A CHINOOK STORY..

There was a town the chief of which had died. His two children were
grown up; one was a girl and one a, boy. Early every morning the
people went out to hunt sea-otters. The girl was always in the stern
of the canoe. At dark they returned home. Five times they had gone
hunting, then it grew foggy. Her hair became wet and she swallowed
the water which dripped down from her hair. A long time the people
remained there. Then she became pregnant. Blue-Jay was the first to
observe it. He said: "Don't you notice it? He made his sister
pregnant." Robin said: "Be quiet, Blue-Jay, you will make our
chief's children ashamed." "Ha, he is the elder of us two and he
ought to know better than I." After some time she became
stouter. "Heh, we will run," said Blue-Jay. "I am ashamed because
her brother made her pregnant. We will leave them; we will move!"
Then, indeed, the people believed Blue-Jay. Again the brother and
sister went hunting sea-otters. In the evening they came home. Now
there were no people and no houses. "Lo, they deserted us. Blue-Jay
advised them to do so." Then the brother continued: "Tell me who
made you pregnant?" She replied, "I do not know. Once when we went
out hunting sea-otters a mist came up and I swallowed the water
which made me qualmish." Then they searched for fire. But the people
had poured water into all the fires. The last house was that of
their aunt, the Crow. It also was taken away. They walked about and
there they heard the crackling of fire. The brother said to his
sister: "Do you hear the fire?" After awhile it crackled again. They
found the place from where the sound appeared to come. They dug into
the ground and found a shell. In the shell there was burning
coal. "Oh," they said to each other, "our aunt pitied us; she put
the fire into the shell for us." Now they started a fire. The next
day they built a small house. There they lived for a long time. One
day a sea breeze arose. Early in the morning the man rose and went
down to the beach. There he found ten cedar planks, each ten fathoms
long, which had drifted ashore. He went up to the house and said to
his sister: "I have found ten planks, each ten fathoms long." They
went to the beach, hauled them up to their house, and the brother
made a large house. Then the brother said: "What kind of a blanket
will you make for your son?" In the morning he went down to the
beach and there he found two small sea-otters. He said: "Oh, my poor
nephew, this will be your blanket." "He took them up to the house
and said to his sister: "I found these sea-otters." Then she was
very glad. The brother said: "What soup are you going to make for
your son?" In the morning he arose and went down to the beach. There
he found a sea-lion. He skinned it and cut it, and then they boiled
it. Every day he went down to the beach, and every time he found two
sea- otters. And their house was full of sea-otter skins. One
morning he went to the beach; there was a whale. Then he ran back to
his sister and cried: "A whale is on the beach!" His sister said in
reply: "Every night the people on the other side of the ocean send
us food. Those supernatural people love me. My boy's father came.
Now cut the whale." Then he skinned it and cut it and they carried
up the meat. Now the Crow made herself ready to look for her nephew
and her niece. She launched her canoe and paddled across, wailing
all the time. When she had almost crossed the bay she discovered a
house and saw smoke rising. She went on. When she was near the shore
she saw a chief sitting on the roof of the house. [The latter said
to his sister, when he saw the Crow coming:] "Our aunt who pitied us
is coming there." She arrived and saw the whale on the beach. She
[was very hungry,] went to the whale and pulled at the meat. Then
her nephew said: "Come up to the house; why do you touch that rotten
meat?" She replied: "Oh, I only looked at it," and went up to the
house. She entered and saw that it was full of whale meat. She went
right up to the child [and wanted to take it in her arms], but the
child began to cry. The sister said: "Oh, he is afraid of your
tears." They gave her water and she washed her face. Then she tried
again to take him, but still he cried. The sister said "He, is
afraid of your breath." Then she took water, cleaned her mouth and
took him again, but still he cried. Then the sister said to her
aunt: "Do you think he is a human being? Look here, he is the son of
a supernatural being. They gave us that whale to eat." "Oh," said
the Crow. They boiled whale meat for her and she ate it. After she
had finished eating she went home. They gave her two pieces of
blubber which she put into her mat. The Crow went across the bay;
and when she approached the town she cried: "O, my sister's
children, my sister's children, birds flew up from you many times;
eagles were eating you. O, my sister's children, my sister's
children, gulls were eating you. Ravens were eating you, O, my
sister's children." Now she came still nearer the town. Blue-Jay was
sitting outside and saw her coming. When she had nearly arrived she
cried again: "O, my sister's children, my sister's children, birds
flew up from you; crows were eating you." Then Blue-Jay shouted: "Do
you not notice? She names the Crow; she names the Crow." Now she
landed and went up to the house. Now all the people came into the
Crow's house. They asked her how she had found her sister's
children. She replied and told much. "I went across and I found
their bodies full of birds which ate them. All kinds of birds ate
them." After she had finished, Blue-Jay was the first to leave the
house. He went to the rear of the house, where he stayed. Now, the
Crow was silent. Robin, who was her deceased husband's brother,
remained with her. They sat on opposite sides of the fire. She had
five children. Then she told him everything in a low voice, and Blue-
Jay listened outside. She pulled out the food which she had carried
home, cut it to pieces, and gave it to her children and to Robin.
