Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions— Dorsev' and Kroeber. 153 



a short distance and did as she said. "That is the way I did to get sub- 

 sistence," she said. Then Bear was satisfied. 



' The next time the girl went out for water the brothers asked her to 

 find out the vital spot of Bear. She did so, and told her brothers that 

 Bear said that anybody could kill him by hitting the small finger of his 

 hand. 



One day she took advantage of Bear's absence to escape, and ran 

 away from Bear, instead of carrying water back to the tipi. She met her 

 brothers and they all ran for freedom. They had gone a distance, when 

 they looked back and saw Bear following. When the sister had seen 

 that Bear was gaining on them, she stopped and kicked a shinny ball 

 which she-kept in her dress, next to her skin, close to her heart. When 

 the ball ascended, one of the brothers went up with it and alighted in 

 the sky. She did this act until she had sent all of her brothers and 

 herself up to the sky. This act was done for a good deed. Bear saw 

 the act and stopped, crying, and, scratching himself much, of course 

 caused blood to flow. 



This is said to indicate the circle of stars in the sky with a lone 

 star off to one side, being the sister. The brothers sitting away from 

 her teach morality for red people. Therefore a brother and sister do 

 not speak much to each other, or sit together, or say any vulgar words. 

 — D. 



According to the Wichita version for the origin of the Pleiades, the sisters ascended to heaven 

 by means of the double-ljall game. Wilson has recorded a similar tale for the Blackfeet in the 

 American Antiquarian. 



81 . — Foot-Stuck-Child.^ 



It was in winter and a large party was on the war-path. Some 

 of them became tired and went home, but seven continued on their way. 

 Coming to a river, they made camp on account of one of them who was 

 weary and nearly exhausted. They found that he was unable to go 

 farther. Then they made a good brush hut in order that they might 

 winter there. From this place they went out and looked for buffalo and 

 hunted them wherever they thought they might find them. During 

 the hunting one of them r^n against a thorny plant and became unable 

 to hunt for some time. His leg swelled very much in consequence of 

 -,the wound, and finally suddenly opened. Then a child issued from the 

 leg. The young men took from their own clothes what they could 

 spare and used it for wrappings for the child. They made a panther 

 skin answer as a cradle. They passed the child around from one to the 



' Informant H. 



