Part 27
Now at this place on the river there was a deep hole above the ripples and there was a ford at the ripples. Now the Genonsgwä walked into the hole and was a long time crossing over under the water. Skŭnniwŭn´di thought he would cross over on the ripples and he was in a great hurry and forgot his tomahawk. Now he stood on the opposite side when the stonish woman appeared.
“Kwe!” she cried, “where are you?”
“Right where I was before,” answered Skŭnniwŭn´di.
“That is strange,” she replied, “for here is your little weapon.”
“Oh I was passing this place some time ago and dropped it,” he explained.
“Oh what a tiny thing to fight with,” she laughed. “How do you ever expect to fight with it!” She licked it with her tongue and then said, “It is no good, see me smash it on this rock!” Then she hit the rock and to her surprise the rock split asunder.[48] She did not realize that it was her saliva that made the tomahawk strong medicine.
“Ho ho!” she exclaimed, “are all your weapons so effective on stone?”
“That little weapon is nothing,” said Skŭnniwŭn´di, “I have a knife here that will cut stone by drawing it over it.”
“Let me see it,” begged the giantess.
The man threw it across the stream. The stonish woman picked it up and drew it across her lips moistening it with her saliva. This is the custom of the giants when they wish to use anything and they do not know that it makes power. Taking the knife she drew it over a flint and the flint was cut. She rubbed its edge on her coat and it was slit. Then she threw back the axe and the knife now possessed with a wonderful power and Skŭnniwŭn´di exultant asked her to hurry and commence the fight.
“No,” said the giantess, “Your medicine is too strong. You are truly the greatest warrior of the earth. I will go.”
When the stone giantess left Skŭnniwŭn´di she ran out to a river and followed it as it flowed until she came to a house where a man, woman and child were sitting around a fire inside. She unfastened her stone coat and entered. After greeting them she said, “I am fleeing from my husband who seeks to kill me. Only be my friends and I will give you something.” The people were kind and told her that she could stay, but even so, they were afraid of her. So she sat and swung the hammock in which lay the baby daughter. She began to sing without realizing that her song would offend the parents:
“Oh what a tender morsel, How I would love to eat you!”
The father remonstrated and implored her not to destroy their child. Then the giantess was sorry and asked forgiveness.
The next morning she went out into the woods and killed two deer and a bear and brought them back for her hosts.
After a number of days she said, “I hear my husband coming. You can save me. Cut six basswood poles as tall as a man and when we fight and he throws me down thrust them one by one into his back and you will kill him. Then I will repay you.”
The great stone giant came making a roar like a whirlwind, “Who-whoa-hoh-hoh-hoh!” and the giantess whispered, “Be ready and do your best. Do not be afraid.”
The man hid behind the big rocks and saw the female giant and her husband rush upon each other. They fought very hard and the stone broke when they hurled each other against them.
“The world is small, you could not escape me,” the giant thundered as he flung his wife upon her back and made ready to kill her. Then the man ran out and thrust the sharpened poles into the giant and they came out of his mouth.
“Oh, oh!” he cried, “I am killed, I am gone!” and he fell over dead.
The giantess was glad and rewarded her friend with a small patch of skin. “This skin is covered with the hairs of all animals,” she said, “and when you wish to kill a beast remove a hair and blow it on the wind. The animal will appear and you will be able to kill it.”
So the giantess went away and the man kept his great game charm and was thought a most successful hunter, and no one knew how he got animals when no one else could; but one day a boy saw him blow a hair and a beaver came. Then he hit it with a club and chopped off its tail.
54. THE ANIMATED FINGER.[49]
There was a boy named Skunniwundi who was a hunter. It was a time when there was a great famine and game was very scarce. The people were starving. Skunniwundi thought he would find out why there was no game. Long he had been warned not to go north, but north he went.
When he had traveled a long ways he saw something moving in the rocks ahead of him. Concealing himself in a hole he watched. Soon he saw two stone coated women approaching. They were looking for food. Then did Skunniwundi know that the stone giants were eating all the game, thus making the famine.