Her youngest daughter choked [when eating the blubber]. Then Blue-
Jay, who had been peeping through the chinks of the wall, entered
and slapped her nape. The piece of whale, meat flew out of her
month. Blue-Jay took it up, went out, showed it to the people, and
said: "Do you see? The Crow fed me." He went to three houses showing
it around, then he ate it. After some time it grew dark. The people
were very hungry. Then Blue-Jay said to the chief of the town: "O,
chief, the house [of the young man whom we deserted] is full of
whale meat. A supernatural being loved his sister. He invites me,
and he has invited the Crow and Robin." Late in the evening Blue-Jay
came out of the house, took his large blanket [and went to his elder
brother, Robin,] saying, "Robin, let us sleep under one blanket; I
always get cold." Robin replied: "Ya-a, I always sleep alone, and do
not want anyone with me; sleep there at my feet." Now Blue-Jay lay
down at Robin's feet. Blue-Jay remained awake. When it was nearly
morning Blue-Jay fell asleep. Now Robin and Crow made a canoe
[ready]. Then Robin and the Crow went to their canoe and carried
their property into it. Now Robin took a sharp stick and put it in
the ground at Blue-Jay's feet. Then Robin and the Crow went across
to the young man and to his sister, and left Blue-Jay alone. Early
in the morning when he awoke, he said: "Wake up, Robin," and kicked
him; but his feet struck the stick, and he hurt himself. "O, my
feet!" he cried. "They left me here alone." Then he went home to his
children. Crow and Robin crossed the bay and went up to the house of
the young man. Early next morning Blue-Jay said: "Now, let us all go
across." They made themselves ready and went across. When they were
in the middle of the bay a heavy gale arose, and the people almost
died. They had to turn back. Five days [they tried to cross the
bay], but every time they were driven back. Then they got across.
Now it began to snow, and the people were covered with snow. They
became very cold. Thus their chief took revenge upon them. Then Blue-
Jay went up to the house. [He found a knothole and called to Robin,
who was in the house:] "Robin, open for me, I am cold. Bring me
food, Robin, I am starving." Robin did not reply. "Robin, take the
tongs and put some food through this hole." Robin was boiling meat.
Then he took the tongs and put them into the boiling kettle. He
pushed the tongs through the knothole. Blue-Jay [was so hungry that
he] licked the fat off from the tongs. He said: "Robin, Robin, tell
the chief that I will give him my daughter in marriage, but let him
open the door." "Ya-a," said Robin; "What shall he do with her? He
wants your chief's daughter [not yours]." Then Blue-Jay ran down to
the beach and said to his chief: "The young man asks for your
daughter and for my daughter." The chief did not reply, and Blue-Jay
ran back to the house and said: "Robin, the chief says he will give
him his daughter." Five times Blue-Jay ran down to the beach and
back to the house. Then his chief spoke; he made his daughter ready,
and put on her dentalia, and so did Blue-Jay. Once more he ran up to
the house and said: "Robin, I have made my daughter ready." "Ya,"
replied Robin; "She shall look after the chamber." Now they brought
the chief's daughter up to the house and they opened the door. On
the following morning the sister had disappeared. Lo! The
supernatural beings had taken her and her child away. The people
remained in this place and made new houses. Once upon a time the
Crow gathered many potentilla roots [put them into her canoe] and
crossed the sea. When she arrived at the country of the supernatural
beings they all came down to the beach. They searched among her
roots and found one ôguê'mEskôtit and one LE'môksin among them.
