my gambling-stick.” Sea Gull said, “No, it is my gambling-stick.” Therefore Giant threw the Gull on his back and stepped on his stomach, so that the Gull vomited one olachen. Giant took it, and the Gull flew away.

(8) Giant Obtains the Olachen

On the following day Giant made a little canoe of elderberry wood, went down the river, and landed at the beach in front of the house of a great chief, Kuwask. After he had rubbed the spawn of the olachen over the inside of his canoe, he entered, and said, “Oh! my clothes are wet, because the Tsimshian were working hard last night, fishing for olachen. Many persons caught two or three canoe-loads of olachen up the river last night.’” Then the people in the chief’s house said, “Oh, how could olachen get there? Their time has not come yet. They will go up four months and a half hence.” They did not believe what Giant said, and continued, “You are a liar, you are a liar!’ Giant said, “Look at the inside of my canoe! There are spawn of olachen in it.” The young men went down, and saw that the whole inside of the canoe was full of olachen spawn; and when they lifted up the stern-sheets, they found the tail of an olachen. Therefore the young men returned, went up, and said, “It is true,” and showed the olachen tail. Then the great chief said, “Perhaps those foolish young olachens have gone(?).” Moreover, he said, “Go and ask the several chiefs in the village—ask Burst Under The Stern Sheets, ask Stick To The Hot Stone, ask Half Eaten By The Goose, ask Dried In Olachen Box.[3] See what they say!’ Then the person went to ask them. He was sent by the chief, and they all agreed. Therefore the chief ordered the men who were standing in the four

corners of his house to break the corners. They did so, and the olachen went down into the water. Therefore Giant ran down to the water, stepped into the river, and shouted to the olachen to go up the river. He said, “Go up on both sides of the river!” Then he went aboard his canoe, filled it with olachen, and paddled along to Nass River, shouting all the while. Therefore on Nass River the olachen fishing begins very early in spring.

(9) Giant Learns How to Cook Olachen[1]

Giant camped at a certain place. Te did not know how to cook his olachen. A woman came to the place where he had camped, and Giant spoke kindly to her, like a brother to his sister. Her name was Tsowatz. She was the Oil Woman, of dark complexion. Giant asked her, “Tell me, how shall I cook my olachen?” Oil Woman told him, “You must heat stones; and when they are red-hot, pour four pails of water into a large cedar box.” Thus spoke Oil Woman to Giant. She said also, “Make a pair of tongs of cedar wood for handling red-hot stones. The tongs should be a fathom and a half long. Throw red-hot stones into a box; and when the water boils, fill five baskets with olachen; then heat some more stones; and when they also are red-hot, make a large spoon of alder wood, and use it for taking the stones out of the cedar box. When you have done this two or three times, the fish will be done. Before the fish is done, pour more water into the box before you take out the first lot of stones. Then, after you take out the first lot of stones, put in the second lot. Then take them out again, and put in the third lot of red-hot stones to cook the fish with; and when the oil appears on top of the water, you will have all the grease you want.” Thus spoke the Oil Woman to Giant, and Giant was glad to receive the instruction of Oil Woman. He took her gladly to be his sister.

(10) Giant and the Gulls

While he was still encamped there, a gull appeared over Giant. He called him Little Gull. Then two Gulls came to him; and Giant asked them, “How shall I roast my olachen, friends?” The two Gulls taught him how to roast the olachen. They built a frame of elderberry wood and put it in good order. The space between the elderberry sticks was about three finger-widths, and they were as long as the fore arm. They placed the olachen on the elderberry frame. Then the Gulls said to Giant, ‘Put on your mat of spruce roots and your cedar-bark raincoat, and your gloves, and wrap your blanket around your knees, and start a fire under the frame, and sit there and keep the fire a-going until the olachen are done on one side. Then

turn them over. When you turn the frame over, say ‘Lawa!’ Then put it in good order again, and put them on the frame with the other side towards the fire. Then, when one of the olachen bursts on account of the heat of the fire, say ‘Oh, oh! some more olachen are coming up!’” Giant was very glad to receive the instructions of the two Gulls. Before the olachen was done, the two Gulls began to eat Giant’s olachen; and they cried while eating, “Gunax haa, gunax haa!” Then many gulls came, crying “Gunax haa, gunax haa!” and ate all the olachen on the frame. Now Giant was sad. He took the Gulls and threw them into the fire, and ever since that time the tips of their wings have been black.

(Note of the Recorder.—The place where he camped at that time was called Little Crabapple-Tree Place. And so we know nowadays how to cook olachen, for Giant taught the people how to cook olachen. All these works he did in order to support the people whom he made out of the elderberry tree. The first thing he did was to leave his father; the second was to fly over the sea to the mainland; the third, to scatter all kinds of fishes in the rivers and streams; the fourth, to scatter all kinds of berries over the dry land; fifth, he ascended to heaven and brought down daylight and north wind; and as the sixth thing. he went to the village of his father and brought the fire; seventh, he went to the old woman and obtained from her the tide-line; eighth, he called the Gull to gamble with him, and in their quarrel he stepped on the Gull’s stomach and made him vomit olachen; ninth, he went to the olachen village and deceived the chief; tenth, he met the Oil Woman; eleventh, he called two Gulls to teach him how to roast the olachen. And this is the end of his works to fill the wants of the new people whom he had made.)

(11) Txä’msᴇm and the Steelhead Salmon

Now Giant’s name was changed to Txä’msᴇm. He went on,and saw a steelhead salmon jumping in the river. Then he made a plan. He kicked the rock and made a deep hole. He said with a loud voice, “Ha, steelhead salmon! come up to me to the beach!” He was standing above the hole which he had kicked into the rock. Suddenly the steelhead salmon hit his heart, and Txä’msᴇm lay there like one dead. After a while he opened his eyes, and saw that the salmon had jumped over the hole that he had made. He kicked the rock again, and made a second hole. Again he said, “Come up to me, big steelhead salmon, and we will see who is the stronger!’ He stood there, ready to catch the steelhead salmon. Again suddenly the steelhead salmon hit his heart, and he lay there like one dead. After a while he opened his eyes and saw the steelhead salmon lying in the hole near the water. Txä’msᴇm rushed down to kill it, but could not reach it. He kicked the rock again, and made a third hole, and he stood there above those three holes. He repeated the same words as before, “Come up to me, big steelhead salmon! We will see who is the stronger.” And when he said so, the steelhead salmon hit him again, and he lay there like one dead. His heart was swollen. When his eyes opened again, he saw the steelhead salmon again, which lay right in the middle of the last hole. He went down slowly and caught it; and he was very glad to have the steelhead salmon, for he was very hungry.

He did not know how to prepare his food, so he sat down and eased himself. Then he asked his excrements, “What shall I do, excrements?” They answered, “Steam it in a hole, steam it in a hole.” Then he gathered firewood. Then Txä’msᴇm gathered stones, heated them, and when the stones were red-hot, he put them in a hole. He also went and gathered leaves of the skunk-cabbage to cover it. Then he cut the salmon lengthwise, and covered it with the skunk-cabbage leaves, and poured water on it. When the salmon was done, white crows gathered over him. Then Txä’msᴇm said to the White Crows, “Grandchildren, go and borrow for me some dishes, so that I may eat my salmon.” The White Crows went and brought musselshells to Txä’msᴇm. When he saw them, he said, ‘No, that is not what I want. [ I want real dishes. Go again and bring them!” They went, and brought clamshells. Then Txä’msᴇm became angry, and said, ‘Go again and bring me real dishes.’ They went, and brought all kinds of shells. Now Txä’msᴇm himself went to get real dishes. As soon as he had gone, all the crows came and ate Txiimsᴇm’s salmon. After they had eaten it, they put over the hole a large hemlock tree that stood near by. When Txä’msᴇm came back, he saw that the hole was empty, and all he saw was that the ground was covered with the crows’ excrements. He looked up, and, behold! multitudes of crows covered the branches of a large tree. Then all the crows flew away; and Txä’msᴇm cursed them, and said, “As you are flying there, you shall be all black.’ Therefore all crows are black.

(12) Txä’msᴇm and Lagobola’

Txä’msᴇm went down the river, and arrived at its mouth. There he met a man named Lagobola, and Txä’msᴇm talked to him. He said, “Brother, where have you been?” Lagobola replied, ‘I come from the south, and I heard of your fame, which has spread all over the world.” Thus spoke Lagobola to Txä’msᴇm. Lagobola also said, “I also hear about your supernatural power.” ‘Then Txä’msᴇm said, ‘Well, Brother Lagobola, let us go to the sea tomorrow to hunt sea otters!” and Lagobola agreed. They were going to Dundas Island. Txä’msᴇm killed three seals and two sea otters; and he camped there first. While he was making a fire, Lagobola came to the place where he was encamped. Txä’msᴇm invited him up, and they were about to eat there. Then Txä’msᴇm went to get fuel and to look for water. They began to eat; and after they had eaten, Lagobola said to his friend, “What are you going to drink, Txä’msᴇm? Are you going to drink from the root of ‘the little alder tree!’*’!—[1] “Yes, my dear!” said Txä’msᴇm. After they had eaten, Txä’msᴇm took his bucket and went to the root of the little alder tree, and found no water there, for Lagobola had dried up all the water of the brooks. Txä’msᴇm knew at once that Lagobola had caused the water to disappear. Therefore he put his one foot on Dundas Island, the other on the mainland at the mouth of Skeena River, filled his (basket) bucket, and took the water to Lagobola. Then Lagobola drank, and tasted the water of Skeena River.

On the following morning Txä’msᴇm and Lagobola started to hunt. Txä’msᴇm said, “Go round outside Dundas Island, and I will go inside.” Lagobola consented to this; and while they were going along, Lagobola took off his ss and a fog arose. He put it upside down in his canoe, then a thick fog lay on the surface of the water. Txä’msᴇm lost his way and paddled about, but his brother Lagobola did not paddle. His canoe was just drifting about. Then Txä’msᴇm was scared. He cried, and called his friend. ‘My dear Lagobola, I know your supernatural power is stronger than mine. Take pity on me, my dear!” He called out to him again, but Lagobola did not answer. Again he called, and began to cry. He said, “O my dear brother!” Then Lagobola shouted, and said, “What is the matter with you?” Lagobola gathered the fog, took it off from the water, and put it in his cap. Then he put the cap on, and soon the fog cleared away. Then Lagobola asked Txä’msᴇm, “Why are you so full of nell Txä’msᴇm said, “I did not cry, I am only singing in my canoe.” They paddled along toward the mainland, and came to the mouth of Skeena River. Then they went up the river, each in his own canoe. When they reached the point where the current runs down, Txä’msᴇm said, “Let us gamble here!” Lagobola agreed, although he did not care. He said to Txä’msᴇm, “What kind of game shall we play?” Txä’msᴇm replied, “Let us have a shooting-match!” So Lagobola consented. Txä’msᴇm had said, ‘Whoever hits this crack shall win the game—either I or you.’ He prepared a rock and split it, so that they might shoot at it. ‘Let us stake Skeena River against Nass River!’ Then his brother Lagobola agreed. Lagobola had a nice box-quiver, but Txä’msᴇm had just made a bow and arrow. Txä’msᴇm took two stones, on which they sat down. They talked to each other. Txä’msᴇm wished to sit nearer to the water than his brother. Lagobola said, “You shoot first, my

brother!” but Txä’msᴇm replied, °° No, let us shoot at the same time!” Lagobola agreed, and they shot at the same time. Before they shot Txä’msᴇm squirted water from his mouth, and said, ‘Let Lagobola’s arrow fall a little farther over there, and let my arrow hit the goal!” As soon as the brothers shot, Lagobola saw distinctly that his arrow struck the rock, while Txä’msᴇm’s arrow fell a little to one side; but Txä’msᴇm said, “I hit it!” Lagobola said, “No, I hit it!” but Txä’msᴇm repeated, “I hit it! He was very glad while he was saying this. At once Lagobola said, “You won, Brother Txä’msᴇm. Now the olachen will come to Nass River twice every summer;” and Txä’msᴇm said, “And the salmon of Skeena River shall always be fat.’ Thus they divided what Txä’msᴇm had won at Nass River. Then Txä’msᴇm went down to the ocean, and Lagobola went southward to the place he had come from.

