myths and legends of the sioux-第27节

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〃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

Stone　boy；　who　ran　them　over　a　cut　bank　purposely；　and　the　chief

has　ordered　all　of　his　buffalo　to　gather　here；　and　when　they　arrive

we　are　going　to　kill　Stone　boy　and　his　mother　and　his　uncles。〃



〃Is　that　so？　　When　is　the　war　to　commence？〃



〃In　five　days　from　now　we　will　march　upon　the

uncles　and　trample　and　gore　them　all　to　death。〃



〃Well；　grandfather；　I　thank　you　for　your　information；　and　in　return

will　do　you　a　favor　that　will　save　you　so　much　hard　work　on　your

blunt　horns。〃　　So　saying　he　drew　a　long　arrow　from　his　quiver　and

strung　his　bow；　attached　the　arrow　to　the　string　and　drew　the　arrow

half　way　back。　　The　old　bull；　not　seeing　what　was　going　on；　and

half　expecting　some　kind　of　assistance　in　his　horn　sharpening

process；　stood　perfectly　still。　　Thus　spoke　Stone　boy：



〃Grandfather；　you　are　too　old　to　join　in　a　war　now；　and　besides　if

you　got　mixed　up　in　that　big　war　party　you　might　step　in　a　hole　or

stumble　and　fall　and　be　trampled　to　death。　　That　would　be　a

horrible　death；　so　I　will　save　you　all　that　suffering　by　just

giving　you　this。〃　　At　this　word　he　pulled　the　arrow　back　to　the

flint　head　and　let　it　fly。　　True　to　his　aim；　the　arrow　went　in

behind　the　old　bull's　foreleg；　and　with　such　force　was　it　sent　that

it　went　clear　through　the　bull　and　stuck　into　a　tree　two　hundred

feet　away。



Walking　over　to　the　tree；　he　pulled　out　his　arrow。　　Coolly

straightening　his　arrow　between　his　teeth　and　sighting　it　for

accuracy；　he　shoved　it　back　into　the　quiver　with　its　brothers；

exclaiming：　〃I　guess；　grandpa；　you　won't　need　to　sharpen　your　horns

for　Stone　boy　and　his　uncles。〃



Upon　his　arrival　home　he　told　his　uncles　to　get　to　work　building

three　stockades　with　ditches　between　and　make　the　ditches　wide　and

deep　so　they　will　hold　plenty　of　buffalo。　　〃The　fourth　fence　I　will

build　myself；〃　he　said。



The　brothers　got　to　work　early　and　worked　until　very　late　at　night。　

They　built　three　corrals　and　dug　three　ditches　around　the　hut；　and

it　took　them　three　days　to　complete　the　work。　　Stone　boy　hadn't

done　a　thing　towards　building　his　fence　yet；　and　there　were

only　two　days　more　left　before　the　charge　of　the　buffalo　would

commence。　　Still　the　boy　didn't　seem　to　bother　himself　about　the

fence。　　Instead　he　had　his　mother　continually　cutting　arrow　sticks；

and　as　fast　as　she　could　bring　them　he　would　shape　them；　feather

and　head　them。　　So　by　the　time　his　uncles　had　their　fences　and

corrals　finished　he　had　a　thousand　arrows　finished　for　each　of　his

uncles。　　The　last　two　days　they　had　to　wait；　the　uncles　joined　him

and　they　finished　several　thousand　more　arrows。　　The　evening　before

the　fifth　day　he　told　his　uncles　to　put　up　four　posts；　so　they

could　use　them　as　seats　from　which　to　shoot。



While　they　were　doing　this；　Stone　boy　went　out　to　scout　and　see　how

things　looked。　　At　daylight　he　came　hurriedly　in　saying；　〃You　had

better　get　to　the　first　corral；　they　are　coming。〃　　〃You　haven't

built　your　fence；　nephew。〃　　Whereupon　Stone　boy　said：　〃I　will　build

it　in　time；　don't　worry；　uncle。〃　　The　dust　on　the　hillsides　rose　as

great　clouds　of　smoke　from　a　forest　fire。　　Soon　the　leaders　of　the

charge　came　in　sight；　and　upon　seeing　the　timber　stockade　they　gave

forth　a　great　snort　or　roar　that　fairly　shook　the　earth。　　Thousands

upon　thousands　of　mad　buffalo　charged　upon　the　little　fort。　　The

leaders　hit　the　first　stockade　and　it　soon　gave　way。　　The　maddened

buffalo　pushed　forward　by　the　thousands　behind　them；　plunged

forward；　only　to　fall　into　the　first　ditch　and　be　trampled　to　death

by　those　behind　them。　　The　brothers　were　not　slow　in　using　their

arrows；　and　many　a　noble　beast　went　down　before　their　deadly　aim

with　a　little　flint　pointed　arrow　buried　deep　in　his　heart。



The　second　stockade　stood　their　charge　a　little　longer　than　did　the

first；　but　finally　this　gave　way；　and　the　leaders　pushed　on

through；　only　to　fall　into　the　second　ditch　and　meet　a　similar　fate

to　those　in　the　first。　　The　brothers　commenced　to　look　anxiously

towards　their　nephew；　as　there　was　only　one　more　stockade　left；　and

the　second　ditch　was　nearly　bridged　over　with　dead　buffalo；　with

the　now　thrice　maddened　buffalo　attacking　the　last　stockade　more

furiously　than　before；　as　they　could　see　the　little　hut　through　the

openings　in　the　corral。



