Page:Kutenai Tales.djvu/108

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
Boas]
Kutenai Tales
93

low of | his mother. Frog made a good place | for her grandson to sit down on. She knew that he had good clothing. Therefore she made || a really good place for Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢkaˑm to sit down. |

(b) Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢka·m Obtains Arrow Wood

Now, Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢkaˑm was growing up. He thought: | "What shall I do?" Long ago there were no service berries in this world. | There was just one place where there were some. Because it was not long | since Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢkaˑm was born, therefore he did not know this world. He said: || "Hya! I wish there might be some arrow wood! Then I might make arrows." Long ago | arrows were made of service-berry shoots. There were none. Therefore | Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢkaˑm said so. Frog said: "O grandchild, grandchild! | far away there is arrow wood. | Those who go to get arrow wood die there. Grizzly Bear watches the arrow wood. || Whoever goes to get it, is bitten by Grizzly Bear." Then | Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢkaˑm started. He arrived where two Cranes made a noise when they saw anybody. Then Grizzly Bear knew | that somebody was coming. When the Cranes saw Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢkaˑm, they wanted | to make noise. He said to them: "Oh, don't tell Grizzly Bear! || When I pass again, then you may tell him." He started again, and saw two | Marmots. They intended to whistle. He said to them: "Don't | talk now! Later on, when I pass again, you may talk." | He started again, and saw two Beavers. They intended to make a noise. | He said to them: "Don't make a noise!" Then Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢkaˑm saw || plenty of service berries. He took much arrow wood. | He threw it all over the country. He said: | "By and by there will be many people in this world. It would not be right if service berries were | only in one place in the world." Then there were | service berries in every country. It was he, Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢkaˑm, who did it. ||

Then he put the arrow wood on his back. He started back, and came to | Beaver. He said to him: "Now tell Grizzly Bear." Then (Beaver) made | a noise. Grizzly Bear heard Beaver. He said: "Yà, yà—what does it mean? | I hear noise going back." After a little while | the Marmots also made noise, and Grizzly Bear said so again. After a little while || the Cranes made a noise, and Grizzly Bear spoke again. He told his children: | "Go out (to see) what has been done!" His children went out, and they saw there were no more service-berry bushes. They said: | "There are no more service-berry bushes." Then Grizzly Bear became angry. He sang. | He took his coat. The coat of || Grizzly Bear is a skin. He put it on and became a grizzly bear. | He went out and jumped near his children. The two (children) jumped back. | He said to them: "How do I look?" He was told: "You look terrible." Then Grizzly Bear | went out. He looked at the tracks, and he saw | that it was Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢkaˑm. He had heard that || the youth had grown up and 120