After a while Skunniwundi noticed that one of the women took something out of a bag and placed it on the palm of her hand. As she did this she exclaimed, “Ghaah!” and commenced to walk directly toward him. At this he began to run toward a creek hoping to cross it but they were too swift for him. Hoping to escape he ran into a clump of tall trees and climbed one. The women followed his tracks to the tree and then began to look around for him. Not once did they think of looking up, for their necks would not bend. If they tried they would crack off. Failing to find him one of the giant women put her hand in her pocket and took out something again which she placed on the palm of her hand. Skunniwundi looked down and saw that it was a human finger and that it was standing up pointing at him. “Where is he?” asked the woman and the finger wriggled and pointed. This puzzled the women and Skunniwundi felt that he was secure. Soon he began to think that this finger would be a helpful possession and began to consider how he could obtain it.
The women continued at the foot of the tree and finally discovered Skunniwundi’s hatchet and arrows which he had left on the ground at the foot of the tree. One woman picked them up and began to lick them, smelling for blood.
Skunniwundi now saw that all was lost unless he hastened. So with a quick slide he came down the tree and seized the finger. With a bound he jumped into the water, but as he heard the giant women follow him he turned back under water and stood on the spot where he had dived off. The women came out of the water on the opposite shore and were greatly surprised. So they plunged in the water after him and when their heads were under Skunniwundi swam across and stood on the opposite shore. He could swim very fast now that he had the finger. When the women came out of the water they saw him where they had stood but a moment before, and were again surprised. They plunged in again and this time Skunniwundi ran very rapidly to escape them. Soon he heard the women crying, “Oh give us back the finger. We promise not to eat you.”
Skunniwundi now was filled with power and kept asking the finger where the giant women were, and by going in another direction he escaped them until he came near to his own settlement, which lay across a stream of very cold water. In he plunged and swam across.
When he arrived on the other shore, toward the village he saw a herd of deer. Fixing his bow he shot and the arrow went through seven deer killing them all. He then ran on toward the village. He showed his uncle the finger and told the people to go for the game, but they returned in fright saying that there were sounds of giants on the other side of the stream.
Skunniwundi and his uncle then went to the river and saw the giant women on the other side. “Oh Skunniwundi, give back the finger,” cried the women. “We will not molest you any more.”
“Give it to them,” said the uncle. “They will be friends with us if we appease them.”
Skunniwundi then took the finger and held it way out over the water and the giant women leaned over from the cliff on the other side and just as they were about to grasp the finger Skunniwundi drew back his hand and the women were overbalanced and fell in the river, falling head first. Down they went to the bottom, and the river froze as hard as stone, killing the stone coated women.
After that time, Skunniwundi had the finger for a hunting charm and he supplied game for the village.
55. THE STONE GIANT’S BATTLE.[50]
The stone giants had conquered all the tribes of the north and had grown tired of such easy combats.
So they came toward the south and heard of the fame of the Six Nations and right away desired to fight with them. In order to present a formidable force they sent messengers back to their own north country with orders to bring back a fresh party of warriors. These crossed the north ocean and coming to the Niagara river made a path of rocks across it and walked over without even wetting the soles of their moccasins.
Now the Six Nations knew all these things because Gwä gwä having seen them flew up to the clouds and told the sun and the sun told Soñgwayadĭ’´sä’ĕ’, the Great Ruler. Then Soñgwayadĭ’´sä’ĕ’ instructed Gwä gwä to nip off a grass-hopper’s big leg and dangle it from the sky over a village while screaming his cry. So Gwä gwä obeyed.
An old man was crossing a clearing. In the air above him he heard what seemed a death cry and looking upward he saw a human leg writhing as it bled from the clouds. The old man dropped his head down and away from the sight and walked on pondering over the wonder, and he never knew that it was only Gwä gwä with a grass-hopper’s big leg. The old man lay down to sleep and as he slept he dreamed the interpretation of the sign and knew that the stone giants were coming.
On the following day the old man took two friends and hid on the summit of a high mountain. For two days the men camped there listening to the war songs of the on-marching foe, and at evening on the second day they saw the vast war party of giants march into sight far down the valley and pitch camp on the shores of a lake. Then a spirit came out of a tree and revealed to the men that the Creator had planned to save them. He instructed them to choose a messenger from among themselves and dispatch him for a few more people to witness the battle with the giants.
Accordingly, a runner was sent to the village and a small party was guided back to the mountain top, where all found shelter beneath a great rock.
A terrible storm burst from the sky—He’´no^n roared from the heavens and sent down his fire upon the camp of stone giants. Then the earth trembled and the mountains on either side of the valley slid down upon the giants below.
It seemed that all were killed.
56. THE BOY AND THE FALSE FACE.[51]
There was a certain tribe that had been almost exterminated by a hostile people in the west. The western warriors would swoop down on the settlements on the Lake (Ontario) and carry off many captives and scalps.