(13) Txä’msᴇm and the Crab

Txä’msᴇm went on with his raven blanket which his father had given him, and flew over the ocean. What was he to eat? At sunrise he arrived at a sand-spit. He saw a large Crab sitting there, warming himself in the sun. It was very low tide. Txä’msᴇm wanted to kill him, so he flew to the place where the Crab was sitting, and said, “Let us have a game, grandfather!” Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm, while he touched the back of the Crab. The Crab replied, “Oh, no!” Txä’msᴇm did so several times. When the tide turned, the Crab moved away. But Txä’msᴇm desired very much to have the large Crab. Again he flew to him, touched him on his back, and said, ‘Let us have a game, grandfather!” The Crab replied, “Oh, no!” Again he flew and touched him on his back, and said, ‘Let us have a game, grandfather!” Then the Crab was displeased with Txä’msᴇm, who was sitting close to the water. Txä’msᴇm came again and pushed him, and said, “Let us have a game, grandfather!” Then the large Crab caught him by the leg and walked slowly down into the water. Txä’msᴇm was scared, for he was in the claws of the large Crab. He said to the Crab, “Dear grandfather, let me go!” but the Crab would not listen to his request, and walked along the bottom of the sea. Soon the Crab felt that Txä’msᴇm was dead, and let go of him. Txä’msᴇm came up to the surface of the water and floated there. A light wind blew and drifted him ashore. Then the tide turned again, and he lay there on the ground. The sun rose up to the middle of the sky and loosened the raven blanket. By and by he opened his eyes, because he had been warmed by the heat of the sun. He arose, and saw some of his feathers that had come off. Then he said to himself, scratching his head, “My feathers have done well enough.”

(14) Origin of the Bullhead

Txä’msᴇm went along the sand-point, and while walking there he was searching for food, but he did not find anything. Suddenly, behold! there was a fish in the water. It was not moving. Txä’msᴇm stood there and wept. He said to the Fish,“ You look like my grandfather, who died a little while ago.” He wiped the tears from his eves, and said, “Come ashore! I want to talk to you a while.”

The Fish came toward the shore. Txä’msᴇm thought he would kill it. He was much depressed because he was hungry. Now the Fish was almost within his reach, but it swam back into the deep water. The Fish knew Txä’msᴇm’s intentions, and swam back from the shore, saying, “Do you think [ I do not know you, Giant?”? Then Giant acted as though he were going to take hold of the Fish, stretched out his hand, and said, ‘You shall have a thin tail, only your head shall be large and thick.” It became the bullhead. The bullhead is remarkably stout, because Txä’msᴇm cursed it, and made it thin at one end, while the other end is thick.

(15) Txä’msᴇm Frightens Away the Owners of a Whale

Txä’msᴇm lived there for a while. Soon he made up his mind to go back to the mainland, for he was very hungry. He had had luck, and he needed something to eat. He flew back over the sea, and soon he came to a village where there were many people. Behold! a large whale lay there on the beach. He had on his raven blanket, and he flew to the place where the dead whale lay, and said in the Raven language, “(Gulâge gag dze el han!” The people were worried to know what the Raven wanted to say. On the following day a number of gamblers were together at one place in this village. Txä’msᴇm was sitting at one end of the gamblers. The people did not know him. They began to talk about what the Raven had said the day before. Therefore the Raven asked what it was that the Raven had been saving. Then one of the party told him that the day before, in the afternoon, a raven flying over the dead whale had turned over above the whale, saying, “‘ (Gulâge gag dze et ban,” and that he had done so several times. “Oh, I see, I understand what he said! He said, ‘Maybe a pestilence will come to this village within a few days.’ Then the people were still more troubled; and when evening came, the chief of the village sent out his slave, and said, “Go out and order the people to move tomorrow morning!’ The great slave ran out and cried, “Great tribe, move!’ They did so the following morning. Now, Txä’msᴇm lived in the chief’s house. He carved the large whale, and carried the meat into the house. Four houses were filled with the meat and fat. He lived there a long time, and ate the whale meat and fat.

(16) Txä’msᴇm Finds a Beautiful Blanket

Now, Txä’msᴇm took one of the chief’s dancing-garments and wore it. He threw away his raven blanket which his father had given him, and went on, not knowing where he went. He went along, and tore his dancing-blanket, and was very poor; but he remembered his raven blanket which he had thrown away. He turned back and searched for his raven blanket a long time. At last he found it, took it up, and put it on, then he was glad to have it back. He went on, and saw a very nice dancing-blanket like the one he had worn before. At once he tore his raven blanket which his father had given him, and took the dancing-blanket that hung before him. He went on, dressed like a young prince; but when he was walking, behold! it was no dancing-garment, but he had on only lichens. He sat there weeping, turned back, and searched for his raven blanket, tied it together, and walked on, hungry and weeping. As he went along, behold! there were a marten blanket and a dancing-blanket hanging there. So he went toward them, took off his raven blanket, and wore the marten blanket below, and the dancing-blanket over it. He went on, dressed like a young chief. Then he saw a village before him, and his heart rose in pride; but, behold! his garments were only common moss and lichens. He stood there again weeping, and turned back to search for his raven blanket which his father had given him. He found it, put it on, and flew toward the town.

(17) Txä’msᴇm and His Slave

Before Txä’msᴇm reached the village he transformed a piece of rotten spruce wood into a slave, whom he called Łgum. Then Txä’msᴇm took a pair of clamshells and made of them ear-ornaments, which he wore as princes wear abalone ear-ornaments. Then Txä’msᴇm said to his slave whom he had made out of spruce wood, ‘When you see me walking on the beach of that town, say, ‘Do you know that a great chief is walking along the beach of your village, great tribe?” The slave passed several times, and repeated what his master told him. Sometimes he made a mistake. Then Txä’msᴇm scolded him for his mistakes until he remembered what Txä’msᴇm taught him to say. ‘They went on, and soon came to the end of the village. Txä’msᴇm walked along the beach in front of the town. Then his slave shouted, and said, “Do you know that a great chief is walking in front of your town, great tribe? He is wearing his abalone “ear-ornaments.”” Then the whole tribe went to see the great chief who had come into their town. The head chief of the town invited Txä’msᴇm into his house, and set before him rich food of all kinds. While Txä’msᴇm was eating, he saw that the chief’s house was full of dried codfish. After the evening meal, he called to his slave to go with him to refresh themselves for a while. They did so; and when they were behind the house, he opened his mind to the slave. He said, “I saw a house full of dried codfish, so I will pretend to die. When you go in, I will lie down, and some of the codfish oil will drop into my eye. Then I shall pretend to die of this cause; and when you tell the people that I am about to die, you shall order the people to move and to leave everything behind. Then, when you put me into the grave-box, don’t tie it too tightly.’ Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm to his slave. They went in again in the evening. Now, Txä’msᴇm lay down, looked up, and soon some codfish oil dripped into one of his eyes. He pretended to be very sick, because he wanted to have all the codfish in the town. The same night, after a short time, he pretended to die. Then all the people wailed for him. The slave ran out and cried, ‘Move, great tribe, because the great chief died of the codfish oil!” The people did so. In the morning they moved, and left all the dried codfish and everything behind. The slave put him into a box, and tied it up with cedar-bark rope. When all the people had left,Txä’msᴇm asked from out of the box, “Have they all left?” The slave said, “No.” The slave left the box, went to every house, and ate the best codfish he could find. Then Txä’msᴇm became very desirous of eating it. The slave had tied up the box, and Txä’msᴇm was anxious to get out, but he was unable to open the box. So the slave ate all the codfish he wanted. Then, when the slave had enough, he went to the box, undid the rope with which he had tied the box, and Txä’msᴇm came out with sad countenance, and ate the codfish that his slave had left. They staid there a little longer, until they had devoured all the codfish in the whole village.

(18) Txä’msᴇm Kills His Slave

They went on and on, until they arrived at a large village. Then Txä’msᴇm ordered his slave to say the same as he had at the last village, where Txä’msᴇm had pretended to die. Txä’msᴇm walked along the beach in front of the town. Then his slave shouted, and said, ‘Do you know that a great chief is walking along the beach in front of your town, great tribe? He wears a costly pair of abalone ear-ornaments.” Then the whole tribe sallied forth from thew houses to see the stranger. One of the head chiefs invited him in, and he entered with his slave and sat down. The chief gave them to eat. First they ate dried salmon, and then the waiters served them crabapples mixed with grease. Then the chief of the house said, “Łgum, ask your master if he wishes to have crabapples from Gałax.” When Txä’msᴇm saw these excellent crabapples, he was very desirous of eating them. Therefore he said to his slave in a low voice, ‘Tell them that I should like to eat what they have there now.” The slave said, “O chief! my master says he does not eat what you have there now, because he is afraid he might die.” The chief of the house said, “Oh, I see! Then we will eat it with you, Łgum.” Then Txä’msᴇm sat there, looking at his slave angrily. The slave ate all with the chief of the house, but Txä’msᴇm had only very little to cat. After they finished eating, they went out. Txä’msᴇm was still angry with his slave. Txä’msᴇm went first, followed by his slave Gahaya (‘). Soon they came to a deep canyon. Txä’msᴇm had placed the dried stem of a skunk-cabbage across, forming a bridge. He himself went across first; and when he reached the other side, he called Łgum to come across, but the slave was afraid to follow him. After a while, however, he followed him; and when Łgum reached the middle of the bridge, it broke. Then Łgum fell into the deep canyon, and his belly burst. When Txä’msᴇm saw what had happened, and saw the food of which he had not been able to partake, he flew down to the bottom of the canyon and ate the contents of the slave’s stomach. Txä’msᴇm simply took the food with beth his hands and ate it all. After he had eaten, he flew up from the bottom of the canyon.

(19) Fishermen Break Off Txä’msᴇm’s Jaw

Again Txä’msᴇm was very hungry. He went on, not knowing which way to turn. Behold! he came out of the woods near a large town, There were people out in front of the town, fishing for halibut. Txä’msᴇm thought they might have much bait on their hooks and that he would eat it. He dived and saw the bait. He took it off from the hooks and ate it. Then Txä’msᴇm went from one hook to another, eating all the bait. Thus the bait of all the fishermen had disappeared, and they did not know how it had happened. Finally one of the fishermen caught Txä’msᴇm’s jaw. His jaw was caught on one of the hooks. Then the fisherman pulled up his line, and Txä’msᴇm was pulled up, He offered resistance, but could not take the hook out of his mouth, and he held on to the rocks at the bottom of the sea. Then the fishermen assembled, and hauled together at the fishing-line. Txä’msᴇm had said to the rocks to which he held at the bottom of the sea, “Help me, rocks of the bottom!” and finally he said to his jaw, “Break off, jaw! I am getting tired now.” Then his jaw broke off, and the fisherman hauled up the line easily. Behold! the fishermen saw come up on the hook the great jaw with a long beard. Some of them laughed, but others were scared. They all went ashore at once, and all the people assembled in the chief’s house. They looked at the great jaw, and were surprised to see a man’s jaw with a long beard caught on a halibut hook. On the following day the gamblers assembled at one place on the beach of the town. There they looked at the great jaw. It was a man’s jaw. Now Txä’msᴇm went ashore and came out of the water. He was in great pain because his jaw had been broken off. Then he said to himself, ‘I am always doing something to myself.” Soon he arrived in the town, and saw the gamblers sitting on the beach. So he went toward them; and while the people were looking at the man’s great jaw, Txä’msᴇm came and sat down at the end of the line of people that were sitting there. He saw the people looking at the great jaw. The people handed it around and looked at it. After a little while Txä’msᴇm held his blanket over his mouth to cover his lost jaw: and when he saw his great jaw, he stretched out his hand and said, “Give it to me! Let me look at it!” He took it and looked at it, examining it and turning it over and over. He said, “Oh, that is wonderful!” He made the people forget it, put it on, and ran away, and then the people recognized him. They said, “That is Txä’msᴇm, the cheater.” Txä’msᴇm ran away as fast as he could. Then his jaw was well again.

