17. The Five Shadows

17. THE FIVE SHADOWS.

There lived five brothers. One morning (one) saw a shadow. He was surprised (that) this (shadow) person here was, standing. He always used to hunt deer. "Halloo, cousin!' Thus he spoke. "Sit down here, quickly!" Then he gave him food. Thus spoke the man who came: "Stand close here, I want to see you." Thus he spoke. "Not so. Just eat!"--"Not so. Come close here! Stand here!" Thus he said to him. "Just eat!" He (the shadow) jumped at him. He took hold of him and threw him into the fire. He was holding him there. He killed him there, and he ate the man he had killed. He went home again.

The next day (the other brother) saw a shadow. The man he saw had not been standing very long. "Is that you, indeed, cousin? Come close here, I want to see you. Quick! sit down here, cousin!" He gave him food. "You must eat, cousin."--"Please come here!" Indeed, he went there. He seized the man, and threw him into the fire. He held him there (until) he took away his breath. Again he ate the man he had killed. He finished eating, and went home again.

The two (remaining) men who lived there were hunting all the time. The next day (another brother) again perceived a shadow. The man he saw had not been standing p. 107 very long. "Is that you, indeed, cousin? Quick! sit down here! You shall eat." Indeed, he sat down there. "Come here, cousin, I want to see you."--"Not so, cousin, just eat." Thus (the shadow) spoke. "Not so, cousin! Come right here!" Indeed, he went there. Now they two fought. (The brother) was out of breath. He held him (down) in the fire. There he was holding him. Then he took him out and ate him. He went home again.

The next day (another brother) saw a shadow. Here the man arrived. "Is that you, indeed, cousin? Quick! sit down here! You shall eat." Indeed, he sat down there. "Come here, cousin! I want to see you." Thus he spoke. "Not so, cousin, just eat." Thus he said to him. Come right here."--"Not so."--"Come right here. Stand here!" Thus (the shadow) said to him. Indeed, he went there. (The shadow) jumped at him and seized him. They two fought. A long time they two were fighting. The young man was out of breath. (The shadow) threw him into the fire. There he was holding him. He devoured him. He finished eating, and went home again.

The next day (the last brother) saw a shadow while he was hunting. "What do I see?" Thus he was thinking. (To his) surprise, he saw a man standing. "Is that you, indeed, cousin? Sit down here, you shall eat." Indeed, he sat down there. "Come here, cousin! I want to see you."--"Not so, cousin, you just eat." (The shadow) jumped at him. He did not touch him. The young man ran away. He looked for him everywhere. He could not find him as he looked for him. The shadow became tired, and went home. He did not come again. The young man went home.

Now he lived alone for a long time. Thus he thought. "Why is it that I have no company?" Thus he was thinking. He gathered small sticks and set them up. p. 109 They just scattered, as he did it thus. The young man was thinking, "How would it be if I should set up this hammer?" Thus he was thinking. Indeed, he set it up. He looked at it, (and, to his) surprise, it spoke. "Halloo, father!"--"Halloo, my child!" Thus spoke the man. Not long (afterwards) it grew up. He made clothes for his child. "You shall wear these." His child was a girl. The man was glad. The man was always hunting. His child looked at him, and thought thus: "What may be the reason that we two are alone? I will ask him (some) time." Thus his child was thinking.

The man had gone hunting, (and) his child remained alone. She saw a shadow, (but, to her) surprise, (it was) hardly visible. Thus she thought: "What may be the (thing) I see?" The man she saw had not been standing a long time. "Halloo, grand-daughter!" Thus spoke the man she saw. "Is that you, indeed, grandfather? Sit down here, grandfather! You shall eat." The girl gave him food. "Come right here!"--"Not so, grandfather."--"Come right here, grand-daughter!" Thus spoke the man. "Just eat, grandfather."--"Not so, grand-daughter. Come right here, I want to feel of you!" Thus spoke the man. Thus (she) said: "Not so, grandfather." He jumped at the little girl, and seized her. He rubbed her in his hands, between his fingers. The little girl was sticking out there. The little girl ran away under his arm. The little girl was out of breath, and jumped into the fire. The man looked at her as she jumped into the fire. He looked at her. He, too, was out of breath. He opened his mouth as he looked into the fire. The little girl was like liver when she became heated. She jumped into his mouth. The little girl entered inside. She was boiling in his heart when she entered. Thus she killed him. When she had killed him, she went out from there. She quickly p. 111 dragged him outside, and buried him. She buried him a little bit. Thus she thought: "I won't tell this to my father." Thus she was thinking.

Her clothes became stiff. Her father returned. "I came back, my child." Thus spoke her father. "Why are the things you wear stiff?" Thus spoke her father. "I am too warm." Thus she said to her father. Her father began to work. He worked one night and made (a dress). Thus he said to his child: "You must take (those stiff things) off. Now you shall wear these things." Thus he said to his child.

The next day he again went hunting. His child remained at home. (She now kills the remaining four shadows in the manner described in the preceding pages.)

She killed all of them. Thus her father said: "Why is it that the people who live there (make no) smoke?" Thus spoke her father. Thus answered his child: "You scare me." Thus she said to her father: "This is the reason why you talk that way,--those (whom I heard you say were) your enemies, (those) I killed." Thus she said to her father. "Did you surely kill them all?" Thus she said to her father. "See! here they lie." Thus she informed her father. "Let us two go there!" Thus she said to her father. Indeed, they two went there. They two arrived there at their house. Indeed, they two entered. They two saw everything. They two gathered up their clothes, their money. They two carried it (away) from there. They two brought it into their (dual) house.

Now here it ends. Thus the story is being told.