Myths and Legends of British North America/85

by Katharine Berry Judson

BEAVER AND PORCUPINE

Haida

BEAVER'S store of food was plentiful. While he was away hunting one day, Porcupine stole that food. Then he remained sitting there. When Beaver returned he asked, "Did you eat my food?"

Porcupine said, "No, indeed. How can the food of supernatural beings be taken? You have supernatural power and I have supernatural power."

Then they started to fight. Beaver tried to seize Porcupine with his teeth, but when he threw himself at his face, the sharp spines struck him. After they had fought for a while, Beaver went to the place where his parents lived. He was all covered with spines.

Then his father called the people together, and the Beaver people came in a crowd. They all went along to fight Porcupine. Porcupine used angry words to them. Then they pushed down his house upon him. They seized him. They took him to an island lying out at sea, upon which two trees stood.

When Porcupine was almost starved, he called upon the animals of his clan. He called upon his father. He called upon all of his friends. They did not answer him.

By and by Something said to him, "Call upon Cold-weather, call upon North wind." Porcupine did not understand. Then the Voice said, "Sing North songs. Then you will be saved."

So Porcupine began singing,

Xune qa-sa zune,
Let the sky clear altogether;
Hu-n, hu-n, hun, hun.

After that he sat on a rock and sang,

Xunisa,
Let it be cold weather;
Gai-ya-li-sa,
Let it be smooth on the water.

Then North sent cold weather. The wind became strong. Then Porcupine began to sing for smooth water. When it became smooth, the surface of the sea froze. When the ice became thick, his friends came and got Porcupine; but he was not able to walk.

Now after Porcupine reached his father's house, his father called all the Forest People. He gave them all food. Then they asked Porcupine why the Beaver people did this to him. He said it was because he had eaten Beaver's food.

Then the Porcupine people went to war with the Beaver people. But they did not defeat the Beaver people. After they had fought for a while, they stopped.

After that, when they were gathering food, they seized Beaver. The Porcupines did this. They were always plotting against Beaver. They took Beaver up a tall tree. After he had been there awhile, he began eating the tree from the top. He finally got down and went away. Beavers cannot climb trees.