(20) Txä’msᴇm and the Hunter

Txä’msᴇm went on; and as soon as he came to the beach, he saw a hunting-canoe coming around the point, and four men in the canoe. He thought that the hunters would have with them many animals that they had caught, and he said to himself, “I will pretend to be a woman.’ When the hunters’ canoe approached, he assumed the shape of a woman. When the chief of the hunters saw the young woman walking along the shore, he said, “Let us take her on board our canoe!” They agreed, went ashore, and took her aboard. The chief wanted to marry her. The young woman carried a child along. The hunters camped in the evening, and the child was erying. Its mother said, ‘The child wants to have a gisox.[2][2] That is why it cries.’ Then the young man cooked seal and gave it to the woman to let the child eat of it. When the men were all asleep, Txä’msᴇm arose and ate all the animals that the hunters had. Early on the following morning the chief of the hunters arose, and saw that his new wife looked like a man; therefore he shouted to wake up his companions. Txä’msᴇm arose first; and the chief of the hunters said, “That is vou, Txä’msᴇm, cheater!’ Txä’msᴇm ran away, and his child flew away into the woods as a crow.

(21) Txä’msᴇm and the Children

Txä’msᴇm came to another village, and saw many little children playing at the end of the town. They were throwing pieces of whale blubber at one another. Txä’msᴇm went toward them, stepped in

among the children, and ate the blubber with which they were playing. He ate all the blubber which the children were throwing at one another. Then the children stood there quietly, wondering what had become of it. Txä’msᴇm questioned them. ‘Children, where did you get this blubber?” One of the largest boys told him where they got it. He said, “We climb up a tree and throw ourselves down. When we strike the ground, we say, ’High piles of our blubber,’ and at once there are high piles of blubber.” Therefore Txä’msᴇm also climbed up a tree which the children had pointed out to him. It was a very tall one. When he reached the top of the tall tree, he threw himself down; and before he touched the ground, he shouted as the children had told him, “High!’? Txä’msᴇm struck the ground. Then the children went up to him, looked, and saw that he was dead. The children laughed at him, and left him there. After a little while Txä’msᴇm opened his eyes. He looked about, but he did not find anything to eat; but he had pains all over his body. He lay there on the ground, very sick from his fall from the top of the tall tree.

(22) Txä’msᴇm and the Salmon Woman

When Txä’msᴇm recovered from his sickness, he went on, very hungry and distressed. He went down to the beach and built a small house, made a canoe and a spear. One day he went out to try to spear something to eat. It was a calm day. Txä’msᴇm took up his spear, when a fog arose. It lay on the surface of the water. After a while the fog cleared away, and Txä’msᴇm beheld a bright and fair woman sitting in the bow of his canoe. Txä’msᴇm smiled at her, and she also smiled at him. Txä’msᴇm said to the bright and fair woman, “I” wish to marry you.” Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm to her. The woman said at once, “hist take care, Giant! I am the Salmon. Do not do me any harm.” Thus said Bright-Cloud Woman to him. Txä’msᴇm replied to her, who was now his wife, “Come, mistress, let us go home to our house!” They went ashore, and came to the beach in front of Txä’msᴇm’s house. As soon as they had gone in, Txä’msᴇm begged Bright-Cloud Woman to cause the salmon to appear in the brook that was at the right side of Txä’msᴇm’s little house. Bright-Cloud Woman declined. Early the following morning Bright-Cloud Woman arose quietly, went down to the creek, and put her toes into the water. At once a great’ many spring salmon jumped in the water. Then she woke her husband, and said, “See how the salmon are jumping at the mouth of the creek!” He arose and saw the spring salmon near the mouth of the creek. Txä’msᴇm was glad. Then Bright-Cloud Woman called her husband to comb his hair. Txä’msᴇm’s hair was very ugly. His wife combed it way down his back, and she changed Txä’msᴇm’s hair into blond hair. She also Th made his rough skin soft and white. Txä’msᴇm loved his wife very much. Soon the spring salmon were coming up the river. Txä’msᴇm went down and clubbed them, and Bright-Cloud Woman went and got them, and Txä’msᴇm got poles and hung the salmon on them to dry. Early the following morning Bright-Cloud Woman went down to the creek again. She went into the water, and let the water come up to her knees. At once there were salmon jumping. She came out of the water, went to her husband, and awakened him. She said, “The creek is full of silver salmon.” Txä’msᴇm arose, went down, and saw the silver salmon. The river was almost dried up, so full was it of salmon.

On the following day Txä’msᴇm went to his canoe to get wood to smoke his wife’s salmon. He took along some salmon which he was going to eat while he was getting wood. When he came to a place where he was going to get wood, ravens were flying over him, because they noticed the salmon in Txä’msᴇm’s canoe, and Txä’msᴇm had nothing to cover his salmon with. Many ravens assembled, and Txä’msᴇm did not want to leave his salmon in the canoe, and he also wanted very much to get wood to smoke all his wife’s salmon. So finally he took out one of his eyes to watch the salmon in the canoe; and he commanded his eye, “If any ravens should come to the canoe, call me, and I will come and drive them away. I don’t want them to eat my salmon. I am going to cut wood a little farther out there. If they come to the canoe, then call me; and when I call you from out there, you shall answer so that I know that you are still in my canoe.” Then he went.

As soon as he had gone, the ravens came into the canoe; and his eye shouted, “My eye, my eye! these ravens are about to devour me!” “Txä’msᴇm replied, “Hide under the stern-board!” His eye replied, “I have done so, yet the ravens are about to devour me.” Txä’msᴇm went back quickly, and called to his eye while he was going back, “My eye, my eye! hide under the stern-board! Oh, my eye!” Soon he came down to the canoe, but both his eye and his salmon were gone. He had lost everything. He stood there on the shore, and he had not a chip of wood; so he went aboard his canoe and went home, very sad. Soon he reached his camp. His beautiful wife came down to meet him on the beach. She asked him, ‘Why do you look so sad, my dear?” Txä’msᴇm said to her, “A raven took away my salmon and also my eye, and so I did not get any wood.” Then his wife said, “I will make a new eye for you, better than the old one.” Txä’msᴇm went up to his house with his sore eye. His wife went up to the place where he lay, and said, “I will wash your eye-socket.” She took water, washed his eye, and made a new one for him, so that it was better than before. Txä’msᴇm was very glad, for he had a new eye, and he loved his wife very much. The woman loved him really until their salmon was all dried.

Then Txä’msᴇm went into the river and clubbed all the salmon. He built two large houses, and filled them with good dried salmon. Now Txä’msᴇm’s food became plentiful, for his wife was drying salmon, and she was roasting some of them. Their three houses were full, and there was no place where Txä’msᴇm did not put away the dried salmon. Bright-Cloud Woman did thus so many times throughout the year, that there was no room for any more dried salmon. All the storehouses of Txä’msᴇm were full of bundles of good dried salmon. Therefore they ceased to make more dried salmon. On the following day he went and took a walk on the sandy beach next to the house. Bright-Cloud Woman staid at home. In the afternoon Txä’msᴇm came home, and his wife stepped up to him and asked him whether he wanted his supper. When Txä’msᴇm said “Yes,” Bright-Cloud Woman gave him to eat. The following morning he went out very early, and came back in the evening. His kind wife was ready to give him supper. For four days they acted this way. Then Txä’msᴇm became proud because he had so much food. He spoke angrily to his wife when he came home late in the evening. Finally he asked his wife, “Did any one visit you while I was away?” Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm to his fair wife. Then his good wife spoke with kindly words. ‘O master, what do you think! Who should visit me in this lonely place?” But Txä’msᴇm was angry. Bright-Cloud Woman said to her husband, “Have pity on me, my dear! No stranger has done any mischief to me. I love you most.’ Thus said Bright-Cloud Woman to her husband. Then Txä’msᴇm said, “I have been gambling every day, and at one time I was always gaining; but now I am losing everything I have. So I know that some man is visiting you.” Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm to his wife. The good woman wept. Txä’msᴇm arose, went out, and his wife followed him secretly. Txä’msᴇm had gone to the first point where he sat down and was gambling with a stump. Bright-Cloud Woman came secretly to where he was, and saw her husband gambling with the large stump. She went away secretly. In the evening Txä’msᴇm came home to his kind wife in a rage.

One day Txä’msᴇm dressed up. He was going to take a walk. His wife combed his hair as she used to do every morning. He arose, and tried to go out; but the backbone of the spring salmon caught in his hair, and he scolded it. He took it and threw it into the corner of the house, saying, “You come from the naked body of a woman, and you catch my hair!” Bright-Cloud Woman just hung her head and cried, but Txä’msᴇm laughed at his wife and went out. hist before evening Txä’msᴇm came in, and again the backbone of the spring salmon caught in his long blond hair. Txä’msᴇm was very angry, and threw it into the corner of the house. He said again, “You come from the naked body of a woman, and you catch my long blond hair!” Bright-Cloud Woman arose at once. She said to the dried Salmon, “Come, my tribe, let us go back!’ Thus she said to them. She stood up and whistled. Then all the dried Salmon flew out of the house; and while the dried Salmon were flying away, Txä’msᴇm’s blond hair became scorched and turned back to its own natural color, and his own rough skin came back again. And while his blond hair was being scorched, he tried to take hold of its end, and said, “You should not. do that, hair;” and he was uglier than before. Then Bright-Cloud Woman started, and led her tribe, the dried Salmon, and they all went into the water. Txä’msᴇm tried to put his arms around his wife, but her body was like smoke, and his arms went through her, for she was a cloud. Txä’msᴇm came to be very poor, and had nothing to eat and was very hungry. He was there all alone, no one to comfort him. He had lost all his provisions, and his beautiful wife had gone. His blond hair was scorched, and his soft white skin had become rough again. He sat down in the house, weeping and sorrowful on account of the things he had lost.

(23) Txä’msᴇm Makes War on the South Wind[1]

Txä’msᴇm continued to live alone in his little hut. It had been bad weather all the time since his wife had left him, for the south wind was blowing hard, and he could not get anything to eat. All the people were also unable to get their food, and they were starving. They were also unable to get any fish; for the halibut, red cod, black cod, and others would not bite, and the fishermen could not, get any bait on account of the bad weather. They all were very much distressed. Txä’msᴇm’s eyes were sore on account of the smoke which the south wind blew down through the smoke hole, and which filled his little hut. Then Txä’msᴇm called all the Fish. When they were in his house, he said, “O my father’s tribe! let us consider if we can not get something to eat, the weather always being so bad! We shall soon die of starvation if we always stay at home on account of the bad weather.” Then the Devilfish arose, and said at once, “O chief! I will speak what is in my mind. Let us go and make war against the Master Of The South Wind, that we may not all die of starvation!” Then the Halibut also arose, and said, ‘I an. much pleased with what my friend said. Let us go and make war against him, lest we and our children die!’ The Fish agreed to go and make war against the Master Of The South Wind.” Then the Devilfish also said, “Let us borrow the canoe of our brother Killer Whale, for he has a strong canoe, which can be used in a gale!” The Fish consented,

