myths and legends of the sioux-第22节

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it。　　Can't　you　climb　up　and　get　it　for　me？〃　　The　young　man；　pitying

the　old　fellow；　proceeded　to　climb　the　tree；　when　the　old　man

stopped　him；　saying：　〃Grandson；　you　have　on　such　fine　clothes；　it

is　a　pity　to　spoil　them；　you　had　better　take　them　off　so　as　not　to

spoil　the　fine　porcupine　work　on　them。〃　　The　young　man　took　off　his

fine　clothes　and　climbed　up　into　the　tree；　and　securing

the　chicken；　threw　it　down　to　the　old　man。　　As　the　young　man　was

scaling　down　the　tree；　the　old　man　said：　〃Iyashkapa；　iyashkapa；〃

（stick　fast；　stick　fast）。　　Hearing　him　say　something；　he　asked；

〃What　did　you　say；　old　man？〃　　He　answered；　〃I　was　only　talking　to

myself。〃　　The　young　man　proceeded　to　descend；　but　he　could　not

move。　　His　body　was　stuck　fast　to　the　bark　of　the　tree。　　In　vain

did　he　beg　the　old　man　to　release　him。　　The　old　Unktomi；　for　he　it

was；　only　laughed　and　said：　〃I　will　go　now　and　kill　the　evil

spirits；　I　have　your　wonderful　bow　and　arrows　and　I　cannot　miss

them。　　I　will　marry　the　chief's　daughter；　and　you　can　stay　up　in

that　tree　and　die　there。〃



So　saying；　he　put　on　White　Plume's　fine　clothes；　took　his　bow　and

arrows　and　went　to　the　village。　　As　White　Plume　was　expected　at　any

minute；　the　whole　village　was　watching　for　him；　and　when　Unktomi

came　into　sight　the　young　men　ran　to　him　with　a　painted　robe；　sat

him　down　on　it　and　slowly　raising　him　up　they　carried　him　to　the

tent　of　the　chief。　　So　certain　were　they　that　he　would　kill　the

evil　spirits　that　the　chief　told　him　to　choose　one　of　the　daughters

at　once　for　his　wife。　（Before　the　arrival　of　White　Plume；　hearing

of　him　being　so　handsome；　the　two　girls　had　quarreled　over　which

should　marry　him；　but　upon　seeing　him　the　younger　was　not　anxious

to　become　his　wife。）　　So　Unktomi　chose　the　older　one　of　the

sisters；　and　was　given　a　large　tent　in　which　to　live。　　The　younger

sister　went　to　her　mother's　tent　to　live；　and　the　older　was　very

proud；　as　she　was　married　to　the　man　who　would　save　the　nation　from

starvation。　　The　next　morning　there　was　a　great　commotion　in　camp；

and　there　came　the　cry　that　the　white　buffalo　was　coming。　　〃Get

ready；　son…in…law；　and　kill　the　buffalo；〃　said　the　chief。



Unktomi　took　the　bow　and　arrows　and　shot　as　the　buffalo　passed；　but

the　arrow　went　wide　off　its　mark。　　Next　came　the　eagle；　and　again

he　shot　and　missed。　　Then　came　the　rabbit；　and　again　he　missed。



〃Wait　until　tomorrow；　I　will　kill　them　all。　　My　blanket　caught　in

my　bow　and　spoiled　my　aim。〃　　The　people　were　very　much

disappointed；　and　the　chief；　suspecting　that　all　was　not　right；

sent　for　the　young　man　who　had　visited　Dead　Shot's　tepee。　　When　the

young　man　arrived；　the　chief　asked：　〃Did　you　see　White　Plume　when

you　went　to　Dead　Shot's　camp？〃　　〃Yes；　I　did；　and　ate　with　him　many

times。　　I　stayed　at　his　father's　tepee　all　the　time　I　was　there；〃

said　the　young　man。　　〃Would　you　recognize　him　if　you　saw　him

again？〃　asked　the　chief。　　〃Any　one　who　had　but　one　glimpse　of　White

Plume　would　surely　recognize　him　when　he　saw　him　again；　as　he　is

the　most　handsome　man　I　ever　saw；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃Come　with　me　to　the　tent　of　my　son…in…law　and　take　a　good　look　at

