The Locust

THE LOCUST ⁷

Somewhere in the southeast below there was a locust. She was singing. Thither a Yellow Woman went down to some place where she was. There she heard the locust singing somewhere. The Yellow Woman arrived there. Thus she said to her, "Your song is pretty, please sing for me. I will pay you four ears of green corn. I carry them on my back." The locust spoke thus, "That is not enough. I have many children. They will not be satisfied with this. They eat very much. Indeed, it is so." Then the Yellow Woman spoke thus, "You sing, I will pay you still more. Your song is pretty. It pleases me. Therefore I want you to sing. Over there below in the field, much green corn is standing. Take it as payment for yourself."

"All right," said the locust. Then she sang. It pleased her very much. "Now I have sung for you," said she. "Thank you," said she. "Take your children down." Early the locust and her children went together. Then Yellow Woman became angry. Many locusts had gone into her field. They ate all the green corn. Nothing was left. Yellow Woman also killed many.

Footnotes

118:7 Recorded in text by Franz Boas. Informant 8. Notes, p. 237.