and he sent the Red Cod to borrow the canoe of the Killer Whale. The chief of the Killer Whales gave it to them, and they took it home. Then the Halibut arose, and stood up before Txä’msᴇm, and said, “I come to tell you the wishes of our people, what they want you to do, dear Txä’msᴇm! They say that you shall devise a way how we can make war against the Master Of The South Wind.” So Txä’msᴇm said to him, ‘Go and ask my brothers to get ready; we will go tomorrow;” and the Halibut went to report to the people what Txä’msᴇm had said. Then Txä’msᴇm begged his companions, Devilfish and Halibut, to sit in the stern of the canoe. When they were all aboard the large Killer-Whale canoe, one of the shellfish was also among the number. It was Cockle. Cockle decided to kick the Master Of The South Wind down the beach when they arrived there. Early in the morning they launched their canoe, and all the people went aboard. The Devilfish and the Halibut were sitting in the stern, and the Cockle and Red Cod in the bow, to watch any danger that might come to them on their way. Then Killer Whale went against the South Wind, going southward toward the town of the Master Of The South Wind. They were going a long time, and the Cockle always said, “I will kick the Master Of The South Wind down to the beach when we get there.” Txä’msᴇm heard what Cockle said; and when they saw the village, Txä’msᴇm advised his three companions, Devilfish, Halibut, and Cockle: “You shall go ashore first, and we others will stay in the canoe with the whole crew. Your companion Halibut shall lie down at the door of the house of the Master Of The South Wind. Devilfish shall hide on one side of the door, so that he may suck out the Master Of The South Wind, who shall then slip on the Halibut when the Cockle kicks him down the beach in front of his house.’ Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm. Then he stopped speaking, for he had arrived at the beach in front of the house of the Master Of The South Wind. Halibut went ashore first, and lay down at the door of the house of the Master Of The South Wind. Devilfish remained sitting in the canoe. Then Cockle jumped out of the canoe and went to the door of the house. There he opened his shell when he entered the house. He saw the Master Of The South Wind lying with his back toward the door of the house; and he was always breaking wind, therefore the south wind was blowing hard all the time. The Cockle tried to go toward the Master Of The South Wind. He opened his shell and tried to kick the Master Of The South Wind, but in vain. He tried in every way, but could not do it. Finally Txä’msᴇm called him down, so the Cockle went down to the canoe. Txä’msᴇm took him up and broke him. He said to him, while he was breaking him, “I will” break this braggart,” and he ate him. Then Red Cod jumped into the house. He took his fire-drill and drilled. Soon he obtained fire. He took red-cedar bark from under his blanket and put it on the burning fire. Thus he made a thick smoke in the house of the Master Of The South Wind. The Master Of The South Wind began to cough and to sneeze. Then Red Cod jumped out again. Now the chief, the Master Of The South Wind, coughed and sneezed very hard. He arose, and kept going backward, on and on. He stumbled because he was coughing so hard. He came to the door of his house; and when he stepped on the Halibut, he slipped on him, and slid right down to the Killer-Whale canoe. Then Devilfish sucked, and kept him from going back. Txä’msᴇm said to his people, ‘Kill him with stones, kill him right away!” Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm to his companions. Then he spoke again, and said, “Go on, warriors, club and kill hun Then the chief, the Master Of The South Wind, spoke at once, and said, “O Chief Txä’msᴇm! why do you intend to do this to me?” Txä’msᴇm said at once, “O chief, Master Of The South Wind! I do this because we always have bad weather.” Then the Master Of The South Wind spoke again, and said, “There shall be alternately one fine day and one bad day.’” Txä’msᴇm said at once, “Kill him! for what is the use of one day fine and another bad weather? What does that help us?” Then the chief, the Master Of The South Wind, spoke again, and said, “There shall be two good days in succession.” Txä’msᴇm said, “I don’t want that, either. Go on, kill him!” Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm to his warriors. Then the chief, the Master Of The South Wind, said, “It shall always be summer in your world.” Txä’msᴇm said, ‘That is too much. It is enough to have four days fine weather at a time.” Thus said Txä’msᴇm to the chief, the Master Of The South Wind. Then Txä’msᴇm said again, “O” chief, Master Of The South Wind! don’t lie, else we shall come again and make war on you.” Now, Devilfish let go of him. He went up to the beach, and entered his house. Txä’msᴇm called Halibut and Devilfish and Red Cod. They all went aboard the canoe and returned home. When they arrived on the beach of Txä’msᴇm’s house, Txä’msᴇm said at once, Go to your places, for I have been to make war against the Master Of The South Wind, and he promised that it would be good weather for four days at a time.” Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm to them before they left him. Each went to his own house. Soon some went to dig clams, others went to get bait; and others went to search for their own kind of food. Still others went fishing; and therefore nowadays we have good weather in our world.

(24) Txä’msᴇm Makes a Girl Sick and Then Cures Her

Txä’msᴇm went on, not knowing which way to turn. He was very hungry, staying in a lonely place. After a while he came to the end of a large town. He saw many people walking about, and he was afraid to let himself be seen. Txä’msᴇm sat down there; and on the following day, while he was still sitting there, he saw a large canoe being launched on the beach. Aboard were many young women who went to pick blueberries. Then Txä’msᴇm thought how he could enter the great town. Finally it occurred to him to catch a deer. He went into the woods and caught a deer, skinned it, put on the skin, and then swam in front of the large canoe which was full of young women who were going to pick blueberries. Among them was a young princess, the daughter of the master of that large town. Txä’msᴇm saw that she was among the young women. She was sitting near the middle of the large canoe, between two women. Now, they saw the stag swimming along in front of the canoe. Then the princess said to her companions, “Let us pursue him!’ They did so They paddled along, and soon they caught and killed the stag, and took him into the canoe. Txä’msᴇm thought, “Let them put me down in front of the princess!” and then they took him into the canoe and placed him in front of the princess, as Txä’msᴇm had wished them to do. Then they paddled along toward the place where the blueberries were. Before they reached the blueberry-patch, the deer moved his hind leg and kicked the princess in the stomach. Then he leaped out of the canoe and ran into the woods. The princess fainted when she received the wound, and therefore the young women turned back and went home. The princess became worse as they went along. Finally they reached the beach in front of the house of the head chief. They told the people what had happened to them on their journey. Then they took the princess up to her father’s house. A great number of people were following them. The chief was very sorrowful because his only daughter was hurt. He called together all the wise men, and asked them what he should do to cure his daughter. The wise men told him to gather all the shamans, and let them try to cure her wound. There was a wound under her ribs made by the hind leg of the deer. Then the chief ordered his attendants to call all the shamans. The attendants went and called all the shamans. They gathered in the chief’s great house. Then the shamans worked over her with their supernatural powers, but they all failed. The wound could not be cured by the supernatural powers of the shamans. The girl became worse and worse, until she was very ill. Still the shamans worked on, day and night. Three days had passed, and the many shamans had been working in vain. On the fourth day, behold! before the evening set in a canoe filled with young men came to town. They came ashore, and some people went down to meet them. Then the people who were going down saw a shaman sitting in the middle of the canoe. They went up quickly and told the chief that a shaman had come to town. Therefore the chief sent to him, asking him to cure his only daughter. (His shaman was Txä’msᴇm, and the crew of his canoe were his grandchildren the Crows.) In the evening, when he came in, he saw the princess lying there very ill, for he had hurt her a few days before; and all the shamans who had failed before were sitting along the wall on one side of the house. Txä’msᴇm pretended to be a shaman. He sat down near the head of the princess, who was lying down; and all the young men followed him, carrying a large box which contained his magic powers. He took charcoal and rubbed it on his face, and rubbed ashes over it. He put on the crown of bears’ claws, placed a ring of red-cedar bark around his neck, and put on his shaman’s dancing-apron, and took up his large shaman’s rattle. He started with beating of the drum; and after the drumming and beating, he began his song; and when they were singing, they pronounced these words:

and as the singers pronounced these words, hail beat on the roof of the chief’s house terribly. (Before Txä’msᴇm arrived in the town, he had ordered some of his grandchildren the Crows to take each a small white stone in his mouth, and said, “When we pronounce the words of our song, then drop the stones on the roof of the chief’s house.’ Thus had Txä’msᴇm spoken to his grandchildren the Crows, and they had done so.) When the mighty hail ceased, Txä’msᴇm said, “Bring me a mat of cedar bark.” They brought him the mat, and he spread it over the princess to cover her. He himself also went under it with the girl, touched the wound, said, ‘Be cured, wound under the right ribs!” and so it happened. Then the chief was very glad because his daughter had been cured of her illness. He gave Txä’msᴇm all kinds of food. Now, the chief spoke to the shaman after he had fed him, and said, “Ask me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” Then he made a promise unto him: “Whatever you may ask me, I will give it to you, my dear, good, and true supernatural man,—you, who are possessed of supernatural powers,—for you have succeeded in restoring my only daughter.” Then Txä’msᴇm looked around and smiled. He said, “What I want is that you should move, and leave for me all the provisions you have; for my young men have nothing, because we have no time to obtain our own provisions, for we are going around all the time healing those who need us.” Then the chief ordered his slaves to go out, and ordered the people to move on the next day. Then the slaves ran out, crying, “Leave, great tribe, and leave your provisions behind!’ The people did so. They left in the morning, and left. all their food, according to the order of their master. Txä’msᴇm was very glad, because now he had much food. On the following day he took a walk; and while he was absent, his grandchildren assembled, opened many boxes of crabapples mixed with grease, and ate them all. When Txä’msᴇm came home from his walk, behold! he saw all the empty boxes, and he knew that his grandchildren had done this.

(25) Txä’msᴇm Pretends to Build a Canoe

Txä’msᴇm did still another thing. After he had visited every country, he found a little hut in which were two women—a widow and her daughter: and the widow was very kind to him, and fed him with many kinds of food. After Txä’msᴇm had eaten, he said to the widow, “SI will marry your daughter,” and the widow agreed. Then Txä’msᴇm was glad that the widow’s daughter was to marry him, for the widow’s house was full of all kinds of food. The young woman who was the wife of Txä’msᴇm was very beautiful. After awhile Txä’msᴇm said to his young wife, “Now, my dear, you know that I love you very much, and therefore I shall build a nice little canoe for your mother. I shall go away tomorrow to look for red cedar. Then I will build a canoe for her. I want you to get ready, for I want to start early in the morning.” Then the young woman repeated this to her mother. Early the next morning the motherin-law arose and prepared breakfast for her son-in-law. When it was ready she called her son-in-law. Txä’msᴇm arose and ate his breakfast. Then he went off to search for red cedar. He came back before it was evening, went to his wife, and told her that he had found a very good red cedar of proper size. He said, “I will cut it down tomorrow. Then I [will cut it the right length for a canoe.’ His mother-in-law prepared supper for him, and she cooked all the food she had. After he had eaten his meal, he lay down; and while he was lying there, he whispered to his wife, ‘When the canoe is finished, I will go around the island. You shall sit in the stern, your mother shall sit in the middle of the canoe, and I will sit in the bow. Then we shall have a happy time.” Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm to his wife. Next morning he arose, while his mother-in-law prepared his breakfast. After he had taken his meal, he took his mother-in-law’s stone tools and went; and his mother-in-law and his wife heard him cut the tree with his stone ax. They also heard the large cedar tree fall, and after a while they heard also how he was working with the stone ax. He came home before it was evening, weary and sore on account of the hard work that he had been doing all day long. When he came home, he said to his wife, “hist tell your mother that] I want her to boil for me a good dried salmon every evening, for I like the soup of dried salmon. It is very good for a man who is building a canoe.” She did so every evening. When the fourth day came, Txä’msᴇm told his wife that the canoe was almost finished. By this time his mother-in-law’s proVisions were nearly spent, and some of her food boxes were empty. A few days later Txä’msᴇm started again, and on the following morning he went to take along some food for his dinner. Now, the widow said to her daughter, “Go, my dear daughter, and see how long it may take until your husband has finished the canoe that he is building, but go secretly.”. Then her daughter went to the place where her husband was working. Unseen she arrived at the place where he was, and saw him standing at the end of an old rotten cedar tree beating it with a stone ax to make a noise like a man who is working with an ax. His wife saw that there was a large hole in the rotten cedar tree, and therefore it made so much noise when Txä’msᴇm was striking it. His wife left. When she came to her mother, she told her all about her husband. Therefore they took the canoe and moved to their tribe. They took away all the provisions that were left. Txä’msᴇm went back before it was evening. Before he reached his mother-in-law’s hut he was glad and whistled, because he thought his mother-in-law had prepared his supper for him. But when he went in, he saw that everything was gone. Nothing remained except empty boxes and a little fire. Then he was hungry again.

