III. NOVELISTIC TALES

p. 66

CUISI'NYINAWA ¹

She was in a town. Then Yellow Woman went for water. With her jar Yellow Woman went for water. She reached the river. The girl was standing there. She saw a kicking stick. Below there was the kicking stick. Then Yellow Woman picked it up. She put it into (her dress). The Cuisi'n^yinaw^a arrived. He told Yellow Woman, "Did you not pick up a kicking stick?" "No," said the girl. "Yes," said Cuisi'n^yinaw^a to her, "yes," said he. "You have it somewhere," said he to the Yellow Woman. "It is so," said Cuisi'n^yinaw^a. "I have not got it," said Yellow Woman. Then, "Yes," said Cuisi'n^yinaw^a. "Somewhere," said he to her. "Give me the blue one (?)" said Cuisi'n^yinaw^a. "Give me the kicking stick." "No," said Yellow Woman; "I shall keep it as my own," said she. (?) "I just might give you the kicking stick." Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a took away Yellow Woman. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a took her to a place where he dwelt. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a was bad. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a arrived with her at his house. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a carried her on his back to where he dwelt above, where a rainbow stands on Cuisi'n^yinaw^a's house. Then he made Yellow Woman arrive. Early he went hunting deer. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a ordered the girl to grind corn. When she was ready to grind corn, Yellow Woman ground it. Then she put the flour of the corn into a basket. Then Yellow Woman was to make wafer bread. Then she gave Cuisi'n^yinaw^a wafer bread to eat. He arrived in the evening. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a told her that he had killed a deer which he had brought to his house. Then Yellow Woman went out and took the deer. He gave it to Yellow Woman to eat. Then she put it down in front of the fireplace and Yellow Woman took sacred corn meal. Then Yellow Woman gave sacred meal to the deer to eat. Yellow Woman inhaled. "Thank you," said she, "you killed a deer, thank you," said she to Cuisi'n^yinaw^a. He was eating wafer bread. "Eat wafer bread!" said she to Cuisi'n^yinaw^a. He was eating. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a finished eating. "Thank you," said he. "I have eaten wafer bread," said Cuisi'n^yinaw^a. "Put the deer down here." Then Yellow Woman put down the deer.

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Right here in the town was Yellow Woman's house. Then her husband came home. Then Yellow Woman was not in her house. He had lost his wife. She was not there. Then he searched for his wife. He searched at the river; he was searching for her where his wife Yellow Woman had drawn water. The jar was at the river. Then her husband found the jar. Then (he said), "Where did my wife go? Where did she go to?" Then he was searching for his wife. Then Old Spider Woman told him. "Where are you going, grandson?" said Old Spider Woman to him. Then he spoke thus, "I am searching for my wife," said he. Then Old Spider Woman spoke thus to him, "Poor grandson," said she to him. "Cuisi'n^yinaw^a has taken her away," said Old Spider Woman to him. She told him that Cuisi'n^yinaw^a had taken away his wife. "He took her eastward," said she. "Poor grandson," said Old Spider Woman to him. "Come in, grandson," said she to him. "How can I go in?" said the husband of Yellow Woman. Then ^1a he entered Old Spider Woman's house. "Sit down!" said Old Spider Woman, "my grandson." Then he sat down. Then, "Eat, grandson!" Old Spider Woman cooked a snowbird head. Just one was there. Then she served it to him. He was eating. He ate the head of the snowbird. He broke it to pieces. Then Old Spider Woman spoke thus, "Oh my," said she, "grandson! you have broken the snowbird head," said Old Spider Woman. "We had only one to serve, grandson. The poor one! My poor grandson ² killed one. He always goes hunting snowbirds. My poor grandson never kills any more (?)" said Old Spider Woman. Then her grandson ³ spoke thus, "Do not say so. I shall go hunting, grandmother, I shall hunt snowbirds for you." Then he killed snowbirds. He arrived below at the river. Then he went hunting snowbirds for her to serve. Then he made traps for the snowbirds. He made snares. Then he hunted the snowbirds with snares, and he killed many. Then Old Spider Woman took them to her house. Then he arrived at Old Spider Woman's house. Then, "Grandmother," said he to her, "there below!" said he. "That is good!" said Old Spider Woman. Then her grandson entered downward. He was in search of his wife. He had been hunting snowbirds for Old Spider-Woman. "Thank you," said Old Spider Woman. "Grandson, I want to take you to where your wife is. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a took her away. Will you go after your wife?" said she to him. "Yes; I will go after my wife," said he. "Let me take you there, grandson!" Then Old Spider Woman made medicine for him. Then they went. Old Spider Woman took him to Cuisi'n^yinaw^a's house. [paragraph continues]

