13. The Deer and his Son.

(Dictated by MalE'd, a Kwâ'g*ul, 1893.)

Deer was paddling along. His son Fawn was sitting in the bow of the canoe. It was foggy. It was the fall of the year. Then Fawn spoke to his father. "Stop!" he said, "there is the sound of warriors." Fawn heard the sound of paddles. "No, child," said his father, "it is only whistling in the nose, child. You hear the whistling in my nose."

They had not been on the water long when they were met unawares by warriors. Then Deer shouted, "You raw-meat eaters!" Thus said Deer. Then the Wolves said, on their part, "You on the water there are no

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noblemen."--"My words to you were not bad, my dear ones," said Deer on his part. "I just said to you, 'Indeed, you travel in calm water, my dear ones!'"--"That is not what you said. Go to him, (and take him) as our travelling-provisions." Thus said, on their part, the Wolves. Then he (Deer) and his son were pulled out of the canoe. "Don't handle that child roughly. Let him be alive," said the Wolves.

Then they arrived at the beach of Crooked-Beach. Then stones were put into the fire by the Wolves; for they were going to steam Deer, and they were about to kill him, to serve as food after travelling. Then the chiefs of the Wolves were invited in to eat Deer. All the chiefs of the Wolves came in and lay on their backs. "Let that slave tell a story."--"No, [else] you might go to sleep."--"Never mind, we are not going to sleep."--"Go on, let me tell a story. Make yourselves comfortable on the floor, and listen to me."

Then Deer began to sing. He sang a story. What story shall I tell you? Perhaps I will tell the story [that] 'It is good to turn up your necks on one side, it is good to lean your heads on your shoulders.' That is the story for you! Snore!" Four times he said so, singing. Only one old woman did not go to sleep. The old woman was mending her blanket. Then Deer turned his mouth towards the old woman; and Deer sang, "What story shall I tell you, old woman? This story I will tell you: 'You shall just drop your head on what you are mending, old woman,' snore!" Then the old woman went to sleep. Her forehead dropped on what she had been mending. The meat-board was ready in the house on the floor, and the mussel-knife to cut meat with, which they were going to use on him. Then Deer arose in the house, took the knife, and cut the throats of the chiefs of the

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Wolves. He twisted off four of their heads. Then he went down to the beach with his child, and jumped aboard the paddle-side canoe of the Wolves. Then (the canoe) paddled away (with him).

He was going home to his house. Then Orion [the hunters in the sky] were paid to open their fog-box. Orion opened his fog-box, so it became foggy. Then Deer did not know where he was going. He could not see what he referred to (his village). Deer did not know that he was going to the Wolves. Then the Wolves went down to the beach, waiting for him to come ashore. The Wolves stood in rows. Then Deer came, and his canoe struck the beach. Deer held the heads in his hand, and said, "That's it, tribe." Therefore he held up the heads. Then Deer jumped out of the canoe. Deer jumped right over those who were waiting for him in vain. He also jumped over the house of the Wolves. Then they searched for him in the woods. He was looked for. Now it had been day a long time, and they gave up searching, and those who had been searching went out of the woods.

Then some one went to fetch water. Two children went together,--one a boy, and the other a girl. They sat on the ground by the water, and they saw the reflection of the Deer in the water. In vain the children looked about, looking for the one to whom the reflection belonged. Then (Deer) was not wise. He made a noise and laughed. Therefore the children discovered that he was sitting on a tree. "Go!" said the girl to her brother, "and give notice to our tribe." The boy started, and immediately the Wolves came, when they knew it. "What shall we do?" said the Wolves. They tried to stand on one another's backs, but they just fell down in a heap. Four times they tried to do this way. Then Mouse was

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sent to ask the old woman. Mouse came back, singing as she went along the words of the old one. Then they began to sing "Come off, legs of one side of Deer!" Then the legs on the one side of Deer fell down. Then they said again, "Fall down, fall down, legs on the other side of Deer!" Then the legs of the other side of Deer fell down. Four times they began to sing. Then all the limbs of Deer were off, and his body just came rolling down. Then it was eaten by the Wolves. That is the end.