XIII   — TALES OF THE  KORYAK OF THE COAST VILLAGES ON BERING SEA.

Villages  of  Kïchigi (Ki'íhin),   Tilkchiki (Ti'lliran),   Khayilin  (Qa'yilin),
Pakha'cha  (Poga'c),  and Opuka.

118.  Big-Raven and Wry-Mouth-Woman.*

         Big-Raven (Quyki'nn'axu ^]) and Miti' quarrelled. Miti' said, "I shall leave you !" Nevertheless she did not go, but staid with her husband. Eme'mqut, however, left his parents, and, roaming in the wilderness, found a small Fox woman. He said, "I will take you for my wife," and carried her home. One time he was combing her hair with an ivory comb, when she said to him, "Please step back.     You smell like a  Raven!"

         About this time she was pregnant. One day Envious-One (Nipai'vayun), who lived with them, said aloud, "What a strong smell this Fox woman has!" He had courted her, but without success; and now the Fox woman took offence at his words, and ran away from the house. Eme'mqut went in search of her; but they had no news of him for a very long time. Then Big-Raven and Miti' went to look for him. On their way they found a small house, which belonged to Wry-Mouth-Woman (A'n-ña'ut), the mistress of the sea. They looked down the entrance. "Have you not seen our son Eme'mqut?" — "W'e have not. But come down and rest awhile from your journey." Mean- while Wry-Mouth-Woman,  created an invisible sea around the bottom of the ladder. "Come down!" she said. Big-Raven stepped off the ladder, and was drowned. Then Wry-Mouth-Woman said to her son, "Raven's wife is very pretty. Take her for your bride." In the evening- the old Miga', the husband of Wry-Mouth-Woman, came home. His wife said to him, "I have found a good bride for our son." Miga' said, "She is the wife of another man. We do not want her. There is no good in a deed like that! Why have you killed Creator (Tenanto'mwan) ? The Sun may be extinguished." The woman, however, paid no heed to his words.

         Big-Raven had seven sons. The strongest of all was Kihihicin-a'xu; the most skilful in shamanistic art, Eme'mqut; and the most brilliant one, Dawn- coming-out (Tña'nto). They went in search of their father, and came to the house of Wry-Mouth-Woman. Looking down the entrance, they asked her, "Have   you   not   seen   Big-Raven?"  —   "No,  he has not passed here.     Come

¹  The  local  pronunciation of Big-Raven's name.
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down!" Again she created a sea around the ladder;  but Eme'mqut saw through all her tricks. He jumped off the ladder, and landed by the rear wall; while Kihihicin'a'xu caught in his fingers the head of Miga"s little son, and pressed it so tightly that both of the boy's eyes sprang out of their sockets. Then they took Miti' and went away. Miti"s new husband came home in the evening; and his mother said to him, "Those people have been here, and carried away your wife. Go after them." — "Leave them alone!" said Miga'. "She is not our woman." The son, however, went in pursuit, and in the night came up to their camp. He did not know what to do : but Eme'mqut knew very well that he was there. Therefore Eme'mqut crawled quickly over to Kihihicin'a'xu's bed, and, lightly tugging at his sleeve, whispered, "Wake up ! Our pursuer has come to our place!" Kihihicin'a'xu sprang to his feet, and,  seizing  a kettle-hook, dealt the new-comer a blow on the forehead that killed him on the spot. Then they laid the body aside, and covered it with a piece of leather tarpaulin. The next evening, when Miga' came home, his wife said to him, "I do not know where our son and his wife are. I want you to go in search of them." — "I told you to leave that woman alone," said Miga'. However, he went in search of them, and overtook the strangers in the same camp. Dawn-coming-out was not yet asleep, and the whole country was still bright with light. " Where is my son ?" asked Miga'. They pointed at the form covered with the leather tarpaulin. "What is he doing, sleeping?" — "No, more than that." — "Then he is intoxicated with eating agaric?"— "No, more than that." — "Is he ill?" — "More than that." Then the old man grew angry, and said, "You shall remember me. Some time I will get even with you."

