myths and legends of the sioux-第26节

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left　side　of　my　backbone。　　I　am　nearly　dead　with　pain　and　if　you

kick　me　good　and　hard　it　will　cure　me。〃　　〃All　right；　grandma；〃　said

the　boy。　　The　old　witch　lay　down　on　the　floor　and　the　boy　started

in　to　kick。　　At　the　first　kick　he　barely　touched　her。　　〃Kick　as

hard　as　you　can；　grandson；　don't　be　afraid　you　will　hurt　me；

because　you　can't。〃　　With　that　Stone　Boy　let　drive　and　broke　two

ribs。　　She　commenced　to　yell　and　beg　him　to　stop；　but　he　kept　on

kicking　until　he　had　kicked　both　sides　of　her　ribs　loose　from　the

backbone。　　Then　he　jumped　on　her　backbone　and　broke　it　and　killed

the　old　witch。



He　built　a　big　fire　outside　and　dragged　her　body　to　it；　and　threw

her　into　the　fire。　　Thus　ended　the　old　woman　who　was　going　to　turn

his　uncles　into　horses。



Next　he　cut　willows　and　stuck　them　into　the　ground　in　a　circle。　

The　tops　he　pulled　together；　making　a　wickieup。　　He　then　took　the

old　woman's　robes　and　blankets　and　covered　the　wickieup　so　that　no

air　could　get　inside。　　He　then　gathered　sage　brush　and　covered　the

floor　with　a　good　thick　bed　of　sage；　got　nice　round　stones　and　got

them　red　hot　in　the　fire；　and　placed　them　in　the　wickieup　and

proceeded　to　carry　his　uncles　out　of　the　hut　and　lay　them　down　on

the　soft　bed　of　sage。　　Having　completed　carrying　and　depositing

them　around　the　pile　of　rocks；　he　got　a　bucket　of　water　and　poured

it　on　the　hot　rocks；　which　caused　a　great　vapor　in　the　little

wickieup。　He　waited　a　little　while　and　then　listened　and

heard　some　breathing　inside；　so　he　got　another　bucket　and　poured

that　on　also。　　After　awhile　he　could　hear　noises　inside　as　though

some　one　were　moving　about。　　He　went　again　and　got　the　third　bucket

and　after　he　had　poured　that　on　the　rocks；　one　of　the　men　inside

said：　〃Whoever　you　are；　good　friend；　don't　bring　us　to　life　only　to

scald　us　to　death　again。〃　　Stone　boy　then　said：　〃Are　all　of　you

alive？〃　　〃Yes；〃　said　the　voice。　　〃Well；　come　out；〃　said　the　boy。　

And　with　that　he　threw　off　the　robes　and　blankets；　and　a　great

cloud　of　vapor　arose　and　settled　around　the　top　of　the　highest　peak

on　the　long　range；　and　from　that　did　Smoky　Range　derive　its　name。



The　uncles；　when　they　heard　who　the　boy　was；　were　very　happy；　and

they　all　returned　together　to　the　anxiously　waiting　sister。　　As

soon　as　they　got　home；　the　brothers　worked　hard　to　gather　enough

wood　to　last　them　all　winter。　　Game　they　could　get　at　all　times　of

the　year；　but　the　heavy　fall　of　snow　covered　most　of　the　dry　wood

and　also　made　it　very　difficult　to　drag　wood　through　the　deep　snow。　

So　they　took　advantage　of　the　nice　fall　weather　and　by　the　time　the

snow　commenced　falling　they　had　enough　wood　gathered　to　last　them

throughout　the　winter。　　After　the　snow　fell　a　party　of　boys　swiftly

coasted　down　the　big　hill　west　of　the　brothers'　hut。　　The　Stone　boy

used　to　stand　and　watch　them　for　hours　at　a　time。　　His　youngest

uncle　said：　〃Why　don't　you　go　up　and　coast　with　them？〃　　The　boy

said：　〃They　may　be　afraid　of　me；　but　I　guess　I　will　try　once；

anyway。〃　　So　the　next　morning　when　the　crowd　came　coasting；　Stone

boy　started　for　the　hill。　　When　he　had　nearly　reached　the　bottom　of

the　coasting　hill　all　of　the　boys　ran　off　excepting　two　little

fellows　who　had　a　large　coaster　painted　in　different　colors　and　had

little　bells　tied　around　the　edges；　so　when　the　coaster　was　in

motion　the　bells　made　a　cheerful　tinkling　sound。　　As　Stone　boy

started　up　the　hill　the　two　little　fellows　started　down　and　went

past　him　as　though　shot　from　a　hickory　bow。



When　they　got　to　the　end　of　their　slide；　they　got　off　and　started

back　up　the　hill。　　It　being　pretty　steep；　Stone　boy　waited　for

them；　so　as　to　lend　a　hand　to　pull　the　big　coaster　up　the　hill。　　As

the　two　little　fellows　came　up　with　him　he　knew　at　once　that　they

were　twins；　as　they　looked　so　much　alike　that　the　only　way　one

could　be　distinguished　from　the　other　was　by　the　scarfs　they　wore。　

One　wore　red；　the　other　black。　　He　at　once　offered　to　help　them

drag　their　coaster　to　the　top　of　the　hill。　　When　they　got　to　the

top　the　twins　offered　their　coaster　to　him　to　try　a　ride。　　At　first

he　refused；　but　they　insisted　on　his　taking　it；　as　they　said　they

would　sooner　rest　until　he　came　back。　　So　he　got　on　the　coaster　and

flew　down　the　hill；　only　he　was　such　an　expert　he　made　a　zigzag

course　going　down　and　also　jumped　the　coaster　off　a　bank　about　four

feet　high；　which　none　of　the　other　coasters　dared　to　tackle。　　Being

