32. The Man Who Married the Bird

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32. THE MAN WHO MARRIED THE BIRD.

A young man was living in Siuslaw. He always gambled. Whatever clothes (he had) they would win from him. His old people no longer had anything. Because of this they scolded him. They would give him hardly any food. (They) had nothing.

So one day he took his fish-pole and went to North Fork. He had no clothes (on). He was holding only a fish-pole. So he came to the head (of the fall), to a waterfall. In the waterfall he saw a very pretty Butter-Ball. He tried to hook it ashore with his fish-pole. It would dive, and come out right in the middle. Thus he worked (until) he became tired. So he thus began to think: "May it not be luck?" Then he began to think thus: "I will go to the bank, and will grab it with the hand."

When he dove, he went through a house, a big house. Thus the Butter-Ball said to him: "You are my husband. You nearly hurt me with your fish-pole." When he entered, people were making a noise. At one end, people were dancing; at still another one, they were curing a sick (man); and near by, in another (part), gambling was going on. So he, too, gambled. They were winning right along. His wife asked him, "Is your sister living?"--"Of course, I have a sister, and a younger brother, and my father is a very old man."

(He was) there five days. So thus they said to him: "We will take you home." So they were taking him home in a canoe. His wife gave him clothes. "You must take these home to your sister. Whenever she puts them on, she will (look) just like me." They got into three canoes; and (she) gave him a small piece of whale-meat, that he might take it home. Now the two said to p. 189 him, "Get in the middle. You must lie down and keep your eyes closed. Do not look soon. When we two tell you, then you shall look." He got tired as he lay in the canoe., He looked a little. He had just looked, (when) a wave had already come into the canoe. So they two said to him thus: "You shall keep your eyes closed." He was afraid, and kept his eyes shut tight. He saw nothing. They were going inside the ground in the water, and came through to the ocean. They landed at Łtuwis. So from there he went home, walking.

It seemed, he heard something as he went. Indeed, (his) father it must have been (who) was calling him where their house had been. He was walking around there, wailing, "My child used to walk around here!" (The young man) recognized him. It was his father. When he heard it, that old man went [and came] behind his child. (The son) asked his father, "What are you going?" That old man was frightened He turned around and took hold of the child. He was glad when he saw his child. Thus (the son) said to his father: "I won't do anything." They two were going along the beach. That old man was holding (on to) his child. Now they two came to Tliex. Thus that old man spoke: "I will carry you across this river."--"Not so, I will jump across."--"You cross." Thus spoke that old man. "I will pack you across."--"Not so, I will jump across in a jiffy."--"You shall wade across. I won't run away, we two will go home."

Now they almost came to the mouth of the river. They two found the whale, the gift. It was lying on the beach. So they two cut it into pieces. When (the young man) left his wife, she told him thus: "You shall give a piece of this whale to all of your folks. Then the next day I will give you a whole whale. Then you will see

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(have) beads because of it. You shall sell that whale." Now, indeed, the next day a whale came ashore. So they cut the whale into pieces. They cut it up into small pieces, and were selling them. When any one wanted (a piece), he bought it. They got all that they wanted of the whale, and the young man became rich. He was an expert gambler, and through (from) this they all became rich.