The Giant and the Girl

THE GIANT AND THE GIRL ⁴

"Where are you?" "Indeed! right here!" said Yellow Woman. Then the giant spoke thus, "Where?" Then Yellow Woman spoke thus, "Indeed! right here!" said Yellow Woman. The giant arrived where Yellow Woman was. Then the giant said thus to her, "Give me your shoes!" said he to her. She gave him her shoes and the giant ate her shoes. Then the giant also said thus to her, "Give me this your dress!" She gave him the dress and the giant ate it. Then again he said thus to her, "Give me your belt!" Then she also gave him the belt and the giant ate it. He also said thus to her. "Now come out!" said he to her. "I shall eat you up," said he to her. Then Yellow Woman cried. She shouted, "The giant wants to take me out! He will eat me up!" Then the giant took his cane. He was going to take out Yellow Woman with his cane. Then Yellow Woman was running about inside. Yellow Woman shouted and cried.

Then Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa on the south top (of the Sandia Mountains) heard her. "Listen!" said Ma*'s’ewa, "somewhere someone is shouting. Listen, someone is crying," said Ma*'s’ewa. Then O'yoyewa spoke thus, "It is Yellow Woman who is crying," said he. "Let us go!" said he. "Let us two go where the poor one is crying," said Ma*'s’ewa. Then they took arrows, both Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa. They arrived there where Yellow Woman was going

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to be eaten by the giant. Then Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa arrived there. They let go their arrows and Ma*'s’ewa shot the giant in the heart. Ma*'s’ewa had killed the giant. He cut him open. Then he made for him a turquoise heart. He resuscitated the giant. He sent the giant southwestward. Then Ma*'s’ewa spoke thus, "Poor Yellow Woman," said he to her. "Was it you who was shouting here?" said he to Yellow Woman. "Yes," said Yellow Woman. "Poor one," said Ma*'s’ewa to her, "what is the matter?" said Ma*'s’ewa to her. "What are you doing here?" "Yes," said Yellow Woman, "I was hunting rabbits," said she. "My brother did not go hunting," said she, "therefore I went hunting," said Yellow Woman. "The people of the town went hunting rabbits, but my brother did not go hunting. Therefore, I went hunting rabbits. Then here the night overtook me," said Yellow Woman to him. "Then I went here into this cave," said Yellow Woman. "There I made a fire," said she. "Then someone came along shouting," said Yellow Woman. "I went outside. Then I heard, 'Where are you?' said it. Then Yellow Woman ⁵ spoke thus, 'Indeed, right here!' said Yellow Woman. Then the giant came and he arrived at the cave. Then I went in. The giant said to me, 'Give me your shoes from the north,' said the giant to me." Thus had said to her the giant. She told Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa. She told the two. "Then 'Give me this your dress!' the giant said to me. I gave him my dress. Then again the giant said to me, 'Give me this your belt!' said the giant to me. I gave him my belt. Then the giant ate my whole dress and my shoes and my belt," said Yellow Woman. She told Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa. "The giant was about to take me out, and then I cried," said Yellow Woman. "I shouted," said Yellow Woman. "Then he tried to take me out with his cane and from there I ran about inside," said Yellow Woman. The giant said to me, 'Come out! I shall eat you at once,' said the giant to me. Then I cried. Then Ma*'s’ewa heard it. The two arrived and killed the giant," said she to Ma*'s’ewa. Thus she told him. Then Ma*'s’ewa spoke thus, "I heard it," said Ma*'s’ewa, "and there I and O'yoyewa, we two came here," said Ma*'s’ewa. "We thought it was you who was crying here," said Ma*'s’ewa to her, "and therefore I killed the giant," said Ma*'s’ewa. Then he said to her thus, "Let us go!" said to her Ma*'s’ewa. Then they took Yellow Woman along. Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa, the two, went together westward hunting rabbits. Then Ma*'s’ewa killed a rabbit and Yellow Woman took the rabbit. Then O'yoyewa killed a rabbit. Yellow Woman took the rabbit. They came from the west, killing rabbits while travelling, Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa. Afterward Yellow Woman

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carried the rabbits on her back. Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa killed many. Then they arrived here at the town. They took the girl to her house. Then Ma*'s’ewa said to her thus, "Now you may go," said he to Yellow Woman. Thus they said. Then Yellow Woman said, "Thank you, Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa." "Thank you," said the girl. "You killed enough rabbits for me. Now I shall be eating rabbits. I have never eaten rabbits before," said Yellow Woman. "Here in the town the people now go hunting rabbits. My brother did not want to go hunting. Therefore I myself went hunting. I was going to eat rabbits. Thank you, Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa. You heard me and therefore you killed these many for me, Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa." Then Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa went away to the south top. Ma*'s’ewa and O'yoyewa went out. "Thank you," said Yellow Woman. (Then you will say, "That long is the bald tail.") ^5a

Footnotes

21:4 Informant 7. Recorded by Franz Boas in text. The text begins when the girl is in the cave and the giant tries to induce her to come out. Notes, p. 227.

22:5 Here she uses her name instead of the pronoun "I."

23:5a Formula for the conclusion of a tale.