17. The Obstacle Flight

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17. THE OBSTACLE FLIGHT (9)

Big Man-eater stole a young girl and carried her off. All of her brothers hunted for her but in vain.

Big Man-eater took her to his place and kept her there. When day came he went off hunting. When he came back he had killed nothing and said to the girl, "Cut off your breasts and roast them for me." Then she cried, wrapped a blanket about herself and lay down. Then an old woman cut off one of her breasts and gave it to her. She roasted it for him and he ate it. Every day he went hunting and every time he came back he said to the girl, "Cut off a piece of your body and roast it for me." She wept. And the old woman said to her, "When you grow up, he will kill you."

Then the girl was very much frightened. And the old woman said to her, "Just as soon as he has gone, start to run away." When he was gone she defecated and placed the excrement on the trails by which they got water and wood. She placed some on the top of the house. She hid Big Man-eater's chunk stone (or roller) under the bed. Then the old woman gave her a piece of cane and a little mud. She said, "When he pursues you and has nearly caught you, drop the cane and go on. When he has nearly caught you the second time, drop the mud." Then she ran off.

When Big Man-eater got back, he called out, "Woman." "Hulloa!" something answered. Again he called, "Woman." "Hulloa!" it said. Again he called out, "Woman," and he began to swear. "Hulloa!" it said. "She is sitting down there in front of me," he said. He went to look and found only excrement. Again he shouted, "Woman," and it answered "Hulloa!" He went to look and again there was only excrement. That happened four times. "Get my roller," he said, but the old woman would not tell him where it was. After he had hunted for it a long time he found it under the bed. He took it and rolled it along the trail to the water. It would not keep on. He rolled it along another big trail and it would not keep on. He took it and rolled it along another big trail and it would not keep on. He took it and rolled it along an old trail and it went rumbling off. "Ohoho, I will never stop pursuing you," he said.

He went on in pursuit. Then the girl dropped the cane and as she went ahead a thick canebrake grew up there. The roller stopped. Big Man-eater tried to roll it again and it did not go on. Then he seized it, put it on his back and carried it through. He dropped it on the ground and rolled it. When it started ahead it nearly caught up with the woman. Presently she dropped the mud, and, arriving at the place, the roller stopped. Big Man-eater took it up, placed it on his back, and carried it through the bog. Then he dropped it to the ground and rolled it, and it went on. He followed close after it.

p. 183

Now the girl called out (in Muskogee), "Something has nearly caught me, my brothers." When her brothers heard her speak thus, they hunted for arrow cane and made some arrows. When she cried out, they said, "Our sister is coming. Some animal wants to kill her." They kept on making arrows.

When she reached them they took her and shut the door upon her. Then they stood waiting for the monster and fought him. When he arrived, they shot arrows into him. He said, "Ahehiho', there are lots of mosquitoes here." They kept shooting at him until he had almost passed them. They whipped him with their bows, but he did not fall down. Then a Red Bird came flying, perched on a tree near by, and called out. It said, "Hit him in the ankle and he will fall down." They seized the cooking paddle and beat him upon the ankle so that he fell down. He was dead. Then they gathered a lot of wood, piled it upon him, and set it on fire. It finished burning. When everything was consumed they took the charcoal and threw it up into the air, upon which blackbirds called and flew away. The next they took and threw up turned into bees, which hummed about and flew off. Again they took some and threw it up and it became crows, which flew cawing away. Again they took some and throw it up and it turned into insects of all kinds which flew away.