(26) Txä’msᴇm Visits Chief Echo

Txä’msᴇm remained sitting there, thinking quietly how many hard things he had done among men, still his needs were not satisfied. At last he made up his mind to try to go again to the people in order to get something to eat, for he was a great eater. He went to a lonely place, and was very anxious to find some people in the woods. Soon he came to a great plain. No trees were to be seen, hist grass and flowers. At a distance he beheld a large house, and inside the large house with carved front he heard many people singing. He saw sparks flying up from the smoke hole, and he knew that it must be the house of a great chief. When he came near the house, he heard something saying with a loud voice, “A stranger is coming, a chief is coming!” and he knew that they meant him. So he went in, but he saw nobody. Still he heard the voices. He saw a great fire in the center, and a good new mat was spread out for him alongside the fire. Then he heard a voice which called to him, ‘Sit down on the mat! His way, great chief! His way, great chief! His way!” He walked proudly toward the mat. Then Txä’msᴇm sat down on it. His was the house of Chief Echo. Then Txä’msᴇm heard the chief speak to his slaves and tell them to roast a dried salmon; and he saw a carved box open itself and dried salmon come out of it. Then he saw a nice dish walk toward the fire all by itself. Txä’msᴇm was scared and astonished to see these things. When the dried salmon was roasted and cut into pieces of the right length, the pieces went into the dish all by themselves. The dish laid itself down in front of Txä’msᴇm, and he thought while he was eating, what strange things he was seeing now. When he had finished, a horn dipper came forward filled with water. He took it by its handle and drank. Then he saw a large dish full of crabapples mixed with grease, and a black horn spoon, come forward by themselves. Txä’msᴇm took the handle and ate all he could. Before he emptied his dish, he looked around, and, behold! mountain-goat fat was hanging on one side of the house. He thought, “I will take down one of these large pieces of fat.” Thus Txä’msᴇm thought while he was eating. Then he heard many women laughing in one corner of the house, “Ha, ha! Txä’msᴇm thinks he will take down one of those large pieces of mountain-goat fat!” Then Txä’msᴇm was ashamed on account of what the women were saying. He ate all the crabapples, and another dish came forward filled with cranberries mixed with grease and with water. Txä’msᴇm ate again, and, behold! he saw dried mountain-sheep fat hanging in one corner of the large house. He thought again, “I will take down one of these pieces of mountain-sheep fat, and I will run out with it.” Again he heard many women laughing, “Wa, ha! ha! Txä’msᴇm is thinking he will take down a piece of the mountain-sheep fat and will run out with it.” Txä’msᴇm was much troubled on account of what he heard the women saying, and when he heard them laughing in the corner of the house. He arose, ran out, and snatched one of the pieces of mountain-goat meat and of mountiin-sheep fat; but when he came to the door, a large stone hammer beat him on the ankle, and he fell to the ground badly hurt. He lost the meat and fat, and some one dragged him along and east him out. He lay there a while and began to cry, for he was very hungry, and his foot very sore. On the following day, when he was a little better, he took a stick and tried to walk away.

(27) Txä’msᴇm Kills Little Pitch

Txä’msᴇm went on, not knowing which way to go. Le was very weak and hungry, and sore of foot. He went on and on in the woods until he saw a house far off. He went toward it, came near, and entered. There were a man and his wife, a very pretty young woman, there. They permitted him to come in, for they had pity on the poor man who had come to their house. They asked him if he wanted something to eat, and they gave him to eat. Then the young woman tried to cure his ankle, which was hurt. by the stone in the house of Chief Echo, He was now in the house of Little Pitch. He came in, and the people were very kind to him. The wife of Little Pitch put pitch on his sore ankle. After two days he was quite well, and he was very glad. The young woman gave him to eat every day. The house of Little Pitch was full of dried halibut and of all kinds of provisions. Txä’msᴇm made up his mind to kill his friend who had treated him so kindly.

On the following evening, after he had eaten his supper, he said to his friend that they would go out the next morning to catch halibut. Little Pitch was willing, and said to Txä’msᴇm, ‘‘It is not good for me if I go out fishing in the sun, because I am so weak. I must return home while it is still chilly.” Txä’msᴇm replied, “I will do whatever you say, sir. I think we shall have plenty of time.” Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm. They started for the fishing-ground, and fished all night until daybreak. When the sun rose, Little Pitch wanted to go home; but Txä’msᴇm said, ‘I enjoy fishing. Lie down there in the bow of the canoe, and cover yourself with a mat.” Little Pitch lay down, and Txä’msᴇm called him, “Little Pitch!” “Hey!” he replied. After a while Txä’msᴇm called him again, “Little Pitch!”—“Hey!” he answered again with a loud voice. Txä’msᴇm called him once more, ‘Little Pitch!’ Then he answered “Hey!” in a low voice. Txä’msᴇm called him still again. He answered, “Hey, hey!” with a very weak voice. “Now I will pull up my fishing-lines,” said Txä’msᴇm; and after he had hauled his lines into the canoe, he paddled away home.

Txä’msᴇm paddled very hard. He called again, “Little Pitch!” but there was no answer; so he went to see what had happened to Little Pitch. As soon as he touched the mat that covered Little Pitch, behold! pitch was running out all over the halibut. Little Pitch was dead, and melted pitch ran all over the halibut. Therefore the halibut is black on one side.

Txä’msᴇm was very glad. He paddled along until he reached the shore in front of Little Pitch’s house, expecting to get a good supper from Little Pitch’s wife. He took the line, tied up his canoe, and went up, glad in his heart. He went on and on, but could not find any house. He searched everywhere, but could not find it. Only a little green spruce tree was standing there, with a drop of pitch upon one side. Finally Txä’msᴇm remembered that his canoe was full of halibut; so he went down to the beach, being very hungry, but he could not find his canoe. Only a spruce log with roots was there. Then Txä’msᴇm felt very badly.

(28) Txä’msᴇm Kills Grizzly Bear

There was no food with which Txä’msᴇm could satisfy his hunger. He began to cry, for he was very hungry; and he went on, not knowing which way to go. Finally he arrived on one side of a large bay, and saw a small house on the other side, and a small canoe on the beach in front of the house. Txä’msᴇm went toward the house, and entered. In the house was an old man with his two wives. The house was full of dried fish—halibut and other kinds—and of dried meat of mountain gout, and there were fat and all kinds of dried berries. They spread a mat out, and let Txä’msᴇm sit on it. They gave him some of the good food they had; and while Txä’msᴇm was eating his meal, he said to his new friend, ‘Sir, may [ I join you tomorrow, when you go out to catch halibut?” Chief Grizzly Bear said that he had no bait; but Txä’msᴇm replied, “We shall have bait from our own bodies.” So Chief Bear consented, and they went to bed.

When Txä’msᴇm knew that they were all asleep, he went out secretly to the creek, caught a cohoes salmon, and cut off its tail. Early the following morning Txä’msᴇm went down first, launched Chief Grizzly Bear’s canoe, and then the chief also went down. They started for the fishing-bank. When they reached the fishing-ground, Txä’msᴇm pretended to cut off part of his belly, and to tie it on to his hook for bait. Grizzly Bear saw it, but he was afraid to do the same. Grizzly Bear was surprised when he saw what Txä’msᴇm was doing. Then Txä’msᴇm urged him, saying, ’‘Go on! do the same,” but Grizzly was afraid to do so. Then Txä’msᴇm forced him to do so. He threw his knife to Grizzly Bear, and Grizzly Bear took the knife and cut off part of his own body. Soon he fainted. When he felt that he was dying, he rushed at Txä’msᴇm, trying to kill him; but Txä’msᴇm jumped out and clung to the bottom of the canoe. When he heard that Grizzly Bear was dead, he went back into the canoe. Then he went ashore and hurried toward the house.

He said to the two female Grizzly Bears, “Your husband has fainted, and he will die. If you want to bring him back to life, bring me two stones.” Then the two women went, and brought each a small stone. Txä’msᴇm put these stones into the fire, and, when they were red-hot, he told the women each to swallow one. The female Grizzly Bears trusted him. When the stones were red-hot, Txä’msᴇm took two wooden tongs, took up the stones, and said to each of the women, “Now, dear chief tainess, open your mouth and close your eyes!” They did so, and Txä’msᴇm put the hot stones into their mouths. Then they tumbled about, and Txä’msᴇm struck them until they were dead. Thus Txä’msᴇm killed three Grizzly Bears in one day. He went down to the beach at once and took out of the canoe the Grizzly Bear that he had killed. He cut it up first, and then his two wives. Txä’msᴇm staid there many days. He had a good time, and ate all he wanted every day.

(29) Txä’msᴇm Kills Deer

When Txä’msᴇm had eaten the provisions of the Grizzly Bear, he went on, not knowing where to go. Soon he came to the mouth of the creek where there were humpback salmon. He saw a little hut on the other side. He went to it, and saw a man and his wife, two persons, in the house. Txä’msᴇm went in, and sat down on one side of the fire. These persons were smoking humpback salmon, and they fed Txä’msᴇm with good food; and while Txä’msᴇm was eating, he said to his new friend, “O brother-in-law! (he called the Deer his brother-in-law) let us go tomorrow and cut wood, for you have no good wood fit for smoking salmon. I know what kind of wood you need for your salmon.” The Deer trusted him, and on the following morning they went out. Txä’msᴇm saw a rotten hemlock tree, which, as he said, would make good wood for his brother-in-law to dry salmon with. Therefore the people now know that this kind of wood is good for smoking salmon. Txä’msᴇm cut down one of the trees, and cut the wood of right lengths. While he was splitting the wood, his wedges jumped out. He tried it again, but the wedges jumped out again. When his brother-in-law saw the wedges jump out often, he stepped up to him and took hold of the wedges. When the Deer took off his hands, the wedges jumped out again. “Take hold of them again!’ said Txä’msᴇm to his brother-in-law. “Come a: little nearer!” He did so. “Don’t be afraid, brother-in-law!” So the poor Deer put his head close to the wedges. Then Txä’msᴇm struck the wedges with his stone hammer, and said to the Deer, “Come a little nearer to the wedges!” for the wedges always jumped out. Then the Deer was afraid. Txä’msᴇm said, “Don’t be afraid! I won’t hurt you.” So the Deer put his head quite close to the wedges; and while Txä’msᴇm was striking them with his hammer, he sang out, “Wo wu, wo wu, wo wu!’ After he had done so, he hit the Deer’s head, and the Deer fell down dead. Txä’msᴇm made “ fire, and put flat stones in it. He made a hole in the ground, and when the flat stones were red-hot, he gathered leaves of the skunk-cabbage, cut up the fat deer, and put it on the hot stones. He put the cover on, and put water on the hot stones to steam the meat in the hole.

When he uncovered the fat meat that he had cooked, he was very happy. Txä’msᴇm saw a large stump[1] which was lying near the hole. Then he took part of the fat meat, shook it at the big Stump, and said to the Stump, * Wouldn’t you like to have my fat meat, old Stump?’ He did so many times. After he had eaten, he went to get some more leaves of the skunk-cabbage, which were to serve as his dish. After he had left, the great Stump moved, and sat down on top of the hole where the meat was. Now Txä’msᴇm returned. Behold! the Stump was on top of his meat. He cried aloud on account of his food. Txä’msᴇm went up to the Stump, and said, “hist sit a little farther, friend! I will eat with you of my fat meat.’ He did all he could to move the great Stump. “hist sit a

little farther off, and I will eat with you, dear friend! Oh, have pity on me, dear friend!”

Finally, when the Stump had eaten all the fat meat, he moved off from the hole, and Txä’msᴇm saw that only bare bones were left in the hole. He took these bare bones, broke them to find something in them, and cried.

In the evening he went into his canoe. THe put black paint on his face, and paddled along, singing—

The Deer’s wife was standing in front of their house. Soon Txä’msᴇm came to the beach, and she asked him, “What has happened to you?” Txä’msᴇm was still crying—

Then the Deer’s wife shook her little short tail and ran away from him. Txä’msᴇm went ito the house of the Deer, and ate all the provisions in the house.