         In the mean time Eme'mqut went into  the wilderness, and reached a vil-lage.     It had many  houses, but  they were all empty.     He did not find a soul in   the   village.     It was the village  of the kalau.     In  the  centre was  a large house   where   all the kalau were gathered for a council.     They said,   "Let us visit Eme'mqut,  and eat all his people."     When Eme'mqut heard this, he fled. One   of the   kalau   saw   his   footprints,   and,   since he could not get the man himself, he ate them.     Eme'mqut reached his home, and said,  "The kalau are coming to  our place to  eat us."     Kihíhicin'a'xu was so frightened that he ran  away   from   the   house   quite   naked,   snatching   up   only his cap and mittens.He went to  a village  of Wolves  and Wolverenes, and married a woman from each.     He took his wives home,  but he had no food for them.     At the same time   he   heard   that   his   new   brothers-in-law  were  coming  in  a  body to  visit him.      "Now,"   he   said,    "the  kalau may come!"     Indeed,  the  kalau came at the   same   time   as   his   new  relatives.     The Wolves and the Wolverenes ate  the   kalau,   and   very   soon   they   destroyed   all   of them.     Then  they went toE e'mqut and thanked him for the food.     In this way the kalau were destroyed.

Told in the village of Ki'chin.

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119.   Big-Raven  and  Fox.*

         It   was   at   the   time   when   Big-Raven  (Qutkinn'a'qu) lived.     The people ran   short   of  provisions,   and he  went to  the sea to  fish.     He threw out his hook   and caught a small ringed-seal.     "I do not want you, you are too small," he said.     He threw it back into  the water,  and resumed his angling.     Imme- diately he caught a ground-seal,  and  exclaimed,   "I  do  not want you, you are too lean."     He threw his line back into  the water,  and caught a walrus.     "I do   not   like   you,   you   are   too   slender;"  and he threw it back into the sea. Then he caught a king-salmon,  and said,   "I  do not like fish."     After that he caught a whale.     "Whale's meat is not good for eating."     He threw the whale  back,   and   caught   Sea-Master's   child.      He thrust a straw through his belly, and took out of his navel a great mass of marrow.     He made the marrow into a bundle, and carried it home.     Fox, who lived in the next house, said,  "Ah! I have children that are just as hungry as yours.     Shall we not divide between us?    Where did you get it?" —  "In the water-hole."     Fox went to the water- hole, began to fish,  and caught a small seal.     "This is excellent food!     Shall I cook it?"    She threw it back into the water.    Then she caught a ground-seal. "This is a good fat seal!     Could I not feed my children with it?" but she threw it away in the same manner as before.     Then she caught a walrus.     "Oh!" she said, "how big it is!     Plenty of food in it for my children!"    Then, likewise, she threw it away.     After that she caught a whale.     "Whale's meat is very good eating;"   and  she threw it into  the water.     At last she caught the little boy, and thrust her finger through  his belly; but only a small piece of marrow was in it, and even that was very poor and lean.     She took the  marrow home.

         Big-Raven   loaded   his   sledge   full   of  thin   pieces of ice,  and dragged it home.    While   going home,  he  did not look back; and when  he reached his house, his sledge was full of the choicest whale-meat.     Miti' 'went out to meet  him,  and was very glad.     Fox said,   "Oh!  could we not divide?     My children also   are   very hungry.     Where did you  get it?"  —   "On the  ice-fields."     She went to  the seashore,  and  said,   "I  do  not want the thin ice: the thick blocks are better."     She   loaded   her sledge full of blocks of ice,  and started home. On the way she kept looking back: the ice did not turn to meat, but remained as before.     After that Fox told her son to  go to  Big-Raven  to beg for meat tor   a   single meal.     Fox's son  went to  Big-Raven.     The latter was sitting in a ditch,  steaming his own  flesh.     The children were crying from hunger.     He stepped out of the ditch,  and there lay the  meat  of four bears all done, and ready for eating.

         Fox's son went home, and said, "Big-Raven steams his own flesh, and it becomes bear's fat." Fox said, "Quick! dig a ditch for me!" She sat down in  the  ditch,  heaped  coals  around  her  body,   and  burned  herself to death.

Told in the village of Ti'lliran.

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120.  Big-Raven and the Stone-Pine Cone.*

         Big-Raven (Qutkinn'a'qu) went to the woods, and, finding a stone-pine cone, pounded it with a stone. " Hik añaña'! hik añaña'!" 1  Out of the cone came a girl with a head like a copper teapot. Big-Raven said, "Oh! what a pretty little girl!" — "Do you say that I am pretty? Mamma says, 'Come into the house." The house was a twisted stone-pine, and the sleeping-room was in the hollow of the bough. He entered the house. " I am very hungry." — "Open the old woman's abdomen."  He opened it and looked in. Behold! it was full of the meat of a mountain-sheep, all nice and fat. He fell to eating, choked himself, and died.    That's all.