〃Come　in；　uncles；〃　shouted　Stone　boy。　　They　obeyed　him；　and

stepping　to　the　center　he　said：　〃Watch　me　build　my　fence。〃　　Suiting

the　words；　he　took　from　his　belt　an　arrow　with　a　white　stone

fastened　to　the　point　and　fastening　it　to　his　bow；　he　shot　it　high

in　the　air。　　Straight　up　into　the　air　it　went；　for　two　or　three

thousand　feet；　then　seemed　to　stop　suddenly　and　turned　with　point

down　and　descended　as　swiftly　as　it　had　ascended。　　Upon　striking

the　ground　a　high　stone　wall　arose；　enclosing　the　hut　and　all　who

were　inside。　　Just　then　the　buffalo　broke　the　last　stockade　only　to

fill　the　last　ditch　up　again。　　In　vain　did　the　leaders　butt　the

stone　wall。　　They　hurt　themselves；　broke　their　horns　and　mashed

their　snouts；　but　could　not　even　scar　the　wall。



The　uncles　and　Stone　boy　in　the　meantime　rained　arrows　of　death

into　their　ranks。



When　the　buffalo　chief　saw　what　they　had　to　contend　with；　he

ordered　the　fight　off。　　The　crier　or　herald　sang　out：　〃Come　away；

come　away；　Stone　boy　and　his　uncles　will　kill　all　of　us。〃



So　the　buffalo　withdrew；　leaving　over　two　thousand　of　their　dead

and　wounded　on　the　field；　only　to　be　skinned　and　put　away　for　the

feasts　of　Stone　boy　and　his　uncles；　who　lived　to　be　great　chiefs　of

their　own　tribe；　and　whose　many　relations　soon　joined　them　on　the

banks　of　Stone　Boy　Creek。













THE　UNKTOMI　（SPIDER）；　TWO　WIDOWS；

AND　THE　RED　PLUMS



There　once　lived；　in　a　remote　part　of　a　great　forest；　two　widowed

sisters；　with　their　little　babies。　　One　day　there　came　to　their

tent　a　visitor　who　was　called　Unktomi　（spider）。　　He　had　found　some

nice　red　plums　during　his　wanderings　in　the　forest；　and　he　said　to

himself；　〃I　will　keep　these　plums　and　fool　the　two　widows　with

them。〃　　After　the　widows　had　bidden　him　be　seated；　he　presented

them　with　the　plums。



On　seeing　them　they　exclaimed　〃hi　nu；　hi　nu　（an　exclamation　of

surprise）；　where　did　you　get　those　fine　plums？〃　　Unktomi　arose　and

pointing　to　a　crimson　tipped　cloud；　said：　〃You　see　that　red　cloud？　

Directly　underneath　it　is　a　patch　of　plums。　　So　large　is　the　patch

and　so　red　and　beautiful　are　the　plums　that　it　is　the　reflection　of

them　on　the　cloud　that　you　see。〃



〃Oh；　how　we　wish　some　one　would　take　care　of　our　babies；　while　we

go　over　there　and　pick　some；〃　said　the　sisters。　　〃Why；　I　am　not　in

any　particular　hurry；　so　if　you　want　to　go　I　will　take　care　of　my

little　nephews　until　you　return。〃　　（Unktomi　always　claimed

relationship　with　everyone　he　met）。　　〃Well　brother；〃　said　the　older

widow；　〃take　good　care　of　them　and　we　will　be　back　as　soon　as

possible。〃



The　two　then　took　a　sack　in　which　to　gather　the　plums；　and　started

off　towards　the　cloud　with　the　crimson　lining。　　Scarcely　had　they

gone　from　Unktomi's　sight　when　he　took　the　babies　out　of　their

swinging　hammocks　and　cut　off　first　one　head　and　then　the　other。　

He　then　took　some　old　blankets　and　rolled　them　in　the　shape　of　a

baby　body　and　laid　one　in　each　hammock。　　Then　he　took　the　heads　and

put　them　in　place　in　their　different　hammocks。　　The　bodies　he　cut

up　and　threw　into　a　large　kettle。　　This　he　placed　over　a　rousing

fire。　　Then　he　mixed　Indian　turnips　and　arikara　squash　with　the

baby　meat　and　soon　had　a　kettle　of　soup。　　Just　about　the　time　the

soup　was　ready　to　serve　the　widows　returned。　　They　were　tired　and

hungry　and　not　a　plum　had　they。　　Unktomi；　hearing　the　approach　of

the　two；　hurriedly　dished　out　the　baby　soup　in　two　wooden　dishes

and　then　seated　himself　near　the　door　so　that　he　could　get　out

easily。　　Upon　the　entrance　of　the　widows；　Unktomi　exclaimed：

〃Sisters；　I　had　brought　some　meat　with　me　and　I　cooked　some　turnips

and　squash　with　it　and　made　a　pot　of　fine　soup。　　The　babies　have

just　fallen　asleep；　so　don't　waken　them　until　you　have

finished　eating；　for　I　know　that　you　are　nearly　starved。〃　　The　two

fell　to　at　once　and　after　they　had　somewhat　appeased　their

appetites；　one　of　them　arose　and　went　over　to　see　how　her　baby　was

resting。　　Noting　an　unnatural　color　on　her　baby's　face；　she　raised

him　up　only　to　have　his　head　roll　off　from　the　bundle　of　blankets。　

〃'My　son！　　my　son！〃　she　cried　out。　　At　once　the　other　hastened　to

her　baby　and　grabbed　it　up；　only　to　have　the　same　thing　happen。　　At

once　they　surmised　who　had　done　this；　and　caught　up　sticks　from　the

fire　with　which　to　beat　Unktomi　to　death。　　He；　expecting　something

like　this　to　happen；　lost　very　little　time　in　getting　outside　and

down　into　a　hole　at　the　roots　of