4. The Story of Grizzly Bear and Beaver
There was a great like close to Skeena River, where many beavers built their houses, because it was deep water and a safe hiding-place and good shelter for them in winter-time. There were many old houses, and new ones as well. They thought that their dangerous enemies could not reach them.
One day the beavers thought there was no danger near them. Therefore they left their houses and went out for fresh air, and they covered the melting ice. It was early in spring when the animals awoke from their winter sleep and came out of their dens. The Grizzly Bear had just come out from his winter sleep, and as soon as he came out he saw many beavers that covered the ice. He went there secretly, fell on them, and killed many of them. Some of them escaped to their houses in the lake; but the great Grizzly Bear hunted them to their houses, and slew many of them in their houses, and they were very sad. The great Grizzly Bear, however. was happy because he had much food, and the poor weak beavers were much distressed. He thought that these beavers would last him through the summer, and finally only one beaver escaped from his paws.
His poor Beaver went away down into the water, and the great Grizzly Bear was eating the beaver meat: and when he had enough, he lay down and slept among the slain beavers.
The poor lonely Beaver hid in the deep water and thought about her great enemy. Then she planned to make false ground on one side of the lake. So she took wet soft moss and put it at the butt end of a fallen tree which stretched over the water at one side of the great lake. She did so in the night, for she was afraid to work in the daytime, She made it look like dry land around the old fallen tree. At the end of the summer the salmon were in the creeks. Now, the great Grizzly Bear’s beaver meat was all gone, and the great dreadful thing was very hungry. He was walking around the lake, searching for something to eat; and he went to the brooks and caught many salmon, which were to serve as his food in winter.
One day as he went about very hungry, walking about proudly. for he was stronger than any other animal, he stood there, and saw a poor weak Beaver sitting at the end of a fallen tree. She was sitting there very lonely. When the proud animal saw her sitting there, he asked with his proud voice, “What are you doing there, poor animal?” Thus said the proud Grizzly Bear when he saw her sitting on the end of an old log. The Beaver said, “Grizzly Bear shall die!’ Then the Grizzly Bear became angry, and said, “Did you say I shall die?” but she did not even answer him. He walked down to and fro on the dry land at the foot of the fallen tree, on the end of which the poor little Beaver was sitting. The Beaver said again, *The great Grizzly Bear shall die!”—* Yes,” said the great monster, “I” will kill you right there. Don’t run away! I will tear you right now!” and he walked toward the Beaver that was sitting there. He was walking along the log proudly, and said, “Don’t run away! I will devour you!” but the brave Beaver replied, “Great Grizzly Bear shall die!”
Then the proud Grizzly Bear flew into a rage; but the poor Beaver remained sitting there, and then swam out into the water. Then she looked back at the Grizzly Bear, and said, “Grizzly Bear shall die! At once the Grizzly Bear jumped on the Beaver, who dived under the fallen tree where she had made the false ground in order to entrap the great Grizzly Bear, and the great monster struggled in the slough that the Beaver had made. Then the Beaver came out on the surface and climbed on the log where she had been sitting before, and looked at the great Grizzly Bear who was struggling there. She said once more. ‘Grizzly Bear shall die!’ The Grizzly Bear became tired out in the slough, and groaned in despair. He tried with all his might to get away, but he could not, because the soft mud and moss held him. He tried to swim, but he could not do it. When he was about to die, he said to the Beaver, “Come and help me!” and the Beaver said again, “Grizzly Bear shall die!” Now, the great animal howled and shouted and moaned and died there in despair, He was drowned in the slough, because he had no pity on the weak animals, and tried to devour all the weak animals. He thought there was no one besides himself. Yet the weak animal was stronger than he in wisdom, and the weak animal killed him. He was howling and crying, he who had slain all the poor Beavers, but no Beavers were crying or moaning when the great Grizzly Bear destroyed them. Therefore let not the strong oppress the poor or weak, for the weak shall have the “victory over the mighty. His is the end.