Told in the village of Ti'lliran.

121. Big-Raven and Excrement-Woman.*

         Big-Raven   (Qutkinn-a'qu)   went  to   peel   alder-bark.    While working, he wanted  to   ease  himself: so he sat down, and excreted three pieces, — one large  and  two small ones.     "Oh!" he said,  "a bear-mother with two cubs is  pursuing   me."     He   cried   to the people of his house,   "There! ashe-bear is pursuing  me.     Bring weapons for defence!"    One brought a spear; another, a rifle.     "Where is the she-bear?"    But there was only a piece of excrement. Next  morning   Big-Raven  went  again   to   get   alder-bark,   and again he  wanted to defecate.    This time he excreted only onelarge, thick piece.     "There!" he said, "I gave birth to a nice, pretty woman.     I will take her for my wife." — "Miti'!"   cried  he.     "What is the matter?" —   "I have a nice young woman, and I am going to take her for my wife." — " Better let Eme'mqut take her." — "No, no!    I will take her myself, because she is very pretty." — "All right 1 take her."

         He put the excrement-woman on his sledge. On the way he kept turning to her, and every now and then kissing her on her mouth. When he reached home, he shouted to his wife, "Make the house clean. I have brought my young bride!" Then he grew angry, and cried, "Why has the house such a bad smell ? How can my wife live here ? Ugh ! what a stench ! I had best take her to the reindeer-breeders."

         He brought from the storehouse the best of meat, and gave it to the excrement-woman. Then he took her into the house. She began to melt; and the smell in the house grew still more offensive. "This is your children's doings!    They are dirtying the house all over.     Put them  out of here!"

         Miti' looked more closely, and saw that the woman was made of excrement.

1  Inierjection.

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         The face was melting, and dirty mucus ran down her chin. Miti' grew angry, and spread some dog's excrement around Big-Raven and the woman, pretending that it was a gray bear-skin. By the next morning the woman was completely melted   away.    Big-Raven   got up,  and saw only a heap  of dirt.     "How bad it   smells! -   White-Whale-Man    (Sisi'san),   clean   it   away   with   a   shovel!"

         White-Whale-Man cleaned away the dirt, and nothing was left. He put the dirt on his sledge, and carried it away to the seashore. Thus the excrement- woman met her end.

Told in the village of Ti'lliran.

122.  Big-Raven,  Fox,  and Wolf.*

         Fox-Woman (Yayo'ca-ña'ut), Fox-Man (Tato'lala'n), and Fox-Boy lived in a certain place. Fox-Woman went angling, and caught a flounder. "There, there! I have some food. We shall have this to eat." Big-Raven (Qutkin- n-a'qu) asked her, "What have you caught?" — "A flounder." — "Let me look at it." — "It is yonder in the bag." He took the flounder out of the bag, thrust it into his bosom, and in its place in the bag put a large elongated stone. Fox-Man came home, and said, "Cook some seaweed.¹ I have caught a flounder." They put the seaweed into the kettle, and looked for the flounder, but found only the stone in the bag. They said, "There is only a stone!" — "Then Big-Raven must have stolen the flounder. Why does he steal from Fox-Man?    He has plenty for his own children."

         Next morning Fox-Man went to the sea, and caught a red salmon (On-corhynchus nerka). "There, there, there! I have some food. We shall eat this time." Big-Raven said, "What have you got?" — "A red salmon." — "Where is it?" — "In the bag." He stole it again, and substituted a stone. Fox-Man went home, and shouted, "Cook some seaweed. I have caught a red salmon."     But only a stone was found in the bag.

         The next morning Fox-Man went again to the sea. He found a flounder on the shore, half hidden in the damp sand. He took it home quietly, and Big-Raven suspected nothing. Then they had a fish-meal. The next morning he went again to the seashore, and found a red salmon. He took it quietly home, and they ate it up. After that he found a king-salmon. On the fourth day he found a ringed-seal.     On the fifth day he found a ground-seal.

         "Now," said Fox-Man, "let us be off! We have plenty of food. Let us settle by ourselves." They settled in a new place, and took with them their old tree-ladder and their stone lamp.