These they ate, and threw away the Crow's potentilla roots. Then she
went up to the house and met her niece, who said: "Do you think they
are men, that you bring them potentilla, roots? Gather ôguê'mEskôtit
and LE'môksin. When you come again bring all kinds of nice smelling
roots, and bring one small basket of potentilla roots for me." Then
she said to her: "Take this bitch along; it belongs to your
grandson. When you come near the shore say: 'Catch a whale, Q!
acî'nEmicLX.'" "Yes," said the Crow, and then she went home. When
she was in the middle of the ocean she said to the dog: "Catch a
whale, Q!acî'nEmicLX. Do you know indeed how to catch whales?" Then
the bitch who lay in the stern of the boat arose. A whale came up.
She bit it. Then the canoe rocked violently. "Hold it fast, Q!
acî'nEmicLX." Then the Crow became afraid and said: "Let go, let go,
Q!acî'nEmicLX." Then she let go the whale and lay down to sleep. The
Crow landed [and when she arrived], she had lost her dog. She ran
about and searched for it in. all the houses, but did not find it.
Then she [was very sad and] did not eat because she liked her dog.
The Crow stayed here five days, and then again she gathered many
roots of plants. She gathered ôguê'mEskôtit and LE'môksin. She
gathered all kinds of nice smelling roots. She put potentilla roots
in to one small basket. Then she crossed again to the country of the
supernatural beings. Then they all came down to the beach. They
[took the nice smelling roots and] ate them right there at the
beach. She carried the potentilla roots up to her niece. Now she saw
her dog, which was in the house. [Her niece said:] "Do you think
this is a common bitch? She returns. Why did you say in the middle
of the ocean: 'Take the whale?' Therefore you became afraid. You
must not say so until you are near the shore. Do you think they gave
her to you as a present? She always returns. You will take her again
when you go home. Do not search for her when you have lost her. She
provides you with food when you are going." The Crow replied: "Yes."
And when she went back she carried that bitch along. "When you
approach the land say: 'Catch a whale, Q!acî'nEmicLX.'" Then she
went home. The dog lay in the stern of the canoe. When they were
near the town the Crow said: "Catch a whale, Q!acî'nEmicLX." She did
not move. Then the Crow took some water, poured it over her and
said: "Catch a whale; are you indeed able to catch a whale? "When
they were quite near the shore she said again: "Catch a whale, Q!
acî'nEmicLX." Then she arose and caught a whale. Again the canoe
rocked. She said: "Hold it fast, Q!acî'nEmicLX." Sometimes she did
not say it right and cried: "Let go the whale, Q!acî'nEmicLX." Then
the whale drifted ashore. The people went down to the beach and cut
the whale. They carried the meat up to house. After some time the
chief said: "I desire to go and see my sister." Now the people made
themselves ready and started in a large canoe. When they came near
the country of the supernatural beings their chief said: "Take care,
they will test us." [When they had gone a little farther] the whole
sea was covered with ice. He said to his people: "We will land after
awhile." Now Blue-Jay became very cold, but he said: "I never get
cold, I will stay in the canoe." He jumped into the water and sank
out of sight at once. Then a person shouted on shore: "Ehehiu, [Blue-
Jay] killed himself." Then the chief arose in the canoe; he took the
ice and threw it away. Then that person shouted: "Ehehiu, how he
threw away the ice of the supernatural beings." "'Ehehiu,' you say,
I threw it away; what made me fall down?" [said Blue-Jay]. Then they
went up to the house. The chief said: "Do not enter at once. After a
while they will open their house." Now there was a sea-lion and a
sea-cow (?), one at each side of the door. They stood in the
doorway. Now Blue-Jay became very cold. He tried to jump into the
house and the animals bit him. They had almost been unable to
recover him. Then the chief stepped up and he took one sea monster
in each hand and threw them away. "Ehehiu," shouted the person ["how
he throws away the sea lions of the supernatural
people"]. "'Ehehiu', you say; I threw away those who bit me," said
Blue-Jay. Then they all entered the house and stayed there. There
were no people in it except the chief's sister. [Blue-Jay said to
his brother Robin:] "What will they give us to eat, Robin?" "Oh, be
quiet," replied Robin. Then said Blue-Jay: "Our chief's fire makes
noise just as this here." There was only one log in the house. Then
the person shouted: "Come down to the fire you who splits wood with
his beak." Then a being came out [from under the bed] with a long
beak who split the log. "Robin," said Blue-Jay, "that was our great-
great-grandfather's slave." "I do not know that he was our slave;
you alone have slaves." Then a fire was made and the whole house was
full of smoke. The person shouted: "Come down to the fire, Smoke-
eater." "Robin," said Blue-Jay, he also was our (great-great-
grandfather's) slave; he always carried me on his back and led you
by the hand." "I do not know that he was our slave; you alone have
slaves." Then the smoke man came down and [they saw that] he had an
enormous belly. He stepped into the middle of the house and
swallowed all the smoke. The house became light. Then they brought a
small dish and one cut of meat was in it. "Robin," said Blue-
Jay, "that is too little; that is not enough for all of us; I
certainly shall not get enough." Then a person shouted: "Come down
to the fire you who cuts whale with his beak." Then a person came to
the fire with a very sharp beak, who began to cut meat. He cut and
cut until the whole dish was full. Then he blew upon it and it
became a large canoe full of meat. They boiled it, and when it was
nearly done they all went out and their chief took reeds. These he
put into their months [and pushed them right through them] so that
they came out at the anus. They all did so, also Blue-Jay. Then they
entered again and sat down. They made small holes where they sat and
began to eat. They swallowed the meat and it went right out at the
anus. Blue-Jay arose and there lay his anus. "Look here, Robin, my
anus fell down right here!" Then the people took him by his arms,
carried him out of the house, and pulled the reed out of his mouth.