him；　but　don't　say　what　you　think　until　we　come　away。〃　　The　two

went　to　the　tent　of　Unktomi；　and　when　the　young　man　saw　him　he　knew

it　was　not　White　Plume；　although　it　was　White　Plume's　bow　and

arrows　that　hung　at　the　head　of　the　bed；　and　he　also　recognized　the

clothes　as　belonging　to　White　Plume。　　When　they　had　returned　to　the

chief's　tent；　the　young　man　told　what　he　knew　and　what　he　thought。　

〃I　think　this　is　some　Unktomi　who　has　played　some　trick　on　White

Plume　and　has　taken　his　bow　and　arrows　and　also　his　clothes；　and

hearing　of　your　offer；　is　here　impersonating　White　Plume。　　Had

White　Plume　drawn　the　bow　on　the　buffalo；　eagle　and　rabbit　today；

we　would　have　been　rid　of　them；　so　I　think　we　had　better　scare　this

Unktomi　into　telling　us　where　White　Plume　is；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃Wait　until　he　tries　to　kill　the　witches　again　tomorrow；〃　said　the

chief。



In　the　meantime　the　younger　daughter　had　taken　an　axe　and　gone　into

the　woods　in　search　of　dry　wood。　　She　went　quite　a　little　distance

into　the　wood　and　was　chopping　a　dry　log。　　Stopping　to　rest　a

little　she　heard　some　one　saying：　〃Whoever　you　are；　come　over　here

and　chop　this　tree　down　so　that　I　may　get　loose。〃　　Going　to　where

the　big　tree　stood；　she　saw　a　man　stuck　onto　the　side　of　the　tree。　

〃If　I　chop　it　down　the　fall　will　kill　you；〃　said　the　girl。　　〃No；

chop　it　on　the　opposite　side　from　me；　and　the　tree　will　fall　that

way。　　If　the　fall　kills　me；　it　will　be　better　than　hanging　up　here

and　starving　to　death；〃　said　White　Plume；　for　it　was　he。



The　girl　chopped　the　tree　down　and　when　she　saw　that　it　had　not

killed　the　man；　she　said：　〃What　shall　I　do　now？〃　　〃Loosen　the　bark

from　the　tree　and　then　get　some　stones　and　heat　them。　　Get　some

water　and　sage　and　put　your　blanket　over　me。〃　　She　did　as　told　and

when　the　steam　arose　from　the　water　being　poured　upon　the　heated

rocks；　the　bark　loosened　from　his　body　and　he　arose。　　When　he　stood

up；　she　saw　how　handsome　he　was。　　〃You　have　saved　my　life；〃　said

he。　　〃Will　you　be　my　wife？〃　　〃I　will；〃　said　she。　　He　then　told　her

how　the　old　man　had　fooled　him　into　this　trap　and　took　his　bow　and

arrows；　also　his　fine　porcupine　worked　clothes；　and　had　gone　off；

leaving　him　to　die。　　She；　in　turn；　told　him　all　that　had　happened

in　camp　since　a　man；　calling　himself　White　Plume；　came　there　and

married　her　sister　before　he　shot　at　the　witches；　and　when　he　came

to　shoot　at　them；　missed　every　shot。　　〃Let　us

make　haste；　as　the　bad　Unktomi　may　ruin　my　arrows。〃　　They

approached　the　camp　and　whilst　White　Plume　waited　outside；　his

promised　wife　entered　Unktomi's　tent　and　said：　〃Unktomi；　White

Plume　is　standing　outside　and　he　wants　his　clothes　and　bow　and

arrows。〃　　〃Oh；　yes；　I　borrowed　them　and　forgot　to　return　them；　make

haste　and　give　them　to　him。〃



Upon　receiving　his　clothes；　he　was　very　much　provoked　to　find　his