         Big-Raven   was   flying   around.      When   he   saw   these   things,  he felt so hungry   that   he   ate   the grease part  of the ladder, and swallowed the lamp.

1  Alaria  esculenta.

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In the mean time the Fox people built a new house, and began to cook a meal. Big-Raven saw it through the entrance-hole, and, taking a wooden hook, tried to lift the kettle through the hole. Fox-Girl saw the theft, and struck the hook with a stick. The kettle was overturned, and the broth scalded the heads of Fox's children. Then Fox-Man baited a hook with a piece of meat, and threw the hook upwards. Big-Raven immediately swallowed it, and Fox- Man dragged him down. Big-Raven struggled with all his might; and finally his mouth was torn open, the line snapped, and the hook remained in his jaw.

         He flew away to the wilderness, and, finding a Wolf, said to him, "Let us have a vomiting-match." He began to vomit, and soon vomited out the lamp, the ladder, and the hook. Then he said,  "Now let us have some sleep."As soon as Wolf was asleep, Big-Raven tied to his tail all the things mentioned, and cried, "The Ta'n'ñit^l are coming!" Wolf jumped up, and dragged away the ladder, the lamp, and the hook. The faster he ran, the louder was the jingling of the lamp, which struck against the ladder.

         Big-Raven took Wolf's stores of meat, and carried them home. He said to his wife, "That is the produce of my hunt." — "But why is it so stale and mildewy? I suppose you stole it from somebody." — "Nay, I am nimble. I will go and kill a mountain-sheep."

         The next day he came back, and said to his people, " I have killed a sheep. Go and bring the meat to the house." They went for the meat. "Look there!" he said. "That reddish spot on the rock yonder, that is the skin;" but when they got nearer, it proved to be a streak of ochre. "Well, then," he said, "it is a little farther off. See, it shows red against that rock yonder!" But again the red proved to be ochre. They could not find anything, and finally said, "Let us go back. There is nothing to be found. We have been fooled by  Big-Raven,  as usual."     They  returned  home.     That's all.

Told in the village of Ti'lliran.

123.  White-Whale-Man and  Fox-Man.*

         There was White-Whale-Man (Sisi'san). His sister, White-Whale (Re'ra), said, "Let us go and look for wild reindeer." They went hunting. A big reindeer-buck passed by. "Oh!" said White-Whale, "let us kill it. Then we shall have an excellent meal." — "No!" said her brother. "My arrows are not long enough. Perhaps it will not die all at once. In struggling with death, it will surely lose fat. Let me go for longer arrows." As soon as he went   home,   the   reindeer  ran  away.     He  came back,  and brought arrows  as

1 The   Chukchee   and   the   Koryak   call   each   other  by   this   name.     Here it probably means the former.
See  Bogoras, The Chukchee (Publications of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition, Vol. VII, p.  II).

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long  as tent-poles.     He asked,   "Where is  the reindeer?"     Of course  no  rein-deer was to be seen.

     They went on, and found a river which was full of salvelines. They had nothing to fish with:  so he stripped his sister of her small-clothes, an    d used them as a seine-net. He caught one fish, and they had it for their meal. Next day they caught plenty of fish, and had an abundant meal before going to sleep. In the morning they went home, carrying heavy bundles of fish. When nothing was left, White-Whale-Woman said to Yiñe'a-ñe'ut, "Let us go  and  look  for some edible roots." They went far away, and came to a house full of men. Not a single woman was there. They quarrelled as to who should enter first. Yiñe'a-ñe'ut said, "I will enter first;" but White-Whale- Woman jumped in quickly. Fox-Man (Tato'lala'n), who was clad in a red over- coat, took her for his wife. She felt very glad, and, coming out of the house, cried in a loud voice,   "I  have found a husband!"

         Yiñe'a-ñe'ut, in her haste to follow, missed the ladder, and tumbled down through the entrance. A mountain-sheep-buck jumped toward her, and butted her face. Then she cried, "Go away! You are not a fit husband for me!" A reindeer-buck kicked her on the lips with his hoofs. "Go away!" she said. "You are worse than the other!" Then a bear hugged her with such strength that he nearly squeezed her to death. She wanted to cry, but only broke wind.

