Feb., 1904. Traditions of the Osage — Dorsey. ii 



"What makes you look at me that way?" The Wolf said, "I would 

 like to be like you, so I could eat grass, too." "Well, if you want to 

 be like me," said the Buffalo, "I can make you so in a minute." Then 

 the Wolf said, "How can you?" "Well," said the Buffalo, "you go 

 over there and stand sidewise." The Wolf did so, and the Buffalo 

 ran right over him, and the Wolf turned into a Buffalo. So the new 

 Buffalo started to eat grass, and the other Buffalo said, "Friend, 

 how do you like it ? " and the Wolf Buffalo said, " I am 

 awfully proud." Then the Buffalo said, "I tell you, you must not 

 do this to another Wolf, or you will turn back to a Wolf again, and 

 I can not change you any more." 



So the Wolf Buffalo started off, and met another Wolf, and 

 said to him, " When you see me eat grass, does it not make you 

 feel you would like to be a Buffalo and eat grass ? " And the Wolf 

 said, "I would be very glad to be like you, but I do- not see how I 

 can." "Well," said the Wolf Buffalo, "you go and stand over there 

 and turn sidewise to me." So the Wolf did so, and the Wolf Buf- 

 falo ran over him, and he turned into a Buffalo ; but the Wolf Buf- 

 falo turned back to a Wolf. 



Then the Wolf started back to find the Buffalo, and after he 

 had hunted a while he found him, and asked him to fix him again. 

 "What did I tell you the first time," said the Buffalo, "did you 

 mind me, or not?" "Yes, I did," said the Wolf. " But what made 

 you turn to a Wolf again ?" said the Buffalo. The Wolf kept asking 

 the Buffalo to change him till the Buffalo got tired of him, and said, 

 "I will fix you." So the Wolf stood sidewise, the same as before, 

 and the Buffalo ran over him and cut him in two and killed him. 1 



5. — The Opossum and the Skunk. 



The Opossum and the Skunk once lived together. They were 

 sisters-in-law. "Let us eat our young ones," said the Skunk. So 

 the Opossum ate her young ones first. Then her sister-in-law said, 

 "Let us separate from one another." So the Skunk started with her 

 young ones over the world. 



The Skunk said, "Two of us women were once living together, 

 sisters-in-law, but now only I have my young ones ; Opossum has 

 eaten hers up." Opossum said, "I am mad that my dear young 

 children are eaten up." Then the Opossum defecated in the 

 Skunk's face. So the Opossum killed the Skunk. 



1 Also found among the Arikara. 