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He arrived there. Then he arrived at the town. Then, "Woe!" said the people of the town. "Woe! He is mean. He has taken your wife. Woe! Cuisi'n^yinaw^a is mean. He will kill you. Nobody stays there. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a has gone hunting," they said. "Right there in the town, there is your wife," they said. "Cuisi'n^yinaw^a has stolen her. He is very mean. Did he take your wife?" they said to him. "Yes," said he. "I came to get her, because Cuisi'n^yinaw^a stole her from me. I came after her. I must get my wife back." Then he entered Cuisi'n^yinaw^a's house. He went in. Then his wife was there. Then he found his wife. Then his wife jumped toward her husband. She hugged him. "My poor husband," said she to him. "How did you come here?" said she to him. "I have been searching for you," said he to his wife. "Poor one," said he to her. "Old Spider Woman brought me here," said he. "Cuisi'n^yinaw^a stole you from me," said he. "I came to get you," said he to his wife. "Now let us go, I'll take you to our home," said he to her. Then he took her back. Old Spider Woman was waiting for them. Then he took her there. Old Spider Woman said thus to him, "Are you coming, grandson?" said she to him. "Yes," said he. "Now I brought my wife here," said he. "Poor one," said Old Spider Woman, "grandson. Let us go!" said she. Then Old Spider Woman and his wife (and he) went together. He took his wife back. They went back from the east. They had been in the east. There in the east dwells Cuisi'n^yinaw^a. Far away he had taken Yellow Woman. Here from the east he took her. Together from the east came they, the three together. Way over there in the east dwells Cuisi'n^yinaw^a. Then he arrived at his house. Yellow Woman was no longer there. Now her husband had already taken back Yellow Woman. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a arrived. No more did he find Yellow Woman. Already her husband had taken her back. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a became angry. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a pursued Yellow Woman. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a came from the east. Already Yellow Woman had arrived at her house here, She had arrived at her husband's house. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a was pursuing them. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a came out from the east thundering. He was about to shoot them, both her and her husband, (but) Cuisi'n^yinaw^a shot beside (the mark). Cuisi'n^yinaw^a is mean. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a arrived at Yellow Woman's house. Then he said to him thus, "Why did you take her back?" said Cuisi'n^yinaw^a to him. Thus he said to the two, "If Yellow Woman were not pregnant, I should kill you." Thus he said to both Yellow Woman and her husband. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a said to him, when the pregnant Yellow Woman would give birth to a child that would be Cuisi'n^yinaw^a's child. Then she gave

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birth. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a came after his child. Yellow Woman being pregnant, therefore Cuisi'n^yinaw^a did not kill the two. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a said it was his child. Then Yellow Woman gave birth to a child. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a went to where he dwelt. There somewhere on the northeast side far away he came out. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a had taken away too many Yellow Women. He had already taken many. Those who did not make wafer bread quickly enough Cuisi'n^yinaw^a threw down from the north side. He is mean. The poor girls, he threw them down upon the ice. Many he had taken. He is too mean. They all died below on the north side on the ice, the poor ones. Nobody went after the Yellow Women, the poor ones, and they froze to death there below. He is too mean. He never forgave them. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a had no consideration. Whoever did not grind flour quickly enough and had not made wafer bread when he came home from hunting, and they had not made the wafer bread, then he threw them down, the Yellow Women, on the north side. Then there below they died. They froze to death on the ice, the poor Yellow Women. Down below there they died. No one went after the Yellow Women. Then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a threw them down. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a did not forgive any one of them. Therefore they abused Cuisi'n^yinaw^a below in this town. He would take any Yellow Woman. Therefore they abused Cuisi'n^yinaw^a. "Oh, poor ones," they said. "Now he has again taken from somewhere a poor Yellow Woman." Oh, dear, Cuisi'n^yinaw^a is mean, the poor Yellow Women. He fooled the poor Yellow Women. The poor ones! Cuisi'n^yinaw^a took them along. "Oh my! He is mean," they said, "Oh my! The poor ones, he fools the poor ones with the kicking stick. Therefore he always takes away the Yellow Women. He has fooled many poor Yellow Women. They all died there below on the ice. He threw down the poor Yellow Women and their sisters Merinako. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a is mean. Oh my! Cuisi'n^yinaw^a comes after them this way, with the kicking stick. Then he takes the Yellow Woman away. The poor ones! He kills them. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a asks them too urgently to work for him. A Yellow Woman that does not agree to do so when he has taken the Yellow Woman, then that one he throws them down on the north side. Cuisi'n^yinaw^a is too mean. When he has taken a Yellow Woman and anyone goes after the Yellow Woman then, when he arrives in the evening and does not find the Yellow Woman, then Cuisi'n^yinaw^a knows about it. At once he pursues the Yellow Woman (and the one who took her back). Now Cuisi'n^yinaw^a kills them. He always kills them. He walks with much noise. Nobody lives there, but Cuisi'n^yinaw^a lives by himself. He is all alone. He is very bad.--That long is the bald tail. That is all.

Footnotes

66:1 Recorded in text by Franz Boas. Informant 7. Recorded also by Benedict, informant 1 (omitted), in a version in which the hero was named Arrow Boy. Notes, p. 230.

67:1a As usual in Southwest tales, the opening enlarges as he puts down his foot.

67:2 This is another boy.

67:3 This is Yellow Woman's husband.