         White-Whale-Woman sat down, and after a few moments gave birth to twin foxes. Then her husband steamed the bear, the mountain-sheep, and the reindeer in the ditch, and fed his family. White-Whale-Woman ate the fattest of the food, and after a while bore four more young foxes. A little later she bore thirty ;   on the next day, fifty; and on the day following, her children were past counting. Yiñe'a-ñe'ut was very angry, and said, "I am going home." After a while White-Whale-Woman felt lonesome, and said to her  husband, "Let us visit my people." He replied. "I do not wish to go." — "But I am sure my people have killed many reindeer-bucks." — "Is that so? Then let us go."

         On hearing that his sister was coming home, White-Whale-Man said, "Oh! I   am   very   glad.     She   found   a   husband   in the wilderness.     He must be a Koryak,  probably a rich reindeer-breeder.     I  am sure they will bring a large herd,   as   countless   as   the   grains   of dust on the trail."     He sent one of his sons to the roof of the house to watch for the expected guests.     "Oho!" cried the  boy.      "There,   on   the  horizon,  it looks as  if a great  fire had just been kindled."     White-Whale-Man looked, and saw that a herd of foxes were coming. They entered the house, and it was full of them.     They wished to sit down, but   there   was   not room  enough.     White-Whale-Man emptied his storehouse of all the dried fish; but the foxes snatched only one fish apiece, and nothing was left.    White-Whale-Man gathered all the kettles of the village, and cooked

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supper.     In the mean time the Foxes'  children gnawed the sleeping-tents, the leather lines, and even  the skins that were  in  the house.

         In due time they went to sleep; but after a little while the children began to cry, "Ka, ka, ka!" The foxes had bitten off the nose and ears of several persons, and White-Whale-Man's penis. Then White-Whale-Man killed all his fox-guests, and filled two large storehouses with their skins. He smeared with fresh oil the injured members, and thus restored all the sufferers to health. That's all.

Told in the village of Qa'yilin.

124.  Big-Raven and the Hunchback Woman.*

         Big-Raven (Ouikinn^-a'qu), while wandering in the wilderness, found an old hunchback woman. He said, "Come with me." They passed by a high store- house which stood on poles, and he put her on top of it. She was unable to jump down, and had much trouble in descending. Upon coming home, she made a big pudding of berries, and gave Big-Raven some of it. Imme- diately he became constipated. "Oh!" he cried, "I want to ease myself. You old one, get a knife, and try to dig the excrement out of me!" The old woman took a spear and dug into him through the anus. Immediately he leaped as high as the heavens. Upon reaching the heavens, he became a mosquito, and visited the Sun. The Sun said, "Live with me." After a while the Sun became angry, and hurled him down into the sea. Then he was transformed into  a  duck.

Told in the village of Poqa'c.

125.  How Big-Raven  created  a  River.

         It was at the time when Big-Raven (Ouikinn-a'qu) lived. Being short of provisions, he created a river, and caused it to flow through his house. Then he began to fish with a long hook, but in the first attempt he struck nothing but his own shadow. The second time he struck his right shoulder in the fleshy part, and could not go on with his fishing. Fox-Woman (Yayo'ca-ña'ut) came and offered her assistance. She succeeded, however, in doing no more than frightening the fish away, because all the time she tried to kill two or three at a time.

         After a while Big-Raven was better. "Go away!" he said. "You bring me bad luck. I prefer to go along the beach to look for seals." He found some spotted seals (Larga ochotensis), and caught the one that was smallest. He took it to his  house,  and they had food.     After a while it was all eaten,

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and   Fox-Woman  said  again,   "Now  I  will  go  and try my hand."  —   "Don't! You have no luck, and you will spoil the fishing."— "Nay, I am able to do it." 