(30) Txä’msᴇm Imitates Chief Seal

After Txä’msᴇm had eaten everything, he went on again. He came to a long point, and, behold! there was a house. He entered, for he was very hungry. His was the house of the Seal. Chief Seal spread a new mat, and Txä’msᴇm sat down on it. Then Seal roasted a dried salmon, put it ma dish, and placed it before Txä’msᴇm. Seal took another dish and placed it near the fire. Then he held up both his hands close to the fire, with the back of his hands toward the fire, so that they grew warm, and oil dripped from his fingers and ran into the dish, which he gave to Txä’msᴇm to dip the salmon into. Txä’msᴇm dipped his salmon into the oil and ate. Then he took a dish and filled it with seal blubber, and he put more oil over it. Txä’msᴇm was very glad, for he had eaten enough in the house of the Seal.

Then he left. He built a house; and when he had finished it, he invited the Seal to his new house. The Seal came to visit him, and sat down in the rear of the house. Txä’msᴇm took a dish and placed it near the fire. He held up his hands, so that they grew warm, and his fingers, eyes, and mouth were scorched. Txä’msᴇm fell back like one dead, and he lay there a long time. Then the Seal arose. There was no oil in the dish. He said, “Oh, he tries to do what I do!” Txä’msᴇm was much ashamed. He arose, went into the woods, found some pitch, and put it on his fingers.

People say that m olden times all the joints of man’s or woman’s fingers had eyes and mouths until Txä’msᴇm held up his hands when he invited Chief Seal into his house, and that man’s fingers have had no eyes and no mouths since; when people ate food in those days, the fingers also ate.

(31) Txä’msᴇm Imitates Chief Kingfisher

Again Txä’msᴇm went on. He came to a creek, and saw a house in front of him. It was a very nice house. He went toward it; and when he went in, he saw a good-looking young man who was making a hook, When Txä’msᴇm entered, the young man looked at him, arose hastily, and spread a new mat on the floor. Then the young man went and fetched a pail of water. He took a nice dish, and roasted a dried salmon. He put it into the dish, and placed it before Txä’msᴇm. His young man was Chief Kingfisher. He had large stores of all kinds of provisions, and gave nearly everything to Txä’msᴇm. At last he took a nice dish and stretched his foot out over it. Then he took a smooth stone, struck his ankle, and salmon eggs poured out of it and filled the dish. He placed it before Txä’msᴇm, gave him a wooden spoon, and Txä’msᴇm ate it all and was very much pleased. He left the house of Kingfisher when he had had enough.

Then he thought that he would invite his friend to visit him. Now, Txä’msᴇm built a house better than that of young Kingfisher. When he had finished it, he invited Kingfisher, who sat down alongside the fire. Txä’msᴇm took a dish, stretched out his foot over the dish, took a smooth stone and struck his ankle. He fell back, and said, “Oh, I am almost dead!” Then young Kingfisher flew away from him, and Txä’msᴇm was very much ashamed. His foot was sore and swollen, and he lay there a long time until it became well again.

(32) Txä’msᴇm Imitates the Thrush

Again he went, not knowing which way to turn. He came to a large river where there were many salmonberry bushes. There was a house, and Txä’msᴇm went toward it. There he saw a fine-looking man, the Thrush, who invited Txä’msᴇm to come in. The good-looking young man took some dried salmon, roasted them, put them in a dish, and placed them before Txä’msᴇm, who ate. When he had finished eating salmon, he drank water. Then Thrush took a nice clean dish, wiped it out, arose, and took it up to the smoke hole. Then he sang—

After he had done so four times, he placed the dish before Txä’msᴇm. It was full of red and yellow salmonberries, which Txä’msᴇm enjoyed very much. He ate them all.

Then he thought again that he would do the same; and while the young man was busy, Txä’msᴇm secretly took some of the unripe salmonberries, put them into his left hand, and as soon as he had left the house, he built a house for himself and invited the Thrush to his new home. When his guest came in, he sat down on one side of Txä’msᴇm’s house. Txä’msᴇm took a dish, lifted it up to the smoke hole, and put into it the unripe salmonberries that he had taken away from Thrush’s house. He held up the dish and said, “Miga, Miga!” He said so very often, but there remained just: as many unripe salmonberries in his dish as he had put in, and Txiimskin’s hands were tired from holding up the dish. He placed it before the Thrush, who arose, saying, * You tried to imitate me.’ Then Txä’msᴇm was ashamed. He sat down in his house.

(33) Txä’msᴇm and Cormorant

Txä’msᴇm went on again, not knowing which way to turn. He went toward the sea; and, behold! he saw a house some distance away. He came near, entered, and sat down on one side of the fire. A man was there with his wife. His was the house of Chief Cormorant. The man’s wife arose and roasted dried salmon by the fire. She put it into a dish and placed it before Txä’msᴇm, who ate it all. She uncovered steamed halibut and seal meat, put it into a dish, and gave it to Txä’msᴇm, who ate it all. The house of Chief Cormorant was full of dried halibut and dried seal meat. After Txä’msᴇm had eaten, he said to Chief Cormorant, “Dear chief, let us go tomorrow to catch halibut!’ Thus spoke Txä’msᴇm to Chief Cormorant. The chief replied at once, and said, “We will go tomorrow morning,” and in the evening they prepared their hooks and fishing-lines. Night came, and before it was daylight Txä’msᴇm arose and called Chief Cormorant. Chief Cormorant awoke at once and arose. They went aboard the canoe, and paddled to the fishing-ground, each with a mat on his knees. As soon as they came to the fishing-ground, they baited their hooks and threw the lines into the water. When the fishing-lines touched the bottom, Chief Cormorant had a bite from a halibut at once, and hauled up his line with a halibut at each end?[2] He clubbed them and took them into the canoe. Then be threw his fish-line back into the water. Immediately he had another bite from two halibut. He hauled up his line and clubbed them again. Txä’msᴇm felt very bad because he did not get a bite from the halibut. Chief Cormorant threw out his line again; and when his hooks touched the bottom, he had another bite. Then he hauled up the

halibut and clubbed them. Chief Cormorant had not been there long when his boat was full of large halibut, and all the halibut had their heads toward Chief Cormorant; but Txä’msᴇm caught no halibut at all, while the chief was filling his canoe with fish.

The chief said to Txä’msᴇm, ‘Let us go home, for we have enough halibut!” Then they hauled up their lines and paddled home with their canoe full of halibut. Now Txä’msᴇm was silent. Then Chief Cormorant said to his friend, “I will give you some of my halibut;” and Txä’msᴇm said to Cormorant, “Let us go ashore and refresh ourselves!” So they went ashore to refresh themselves. When they reached the beach, they stepped out of their canoe, and the sun shone on the sandy beach.

Now, Txä’msᴇm said to Cormorant, “hist stand still! I [see a large louse on the back of your head.” So the Cormorant stood there, while Txäm—Em went toward him. He said, “Ha! [ I caught your big louse. Now put out your tongue, that I may put your louse on it!’ The Cormorant put his tongue way out; and while he was doing so, Txä’msᴇm took hold of the tongue and tore it out. Then Cormorant tried to speak; but he could not, for he had no tongue. Txä’msᴇm went down to the canoe, and the poor Cormorant came down and went aboard the canoe, unable to talk. Many times he tried to speak, but Txä’msᴇm did not understand him. Txä’msᴇm paddled back home. When they arrived at the beach of Cormorant’s town, the people came down and saw that the canoe was full of halibut; but Chief Cormorant was lying in the bow of the canoe, covered with a mat. They questioned him, and asked, *t What is the matter with you, chief?’ Then Txä’msᴇm led, saying that Chief Cormorant had not caught any halibut; that therefore he had put his own hook into his mouth, and had torn out his own tongue. The people took off the mats that covered Chief Cormorant, and saw that his tongue was lost. The people questioned him. He tried to speak, but they did not understand him. Then Chief Cormorant made signs with his fingers, and thus told his people that Txä’msᴇm had torn out his tongue on their way back from the fishing-ground, because Txä’msᴇm had caught nothing.

Chief Cormorant’s mouth was full of blood; therefore all his people assembled and flew around Txä’msᴇm, and struck at his cheeks with their wings, and some of them scratched his head with their claws, and pecked at his eyes with their bills. Txdmsrm tried to escape; but the Cormorants were so many, that he was unable to do so. At last he put on his raven garment and flew away through the smoke hole, crying, “Caw, caw, caw!’ He went away, starving and hunery. For this reason the Cormorant can not speak distinctly nowadays. As Txä’msᴇm had cursed them, therefore all the cormorants have black feathers now. He himself was badly bruised all over his body.

(34) Txä’msᴇm and the Wolves

Txä’msᴇm went on again in the woods, lonely, without any friends. There was no meat for him to eat. At last he came out of the forest at a place where a house was standing in the valley. Txä’msᴇm went toward it. Before he arrived there, the sound of the voices of young men met him proceeding from the house. They asked him where he came from and where he was going. Txä’msᴇm replied, saying that he was out hunting, and the young men were glad to learn that he was a hunter. Therefore they invited him in. Many people were in the house. They spread mats on one side of the large fire. Txä’msᴇm sat down and looked around, and he saw that the house was full of all kinds of meat. There was some fresh meat. He smiled when he was looking around. Then they roasted dried salmon, and put it in a dish and placed it in front of Txä’msᴇm. He ate. The next course was boiled dried meat, and then fresh meat steamed in a hole in the ground. His was the house of Chief Wolf and of his people. Txiimsᴇm Was afraid. On the following day Chief Wolf said to his hunters, “Bring me some fresh meat tomorrow, while our friend is staying with us!’ Then all the young people got ready for the following morning; and early in the morning they started, as soon as the sun rose. They came home one by one, bringing all kinds of animals. Some brought mountain goats, some venison, some black bear, some geese, and so on. Txä’msᴇm did not know what to do, for he was afraid of the Wolves. He tried often to obtain all those provisions which he saw in the house of the chief of the Wolves. The Wolves did not sleep in the night, and they smelt everything; therefore Txä’msᴇm could not deceive them.

On the following day Txä’msᴇm intended to leave them for awhile, and he said he would be back after a few days. He told Chief Wolf that he was going for his hunting-gear. Chief Wolf ordered his servants to fill a big bag with fat meat, which he was going to give to his friend to eat on his way. On the following morning he started. He had not gone long before he had eaten all the fat meat in his bag.

(35) Txä’msᴇm and Chief Grouse

Then Txä’msᴇm climbed a mountain and saw a house on the other side. He went up to it secretly and looked in through a knot-hole. Behold! there were a woman and her two children. He left secretly, and went a little farther back and sat there a while. Then three Crows whom Txä’msᴇm had called came to him. He was going to pretend that one of the Crows was his wife and the two others were his children; so they went together toward the little house. Before they reached there, behold! a hunter came down with fresh meat of mountain goats, and the two children of the hunter came forth to meet their father. His was the house of Chief Grouse. The two children remained outside while the father went in. The children saw a man, his wife, and his two children coming along toward them. Then they ran in and told their parents that a stranger was coming to them, and their parents were ready to receive him. Chief Grouse invited in the visitor and his family. They went in, and Grouse gave them food until they all had had enough. Txä’msᴇm said that he would camp with them for a while, and Chief Grouse agreed. Early the following morning Chief Grouse arose and began to make arrows and darts. He made many; and on the following day Chief Grouse went, and Txä’msᴇm went also. In the evening Txä’msᴇm came home first. He had caught nothing. Late in the evening Chief Grouse came home with an abundance of meat of mountain goats and with fat, and his children were very glad because their father had brought them fat food—the fat of the intestines of mountain goats and the fat of kidneys.

Txä’msᴇm’s children were very anxious to have some of the fresh meat and fat. On the following day Chief Grouse made more arrows and darts. When he had finished them, he went again, leaving very early. On the following morning Txä’msᴇm also started. He followed Chief Grouse secretly; and when Chief Grouse arrived at the foot of a great steep cliff, he stood there with his bow in his hand, ready to shoot. He began to shoot his arrows at the cracks of the cliff, and Txä’msᴇm saw what he was doing. After Chief Grouse had shot all his new arrows, he shouted four times; and all of a sudden a bright young man stood by his side, and Chief Grouse stood still by the side of the bright young man. Then the bright young man questioned Chief Grouse: “Whose arrows are these?” -O dearest supernatural helper! all these are your arrows.” Then the bright young man vanished from the sight of Chief Grouse; and, behold! a mountain goat fell from the high cliff down to the place where Grouse was standing. After Txä’msᴇm had seen this, he went away secretly. Chief Grouse got four large mountain goats. He cut them up, and late in the evening he came home with all the fat of the mountain goats. Again his people welcomed their father gladly, because he came home with much fresh meat. Chief Grouse fed Txä’msᴇm and his family with the fresh meat and fat.

