18. Night-Rainbow and Grizzly Bear

18. NIGHT-RAINBOW AND GRIZZLY BEAR.

The Night-Rainbow people were living in a little place. Night- Rainbow-Old-Woman had five children. One morning they two--(one man and) his wife--went hunting. They p. 113 two came through a prairie. They two saw camas lying (on the ground). "It seems, a person must have put it there." Thus spoke the woman. "We two ought to take some home." Thus she said to her husband. Indeed, she put some into her basket. Suddenly she saw a man running (towards her). They two were standing there when he came to them (dual). "Why did you two pick it? This camas belongs to me."--"I surely thought it did not belong to you." Thus spoke the husband. (The man) jumped at the husband. He killed the husband, (and) also his wife he killed. Then he started again. He killed all the people in the village. Grizzly Bear killed half of them. Grizzly Bear again went home. Grizzly Bear took to his house the people he had killed. He put them inside, (and) set them down opposite one another.

Rainbow-Old-Woman remained alone. The Rainbow was a very old woman. One morning she saw a man coming. He came to her. It was the enemy who came there. The Rainbow seized a digging-stick, (and) speared Grizzly Bear with it. She speared him in the anus. She jabbed (the spear) inside. With a digging-stick Rainbow-Old-Woman killed him. "Indeed, I killed one of them." Thus thought the Rainbow.

She had one grandson. She put the grandson on mats. (She turned) them over. There Rainbow-Old-Woman kept the grandson. The Rainbow's grandson grew up. Her grandson commenced to hunt. "Begin to make me a bow!" Thus spoke the grandson. "They run there, (and) I cannot kill (even) one." Thus he said to his grandmother. Indeed, she made a bow for her grandson.

The next day he went again. Thus she said to him: "Don't go far away." Thus Rainbow-Old-Woman was talking. Suddenly he brought home two rabbits. The old woman skinned them. "I saw two things, big things." p. 115 Thus spoke her grandson. "You must have seen deer." Thus spoke Rainbow-Old-Woman. Now, the grandson went again. "Don't go far away!" Indeed, he saw the deer. He hit both with one arrow as they were standing side by side. He took them inside the house. "You must prepare a lunch for me, grandmother." Thus spoke the grandson. "What is this roaring?" Thus said the grandson. "Just listen, grandson! The fisher-skin quiver is getting angry." She had stored away his father's quiver. She did not inform her grandson. Thus the Rainbow was thinking: "Only then I will surely inform him (when he grows up)." Thus she thought. The Rainbow no longer remembered it. She did not tell this to her grandson. "Now I am going far away." Thus he said to his grandmother.

The next day he went, indeed. He came through a prairie. Suddenly he saw camas spread out. Thus he thought: "I'll take some of it home. What may it be? My absent grandmother shall see it." Thus the young man was thinking. Now, indeed, the young man picked some. "It seems, some one must have put down this camas." Thus he was thinking. Indeed, he looked there, as he put some into his quiver. Suddenly a man came quickly to him (through the prairie). (The boy) became afraid, (and) ran away. He, too, ran. (Grizzly) almost overtook him. The young man stood up. "Why did you pick it?" Thus spoke Grizzly Bear. "The thing that you picked is my property." (Grizzly) wanted to fight him. He stood up. He stood just like a person. The young man stood. "What may he do to me?" Thus the young man was thinking. He stretched out his two hands. (Grizzly) jumped at him. He was going to hug the young man. Indeed, he hugged him. The young man went through his arm-pits. just that way he ran when he came through. Grizzly Bear turned around. Indeed, the young p. 117 man was already running. He followed him. The young man became acquainted with (his ways). Thus the young man was thinking: "He shouldn't do anything to me." Thus the young man was thinking. The young man overtook him. "Close here! We two shall fight." Thus spoke the young man. Now he was going to hug him in the middle of the back. just that way the young man went through the arm-pits. just that way the young man kept on running. Thus thought Grizzly Bear: "Where did he go?" Thus thought Grizzly Bear. He saw the young man run. Grizzly Bear was out of breath. His tongue was hanging down, as he was out of breath. (He and) the young man approached the house. "Now I am going to kill him right here." Thus thought the young man. "Stand close here! We two will fight." Indeed, he stood close by. He hugged him around the thighs. Just that way the young man went through. The young man stood somewhat far away. Grizzly Bear stood also. Now the young man will hit him with an arrow. Indeed, he hit him. Grizzly Bear fell, (and) the young man killed him. The young man dragged him aside.

