12. The Skunk

p. 147

A chieftainess sang her conjurer's song. She made a large house and invited the people. The people landed. Blue-Jay was the chorus leader of the chieftainess. "Who are those outside who want to dance?" "Ah, the maggots; they will dance." Now the maggots entered; they sang: "We make move the rotten meat; we make move the rotten meat." Blue-Jay joined their song and they gave him a mountain goat blanket in payment. He said to his wife: "Put it on, old woman." But she replied; "Llop, Llop, nêq, nêq, tcu, tcu." "Certainly," said Blue-Jay, "when conjurers assemble it is better not to put on beautiful clothing." Now other people sang in front of the door. "Who are those who want to dance?" "Ah, the geese; they want to dance." Now the geese entered; they sang: "We pull out the sea-grass, the sea-grass, the sea-grass, and it drifts away." They gave Blue-Jay in payment a blanket made of geese skins. Other people stood at the door. "Who are those who want to dance?" "Ah, the elks; they want to dance." Now they entered and sang: "We hiss on bluffs; we make z-z-z on bluffs." Blue-Jay joined their song: "You hiss on bluffs." They gave him a blanket made of the skin of a young elk in payment. He said to his wife: "Put it on, old woman." She replied: "Llop, Llop, nêq, nêq, tcu, tcu." "Certainly," said Blue-Jay, "when conjurers assemble it is better not to put on beautiful clothing." Again people stood at the door. "Who are those who want to dance?" "The wolves; they want to dance." They entered and sang: "We carry deer-fawns in our months; we have our faces blackened." Blue-Jay joined their song and they gave him a wolf blanket in payment.

p. 148

The chieftainess, the skunk, was singing by herself: "Blue-Jay's and my ancestors used to keep company." Blue-Jay said to his brother: "Robin, go out, I shall speak to her." Robin replied: "No, be quiet, do not speak to her, she will say herself what she resolves to do. Do not speak to her."

Then more people stood in front of the door. "Ah, who are those who want to dance?" "The grizzly bears." Now the grizzly bears danced. They danced a long time in the house. Then a person said outside: "When will they go out; do they think they alone want to dance?" Then the chief of the grizzly bears said: "Who is talking there? I shall tear him to pieces; I shall eat him." "I am talking; I have a braid on one side of my head only. When I enter a man in the morning he must die before noon." Then the grizzly bear said to his people: "Let us go out and let them dance. Behold the arrows are growling."

Next the birds Ênts!x danced. They sang in a rapid movement: "Our legs are small, but we make the ground shake." Blue-Jay said: "Ha, how miserable are your legs, they will make the ground shake! Be quiet, you bad people." The birds danced and after a little while the house began to shake. Blue-Jay arose and said: "Slowly, slowly, slowly, younger brothers, the house will fall." The birds finished dancing, and next the gray cranes began to dance. Coyote was their husband. He sang his shaman's song, "Do not look back, younger sister, because you cause our children to make mistakes." Then he bit one of the children and tore off his neck. After they finished dancing the rabbits came and sang: "Step aside, step aside, post, heha, heha, I will shoot you, heha, heha!" He spanned his bow and Blue-Jay said: "Step aside for my younger brother, post, heha, else he will shoot you, heha!" They gave him a blanket made of rabbit skins. [Blue-Jay gave it to his wife and said:] "Put it on, old woman." She replied: "Llop, Llop, nêq, nêq, tcu, tcu." "O, yes," remarked Blue-Jay, "when conjurers assemble it is better not to put on beautiful clothing." Now the chieftainess continued to sing her conjurer's song: "Blue-Jay's and my ancestors used to keep company, m-m-m-m." Again Blue-Jay said to his brother: "Go out, Robin, I am hungry. She shall kill the whale quickly." Robin replied: "Iä, do you think you alone see this? She will say herself what she wants to do." Five times Blue-Jay said to his elder brother to go out, but Robin did not leave the house. Then Blue-Jay shouted: "The skunk is a wind-maker; she will make sick those whom she invited to the dance." She made wind and the whale fell down dead right there. Blue-Jay was blown away and he was caught in a knot-hole in the wall, in which he stuck. Now the people exit the whale. Blue-Jay cried: "Take me out, Robin, take me out." When the whale was all cut, Robin went up and took him out. Then Blue-Jay cut the meat only.