5. Story of the Porcupine
(Printed in Boas 13, pp. 236–241.)
The tune of the song recorded on p. 238, as given by Mr. Tate, is printed here. It has not been possible to correlate words and tune.
[Partition musicale non reprise.]
6. Beaver and Porcupine
(Printed in Boas 13, pp. 226–235.)
7. Story of the Deluge
(Printed in Boas 13, pp. 143–253.)
8. Sun and Moon
(Translated from Boas 10.)
It was in the beginning, before anything that lives in our world was created There was only the chief in heaven. There was no light in heaven. There were only emptiness and darkness.
The chief had two sons and one daughter. His people were numerous. Indeed, they were the tribe of the chief.
These were the names of his three children. The name of the eldest one was Walking About Early the name of the second, The One Who Walks All Over The Sky. The name of the girl was Support Of Sun. They were very strong. The younger boy was wiser and abler than the elder one. Therefore one day he was sad, and he pondered why darkness was continuing all the time. Therefore one day he spoke to his sister, “Let us go and get pitch wood! They went and they cut very good pitch wood. They made a ring of a slender cedar twig, and measured it according to the size of a face. Then they tied pitch wood all round it, so that it looked like a mask. After they had finished, they told their sister, who was accompanying them while they were getting pitch wood, not to tell the people about what they were doing. Then The One Who Walks All Over The Sky went. to where the Sun rises and showed himself to the people. The pitch wood that was tied around his face was burning.
Suddenly the people saw the great light rising in the east. They were glad when they saw the light. Then he ran in full sight across the sky. He came from the east and went westward. He was carrying the pitch mask. That is the reason why he was running quickly, because else the pitch wood would have been burned up. Therefore he was running quickly across the sky. Then the chief’s tribe assembled. They sat down together to hold a council, and said, °° We are glad because your child has given us light, but he is running too quickly. He ought to go a little more slowly, so that we may enjoy the light for a longer time.’ Therefore the chief told his son what the people had said. His son replied, asking him what he should do, since the pitch wood would burn before he could reach the west. Therefore he went that way every day.
The people assembled again and held a council, and requested him to go slowly along the sky. That is what they asked of him; and therefore his sister said, °° I will hold him when he is running along the sky”
Then the people blessed the woman, and the father also blessed his daughter. Next tune when The One Who Walks All Over The Sky started on his journey, Support Of Sun started too. She went southward. Her brother rose in the east, and then the girl turned back and ran to meet her brother.
The woman said, “Wait for me until I catch up with you!” She ran as fast as she could, and held her brother in the middle of the sky, For this reason the Sun stops for a little while in the middle of the sky.
The woman stood firm, holding her brother. Therefore we see the Sun stopping for a little while in the middle of the sky.
Then the people saw the Sun stopping for a little while in the middle of the sky, and they shouted for joy. Full of joy, they said, “Support Of Sun makes the Sun stop! Taw!” and the whole crowd was full of joy.
Suddenly the chief began to scold his son, blaming his elder son because he was not as skillful as his younger brother. Then the elder one Jay down prone, erying on account of what his father said to him. When his brother, the Sun, came back, he lay down, for he was tired. Walking About Early spoke to his little slave when everybody was asleep, when all the house fellows of his father were asleep. After he had spoken, he rubbed charcoal over one side of his face, and said, “When you see that I rise in the east.” thus he spoke to his slave, “jump up and shout, “Hurrah! he has arisen!” That is what you are to say.”
Then he left. The One Who Walks All Over The Sky slept like one dead, because he was very tired. He allowed his shining face to shed light out of the smoke hole. Then Walking About Early arose in the vast. That is where he arose, Then the little slave jumped up and shouted, “Hurrah! he has arisen!”