Now there was a boy who had no settled home. His parents were dead and his grandmother also. He was a wanderer and showed no special ability in anything.
Now this boy was named No´gwăgwă and he began to have dreams. He dreamed that a great false face came to him and said, “You must lead a war party beyond the Mississippi.” Then again he had a dream and the false face said, “You must lead a war party beyond the Mississippi. You must hold a war dance and gather your warriors.”
Now again he dreamed that the false face came to him in his sleep and said, “You must lead a war party across the Mississippi. You must hold a war dance and gather your warriors. Go in a fleet of canoes.” Now moreover he dreamed again that the false face said, “You must lead a war party beyond the Mississippi. You must hold a dance and gather your warriors. Go in a fleet of canoes. Sit in the first canoe but do not allow anyone to pass the middle for I will be in the front of the first canoe and give your expedition success. You can not fail.”
Now when the poor boy had heard the false face speak four times he believed his dream and proclaimed himself a war chief. Then all the people laughed. Now he notified all the boys of the village that he was a chief and would lead a party against the hostile nation in the west. Now many of the boys came and danced. The Nogwagwa said, “I have a power and can not fail. I have a magic friend.” After a while the people ceased to scoff and all the men joined his party. Now there were many canoes and Nogwagwa sat in the middle of the first canoe and would not allow anyone to pass by him. Now after seven days they reached the country of the enemy. The warriors wondered when the “friend” was to appear and could not believe that he sat in the prow of the first canoe. Now the enemy appeared and immediately there rose into view in the prow of the first canoe a gigantic false face. Now he was the mark of the enemy and they shot at him. He had a great shield and caught all the arrows and no one was killed but when Nogwagwa’s party shot their arrows they killed many people. Then the party disembarked and pursued the enemy far inland. The giant false face and Nogwagwa led the party and they killed the entire tribe of men and took their scalps. Then the false face disappeared and Nogwagwa led the party home. After that the boy, Nogwagwa, was his name, was a great chief and he was an influential man. So it is said this day that orphan boys without homes may become great chiefs.
57. HOW A BOY OUTWITTED A NIA’´GWAHE.
Great sickness had killed many men and Sondowĕk´owa, the beast of Death, had touched the father and mother of two children, who lived far back in a place in the forest away from the villages. The children, a boy and a little girl, were left alone to care for themselves.
The baby sister was swinging in a grapevine hammock one morning, when from over the hill came floating a song. The boy glanced out from the lodge and saw an old woman hobbling down hill and crooning as she went. He did not like the sounds in her song and turned uneasily back to his work.
Presently the old woman came up to the little girl and croaking an unfamiliar song held out a little bark bowl of pudding, inviting her to accept it. The child looked up and held out her hands to take it when her brother rushed out and forbade her.
“The woman is a witch,” he whispered to his sister. “If you eat her food it will charm you away!”
The old creature heard this exposure of her true self and fled vowing to return the next day. True to her promise, she came again and held out a delicious looking pudding on the top of which was a singing mocking-bird. The boy ran out from the lodge and stoned the old woman away and in anger she pointed her fingers toward him and screamed, “It does not matter for I will come again!”
The next day she returned and again was driven away by stones. She then departed with the same threatening words. But on one day she exclaimed, “Oh why do you not accept my beautiful gift! Do so now for I am hungry and wish to eat you. Oh, Oh—!”
The boy was frightened by her frank avowal but determined to be rid of the old witch and so drove her away once more.
“Tomorrow I will enter the lodge and eat her before your very eyes. Now remember my promise!” She screamed as she trampled back through the trees.
The boy was aroused and resolved to use every power to save his sister and himself, so that night he carved two dolls from chunks of rotten wood and placed them upright against the walls. Taking his sister he uttered certain magic words and made her very small. He placed her within a horn arrow-tip and then shot the arrow through the smoke hole. Leaping magically after the shaft, he followed and picking up the arrow followed the trail in the darkness.
The next morning the witch came again this time taking the form of a nīa’´gwahē. She tore down the hill and pawed before the lodge door.
“I have come, Oh I have come!” she said. “You cannot escape me now for I am nīa’´gwahē!”
“Oh please stay away, we are afraid,” wailed two tremulous voices inside. “Spare us for we are young. Oh choose some older ones!”
