9. Am’ala’ (Very Dirty)[1]

Once upon a time there was a great chief who built his house on a sandy beach. He had four nephews. Every morning in winter the chief called his four nephews and sent them to get fuel. The young men also built a new large house. When the north wind blew hard, and when it was very cold, so that the water of the sea almost froze, the uncle would say, “I want you to be stronger than any one else. When you are very strong,] I shall invite all the chiefs and their warriors to fight against you. Therefore build a large fire. Go down to the water, and bathe in the sea. Then I shall come down and whip you with a bundle of twigs.” After he had finished this speech, he said, “Will you now go down to bathe?”

So the eldest one went out first, went into the ice-cold water, and the second and third brothers also went: but the fourth, the youngest, would not go. He would he in the corner of his uncle’s house. They say that he had never taken a bath, even once, ever since—was born.

He arose late every morning and scratched bis head: and when his three brothers came back from their morning bath, they laughed at him and gave him the nickname Dirty.

Every morning when the three princes were bathing in the sea, their uncle would go to them while they were in the water and would whip them with twigs. They were all equally strong. One was not stronger than the others. But the youngest one continued to he in the corner of the house, right on the ground, without a bed. He had only a ragged deer-skin blanket to wear. When he arose late in the morning, steam would arise from the ground where he had lain. Therefore his three brothers thought that he had wet the ground while asleep.

The three brothers went bathing all the time, and they became stronger than all the other people. Their uncle made a certain law for them. He said, ‘As soon as you come out of the water, go into the woods and try to pull out one of the fresh branches of a spruce tree.” The young men did as their uncle had told them, and tried to pull out the branch without any tools. They went every morning again and again, but they could not do it.

He, however, the youngest one, Dirty, would sit in the water at midnight in the cold of winter, when the north wind was blowing, and before daylight he would come out of the water, and lie down again in his bed of ashes in the corner. Therefore he slept very late in the morning, like a lazy fellow, and his brothers mocked him often because he had never gone bathing once. His young man would not go near the fire soon after his bath, but he just wrapped himself in his old ragged deer-skin blanket, and the steam rose up from his bed of ashes in the corner, because his body was wet from his midnight bath: and this is the reason why he slept late every morning while his three brothers went to take their bath.

When they all gathered around the large fire, after they had taken their bath, they were talking about the branch which they were to twist and tear out. Then Dirty said, “I shall go and twist it out easily.” They laughed and twitted him, and said, ‘Oh, you miserable fellow! You will twist and tear out the branch of the fresh tree!— you, who wet your bed in the morning when you are asleep! You will certainly be able to pull out the branch, for you are so full of dirt.” They made fun of bim and pushed him out of the house.

The young man went to the bay south of their house, where a brook was running down. He was full of sorrow while going up the brook. Then he met a young man whose skin shone bright. He asked him, “Why are you so sad this morning, my dear!’ The young man answered, “O supernatural one! my three elder brothers make fun of me and laugh at me, and they call me Very Dirty.” Then the supernatural being replied, “What do you wish of me? will grant you your wish.” Then the young man said, “You see that my skin is not clean. [I want to be clean, and I want to be stronger than any Living being in the country.’” The supernatural being replied, * Go over there and gather the leaves of the supernatural tree and bring them to me.” So Dirty went to the great valley and tried to find the leaves, but he could not do it. He brought leaves of all kinds, but the supernatural being refused them. Then the supernatural being went himself and brought a bunch of leaves of the supernatural tree. He said, * Let us go down to that pool yonder!” They went, and, behold! there was a good pond, and the supernatural being washed Dirty in the pool four times. He washed him with the leaves of the supernatural tree, and he became very clean, and was a fine-looking young man, tall, and broad of chest.

Then the supernatural being said again, “Go down and plunge into the pond; and as soon as you come out of it, then you shall tear out that young tree on the other side.” The young man did as he had been told. He plunged into the pond and came out again quickly. He ran toward the young spruce tree and pulled it out with its roots.

