30. The Woman Who Became a Bear

30. THE WOMAN WHO BECAME A BEAR.

(There lived) a girl in Kwaitc, and she was lazy. She did not do a thing. Then she became tetsäwis, ¹ and they shut her up. They shut her up for five days. They did not give her any food, nor did they give her any water. She had a little brother. He used to bring her water on the sly. He would hide the water in the back of his neck. Then he would go inside to his elder sister, and would give her water, and she would drink it. And in that way he gave her (food). When he got something, he would give it to her. And she said thus to her younger brother: "You shan't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you."

p. 183

Hair seemed to grow on her shoulders and arms, and also (on) her finger-nails; and her teeth began to grow, and began to be large. In (these) five days she became a bear. Then she said thus to her younger brother: "Sit down here. I won't hurt you. I will kill all my folks."

On the fifth day she went out. First she killed her mother; then she killed her father; and she killed all (the people in) the village. She gathered all the clothes, the money. She gathered everything, and brought it back to her little brother. And she said to him thus: "You will stay here." Thus she said to her younger brother. I will go to the river. I shall drink (there)."

She stood up on her feet and knees; and she pushed her head into the water. Then she began to drink the water. She kept on drinking there, and turned into a stone. And she is still there to-day. Leaves are on her head, (and) arrow-wood grows (on it). Her hair got (that way).

The young boy became rich. He went to another village, and bought a wife there.

Footnotes

181:1 Menstruating (?).