         Fox-Woman   walked   along the beach,  and,  finding the seals,  picked out the   one   that   was   the largest;  but she  could  not lift it  on  to  her shoulders. Seal said,   "Let me help  you,"  and began  to  get upon her back.     He was so heavy   that   Fox-Woman   fell   down,  and slipped into the river.     She tried to swim,   and   said to her paws,   "Now work as paddles!"     Her tail she told to steer like a rudder; but she forgot to tell the tail to steer toward the shore: so   it   took   the   course  toward the open sea.     Fox-Woman was so tired that she could hardly paddle on;  but at last she told the tail to steer toward the shore, and managed to land.     After she had reached the shore,  she took off her coat,  and spread it on the stones to dry.     Then she wanted to sleep, and, taking   out   her   eyes,   she said to them,   "Keep watch  over  me.     If anybody comes near, waken me by tickling me under my arms or on my belly."     After a  little   time   the   waters   began   to   rise;   and   the   eyes at once tickled Fox- Woman,   but   they   were   unable to make her get up.     The water took  Fox-Woman up, and carried her back into the open sea.     She had with her neither  er coat nor her eyes, and nearly perished from cold and exhaustion.     Finally her   tail   steered   her   back   toward   the   shore.     She   landed,  and,  finding her eyes,   pounded   them   with   a   stone.     "There!"  she said.     "Why did you not keep   watch   over   me?"     She   went  to look for other eyes, and,  picking two huckleberries, tried them.     They were quite dark.     Then she took two small pieces of hardened snow,  and tears began to trickle down her cheeks.     "They weep   too much," said she;   "but the tears will at  least make them brighter." She went home.     Meanwhile Creator (Tenanto'mwan) transformed himself into  a reindeer-buck,  and enticed  a Wolf to kill  him in that shape.     Wolf ate the reindeer, and left only the bones.    Fox-Woman found the bones, gnawed them all   over,   and   assumed  the shape of a  man.     She went on,  and,  finding the  frozen carcass of a mountain-sheep,  took it home.     Then they cooked a meal. Miti', Big-Raven's wife, went out for a moment, and Fox-Woman immediately kicked the kettle,  and turned it  over.     She damaged  the kettle, broke Miti"s butchering-knife,   and   dropped   it into the fire.     The meat came back to life,  andwalked out of the house.     Miti' saw  it, and said,  "There goes a kettleful  of meat good for cooking.     Ah !" said she, "this is the meat from my ownkettle." 

         She   drove   Fox-Woman   away.     Fox-Woman went along the shore,  and saw some Gulls perched on a log   that was floating on the water.     She asked,  "What   are  you  doing?"  —  «We are catching fish."  —   "Take me into your boat." —  "Jump   in!"     She jumped  on  to the log.    The log drifted into the open   sea.     All   at once the Gulls flew away,  the log turned over,  and Fox- Woman   fell   into   the   water.      She   was   carried   into   the open sea,  and was drowned.

Told in the village of Opu'ka.

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126.  Raven  and  Wolf.*

         Raven (Qu'ikiy) said to his wife, "I want to go coasting. Give me a sled!" She gave him a salveline. He refused to take it, and said, "It is too soft: it will break into pieces." Then she gave him a seal. He rejected it also, saying, "It is too round: it will roll away." Then she gave him an old dog-skin. On this he coasted down hill. A Wolf passed by, and said, "Let me, too, coast down hill." — "How-can you? You have no sled: you will fall into the water." — "Oh, no! My legs are long: I will brace them against the stones." Wolf coasted down the hill, fell into the water, and cried, "Help me   out   of this!     I will give you a herd of water-bugs!" —  "I do not want it!" ___   "Help   me   out,   and   I   will give you a herd of mice!" —  "I do not want it!" — "Help me out, and I will give you my sister, the one with resplendent (metal) ear-rings!" Then Raven helped him out. Wolf said, "Fare thee well! I am an inlander. I will go inland, far into the country. Where are you going?" — "I belong to the coast. I will stay here, close to the seashore." Wolf went his way. Raven transformed himself into a reindeer- carcass, and lay down across Wolf's path. Wolf ate of it. Then Raven revived within his belly, and cried, "Qu!" Wolf started to run. Raven tore out his heart, and dashed it against the ground. Wolf died. Raven dragged  the body to his house, and said to Miti', "I have killed a wolf! Dance before the carcass!" Miti' began to dance, and to sing, " Ha'ke, ha'ke, ka ha'ke! Huk, huk ! My husband killed one with a long tail!" Wolf's brothers followed the trail; but Raven dropped on the trail a couple of whalebone mushrooms.¹ They swallowed them, and were killed. Raven's people dragged them into the sleeping-room of Raven's daughters, Yiñ'îa-ñe'whut and Cann'a'y-ña'wut, pretending that these were the girls' bridegrooms. The oldest of Wolf's brothers, whose name was Longe-Distance-between-Ears (Mei'ñi-vi'cu-wu'thir, literally "large-[between-the]-ears-interval"), followed Raven's trail. Again Raven dropped a couple of whalebone mushrooms. Wolf, however, did not swallow them, but took them to Raven's house. "What are these?" he asked Raven.     "These   are   my   children's   toys." —   "And where are my brothers? Their trail seems to  lead here."----- "No, they did not come here."     Wolf and his hosts went to sleep.     In the night-time  Wolf stole into the girls' sleeping-room, wakened his dead brothers,  and they led the girls away.