very　heavy；　however；　he　nearly　smashed　the　coaster。　　Upon　seeing

this　wonderful　jump；　and　the　zigzag　course　he　had　taken　going　down；

the　twins　went　wild　with　excitement　and　decided　that　they　would

have　him　take　them　down　when　he　got　back。　　So　upon　his　arrival　at

the　starting　point；　they　both　asked　him　at　once　to　give　them　the

pleasure　of　the　same　kind　of　a　ride　he　had　taken。　　He　refused；

saying：　〃We　will　break　your　coaster。　　I　alone　nearly　smashed　it；

and　if　we　all　get　on　and　make　the　same　kind　of　a　jump；　I　am　afraid

you　will　have　to　go　home　without　your　coaster。〃



〃Well；　take　us　down　anyway；　and　if　we　break　it　our　father　will　make

us　another　one。〃　　So　he　finally　consented。　　When　they　were　all

seated　ready　to　start；　he　told　them　that　when　the　coaster　made　the

jump　they　must　look　straight　ahead。　　〃By　no　means　look　down；

because　if　you　do　we　will　go　over　the　cut　bank　and　land　in　a　heap

at　the　bottom　of　the　gulch。〃



They　said　they　would　obey　what　he　said；　so　off　they　started　swifter

than　ever；　on　account　of　the　extra　weight；　and　so　swiftly　did　the

sleigh　glide　over　the　packed；　frozen　snow；　that　it　nearly　took　the

twins'　breath　away。　　Like　an　arrow　they　approached　the

jump。　　The　twins　began　to　get　a　little　nervous。　　〃Sit　steady　and

look　straight　ahead；〃　yelled　Stone　boy。　　The　twin　next　to　Stone

boy；　who　was　steering　behind；　sat　upright　and　looked　far　ahead；　but

the　one　in　front　crouched　down　and　looked　into　the　coulee。　　Of

course；　Stone　boy；　being　behind；　fell　on　top　of　the　twins；　and

being　so　heavy；　killed　both　of　them　instantly；　crushing　them　to　a

jelly。



The　rest　of　the　boys；　seeing　what　had　happened；　hastened　to　the

edge　of　the　bank；　and　looking　down；　saw　the　twins　laying　dead；　and

Stone　boy　himself　knocked　senseless；　lying　quite　a　little　distance

from　the　twins。　　The　boys；　thinking　that　all　three　were

killed；　and　that　Stone　boy　had　purposely　steered　the　sleigh　over

the　bank　in　such　a　way　that　it　would　tip　and　kill　the　twins；

returned　to　the　village　with　this　report。　　Now；　these　twins　were

the　sons　of　the　head　chief　of　the　Buffalo　Nation。　　So　at　once　the

chief　and　his　scouts　went　over　to　the　hill　to　see　if　the　boys　had

told　the　truth。



When　they　arrived　at　the　bank　they　saw　the　twins　lying　dead；　but

where　was　Stone　boy？　　They　looked　high　and　low　through　the　gulch；

but　not　a　sign　of　him　could　they　find。　　Tenderly　they　picked　up　the

dead　twins　and　carried　them　home；　then　held　a　big　council　and　put

away　the　bodies　of　the　dead　in　Buffalo　custom。



A　few　days　after　this　the　uncles　were　returning　from　a　long

journey。　　When　they　drew　near　their　home　they　noticed　large　droves

of　buffalo　gathered　on　their　side　of　the　range。　　Hardly　any　buffalo

ever　ranged　on　this　east　side　of　the　range　before；　and　the　brothers

thought　it　strange　that　so　many　should　so　suddenly　appear　there

now。



When　they　arrived　at　home　their　sister　told　them　what　had　happened

to　the　chief's　twins；　as　her　son　had　told　her　the　whole　story　upon

his　arrival　at　home　after　the　accident。



〃Well；　probably　all　the　buffalo　we　saw　were　here　for　the　council

and　funeral；〃　said　the　older　brother。　　〃But　where　is　my　nephew？〃

（Stone　boy）　he　asked　his　sister。　　〃He　said　he　had　noticed　a　great

many　buffalo　around　lately　and　he　was　going　to　learn；　if　possible；

what　their　object　was；〃　said　the　sister。　　〃Well；　we　will

wait　until　his　return。〃



When　Stone　boy　left　on　his　trip　that　morning；　before　the　return　of

his　uncles；　he　was　determined　to　ascertain　what　might　be　the

meaning　of　so　many　buffalo　so　near　the　home　of　himself　and　uncles。　

He　approached　several　bunches　of　young　buffalo；　but　upon

seeing　him　approaching　they　would　scamper　over　the　hills。　　Thus　he

wandered　from　bunch　to　bunch；　scattering　them　all。　　Finally　he　grew

tired　of　their　cowardice　and　started　for　home。　　When　he　had　come　to

within　a　half　mile　or　so　of　home　he　saw　an　old　shaggy　buffalo

standing　by　a　large　boulder；　rubbing　on　it　first　one　horn　and　then

the　other。　　On　coming　up　close　to　him；　the　boy　saw　that　the　bull

was　so　old　he　could　hardly　see；　and　his　horns　so　blunt　that　he

could　have　rubbed　them　for　a　year　on　that　boulder　and　not　sharpened

them　so　as　to　hurt　anyone。



〃What　are　you　doing　here；　grandfather？〃　asked　the　boy。



〃I　am　sharpening　my　horns　for　the　war；〃　said　the　bull。



〃What　war？〃　asked　the　boy。



〃Haven't　you　heard；〃　said　the　old　bull；　who　was　so　near　sighted　he

did　not　recognize　Stone　boy。　　〃The　chief's　twins　were　killed　by

Ston