myths and legends of the sioux-第6节

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simpleton's　dancing　saved　the　woman's　life；　for　she　gave　up　her

knife。　　In　this；　too；　she　did　well；　for　it　is　always　better　to　live

for　the　living　than　to　die　for　the　dead。〃











A　LITTLE　BRAVE　AND　THE　MEDICINE

WOMAN



A　village　of　Indians　moved　out　of　winter　camp　and　pitched　their

tents　in　a　circle　on　high　land　overlooking　a　lake。　　A　little　way

down　the　declivity　was　a　grave。　　Choke　cherries　had　grown　up；

hiding　the　grave　from　view。　　But　as　the　ground　had　sunk　somewhat；

the　grave　was　marked　by　a　slight　hollow。



One　of　the　villagers　going　out　to　hunt　took　a　short　cut　through　the

choke　cherry　bushes。　　As　he　pushed　them　aside　he　saw　the　hollow

grave；　but　thought　it　was　a　washout　made　by　the　rains。　　But　as　he

essayed　to　step　over　it；　to　his　great　surprise　he　stumbled　and

fell。　　Made　curious　by　his　mishap；　he　drew　back　and　tried　again；

but　again　he　fell。　　When　he　came　back　to　the　village　he　told　the

old　men　what　had　happened　to　him。　　They　remembered　then　that　a　long

time　before　there　had　been　buried　there　a　medicine　woman　or

conjurer。　　Doubtless　it　was　her　medicine　that　made　him　stumble。



The　story　of　the　villager's　adventure　spread　thru　the　camp　and　made

many　curious　to　see　the　grave。　　Among　others　were　six　little　boys

who　were；　however；　rather　timid；　for　they　were　in　great　awe　of　the

dead　medicine　woman。　　But　they　had　a　little　playmate　named　Brave；

a　mischievous　little　rogue；　whose　hair　was　always　unkempt　and

tossed　about　and　who　was　never　quiet　for　a　moment。



〃Let　us　ask　Brave　to　go　with　us；〃　they　said；　and　they　went　in　a

body　to　see　him。



〃All　right；〃　said　Brave；　〃I　will　go　with　you。　　But　I　have　something

to　do　first。　　You　go　on　around　the　hill　that　way；　and　I　will

hasten　around　this　way；　and　meet　you　a　little　later　near　the

grave。〃



So　the　six　little　boys　went　on　as　bidden　until　they　came　to　a　place

near　the　grave。　　There　they　halted。



〃Where　is　Brave？〃　they　asked。



Now　Brave；　full　of　mischief；　had　thought　to　play　a　jest　on　his

little　friends。　　As　soon　as　they　were　well　out　of　sight　he　had　sped

around　the　hill　to　the　shore　of　the　lake　and　sticking　his　hands　in

the　mud　had　rubbed　it　over　his　face；　plastered　it　in　his　hair；　and

soiled　his　hands　until　he　looked　like　a　new　risen　corpse　with　the

flesh　rotting　from　his　bones。　　He　then　went　and　lay　down　in　the

grave　and　awaited　the　boys。



When　the　six　little　boys　came　they　were　more　timid　than　ever　when

they　did　not　find　Brave；　but　they　feared　to　go　back　to　the　village

without　seeing　the　grave；　for　fear　the　old　men　would　call　them

cowards。



So　they　slowly　approached　the　grave　and　one　of　them　timidly　called

out：



〃Please；　grandmother；　we　won't　disturb　your　grave。　　We　only　want　to

see　where　you　lie。　　Don't　be　angry。〃



At　once　a　thin　quavering　voice；　like　an　old　woman's；　called　out：



〃Han；　han；　takoja；　hechetuya；　hechetuya！　　Yes；　yes；　that's　right；

that's　right。〃



The　boys　were　frightened　out　of　their　senses；　believing　the　old

woman　had　come　to　life。



〃Oh；　grandmother；〃　they　gasped；　〃don't　hurt　us；　please　don't；　we'll

go。〃



Just　then　Brave　raised　his　muddy　face　and　hands　up　thru　the　choke

cherry　bushes。　　With　the　oozy　mud　dripping　from　his　features　he

looked　like　some　very　witch　just　raised　from　the　grave。　　The　boys

screamed　outright。　　One　fainted。　　The　rest　ran　yelling　up　the　hill

to　the　village；　where　each　broke　at　once　for　his　mother's　tepee。



As　all　the　tents　in　a　Dakota　camping　circle　face　the　center；　the

boys　as　they　came　tearing　into　camp　were　in　plain　view　from　the

tepees。　　Hearing　the　screaming；　every　woman　in　camp　ran　to　her

tepee　door　to　see　what　had　happened。　　Just　then　little　Brave；　as

badly　scared　as　the　rest；　came　rushing　in　after　them；　his　hair　on

end　and　covered　with　mud　and　crying　out；　all　forgetful　of　his

appearance：



〃It's　me；　it's　me！〃



The　women　yelped　and　bolted　in　terror　from　the　village。　　Brave

dashed　into　his　mother's　tepee；　scaring　her　out　of　her　wits。　

Dropping　pots　and　kettles；　she　tumbled　out　of　the　tent　to　run

screaming　with　the　rest。　　Nor　would　a　single　villager　come　near

poor　little　Brave　until　he　had　gone　down　to　the　lake　and　washed

himself。













THE　BOUND　CHILDREN



There　once　lived　a　widow　with　two　childrenthe　elder　a　daughter

and　the　younger　a　son。　　The　widow　went　in　mourning　for　her　husband

a　long　time。　　She　cut　off　her　hair；　let　her　dress　lie　untidy　on　her