         Next morning Eme'mqut said, " Now I will at least steal the Wolves sister." He asked The-Master-on-High (Gicho'l-Eti'nvila'n) to let down for him the   ancestral   old   woman.     Then   he killed the  old  woman,  skinned  her,  put

1 A well-known contrivance, made of a slender  spit of whalebone bent around, tied with sinew, and then
covered with hard, frozen tallow. When swallowed by a wolf, the tallow melts, the sinew string gets loosened,
and the sharp ends of the spit break through the walls of the stomach.

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on the skin, and sat down on the snow, weeping, and his teeth chattering with the cold. The Wolf people passed by. " What are you weeping- for ?" — "My children lost me in the snow-storm, and now I am freezing to death." They took her along and put her into the sleeping-room of Wolf's sister. "Ho ! make her warm !"     But in the morning the girl was with child.     That's all.

Told in the village of Opu'ka.

127.  How Big-Raven transformed himself into a  Woman.*

         Big-Raven (Ouikinn'a'qu) said, "Let me transform myself into a woman." He cut off his penis and made a needle-case of it; from his testicles he fashioned a thimble; and from the scrotum, a work-bag. He went to a Chukchee camp, and lived there for some time, refusing, however, all the young people who offered to take him for a wife. Then Miti' ran short of food. She dressed herself like a man, and tied a knife to her hip. From her stone maul she made a penis. She came to the Chukchee camp, driving a reindeer-team, and remained there to serve for Big-Raven's marriage-price. She proved to be so nimble and active that very soon she was given the bride. They lay down together. " Now how shall we act ?" asked Miti' of Big-Raven. He answered, "I do not know." After a while his penis and testicles returned to their proper places, and he was transformed into his former state. Then he could play the husband, and said to Miti', "Let us do it as we did before." In the morning they exchanged clothes and went home.

Told in the village of Opu'ka.

128.  Eme'mqut and the  Five-headed Kamak.*  

         Eme'mqut said,  "I want to visit the Sun."     He flew upward, and reached the Sun.     The Sun said,   "What  do you  want here?"  —   "I  shot an arrow in this direction, and have come to recover it."    They engaged in a test of strength. Tne Sun could not run faster than Eme'mqut.     He also proved to be weaker in carrying stones.     He grew angry, and said,  "Even if you have outdone me, you   cannot   get   for   your   wife   the   daughter  of  the   Five-headed   Kamak!" Eme'mqut   went   home  and lay down in  his father's sleeping-room.     He kept silent,  and ate no food.     "Why are you  so  downcast?" his father asked him. "I   will   take   the   drum,   and   try to  help  you."     He beat the drum,  made a small   boat,   put   it   on   his palm,  and it grew quite large.     "There," he said, "you  may go  now!"

         Eme'mgut sailed  away  in the boat.     He came to a strange shore, landed, found plenty  of  mountain-sheep.   He   caught  several  in  the  skirt  of  his

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coat and then, arriving at the house of the Five-headed Kamak, emptied his catch before the house. While the five-headed one was eating, Eme'mqut stole his daughter. The kamak, however, saw the theft, and swallowed Eme'mqut; but he did not kill him, because Eme'mqut immediately passed through his stomach and out. After this trick had been repeated five times, Eme'mqut killed the kamak, and took the girl home. The young woman defecated beads and copper rings. They gathered these, and grew rich. They gave part of this wealth to the reindeer-breeders in exchange for reindeer and for skins. The neighbors  assembled to have a look at the bride. She provedto be so pretty, that they fell to the ground trembling, and all were dead. That's all.

Told in the village of Opu'ka.

