io8 Field Columbian Museum^ — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



"My friend, what kind of tree are you?" "I am 'praying-bush.' " "In- 

 deed!"' Then he started on again, feeHng about him. "My friend, 

 what kind of a wood are you?" "This is cottonwool," the tree said to 

 him. "Well, I am finally getting near," Nih'a^'ga" said to himself-, and 

 he continued to go. "My friend, what kind of wood are you?" "This 

 is willow," it said to him. "Well, at last I have got there," Nih'a"ga^ 

 said. He stepped on the sand and walked over the bank, falling into 

 the river. He floated'down with the stream. Farther down some wo- 

 men were bathing. When he came near them, he said; "Hit me right 

 in the middle of the head." Then indeed they struck him where he 

 told them, and cracked open the skull. "I will take it for my scraper," 

 the women said, as they seized the horns of the skull. "Niha"ga° is 

 always providing for us." ^ — K. 



53. — Nir'aNqa"^ and the Mice's Sun Dance. 



After Nih'a'^Qa'^ had created man and woman and the other things, 

 he went from place to place to see if everything was all right. Nih'a'^ga" 

 went down a riVer, which was a big wide river, with trees on both sides, 

 and he came to a camp which was in a circle. He heard a noise at the 

 camp, and said. "I must see what that noise is." So he stopped to look 

 around, and saw the camp in the circle. 



In the center stood a big looking object and a big arbor. The peo- 

 ple all around were singing and drumming. He heard all the noise 

 that could be made ; so he went to the place. There that thing stood 

 with the people all around it looking at it, and he tried to make his way 

 through and he saw all the people inside of the lodge dancing and 

 singing and having a good time. He could not make his way through 

 for some time. Finally he got his head in, and finally he thrust his 

 head entirely in, but the moment he 'did it he found himself fast. When 

 he thrust his head in he stuck it into an elk^s skull, and these people that 

 were making this dance and noise were mic^ in the skull. 



So after he had gotten his head fast in the skull, he turned around 

 and went back in the direction of the trail in which he came. 'T know 

 that willows grow near the river. I know that cottonwood grows close 

 to the river," said he, and he went on his way feeling of the bushes that 

 he came to, and by feeling them as he went on his way, he got to the 

 willows along the river. He said, ' Now I am getting closer to the 

 river," and he kept on going till he came to the cottonwood tree, and 

 he said, "I am getting closer yet." He finally got to the sand-bar; the 



• Gros Ventre also. 