Then the chief and Blue-Jay entered again; he took three spoonfuls
and he had enough. Then the people continued to eat and the whale
meat became less and less. Then they went out, took out the reeds
and reentered. They continued to eat. Now they ate in the right way
and finished all they had boiled. Then a person cried: "Ehehiu, how
they eat all the meat of the supernatural beings!" Then Blue-Jay
said: "Did you think I could not finish what you gave me to eat?"
Now they stayed in the house. Blue-Jay went out. He was
oversatiated. He looked and saw a patch of kinnikinnik berries. He
began to eat them, when a person called: "Oh, Blue-Jay eats the
excrements of the supernatural people;" whereupon Blue-Jay
said: "'Ehehiu', you say; do you think I eat them? I merely look at
your kinnikinnik berries." They stayed there. After awhile a person
came out of the house and said: "They wish to play with you; you
will dive." Blue Jay said: "We always dive in our country." "Do you
think they do as you are accustomed to?" said the woman. "When they
dive the one dies and the other one has won." She said to
them: "Blue-Jay shall dive." Blue-Jay went down to the water and
threw the bushes out of his canoe into the water. Then he and the
diver fought against each other. They dived. Blue-Jay hid his club
under his blanket. They jumped into the water and after awhile Blue
Jay's breath gave out. He came up and hid under the bushes which he
had thrown out of his canoe. There he breathed and dived again. He
said to the diver: "Where are you?" "Here I am," she replied. After
awhile his breath gave out again. Once more he came up under the
bushes. Four times he did so, and then he became tired. He went to
look for the diver. He found her biting the bottom of the sea. She
had her eyes closed. Blue-Jay took his club and hit her on the nape.
The people saw something floating on the water and then a person
said: "There is Blue-Jay." He was, however, in the bushes which he
had thrown out of his canoe. After a little while Blue-Jay jumped
ashore and a person shouted: "Ehehiu, how Blue-Jay won over the
diver of the supernatural beings." "'Ehehiu', you say; we always
dive so in our country," said Blue Jay. Then again a person stepped
out and said: "They want to play with you; you will climb up a tree
together." Then Blue-Jay said: "We climb every day in our country."
But the young woman remarked: "Do you think they are just like
Indians? They will place a piece of ice upright, then you will have
to climb up the ice. When a climber falls down he breaks to pieces
and the other one wins." Then they said to Blue Jay: "You shall
climb up." They placed upright a piece of ice which was so long that
it reached to the sky. Blue-Jay made himself ready and tied his
bearskin blanket around his belly. [The supernatural beings sent a]
chipmunk who made himself ready [to climb up the ice]. They began to
climb, and when they had reached a certain height Blue-Jay grew
tired. [Then he let go of the ice] and flew upward. [When he had
rested] he again took hold of the ice. Then he grew tired again. He
looked back to the one with whom he was racing and saw her climbing
up with her eyes shut. She did not grow tired. Then Blue-Jay took
his club [from under his blanket] and struck her on the nape. The
chipmunk fell down. The people looked up and saw a person falling
down. "Ah, that is Blue-Jay! There he falls down." [But when they
saw the chipmunk] a person shouted: "Ehehiu, how they won over the
chipmunk of the supernatural beings." "'Ehehiu', you say; we always
climb in our country." Then their chief won two sea-otters. Then
they stayed awhile longer. Then again a person came out and
said: "They want to have a shooting match with you." Blue-Jay
said: "We have shooting matches every day in our country." The young
woman said: "Do you think they are like Indians? They place people
against each other. One stands on one side, the other on the other.
