23. Big-Raven and Fish-Woman. 1

Big-Raven lived with his family. They had nothing to eat. He went to the sea, and found there Fish-Woman. ² He brought her home. She cast forth spawn and they ate it. Then Big-Raven married Fish-Woman. Miti' grew jealous. Big-Raven went into the open. Then Miti' struck Fish-Woman and killed her. She cooked her flesh and ate of it. Some of it she left for her husband.

Then Big-Raven came home. "Fish-Woman, come out." Then that one who was just cooked, stepped forth from the rear storeroom. He came in and she gave him food. Then she said to him, "Just now Miti' has killed me, and cooked my flesh." The next day he went away again. Miti' again attacked Fish-Woman. She wrung her neck (and thought,) "This time I have killed her." Big-Raven came back and she revived again and gave him food.

p. 95

After that Fish-Woman went away. (She said,) "Miti' some day will make an end of me." Big-Raven came back, but she was not there. He came to the sea-shore and called out, "Fish-Woman, come here."--"I shall not come. Miti' will try to kill me again." So he could not call her out. That is all.

Footnotes

94:1 Compare Jochelson, The Koryak, l. c., No. 104, p. 292.

94:2 Literally, PISCIS-HOMO. More frequently used for the masculine (cf. No. 20, line 16).