129.  How Yi'tcum bore  Children.*

         Big-Raven's (Quikinn^-a'qu) people went to the sea. They killed a whale, and carried its meat to the village. While doing so, they flung small pieces of whale-meat at each other, and tried to catch them in their open mouths. Yi'tcum caught two pieces, and, after swallowing both, felt that he was with child. He could not be delivered of the child ; so his sister Kïlu' cut out his stomach, fitting in its place the stomach taken from a red mouse. She laid Yi'tcum's stomach on the ground. Eme'mqut passed by, and kicked it with his toe, saying, "Here is a stomach that is bearing twins." The stomach was delivered of the twin children. Then Kïlu' cut out the mouse-stomach, and put Yi'tcum's own stomach in its former place. The father wished to nurse his children. He said, "I have no breasts! Let two bunches of blackberries serve as my breasts." The children grew up. They hunted mountain-sheep, and kept their father well supplied.     That's all.

Told in the village of Opu'ka.

130.  Big-Raven and the  Mouse-Girls.*

         One time some Mouse girls found on the seashore  a  small ringed-seal. Big-Raven (Ouikinn'a'qu) saw them, and they tried to hide it in the sand. He asked, "What is it?" — "A stick." — "But it has eyes." — "It is a stick with eyes." — "It has also whiskers." — "It is a stick with whiskers." — "And it has also flippers." — "It is a stick with flippers." He pushed them aside, and carried away the seal. His wife skinned the seal and cooked it. She prepared  a  meal,  and they ate.     Some was left in  the cooking-pot.

         In the night, when Big-Raven and his wife were asleep, the Mouse girls stole the remnant of the meat, and in its place they defecated.     In the morning

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         Big-Raven awoke, and said to his wife, who was still half asleep, "I am hungry: give me some cold meat." She put her hand into the cooking-pot, and found it full of excrement. "Oh, oh! see the excrement! The Mouse girls have played this trick on us!" Big-Raven grew angry, and said to his wife, "Bring me my  raven bow, and bring me my raven arrow;" but she gave him only the wooden fire-drill and its small bow of antler. He went to find the Mouse  girls, who fled away along the seashore. When he came near to them, they cried, " O  grandfather! let us louse you; let us kill your lice." — " Ay," said Big-Raven. "It seems that I have made some trouble for my little grand- daughters; it seems that I have frightened them." They loused him, and he fell asleep. Then they tied a bladder to his buttocks, and awakened him. "Grandfather, wake up! Your stomach is full. Here is a good dry place for you to defecate." He tried to do so. The excrement fell down into the bladder with a loud sound, "Pi, pi!" but when he looked back, there was nothing on the ground.

         He went home, and said to  his wife,   "A  strange thing happened to me. I   wanted   to   defecate   on  a place yonder,  and could  not find my excrement, though it fell down with a loud noise." —   "Let me see your back," said his wife.     "Why, you have a bladder tied under your anus."    Then he cried again, "Give me my raven bow!     I will shoot them dead.     Give me my raven arrow!" He   found   the   Mouse girls  on the seashore.     " O  grandfather!  there is some nice soft excrement for you to  eat!" —   "I  do  not want it."  —   "Then let us louse   you." —  "Oh!  I have   made some trouble for my little grandchildren." He dropped his bow, and again fell asleep.     Then they fastened red fur tassels over   his   eyes.     After   that  they  awakened him,  as before.     "Go  over there and   look   at your house!"     He looked at the house, and shouted,   "O  Miti'! our house is afire!"    His wife came out, and walked around the house, looking for the fire; but of course she could find nothing.     " Why, let me look at you! They have fastened something to your eyebrows !"     Again he grew angry, and shouted,   "Here,   my   raven   bow!   here,  my raven  arrow!"    The  Mouse girls again   met   him   with   nice   words.     "O   grandfather!  let us louse you."     This time, when he fell asleep, they tattooed his nose  and his cheeks.    Then they awakened him, as before.     "Grandfather, wake up!     You must be very thirsty. Tnere is a nice clear stream from which you may drink."     He saw his tattooed face   down in the water.     "Oh,  I will marry you!" he said.     It was, however, only   a reflection of his own face and  body.     "Shall  I  bring my tent to you, eh?...    Oh,   oh!   she   consents.     She   beckons to   me."     But it was just his reflection.

         He went home and broke down his tent. His wife said to him, "What are you doing?" — "Do not ask me." — "But who scratched your nose and your cheeks?" — "Oh, I see, you are jealous!" — "Indeed, they have tattooed your face all over."  —   "Leave  me  alone!     What  do  you  want  of me?"