Then Txä’msᴇm questioned Chief Grouse: ‘Are you going to hunt tomorrow?”—“No, I shall not go,” answered Chief Grouse. “Well,” said Txä’msᴇm, “I will go myself tomorrow early in the morning.” Early the next morning Txä’msᴇm went out right to the place where Chief Grouse had gone the other day, and he began to shoot his new arrows. When he had finished shooting, he shouted with all his might at the foot of the high cliff. He shouted four times, and immediately a bright young man stood by his side. He asked Txä’msᴇm, “Whose darts and arrows are these?” and Txä’msᴇm stood there speechless. He did not know what to answer to the young man. The bright young man asked him again, “Whose darts and arrows are these?” Txä’msᴇm was doubtful what to answer, for he had not heard what Chief Grouse had answered when the supernatural being was standing at his side the day before. Txä’msᴇm replied after the second question, ‘These are my own darts and arrows, my own, my own tsidan,[1] Raven’s tsidan, his own tsidan.’” Then the supernatural bright young man was angry, because Txä’msᴇm was proud and had not answered the right way. He said to Txä’msᴇm, “I shall break your bad arrows,” and he threw them down the steep rock. Then the bright young man vanished from his side, and Txä’msᴇm turned back. He had not a single arrow left. He had only his bow and his hunting-knife. He felt very bad, turned back, and cut his own belly with his knife. He took out part of his own intestines, and put them around his walking-staff. Late in the evening he came home, and his children were glad when their father came home with his staff with the intestines wound around it. Then the children sang a song—

Then they unwrapped the intestines from the staff, and Txä’msᴇm was sitting down by the side of the fire without a word, looking at his children while they were unwrapping the intestines from the staff. Soon the children had taken off the intestines, and they threw them on the fire to cook them; and as soon as they were scorched, Txä’msᴇm fell back fainting. Therefore his wife and his two children flew away from him. Thus Chief Grouse perceived that it was Txä’msᴇm. He took his dead body and threw it down the steep mountain.

After Txä’msᴇm had lain there a while, he came back to life, arose, and sat down at the foot of the high cliff. He felt. that his belly was empty, for he had no intestines. Therefore the raven has no intestines now.

(36) Txä’msᴇm Returns to the Wolves

Txä’msᴇm went on, and the wound in his belly pained him much. He went a long way, not knowing which way to turn. Still he remembered his promise to Chief Wolf to return to him soon. Therefore he searched everywhere trying to find the Wolves’ village. After a while he met two hunters, and asked them, ‘Will you tell me where the village of Chief Wolf is?” The two young men said, “We belong to Chief Wolf’s people.’—* Will you take me to him?”)-“Yes,” replied the two hunters, “come and go with us!” Txä’msᴇm was

glad to follow them. They ran as fast as they could, and Txä’msᴇm followed them; but he soon was tired of running, for he was very hungry, and his belly gave him pain. Therefore he was very weak, and walked a long time. Before evening set in, the two young men had left him behind, and Txä’msᴇm camped in the woods, under a large spruce tree. On the following morning, when he awoke, he tried to get up; but he was very weak, for he had had nothing to eat for three or four days. When the sun rose up in the sky, a little tomtit was flying about near Txä’msᴇm, who called him. Then the little bird came to him. Txä’msᴇm said to him, “Will you kindly tell me where Chief Wolf’s town is?” The little Tomtit replied, ‘Oh, yes! I will do it. Follow me.” Txä’msᴇm thanked him, and said to Tomtit, “Don’t fly zigzag when we are on our way, for I am very weak, and my body feels heavy, for I have had nothing to eat for four days and a half.” So little Tomtit questioned him, and said, “Sir, where have you been ever since?” Now, Txä’msᴇm told him his story, and said, “I have been in camp with Chief Grouse—his family and my family. We went out hunting every morning, and I always killed many mountain goats, and my partner had none. Therefore he was angry with me, and struck me down with his club, knocking me over the back of my head, and [I lay on the ground almost dead. Then he took me by the leg and threw me down the side of a high cliff. He also cut my belly before he threw me down.”

Therefore the little bird said, “Now let us go!’ They went together, the little Tomtit flying all the time, and the big Txä’msᴇm walking slowly after him. Every time the Tomtit. jumped, he said, “Tsīap, Tsīap!” all along their way. When he said “ Tsīap” he meant, “His way, old friend!”

Before they arrived at the town of Chief Wolf, Tomtit came to Txä’msᴇm’s side, and said, “Now I will go back home, for I am afraid of the Wolves.” Thus he said to Txä’msᴇm. Txä’msᴇm saw the smoke rising from the village of Chief Wolf, and he was glad to see the smoke yonder. He walked on quickly, and arrived at the end of the village. Some young men came out to meet him: and when they reached him, they ran around him, taking up his scent. Txamsᴇm was afraid of them, because they were smelling around him. The young men asked him where he came from and where he was going. He replied, “I just intended to visit Chief Wolf’s village, since I promised to come back again, and now I am back here.” The young men continued to ask him, ‘With whom have you been all this time?” Txä’msᴇm said, “I just want to see Chief Wolf.’ Then they led him to the house of their chief. As soon as Txä’msᴇm entered, all the people in the house raised their noses because they smelled the bloody wound in Txä’msᴇm’s body. Therefore the chief asked him, “What has happened, that your body is filled with blood?” Txä’msᴇm replied, saying, “As [ I was going to get my hunting-gear,] I met a person on the way a man and his wife and his two children. He asked me to accompany him to his hunting-ground. I [did so, and went with him. One morning I went hunting with him, and I killed more mountain sheep than he did, and also some black bears. Then I went home to fetch my family to our camp. On the following morning we went again to his hunting-ground, and [ I killed more than I did before. Therefore he was angry with me, and struck me with his club; and I fell to the ground, and lay there for a while. He also cut my belly and took out my intestines, and he threw me down a steep cliff.] I must have lain there a long time; but at last I revived, and I tried to get up, but I was weak. After a while I felt a little better. I [remember that you were a kind friend to me, and so I have come here to see you before I die.”

Then Chief Wolf questioned him, and asked, How far is that from here ”—“Oh, it is quite a long way off.—“How many days since it happened?” He answered, “Four or five days ago.”—“Have you had anything to eat since that time ”—“Oh, no!” Chief Wolf took pity on Txä’msᴇm when he told his story, and he asked Txä’msᴇm whether it was a long way off, because he wanted to take revenge on Txä’msᴇm’s enemy. Chief Wolf believed the deceitful Txä’msᴇm. Now, Chief Wolf ordered his attendants to give his friend Txä’msᴇm fat food, and they did as the chief had ordered them. They gave him all kinds of rich meat and fat. Therefore Txä’msᴇm became well again, for he was eating rich food every day.

He staid among the Wolves for a long time. Every house was full of rich meat and of fat: but he was not satisfied, for he wanted the rich food for himself. So, on the following evening, as soon as he had finished eating, he said to Chief Wolf, “I will go out with your young men when they go out hunting. I [think I can do better than they.” Thus he said. Chief Wolf smiled, and said, “All right, friend! [ I hope they won’t leave you behind, for my attendants run as quickly as birds fly, so I am afraid that they will leave you behind.” In the evening all the young men made ready for the next day, and very early the following morning they started. Txä’msᴇm was up also. They all went, and Txä’msᴇm accompanied two young Wolves. As soon as they arrived at the foot of one of the high mountains, they looked up, and, behold! the top of the mountain was full of mountain sheep. Txä’msᴇm said to his companions, “I will” remain here while you go up there.” The two young Wolves consented. They climbed up one side of the high mountain, trying to get up to the mountain sheep. Soon they arrived there; and the two young Wolves killed almost all of them, and threw them down one side of the high mountain, letting them slide down to Txä’msᴇm. When they had thrown down all they had killed, they refreshed themselves; and Txä’msᴇm gathered all the game, covered it) with hemlock leaves, and left only four or five uncovered. When the two young men had refreshed themselves, they went down, and found very few carcasses. Txä’msᴇm sat there without saying anything. They asked him, “Are these mountain sheep all that came down?’— “Yes, that is all.” Then the two young men raised their noses to smell, and soon found the pile of hemlock leaves. They scratched them off, and found the animals. Then they asked Txä’msᴇm, “Who hid those animals here?”’—“Where?” said he. “I did it, for I was afraid that some one might come and take them away, for you staid away a long time.” So they took them all out, and gathered them in one pile. Txä’msᴇm was ashamed. Therefore the two young Wolves went away, howling, until all the Wolves gathered together to carry the carcasses down. They all took them down to the chief’s house.

Txä’msᴇm came down also. Now, Chief Wolf’s house was full of mountain sheep, and all the Wolves were glad. Txä’msᴇm sat there alone. No one spoke a word to him. Then the chief gave a great feast to his people. Txä’msᴇm looked pitifully at the chief’s face: therefore Chief Wolf fed him with good food. When the feast was over, two young men went secretly to the chief, and told him that his friend had hidden the animals that they killed before they came down. After these men had spoken, Chief Wolf asked his friend how he liked hunting. Txä’msᴇm said. “It delighted me very much, sir.”——“Will you go again with these men?”—Yes,” was his answer, “but I want to go alone.”—“All right! you shall go.” On the following morning the men started out hunting again, and Txä’msᴇm went last. He followed secretly behind them. Soon two young men saw that on the top of a mountain there were many mountain sheep. They went up, and Txä’msᴇm looked at them secretly. They killed as many as they could, and let them slide down the side of the high mountain. Then they lay down on the ground on top of the mountain to refresh themselves. After they had been there some time, Txä’msᴇm took many carcasses down to the beach and hid them from the Wolves. The two young men missed some of the mountain sheep; but they smelled all along the way that Txä’msᴇm had dragged them, and so they soon found the pile of carcasses. They questioned Txä’msᴇm, who was standing by these carcasses. ‘Who dragged them down here? Where are they?”—“I killed them myself.”—“No, you dragged them down here.” These two young men were angry with him. So one of them went away, and the other one remained to watch over the game; and the one that had gone away began to howl. Soon all the Wolves came that way, howling; but Txä’msᴇm stood there, ready for them, put on his raven garment, and flew away. The chief’s son decided to kill the man who had dragged down these animals. They rushed at him; but Txä’msᴇm ran as fast as he could toward a log that floated a little way out on the water. He flew, and alighted on it. Then the Wolves went away with the carcasses, but Txä’msᴇm paddled to the north country on the floating log. He drifted to Cape Fox with the tide. Therefore the canoes do not capsize in stormy weather when they cross over there. We call the place “Mouth Of Nass River” up to this time.

(37) Txä’msᴇm Invites the Monsters

Txä’msᴇm had been away from this country for a long time, many years: and when he came back from the north, wearing the old raven garment, he gave a great feast to all the monsters on one of the outer islands. When his guests came into the bay on the outer side of that island, Txä’msᴇm went out to meet them. The water was full in front of the new carved house that Txä’msᴇm had built. His was the first potlatch to which he invited all kinds of monsters; and when they came into the bay, Txä’msᴇm stood in front of his house and began to address his guests. “O chiefs! I am so glad to see that you have come to my poilateh.] have been away from this country for a long time, therefore [ I am glad to see you again. IT want to say something else. I wish you would stay there and become rocks.” Then all the monsters became rocks. He continued, “And I will also become a rock.” As soon as Txä’msᴇm said this, the devilfish went down quickly. Therefore the devilfish stays now at the bottom of the sea. The people were much pleased because all the monsters had been turned into stone; and Txä’msᴇm himself became a stone shaped like a raven, and only the devilfish remains alive. The people say that nowadays, when a devilfish comes out of the water, the people cry, “Caw, caw, caw!” like a raven, and the devilfish dies when he hears the raven cry. That island is full of stones shaped like all kinds of monsters whales, killer whales, sharks, and so on— and the raven stands in front of his carved house even now.[2]

(38) The Further History of Txä’msᴇm

There was a great chief among the G·i-lu-dzā’r named T!ᴇm-nūnx. Three years before the white people reached this country the great chief T!ᴇm-nūnx gave a great feast to all the Tsimshian tribes. He built a very good carved house, carved on the outside, and with carved timbers inside even better than the outer carving. After he had finished his house, he invited all the Tsimshian chiefs to his new carved house: and when the chiefs came in, they were delighted to

see the beautiful carvings in T!ᴇm-nūnx’s house: and the Tsimshian people spread the fame of his house, telling how nice it was; and all the people around the Tsimshian talked about the beautiful carved house of T!ᴇm-nūnx. And so all the people round about came to see the house. Finally all the animals also heard of the fame of T!ᴇm-nūnx’s house.