“Oh no!” snorted the witch, “I have been hungering too long for you two,” and bursting into the lodge prepared to seize the baby girl. She then was disappointed when she saw no trace of the children.
“I am nīa’´gwahē!” she screamed, “no one can escape me!”
“Dogĕs! Is that very true?” asked small voices on opposite sides of the lodge.
The witch-beast looked about, and then seeing the wooden dolls trampled down the entire lodge. Then, running in an ever increasing circle she found the boy’s tracks and following them with furious speed she screamed, “I am nīa’´gwahē, no one can escape me!”
A short distance behind him the boy heard her voice and unable to withstand her speed he planned to outwit her by changing his form. He took the guise of an old man. He kicked off his moccasins and bade them run on and make tracks to the end of the earth or until a hole appeared in the soles. Standing with his arrow fixed he gazed upward at an old robin’s nest that stuck upon a dead branch.
The witch-beast came crashing through the bushes.
“Kwē!” she screamed.
“Cii!” whispered the boy, “do you not see I am watching for game? Agē! I have been waiting three years for the bird to perch back on its nest and now you have warned it away with your yells. Oh now you must stay and help me kill it for I am very hungry.”
“Oh nonsense!” exclaimed the beast. “I am hungry too. Tell me now old man, did you see a boy running by here?”
“Cii!” whispered the boy, “you will frighten my bird. Go away. See those tracks? Follow them and leave me to my bird!”
The nīa’´gwahē struck the trail and followed the tracks of the moccasins through the forests and swamps and when many days had been spent she came to a log and on it were two moccasins with holes in the soles and no tracks beyond or around save those she had followed.
“Agī!” screamed the beast, overwhelmed with chagrin. “He has deceived me. Now I know he was the old man who gazed at the old nest and sent me away! Oh he shall not escape me for I am nīa’´gwahē!”
In the meantime the boy had been running as fast as his legs and his magic would bear him but after a time he heard a far away call. “I am nīa’´gwahē, he cannot escape!”
“Oh uncle,” said the boy as he caught sight of an old spider, “help me to escape, a nīa’´gwahē is pursuing me to eat my sister and me.”
“I am your friend,” said the old spider as he unrolled a net and spread it over the ground in all directions. Away sped the boy and soon the witch-beast came bounding into sight. Seeing her victim’s tracks, she rushed squarely into the net and became badly entangled. Very furiously she wrestled with the snare endeavoring to become disentangled and when at last she did the boy was far away.
In an evil temper at the delay the witch-beast snorted wildly as she ran to the north, in which direction the boy had gone.
“I am nīa’´gwahē, you cannot escape me,” she screeched as she ran and the fleeing boy hearing her boast ran faster than ever, until he saw a boy with a basket of pigeon feathers, he stopped.
“Save me!” he cried, “give me your basket!” and snatching it from the owner he scattered the feathers to the winds crying, “Be pigeons and stop witches!”
Instantly the feathers were transformed into myriads of pigeons who flying in clouds, sent down a kind of rain that covered the ground for miles around with a slime so deep and slippery that no creature could wade through it.
Nīa’´gwahē rushed into the slime and sinking into the depths wallowed and struggled until almost exhausted. Finally she was able to get back to its border and ran madly onward. “I am nīa’´gwahē, no one can escape me!” she called, for it was her magic to say these words.
The boy heard her voice and holding fast to the precious arrow, in which his sister was hidden, he hurried toward a false face man whom he saw dancing about a tree.
“Oh grandfather!” he cried, “save me. Nīa’´gwahē is after me!”
The false face held out his hand for tobacco and the boy gave him some. Then he pointed his hand toward a large cliff from which smoke issued.
The boy darted forward, and after him, close pursuing, was the witch. The false face halted the creature and demanded tobacco, but the witch being in the form of a nīa’´gwahē could not give it unless she became her human self. This she knew meant delay, but the false face was insistent and then she was forced to shake off the beast form and give the tribute. It is woe to those who deny the false faces, and she knew it. Then she resumed her beast shape and galloped onward.
The boy ran toward a rock and when he saw a small hole he entered and then crawled into a spacious cavern. A woman within was boiling bear’s oil.
“Save me!” cried the boy as the nīa’´gwahē snorted at the entrance and forced in its head.
The beast struggled. It was trapped. The woman lifted her pot of boiling oil and threw it upon the face of the witch-beast. A man forced out its carcass with a club and shot arrows into a black spot on its feet.
“I am your mother,” said the woman.