fine　clothes　wrinkled　and　his　bow　twisted；　while　the　arrows　were

twisted　out　of　shape。　　He　laid　the　clothes　down；　also　the　bows　and

arrows；　and　passing　his　hand　over　them；　they　assumed　their　right

shapes　again。　　The　daughter　took　White　Plume　to　her　father's　tent

and　upon　hearing　the　story　he　at　once　sent　for　his　warriors　and　had

them　form　a　circle　around　Unktomi's　tent；　and　if　he　attempted　to

escape　to　catch　him　and　tie　him　to　a　tree；　as　he　（the　chief）　had

determined　to　settle　accounts　with　him　for　his　treatment　of　White

Plume；　and　the　deception　employed　in　winning　the　chief's　eldest

daughter。　　About　midnight　the　guard　noticed　something　crawling

along　close　to　the　ground；　and　seizing　him　found　it　was　Unktomi

trying　to　make　his　escape　before　daylight；　whereupon　they　tied　him

to　a　tree。　　〃Why　do　you　treat　me　thus；〃　cried　Unktomi；　〃I　was　just

going　out　in　search　of　medicine　to　rub　on　my　arrows；　so　I　can　kill

the　witches。〃　　〃You　will　need　medicine　to　rub　on　yourself　when　the

chief　gets　through　with　you；〃　said　the　young　man　who　had

discovered　that　Unktomi　was　impersonating　White　Plume。



In　the　morning　the　herald　announced　that　the　real　White　Plume　had

arrived；　and　the　chief　desired　the　whole　nation　to　witness　his

marksmanship。　　Then　came　the　cry：　〃The　White　Buffalo　comes。〃　

Taking　his　red　arrow；　White　Plume　stood　ready。　　When　the　buffalo

got　about　opposite　him；　he　let　his　arrow　fly。　　The　buffalo　bounded

high　in　the　air　and　came　down　with　all　four　feet　drawn　together

under　its　body；　the　red　arrow　having　passed　clear　through　the

animal；　piercing　the　buffalo's　heart。　　A　loud　cheer　went　up　from

the　village。



〃You　shall　use　the　hide　for　your　bed；〃　said　the　chief　to　White

Plume。　　Next　came　a　cry；　〃the　eagle；　the　eagle。〃　　From　the　north

came　an　enormous　red　eagle。　　So　strong　was　he；　that　as　he　soared

through　the　air　his　wings　made　a　humming　sound　as　the　rumble　of

distant　thunder。　　On　he　came；　and　just　as　he　circled　the　tent　of

the　chief；　White　Plume　bent　his　bow；　with　all　his　strength　drew　the

arrow　back　to　the　flint　point；　and　sent　the　blue　arrow　on　its

mission　of　death。　　So　swiftly　had　the　arrow　passed　through　the

eagle's　body　that；　thinking　White　Plume　had　missed；　a　great　wail

went　up　from　the　crowd；　but　when　they　saw　the　eagle　stop　in　his

flight；　give　a　few　flaps　of　his　wings；　and　then　fall　with　a　heavy

thud　into　the　center　of　the　village；　there　was　a　greater　cheer　than

before。　　〃The　red　eagle　shall　be　used　to　decorate　the　seat　of　honor

in　your　tepee；〃　said　the　chief　to　White　Plume。　　Last　came　the　white

rabbit。　　〃Aim　good；　aim　good；　son…in…law；〃　said　the　chief。　　〃If　you

kill　him　you　will　have　his　skin　for　a　rug。〃　　Along　came　the　white

rabbit；　and　White　Plume　sent　his　arrow　in　search　of　rabbit's　heart；

which　it　found；　and　stopped　Mr。　Rabbit's　tricks　forever。



The　chief　then　called　all　of　the　people　together　and　before　them

all　took　a　hundred　willow