The supernatural being asked him, *tAre you now strong enough?” He replied, “No,] I want greater strength.’ The supernatural being said again, Go down and plunge into the water.” So he went to the pond and plunged into the water. He came out of the pond, and pulled out a spruce tree a little larger than the first one, with the roots. Again he was asked, “Is this enough ”” but he replied, “No, I want more.” Therefore he sent him again to the pond, and on coming out he pulled out a spruce tree with its roots. Again the supernatural being asked him, “Are you now strong enough?” but he replied, “I want more.” So he sent him into the pond again: and when he came out of the water, he pulled out a large tree with its roots. Then the supernatural being asked him, “Are you now satisfied?” The man said, “ Let me do it once more!” but. the supernatural being said, “No, now it is enough.” ° Then he vanished from his side.

So the young man went back: and before he came into his uncle’s house, he came to the tree the branch of which his brothers had been trying to pull out every morning. He took hold of it, twisted it, and pulled it out very easily. Then he put the branch back after he had pulled it out. He went down to his uncle’s house, and the three brothers made fun of him and laughed at him, but he did not answer them at all.

Now, the appointed day had come, and the chief, the uncle of the young men, invited all the chiefs and their strong men to fight against the three brothers who had made themselves strong; and when all the guests were in the house, the chief said to his three nephews, Go into the woods and bring down some fuel, for we have no wood to make a fire for these chiefs who are coming to my house.” Therefore they went and broke young rotten red-cedar trees, and took them home to make a fire with. Dirty went and pulled out a spruce tree with its roots, and carried it on his shoulders, and brought it into his uncle’s house. There he broke it up and put it on the fire. Then his three brothers were ashamed because he was stronger than they,

Now, the day had come when the warriors were to fight against the brothers. One day the eldest brother made himself ready to fight with one of the warriors, and all the chiefs and tribes assembled in the house of the chief on the sandy shore, and they were all sitting there quietly. Then one of the G·it-qxā’la stepped forward to fight against the eldest brother. They joined and fought, trying to throw each other. They fought a long time, and at last the man from G·it-qxā’la threw the eldest brother. He was hurt, and lay there, his whole body aching. Then the G·it-qxā’la tribe shouted for joy.

Then the second brother stepped forth, and said, “Who is the strongest man? Let him come out in front of his people, and I will fight with him!” Then a man of the tribe of G·i-spa-x-lâ’°ts came out. They joined and fought, as the two others had done before, and the man of the tribe G·i-spa-x-lâ’°ts vanquished the second brother, who was bruised all over his body and full of pain.

Then the third brother stepped forth while the tribe of G-i-spa-x14/°ts was shouting for joy. The third brother said, “Who will come and fight with me?” Then a man of the tribe of G·it-dzī’°s stepped forward to fight against the third brother. They joined, and the third brother fell, overpowered by his adversary. His skull was broken, and he died there. Then all the people shouted like thunder,

Now, the chief, the uncle of the three men, was ashamed. He said to Dirty, “Now, Dirty, where are you?” He replied, “Here I am, uncle! What do you wish?” His uncle said, ‘Step forward and fight against the men who beat your three brothers!” Then he stepped forward, and said, ‘Now, you three men, come forth and fight me, all together!’ So the three strong men came forth to fight with him. The three men attacked him at the same time; and Dirty squeezed their heads, and broke them like eggshells, and they all died there. Their skulls were broken. Therefore the chief’s tribe shouted for joy.

Then all the tribes made war against him; but he won a great victory over them that day, and a great many people were killed by one man. His uncle had to pay them with his goods—costly coppers, slaves, large canoes, elk skins, and other kinds of property. Thus his uncle became poor.

Therefore the people moved away and deserted the chief’s nephew Dirty, and one slave who remained with him. They lived in his uncle’s house. The slave was very skillful in shooting wild ducks with his arrows, and Dirty liked to cat the wild ducks. The slave gathered the oil of the wild ducks in a root basket.

