Page:Kutenai Tales.djvu/96

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kutenai tales
81

came back to Long-Water Bay[1] and | there it went ashore. It went ashore into a cave under water. There it went in. | Woodpecker gave his war bonnet and his | spear to Flicker, and said to him: "If you see it coming out of the water, || say 'Ahei!'" Woodpecker was 155 ready | to kill the Water Monster. He was told: "You must say this, 'Ahei!' | Then it will be afraid of you, and you will hit it in the right place." Then Woodpecker | stepped into the water. He waited for it. Then | he was told that Flicker was going there. He stood || ready to spear the monster. He said: Ah! Flicker is waiting to 160 spear it. | He will kill the Water Monster." | Woodpecker had told him differently. He trembled for fear, for | the monster looked fierce. Then he missed it. When | the Water Monster saw him, it said to him, I shall swallow you. || Then Flicker let go the spear and ran 165 away. |

Then Nalmu'qtse was told: "Start for | the end of the lake and shut up the water. Don't let it | go through." When he arrived at the end of the lake, | he kicked this mountain[2] and broke a piece off. || Then he made the mud solid with his knees. | Then Wood- 170 pecker started in pursuit. Many were pursuing j the monster. Coyote was the fastest one. He caught up with it. | He carried his tomahawk pipe. He caught up with it, and was just about to strike it. | Then the Water Monster looked at him, and said, "I'll swallow you," || and he ran away. Next Fox overtook him and | took the 175 tomahawk pipe. When he caught up to it, | he looked at it, and said: "Ahei! there is no other man like me. I shall be the first | to strike the Water Monster." He hit its head, | killed it, and it was cut to pieces. || Then it was cut open. Then Flicker and Duck | and his wife 180 came out. Duck and | Flicker were white on each side. They washed themselves. Then | Duck and Flicker and Duck's wives, | those who had been swallowed by the Water Monster in their canoe, said || that 185 while they had been in the belly of the Water Monster | they had made a fire with their canoe. They had been told: "Don't | make a big fire; it might melt the fat (of the monster)." Then Flicker | was worn down to his present size. | Then the ribs on one side of the monster were cut off. They were thrown away || down the river. The one side of the ribs is now a cliff 190

below. | Then the other side was thrown away, there | where it was being cut up. Therefore the cliff is named Standing Rib. | Then its body was cut up and was | scattered about where there are people. ||


  1. South of Windermere.
  2. Pointed out by the narrator.

85543°—Bull. 59—18———6