The young man went home to his grandmother. He informed his grandmother. "I saw camas spread out." Thus he informed his grandmother. "I put some of it into my quiver. Suddenly I saw some one run quickly. He fought with me, when he came to me, because I picked that camas." Thus he spoke. "He said it belonged to him." Thus he spoke. Thus he informed his grandmother. "I forgot to tell it to you. He had killed your parents."--"What did you do?"--"Surely, I killed (one of them)." Thus the Rainbow informed him.

The next day the young man went again. That old woman was continually dancing the murder-dance. That old woman was very glad when he had killed one. The p. 119 young man arrived there again. He picked that camas again. The young man stood there. Suddenly (Grizzly) again came through quickly. The young man ran. (Grizzly) overtook him. "Come! We two will fight. You (are) my enemy." Thus spoke the young man. (Grizzly) did not seem to be very active. Thus he looked at him. Close here, he was going to hug him around the neck as he stood. Indeed, he jumped at him. The young man went through the arm-pits. just that way the young man ran. Whenever he saw the young man run, he could not turn around quickly (enough). He would follow him. The young man learned his (ways). "He won't kill me." Thus the young man was thinking. He waited when (Grizzly) came. "Come! We two will fight." Thus he said to him. "Close here!" Thus he said to him. (Grizzly Bear) was out of breath. His tongue was hanging down when he was out of breath. The young man (came) close to the house. Now (the fight) will be just here. Now, again, he overtook him. "Indeed, you (are) my enemy, we two shall fight." Thus he said to him. Now he will seize him by the lower parts. Now he seized the young man in a stooping position. Indeed, he seized him. just that way he came through the arm-pits. The young man stood not far away. "Come here!" He took out the bow and arrows. Again Grizzly Bear stood. He was coming towards him just like a person. Thus he was doing it. (He was very) close. Thus he thought. "Suppose I hit him!" Indeed, he hit him. He fell, (and) he killed him.

Now the young man went home. The young man went back to the house.--Thus he said to his grandmother. "Again I killed one."--"It must be the female whom you killed." Thus spoke the Rainbow. "Let me go there!" Indeed, the young man went there. The young man examined Grizzly Bear. Sure enough, it was a woman.

p. 121

He travelled for a long time. Such (a person) did not come again. "It must have been the last one." Thus he thought. "Suppose I go there!" Thus he thought. Indeed, he went there. He came to the house (of) Grizzly Bear. He saw his (own) father. Also his mother was (there). He saw them sit opposite each other. Both were dead. He turned back. The young man went home. He informed his grandmother. Thus he said to her: "I saw my father and my mother. We two will go there." Indeed, they two went there, (he and) his grandmother. He kindled a fire. They two warmed water. With it he washed her face, her hands, and her feet, with lukewarm water. "Look up, mother!" Thus he said to his mother. "You are merely sleeping." Thus spoke the young man. Indeed, she looked up. "Please speak!" She spoke very slowly. "I am not yet strong." Thus spoke his mother. "Please bend your foot!" Indeed, she bent her foot. "Please stand up!" Thus he said to her. To both (of them) he did thus. They were merely sitting. "You two stand up!" Thus spoke the young man. Indeed, they two stood up. He gave them meat with grease. "You two eat this!" Thus he spoke to his mother. He gave them both a little piece. "You two will become strong." Thus he said. "Please walk!" Thus he spoke to his mother. Indeed, they two walked. He liked his mother best. Indeed, his father, too, (got) well. "Now you two (are) well." Thus he said. "We will go home." Indeed, they went home; they came back to their house. Thus spoke his father: "We two did not know for sure who took us (here) when we two were killed." Thus spoke his father.