Now, Txä’msᴇm also heard about this. Every day since Chief T!ᴇm-nūnx had finished his house it was full of people, and every night all kinds of animals came in to see the carved timbers. His beautiful house was built on the Skeena River, at the mouth of “K-lax-g·īls” River, where the G·i-lu-dzā’r tribe lived.

After a while, before spring, when the people were ready to go to Nass River to fish for olachen, one midnight Chief T!ᴇm-nūnx could not sleep, and he saw that the door of his house was secretly opened. Then he called his wife, and asked her what it might be. They looked, and saw a great man enter. [He crept along, came in, and began to look at the carved timbers. Before the giant had finished looking over the house, the chief was filled with fear, and groaned. Therefore the giant stepped out quickly.

On the following morning the chief invited his whole tribe in, and told them what had happened in his house on the previous night. Therefore all his men agreed to watch the following night; and when night came, three men lay in wait at the door. One of the chief’s men had a gun loaded with five bullets: and before midnight the door was secretly opened again, as had happened before; and, behold! a great man crept in and looked at the carvings which he had not been able to examine the night before. Then the three men who lay in wait for him shot him. The man who had the gun was scared, but the others had more courage, and took the gun from him and shot the giant in the breast with the five bullets: but the giant took no notice of it, and the man who lay in wait fainted. The chief did not faint at all. When the giant had examined all the timbers, he went out, and the three men did not know who it was whom they had shot. Then the people were afraid, because they had shot a supernatural being.

Many years passed on. Two years after the canneries had been established on Skeena River, not many years ago, a young man of the upper Skeena River was gambling with another one. He lost all his goods, and also those of his wife and his two children. Therefore he was very sad, for his wife had nothing to wear, and they had no food for their children. Therefore the young man went away from his empty, lonely house. He wandered about in the mountains. He had passed over many mountains; and after he had done so, he came to the border of a great plain. There he found a narrow trail, which he followed. Finally he saw smoke ascending in the distance. He went toward it: and when he came there, he discovered a deep valley. He stood at the edge of the deep valley and looked down into it. He saw a hut in it, and the smoke ascended from it. He looked in another direction, and he saw that the trail which he had followed went straight down in front of the little hut. So he went down the trail. He looked secretly through a knot-hole, and saw a great man lying there, with his back turned toward the fire. The great man spoke to the young man who had come secretly to his door, and said, ‘Come in, my dear! for I have known about you ever since you left your home.” So the young man went in.

The giant sat up and looked at the young man. He began to speak, and questioned the young man. ‘Did you hear your own history about “Txä’msᴇm?”” The young man answered, “Yes.” Then Txä’msᴇm continued, “I am he,” said he. “Do you see the wound in my chest? I received it in the carved house of T!ᴇm-nūnx.” The young man was surprised, for he did not know about the carved house of T!ᴇm-nūnx. His giant was Txä’msᴇm. He said to the young man, “I will give you some meat.” He did so; and after the young man had had his meal, Txä’msᴇm said, “His valley has been given to me to live in.” As soon as the young man had entered the hut, he had seen two pups lying by the side of the fire. Txä’msᴇm called the young man out: and when they had gone out, Txä’msᴇm pointed with his finger at the mountains which were all around his hut, and all these mountains were full of mountain sheep. Other mountains were full of black bears and of all other kinds of animals. Txä’msᴇm also said, “Do you see these animals? They are my provisions. They have been prepared for me, and it has been ordained that 1 shall stay here a little longer. Therefore] I do not go about the world any more, but at a future day I [shall begin to travel again: but I do not know when, only Heaven himself knows.”

After he had spoken, he called the pups by name. Then the pups arose and shook their bodies, and they became two hauhau[1] cubs. Therefore the young man was afraid; but Txä’msᴇm sent the two young hauhau up one of the mountains which was full of mountain sheep. They went, and Txä’msᴇm said to the young man, ‘Heaven gave me those two young hauhau to bring me meat every day;” and when Txä’msᴇm had said these words, they heard the roaring of the two hauhau cubs on the mountain, and, behold! a great number of mountain sheep fell from the mountain by the side of Txä’msᴇm’s hut. Txä’msᴇm skinned and carved them all. After he had cut them up, he took the meat and fat, wrapped them around his huntingstaff, and, when the fat was thick around his staff, Txä’msᴇm squeezed the bundle four times. Then the fat was finished: He also took

the meat and wrapped it over the fat around his staff; and when the staff was full, he squeezed it, and it was thin again. He did this four times, and all the meat was finished..;

Then Txä’msᴇm gave it to the young man, saying, ‘Go back home!’ The man replied, “I “do not know my way, for it is far off. I do not think I shall ever get back to my house.” Therefore Txä’msᴇm led him up one of the mountains, and pointed out a certain direction. He said, “You shall go in the direction in which [ point. Follow that narrow trail yonder. His trail leads to your house. You will soon get home.” Then the young man said, “I have been traveling for many days. How can I get home quickly?” Txä’msᴇm replied, ‘I will smooth your way for you. You shall reach home tonight. Keep your eyes on the narrow trail: and if you hear anything behind you on the way like thunder or terrible noises, don’t look back, lest peril befall you. Keep your eyes on the trail until you reach above your village. Then you may look back, and you shall know what has happened.’ Txä’msᴇm said also, “Have patience, young man! Don’t look behind you!’ and he made the young man promise not to look back on his way down to his home.

Now he was ready, and Txä’msᴇm told him to go as quickly as possible. The man took his gun on his left shoulder and Txä’msᴇm’s staff in his right hand. Txä’msᴇm said, “Go quickly! My dogs will soon come and they might devour you.” Therefore the young man went, and kept his eyes on the narrow trail. The trail went along the middle of the large plain; and while he was running along, he heard a great noise ike the rolling of thunder, but the young man kept on going. He heard other terrible noises close behind, like the noise of mountain-slides, and the earth was quaking as he went along, but he kept his eyes on the narrow trail. He heard more terrible noises close behind, and he ran as fast as he could to escape from the terrors behind him, and the ground continued to tremble. He was full of fear, but he kept on, and before the sun set he arrived above his village and stood there.

Then he looked back, and high mountains appeared where he had come from. Txä’msᴇm had smoothed these mountains where the young man had passed; and as soon as the man had passed a mountain, the mountain stood up again as it had been before, and that made a terrible noise, for all the mountains arose again in their own places. There was no large plain and no narrow trail to be seen. Only high mountains covered the country behind the man. He wondered on account of what had happened to him. He stood there a while, thinking that he had been in a dream, but still he held the staff in his right hand, and his own gun on his left shoulder. He made up his mind to go down to his village, and laid down the staff and his rifle. He leaned his staff against the stump of a tree, and went down to his father’s house. Secretly he looked in through a knot-hole, and he beheld his sister weeping beside the fire, and many people who were sitting around the fire looked sorrowful. So he went in secretly and stood behind his sister, who was sitting there weeping. He spoke to her. “Sister,” said he, “is my wife still alive?” His sister was surprised to see him, and all the people were glad to see him home again. His poor wife came in with her two children, and the man took the two children on his knees. He ordered his nephews to invite in the whole tribe. They did as their uncle had told them. When all the guests were in, the man went up with his four nephews to where he had left his staff, and the four young men could not lift it up: so the man himself took it down to his house and placed it in front, inside of the house. He ordered mats to be spread in the rear of his father’s house, and he took off the meat of mountain sheep and piled it up in a great heap. Then he took off the fat from the staff, and heaped up the fat by itself; and when he had taken off everything from his staff, he gave part of the meat to the people, and some fat, and he told them his story.

“To went wandering among the mountains; and when] passed all the mountains and rivers and lakes, I [came to a great plain. I did not see any trees or any hills, just nice green grass and all kinds of flowers. Then I found a narrow trail, which] I followed,” said he. Some one asked him, “How” long did you walk after you reached the great plain?’ He answered, ‘(Almost fifteen days.” Then the man continued, “I did not see the end of the great plain; and when I [came to the center, I saw smoke ascending a little distance ahead. Therefore I walked as quickly as I could. Soon I arrived at the edge of a large valley; and when] I looked down, I saw a hut in the bottom, from which smoke ascended. I went down, following the same narrow trail; and I went down the hill quickly, carrying my rifle on my shoulder. When I came to the bottom of the valley, I went toward the hut. I [looked in secretly, and a large man was lying there by the side of the fire, with his back against the fire. He said to me, ‘Come in, sir, for I have seen you struggling along the trail.’ So I went in quietly, and sat down on one side of the fire, with my rifle in front. of me. Then the great man sat up, looked at me with his large rough face, and I was afraid of him. He asked if] I was not afraid to see him. Therefore L took courage. Then he asked me if I knew him. When [ said, ‘No,’ he continued asking me if I knew the story about Txä’msᴇm, and [ I said, ‘Yes.’ Then he told me that he was Txä’msᴇm. He also showed me a large wound in his chest, which he received in the house of a chief named T!ᴇm-nūnx, in whose carved house he had been shot. I [saw two pups asleep near the fire. Then the giant told me that Heaven had placed him there in the bottom of the deep valley and had given him food. So he did not need to go around the country. He gave me good food to eat; and when I had finished, he asked me to go outside. I did as he told me. We went out together, and he pointed out the tops of all the mountains round about his hut. All these mountains were full of all kinds of animals—mountain sheep, black bear, and so on. Then he asked me again if I wanted to go back to my home, therefore I told him that I did not know my way. Furthermore, I told him that I thought I could not get home again. He smiled, and said, ‘It is not. very far from here. You will reach home tonight. I will give you provisions for your way home.’ So I consented to what he said. Moreover, he told me that Heaven had given him two dogs. He called the two pups, which came out, shook themselves, and became hauhau cubs. I almost fainted with fear, but they went up to where there were innumerable mountain sheep; and as soon as they had gone, behold! a great number of mountain sheep came sliding down the mountain. So Txä’msᴇm cut them up, meat and fat. Then he put the meat and fat on his staff, and this vou are eating now; and when he gave me the staff, he pointed out to me a narrow trail which comes down. behind our house. He stretched out his hand over the plain four times, and commanded me not to look behind if I should hear a terrible noise. He said, ‘If you look back, danger will befall you, and you will not get home; but if you look straight ahead, you will got home tonight.’ After he had given his orders,] I went, and ran with all my might, the staff in my right hand, and my rifle on my left shoulder. While I was running, I heard behind me a terrible noise like rolling thunder, which made me very much afraid, so I ran on. Then I heard more terrible noises right behind me, and the ground was shaking as though rocks were being rent. I ran on. There was more noise, and the ground was quaking, and the noises were exceedingly terrible. I was almost out of breath; but before: the evening I arrived on top of this hill above us, and I laid down my staff and my rifle. As soon as I reached the hill behind this village, I looked back the way I had come, and, behold! I saw many high mountains. [was wondering. I thought I was in a dream. Finally I came down; and when I saw my sister weeping here, I knew that everything was true.”

All his people were glad to see him home again, and his relatives welcomed hun, and he kept the staff that Txä’msᴇm had given to him, and therefore the people know that Txä’msᴇm is still alive.[1]