Myths and Legends of the Great Plains Part 16

When there is a blizzard, the other Kansa beg the members of the Tcihaci gens to interpose, as they are the Wind People.

They say, "Oh, grandfather, I wish good weather. Please have one of your children decorated."

Then the youngest son of one of the Wind People, but one half grown, is selected. He is painted all over with red paint. Then he goes out into the storm and rolls over and over the snow, reddening it for some distance. This stops the storm.

[Notes: "KILLED TWO ARIKARA CHIEFS"

(Indian drawing)

_The rank of the chiefs is shown by the white weasel skins attacked to their costumes. The arrow in the thigh of the horseman indicates that he was wounded._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of Ethnology_]

[Notes: MANY TONGUES, OR LOUD TALKER

_Oddly enough, the name is given as that of the vanquished, not of the victor, although the balloon of sound would seemingly indicate otherwise. The pipe between the two indicates that the victor is ent.i.tled to celebrate his victory._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of Ethnology_]

IKTO AND THE SNOWSTORM

_Teton_

Ikto was the first person in this world. He is more cunning than human beings. He it was who named all the animals and people. But sometimes Ikto was tricked by the beings he had created.

One day Ikto was hungry; just then he caught a rabbit. He was about to roast him.

Suddenly Rabbit said, "Oh, Ikto, I will teach you a magic art."

Ikto said, "I have created all things."

"But I will show you something new," said Rabbit. Therefore Ikto consented. He let go of Rabbit.

Rabbit stood in front of Ikto and said, "Elder brother, if you wish snow to fall at any time, take some hair such as this,"--and he pulled out some of his rabbit fur--"and blow it in all directions; there will be a blizzard."

Rabbit made a deep snow in this way, though the leaves were green.

At once, Ikto began to pull his own fur and say magic words. Rabbit made a long leap and ran away. Ikto pulled his fur and blew it about.

But there was no snow. Then he pulled more fur, and blew it about.

Still there was no snow. It was only rabbit fur that made the snow.

THE SOUTHERN BRIDE

_Cherokee_

North went traveling, and after a long time, and after visiting many tribes, he fell in love with the daughter of South.

South and his wife said, "No. Ever since you came the weather has been cold. If you stay we will all freeze."

North said he would go back to his own country. So South let his daughter marry him. Then North went back to his own country with South's daughter. All the people there lived in ice houses.

The next day, after sunrise, the houses began to leak. The ice began to melt. It grew warmer and warmer. Then North's people came to him.

They said, "It is the daughter of the South. If she lives here all the lodges will melt. You must send her back to her father."

North said, "No."

But every day it grew hotter. The lodges began to melt away. The people said North must send his wife home. Therefore North had to send her back to South.

THE FALLEN STAR

_Dakota_

A people had this camp. And there were two women sleeping out of doors and looking up at the stars.

One of them said, "I wish that that large and bright s.h.i.+ning star were my husband."

The other said, "I wish the star that s.h.i.+nes less brightly were my husband."

And immediately both were immediately carried upward, they say. They found themselves in a beautiful country which was full of beautiful twin flowers. And they found that the star which had shone most brightly was a large man; the other star was only a young man. So the two stars married the two women and they lived in that beautiful Star Country.

Now in that country was a plant, the Teepsinna, with large, attractive stalks. The wife of the large star wanted to dig them. Her husband said, "No; no one does so here."

Then the camp moved. When the woman had pitched her tepee, and came inside to lay the mats, she saw there a beautiful teepsinna. She said to herself, "I will dig this; no one will see me." So she took her digging stick and dug the teepsinna; but when she pulled it out of the earth, the foundation of the Star Country broke and she fell through with her baby. So the woman died; but the baby was not injured. It lay there stretched out.

An old man came that way. When he saw that the baby was alive, he took it in his blanket and took it to his own lodge. He said to his wife, "Old woman, I saw something today that made my heart feel badly."

"What was it?" she asked.

"A woman lay dead; and a little baby boy lay beside her kicking."

"Why did you not bring it home, old man?" she asked.