Now, all the animals heard that this young man was the strongest person that ever lived. Therefore all the strongest animals came to his door and called him out to fight with them. First came the Black Bear. Dirty came out and killed the Black Bear as one kills nice. Next came a Sea Lion and stood at his door. He called Dirty out to fight with him. The young man came out and killed him as one kills mice. Next the Grizzly Bear came and stood at his door. He called Dirty out to fight with him, and he came out and killed him as one kills mice. Then the Xā°ł came. (A xā°ł is a very strong and large animal. He is stronger than all the other animals in this country. Sometimes he will kill many grizzly bears at one time.) The Xā°ł also came and stood at the door of Dirty’s house, and called Dirty out to come and fight with him. So he came out, fought with him, and killed him. Thus all the strongest animals came to him, and he killed them all as one kills young mice.

Then Dirty said to his slave, “When you see that my back is bent, then come and rub it with the oil of wild ducks that you have gathered in your root basket.”

When all the animals had failed, the strong trees came. First the Crabapple Tree came to his door and called him out to fight with him. He came out and pulled it out with the roots as one plucks out grass; and thus all the strongest and greatest trees came. He pulled them out and broke them to pieces.

When all the trees had failed, the strong birds came and tried to beat him. First. the Thunderbird came and stood at his door, and called Dirty out to fight with him; and when Dirty came out, he threw his bolts of lightning, but Dirty took hold of him and killed him as one kills a fly; and thus all the strongest birds came.

Now, when all the living beings had come, Dirty had a short rest. Next morning a long, broad Mountain stood at his door and called him out; and when Dirty came out, the large Mountain said to him, “I am the last one of your enemies. If 1 throw you down, you will die; but if you throw me down, I shall die. Then you shall take my life away from me, and “you shall live as long as the world stands.” After the Mountain had spoken, they joined. Now, Dirty’s back became bent, for the Mountain was leaning on him; and Dirty’s slave came to him with the root basket filled with oil of wild ducks, and the slave rubbed it over his back. His strengthened him, and Dirty threw the high Mountain and broke it to pieces. It became the sandbar with large rocks at the beach of Sandy Shore. Thus Dirty took the Mountain’s life.

Thus all his enemies were destroyed by this powerful man, and his fame spread all over the world, and he now rested from his fights: for his victory was very great, and he had more power than he had ever had before, for the Mountain gave him his power.

One morning very early the slave ran into the house and told him that a canoe had come, with two people in it. Dirty was lying down by the fireside. The two men came in and said, “Great chief, our poor sick chief wants you to come. He wants to see you before he dies. Therefore he sent us to you.” Then Dirty arose, and he and his slave made ready to go with the two men who had come to him. They went down to the canoe together. The two men paddled, and the canoe went quickly toward the southwest. After they had passed over the large sea, they saw a small island in front of them; and when they came nearer and nearer, the island appeared to be large; and there was a large town on the island, with many houses and many people.

As soon as they arrived on the beach, crowds of people came down to meet them. Dirty went ashore, and the men guided him and the slave to the chief’s house. As soon as he came in, behold! a chief lay there in the rear of the house. He was very ill. The pole supporting our world was standing on his chest: and the world had always been turning on his chest ever since the world began, all through the ages. Now, he was sick, and therefore he sent for Dirty to take his place. He spoke to Dirty: * The reason why [ sent for you is that you shall lie down here and take care of the world. I have heard that you are a mighty man. I know that you have double strength -one which you obtained from a supernatural being, the other which you obtained from the strong mountain. Lie down by my side! I will put. this pole-of-the-world on your chest.”

Before Dirty lay down by his side, he said to his slave, I will give part of my life to you. Sit down by my side! You shall always live with me, and you shall rub my back with the oil of wild ducks once a year.” So the slave sat down there, and Dirty lay down. Then the chief took the pole off from his chest and put it on Dirty’s chest, and the chief and all his people left the town.

Dirty is still holding the world on his chest, and his slave is also there. The oil of wild ducks is nearly gone now; and as soon as Dirty dies, the world will come to an end.