body　and　kept　her　face　unpainted　and　unwashed。



There　lived　in　the　same　village　a　great　chief。　　He　had　one　son　just

come　old　enough　to　marry。　　The　chief　had　it　known　that　he　wished

his　son　to　take　a　wife；　and　all　of　the　young　women　in　the　village

were　eager　to　marry　the　young　man。　　However；　he　was　pleased　with

none　of　them。



Now　the　widow　thought；　〃I　am　tired　of　mourning　for　my　husband　and

caring　for　my　children。　　Perhaps　if　I　lay　aside　my　mourning　and

paint　myself　red；　the　chief's　son　may　marry　me。〃



So　she　slipped　away　from　her　two　children；　stole　down　to　the　river

and　made　a　bathing　place　thru　the　ice。　　When　she　had　washed　away

all　signs　of　mourning；　she　painted　and　decked　herself　and　went　to

the　chief's　tepee。　　When　his　son　saw　her；　he　loved　her；　and　a　feast

was　made　in　honor　of　her　wedding。



When　the　widow's　daughter　found　herself　forsaken；　she　wept

bitterly。　　After　a　day　or　two　she　took　her　little　brother　in　her

arms　and　went　to　the　tepee　of　an　old　woman　who　lived　at　one　end　of

the　village。　　The　old　woman's　tumble　down　tepee　was　of　bark　and　her

dress　and　clothing　was　of　old　smoke…dried　tent　cover。　　But　she　was

kind　to　the　two　waifs　and　took　them　in　willingly。



The　little　girl　was　eager　to　find　her　mother。　　The　old　woman　said

to　her：　〃I　suspect　your　mother　has　painted　her　face　red。　　Do　not

try　to　find　her。　　If　the　chief's　son　marries　her　she　will　not　want

to　be　burdened　with　you。〃



The　old　woman　was　right。　　The　girl　went　down　to　the　river；　and　sure

enough　found　a　hole　cut　in　the　ice　and　about　it　lay　the　filth　that

the　mother　had　washed　from　her　body。　　The　girl　gathered　up　the

filth　and　went　on。　　By　and　by　she　came　to　a　second　hole　in　the　ice。　

Here　too　was　filth；　but　not　so　much　as　at　the　previous　place。　　At

the　third　hole　the　ice　was　clean。



The　girl　knew　now　that　her　mother　had　painted　her　face　red。　　She

went　at　once　to　the　chief's　tepee；　raised　the　door　flap　and　went

in。　　There　sat　her　mother　with　the　chief's　son　at　their　wedding

feast。



The　girl　walked　up　to　her　mother　and　hurled　the　filth　in　her

mother's　face。



〃There；〃　she　cried；　〃you　who　forsake　your　helpless　children　and

forget　your　husband；　take　that！〃



And　at　once　her　mother　became　a　hideous　old　woman。



The　girl　then　went　back　to　the　lodge　of　the　old　woman；　leaving　the

camp　in　an　uproar。　　The　chief　soon　sent　some　young　warriors　to

seize　the　girl　and　her　brother；　and　they　were　brought　to　his　tent。　

He　was　furious　with　anger。



〃Let　the　children　be　bound　with　lariats　wrapped　about　their　bodies

and　let　them　be　left　to　starve。　　Our　camp　will　move　on；〃　he　said。　

The　chief's　son　did　not　put　away　his　wife；　hoping　she　might　be

cured　in　some　way　and　grow　young　again。



Everybody　in　camp　now　got　ready　to　move；　but　the　old　woman　came

close　to　the　girl　and　said：



〃In　my　old　tepee　I　have　dug　a　hole　and　buried　a　pot　with　punk　and

steel　and　flint　and　packs　of　dried　meat。　　They　will　tie　you　up　like

a　corpse。　　But　before　we　go　I　will　come　with　a　knife　and　pretend　to

stab　you；　but　I　will　really　cut　the　rope　that　binds　you　so　that　you

can　unwind　it　from　your　body　as　soon　as　the　camp　is　out　of　sight

and　hearing。〃



And　so；　before　the　camp　started；　the　old　woman　came　to　the　place

where　the　two　children　were　bound。　　She　had　in　her　hand　a　knife

bound　to　the　end　of　a　stick　which　she　used　as　a　lance。　She　stood

over　the　children　and　cried　aloud：



〃You　wicked　girl；　who　have　shamed　your　own　mother；　you　deserve　all

the　punishment　that　is　given　you。　　But　after　all　I　do　not　want　to

let　you　lie　and　starve。　　Far　better　kill　you　at　once　and　have　done

with　it！〃　and　with　her　stick　she　stabbed　many　times；　as　if　to　kill；

but　she　was　really　cutting　the　rope。



The　camp　moved　on；　but　the　children　lay　on　the　ground　until　noon

the　next　day。　　Then　they　began　to　squirm　about。　　Soon　the　girl　was

free；　and　she　then　set　loose　her　little　brother。　　They　went　at　once

to　the　old　woman's　hut　where　they　found　the　flint　and　steel　and　the

packs　of　dried　meat。



The　girl　made　her　brother　a　bow　and　arrows　and　with　these　he　killed

birds　and　other　small　game。



The　boy　grew　up　a　great　hunter。　　They　became　rich。　　They　built

three　great　tepees；　in　one　of　which　were　stored　rows　upon　rows　of

parfleche　bags　of　dried　meat。



One　day　as　the　brother　went　out　to　hunt；　he　met　a　handsome　young

stranger　who　greeted　him　and　said　to　him：



〃I　know　you　are　a　good　hunter；　for　I　have　been　watching　you