The next day they went there. They went after the camas. He filled the house with camas. "You will also take this home." Thus she said to her grandson. "You must stay." Thus he said to his mother. "We two will go, (I and) p. 123 my absent grandmother." Indeed, they two went. The dead people seemed to be spread out. They warmed water, (he and) the old woman. With it he washed the faces, the hands, and the feet. To all he did this. Thus he said to them. "You wake up! You are merely sleeping." Thus spoke the young man. Quickly he washed all the faces. Thus the young man was doing it. That old woman had grease (with her). With it she painted their faces, their hands, and their feet. "Now you look!" Thus spoke the young man. Indeed, they looked. "You get up!" Indeed they got up. "Please wiggle your fingers!" Indeed, they wiggled their fingers. "Now you stand!" Thus spoke the young man. "We shall go home." Thus he said. Indeed, they went home. Indeed, he brought home all the people that had been killed.

His uncle looked at him. His uncle was a "Paunch-man" (I, too, am such a man). ¹ "How is it that you did not tell it to me?" Thus he said to his grandmother. "Your uncle wants to come back here. He, too, knows something. He will teach you something." Thus she said to him. Indeed, his uncle arrived. The grandson had two wives. The grandson became rich. He possessed all their money. They all lived together in one village. This was the work of the Rainbow. Thus she made her grandson work. "We will go. We will go down the river." Thus said the Paunch-Man to the young man. Indeed, they two went. They two had fisher-skin quivers. (The grandson) saw it when they two arrived. The Rainbow's grandson arrived. They two came to a house. Right away they two were given battle. No one touched them (dual) when they were fought (by the people). It seemed there as if they two turned into nothing,--the Rainbow grandson (and) the Paunch-Man. It seemed as if they disappeared there, "We two are surprisingly good." Thus (the Paunch p. 125 Man) said to the young man. Thus spoke the young man. "Let us two let the quiver loose (to see) what it will do." Indeed, (they) let it loose. The quiver jumped. (A man's) head was chewed up. They two threw it away.

Thus the quiver killed them all. The young man saw it. He was glad when the quiver killed all the people. Thus he said to the young man: "Let us two go again. Suppose he will kill all?" The young man did not want it that way. "They shall be our (dual) subjects." Thus spoke the young man. "If you don't want it thus, I will teach you one thing." Thus he said to the young man. A large fir-tree was standing. "You shall hit it right in the middle." Thus he said to the young man. "(See) what will happen! No matter how strong a thing you hit, still you will kill it." Thus he said to him. "Hit it with force." Thus he said to him. Surely he hit it. The fir-tree fell. It was smashed to pieces when it fell down. Thus he said to him: "You ought to be all right." Thus spoke the Paunch-Man. A big rock was lying (there). "Please hit this rock here!"--"I shall probably hit it." Thus spoke the young man. "Hit it." Thus spoke the Paunch-Man. Indeed, the young man hit it. The rock seemed to be crushed. It was scattered everywhere. It was scattered like sand. The Paunch-Man spoke: "Now you are all right, since you crushed it." Thus he said to him. "Now let us two go again." Thus spoke the young man. "We two will turn back." Thus (the boy) said to him. "These shall be our subjects." Thus he said to the Paunch-Man. Indeed, thus he spoke: "It will surely be good if they will be our (dual) subjects."

Now, so far it got. Thus they tell (the story about) the Rainbow. When you see her like a person, you will get rich. (Even) to-day this is the custom (of the) Rainbow.

Here ends the (story of) Night-Rainbow-Old-Woman.

Footnotes

123:1 The narrator was referring to himself.