[They shoot at each other,] the one dies, and the other wins." Then
they said to the Beaver: "You stand up [on our side]." They took a
grindstone and tied it to his belly. They took another one and tied
it to his back. The supernatural beings made the loon stand up on
their side. Then [the beaver and the loon] took their arrows and the
loon shot at the beaver. The arrow broke and fell down. Then the
beaver shot at the loon. "Uhû," said he when he was struck by the
arrow. Then the loon shot again. "Ha," he said, and the arrow broke
and fell down. Then he shot again at the loon. "Uhû," he said, then
fell on his back and died. "Ehehiu! How they won over the bird of
the supernatural people." Blue-Jay spoke: "You say 'ehehiu'; we have
shooting matches in our country every day." They stayed there some
time longer. Then again a person came out of the house and
said: "They want to play with you; you will sweat in the sweat
house." Blue-Jay spoke: "We always sweat in our country." Then the
young woman said: "They always heat caves, and when they are hot,
they enter them. The one party will die, the other will win." Then
their chief said: "We must go into the cave." Now the supernatural
beings heated the caves. They got hot. There were two caves in a
rock. [The chief and some of his people] went into one, the
supernatural beings went into the other. Then the caves were closed.
The chief, however, took some ice and put it under their feet. They
stood on it. After a little while a sound was heard like the
bursting of a shell that is being roasted. Five times that sound was
heard. Then the caves were opened; first that of Blue Jay's people--
they were all alive; next that of the supernatural beings-- five of
them were dead. They had won again. "Ehehiu! How they won over the
supernatural beings." "'Ehehiu', you say," replied Blue- Jay, we use
the sweat house every day in our country." Now the chief's brother-
in-law said: "Let us catch whales." The sister told him: "Take care;
they will try to put you to shame. This is their last attempt at
you." In the evening they went to catch whales. She took Blue-Jay
and put him into her right armpit. Then she took Robin and put him
into her left armpit [and told them]: "Now I shall keep you here; do
not say 'ehehiu,' do not look!" Then in the evening they all went
down to the beach. She said to her elder brother: "Four whales will
pass you, but do not throw your harpoon; when the fifth comes, then
harpoon it." Now the supernatural people stood there. The young
woman took a torch in order to help her brother. After a while a
person shouted: "Yuyayuya, a flatfish whale comes." [The chief did
not stir.] After a while a person shouted: "Yuyayuya, an albatross
whale comes; raise your harpoons." Blue-Jay tried to look [from
under the arms of the woman]. At once her torch began to flicker,
and she pressed Blue-Jay, saying: "Do not look!" Then again a person
shouted: "Yuyayuya, an elk whale comes; raise your harpoons." [The
chief did not stir.] Next a person shouted: "Yuyayuya, a sperm-whale
comes; raise your harpoons." Then the sister said to him: "Now, look
out; now the real whale will come." Then a person
shouted: "Yuyayuya, the whale of the supernatural people comes."
Blue-Jay tried to look [from his hiding place]. Then the torch of
the young woman began to flicker and was almost extinguished. The
people said: "Why does AnêktcXô'lEmiX's torch always flicker?" The
person shouted once more: "Yuyayuya, the whale of the supernatural
people comes." Then AnêktcXô'lEmiX said to her brother: "Now the
real whale will come." The chief harpooned it and threw it
ashore. "Ehehiu! How they threw ashore the whale of the supernatural
people." Blue-Jay replied: "Ehehiu," and at once the torch was
extinguished, and Blue-Jay [fell down from the armpit of the woman
and] was drowned. He drifted away. Thus they won again. Their chief
won again. Then they went home. AnêktcXô'lEmiX said: "Coil up this
rope in your canoe; when you get across tie Robin's blanket to it."
[Then they started. When they were in the middle of the ocean the
supernatural people] created a strong gale against those going home.
Now they tied [Mink] on to the gunwale of their canoe [thus making
it higher and preventing its being swamped]. They almost perished;
finally they reached their home [safely. Then they tied Robin's
blanket to the rope. AnêktcXô'lEmiX pulled it back, and when she
found the blanket at the end of the rope she knew that her brother
had reached home safely].