Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 13 



6. — The Flood and Origin of the Ceremonial Lodges.* 



There was a man whose daughter was beautiful. Every morning, 

 when she went to get water, she saw an antelope or some other animal 

 lying by the trail and was able to kill it by striking it with her spoon. 

 Her father said: "I wonder who it is that gives you these animals, 

 for you alone would not be able to kill them with a spoon." So the 

 girl went where the trail descended to the water and the banks 

 v/ere steep. There she dug a hole, and, having gone into it, covered it 

 with vegetation. Towards morning the ice crlacked and from it 

 emerged a skull. It vomited a black round object, and the girl saw 

 that it was an old buffalo (ha°wa°na"ka''). She heard the skull say: 

 "I think these people must be well fattened with food by this time. 1 

 will soon eat them.'' The girl ran to her father and told him what she 

 had seen, and said to him : "Let us turn into eagles which fly high." 

 He objected and said : "No, let us turn into hawks which fly swiftly." 

 Then she objected, and said: "No, let us turn into geese which fly 

 a long time." Then they agreed, and she and her father and mother 

 fled as geese, leaving their clothes lying in their shapes. The skull 

 arrived and swallowed the empty clothes. It found out its mistake. 

 It looked about for the people. Four times, as it started in pursuit, 

 the clothes called it back, imitating the voices of the people. But after 

 the people had fled four days, the skull at last came in pursuit. It saw 

 them just as they alighted and were changing back into human beings. 

 Then it gained on them fast. The girl said : "I wish there were thick 

 timber behind us." Then there was thick timber behind them, but the 

 skull passed through it. Then the girl said : "I wish there were a 

 river behind us." And there was a river behind them, but the skull 

 slid across it as if on the ice. Then the girl said : "I wish there were 

 knives behind us." And there were knives behind them, but the skull 

 hobbled through them. Then the girl said: "I wish there were 

 paunches behind us." And there were paunches behind them, but the 

 skull went into them and cut of them, and so passed over them. Then 

 they sent their dog to drive it back, but the dog was sucked in head 

 first by the skull. Then, as it came nearer, it drew in the old woman ; 

 then it reached the old man and drew him in. The girl still continued 

 to run and at last came to a man who wore his robe inside out and was 

 making a bow and arrows of oak.' She said to him : "A great danger 

 is coming. Pity me !" She said this many times. At last he said, 

 slowly and indifferently: "What is it?" She told him. He said to 



' From informant D. 

 '"Blackjack." 