Several people asked him, “Why do you make such a noise, bad slave 2” but his joy was only increasing. He jumped up, and pointed out where the Moon was rising. Then suddenly the people looked up. Behold! the Moon had risen. Then all the people shouted for joy, and shouted, “Hurrah!”
After some time all the different kinds of animals assembled to hold a council. They agreed that the Sun should walk about every day, that he should be the light of day, and that he should make everything grow; and they also agreed in regard to the Moon.
At that time they held a great conned. All kinds of animals assembled. Dogs were there also. The Dogs, on their part, were wiser than all the other animals. Therefore they spoke first in-the great council of the animals. The wise Dogs said. “The Moon shall rise forty days.”
Then all the animals were silent. The Dogs sat down together and talked secretly, and thought about what they had said. The wisest one among them was still standing. He was counting his fingers, and reckoned forty days to each month.
While he was doing so, a man struck the thumb of the wise one—it was Porcupine who struck the Dog’s thumb—and said, “Who ean live if there are forty days each month throughout the year There shall be only thirty days each month.” And all the animals agreed with him.
They were glad. Therefore all the animals said, “We will follow the advice of Porcupine.” Therefore what he had said happened: and therefore each month has thirty days, and there are twelve months each year.
Then all the animals agreed that the Dogs should be driven away; and for this reason the Dog hates the Porcupine, and therefore the Dog hates all the animals of the woods: but the Dog hates the Porcupine most of all, beeause Porcupine knocked down Dog’s thumb with his spiny tail when they were seated together in council; and indeed Porcupine took the position of the wise Dog away from him when he was standing among the animals. Therefore the Dog hates the Porcupine up to this day, and for that reason the Dog’s thumb stands opposite his other fingers. The Dog had six fingers. On account of what happened then, there are only twelve months.
At that time Porcupine made the days as we have them now— thirty to each month. All the people enjoy the light in heaven. Before that, our world was always dark.
At that tune the animals named every month while they were seated together in council. They began the count with the month
Between October and November, “Falling-Leaf Month.”
Between November and December, Taboo Month.
Between December and January, “The Intervening Month.”
Between January and February, “Spring-Salmon Month.”
Between February and March, “Month When Olachen Is Eaten.”
Between March and April, “When Olachen Is Cooked.”
Between April and May, (?)
Between May and June, “Egg Month.”
Between June and July, “Salmon Month.”
Between July and August, “Humpback-Salmon Month.”
Between August and September, (?)
Between September and October, “Spinning-Top Month.’
And they also divided the year into four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
When The One Who Walks All Over The Sky was asleep, sparks flew out of his mouth. Those are the stars; and at night the moon receives its fight from the shining face of the Sun, who is asleep when he is tired and when his fight shoots out of the smoke hole.
Sometimes when the Sun is glad he adorns himself. He takes his sister’s red ocher to paint his face. Then the people know what kind of weather it is going to be on the following day. When the people see the red sky in the evening, they know that it will be good weather the following day; and when they see the red sky in the morning, they know that the weather is going to be bad the whole day. That is what the people say.
The girl, on her part, was cast down. Therefore one day she, on her part, went westward. She wrung out her garments and struck the water with them. Then she returned. The chief, her father, asked her, “Whence did you come, child?” Thus spoke her father, the chief, to the girl.
Then the girl said, “I just went westward.” She was standing near her father’s great fire, warming herself. She wore her garments, and shook the water out of her garments upon her father’s fire. Then suddenly a fog came out of the house, and the whole tribe enjoyed the fog.
The people were refreshed, because it was very hot, and they agreed that the girl had refreshed them. That is where fog comes from nowadays: it comes from the west. Therefore the chief, the father, was glad when he saw that his children were wise. He gave to his eldest son the duty to watch that people may know the year. To the next one, The One Who Walks All Over The Sky, he gave the duty to make all good things, such as fruit, appear on the earth, and to make everything plentiful: and he Wie his daughter because she refreshed with cool foe those who were tired. That is the end.