27. The Man Who Became A Snake (Fifth Version)

27. THE MAN WHO BECAME A SNAKE (35)

(FIFTH VERSION)

Two friends went out hunting. They came to the shore of a great lake, and on the shore found a big egg, which one of them brought back to camp. His friend told him it might not be good, but he said "I am going to cook it anyhow." So he cooked and ate it, and then the two lay down to sleep on opposite: sides of the fire. During the night the one who had eaten the egg awakened his companion. "My friend, what is the matter?" said the other. "Look and see what is the matter with me." His friend looked and saw that the legs of the other were glued together. By and by the same one called to his friend to look at him again, and he found that from his body on down was the tail of a snake. At daybreak he said again, "Look at me now," and behold he had turned completely into a snake which lay there in a big coil. Then the Snake said, "You must leave me, but first pilot me to the hole from which we got water." They got there and the Snake went in, whereupon the earth, trees, and everything else caved in, producing a big water hole. Then the Snake raised his head out of the water and said, "Tell my parents and my sisters to come and see me." So the friend went home and told them, and they asked him to guide them back to the place where the Snake had been left. When they got to the shore the Snake showed himself in the middle of the pond. He came to the bank and crawled out, and he crawled over the laps of his parents and his other friends, shedding tears. Then he returned into the water and they went home. So the tie-snake was created from a human being.