54 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



down," said Nih'a^ga*^, staking the arrows on their heads, the sharp 

 points extending towards him. He slid down, saying, ''Let the arrows 

 part for me !" in a scream, but he lighted against those sharp pointed 

 spears and stuck fast. 



Beaver came along and saw him hanging on the arrows, in agony ; 

 he broke him loose and told him to go home. The man took his bow 

 case and quiver away from him again. 



This method is taken by the children at the river banks. They wet 

 the banks, which makes them slippery, and they go to the top and slide 

 down to the water. The hide of beaver is used in making a bow case 

 and quiver for a chief or head man of the tribe. — D. 



Told by Little Chief. Found also among the Pawnee. 



19. NlH'A'^^gA^ AND THE DwARF's ArROW.' 



Nih'a'^Qa" was traveling and came to a place where he had not 

 been before. He found some berries and stopped to eat them. Then he 

 said: "I will start traveling again; I must go on." He came to a 

 creek, on the other side of which was a hill, while in the bottom were 

 cotton woods. He saw a dwarf (seciitcabiihi^) making an arrow out of 

 an immense tree. Going to him, he said: "Well, my younger brother, 

 what are you making?" "Wa%ei, Nil/a^qa"^, who are always traveling, 

 where are you going?" said the dwarf. Nih'a"ga" said : 'T have always 

 heard about your ability to shoot very large arrows ; but I do not believe 

 that so small a person as you can lift so large a tree. Why do you not 

 have an enormous stone for an arrow-point, also ? Let me see you shoot. 

 I will stand over there and you can shoot at me." The dwarf answered; 

 "I do not want to do that, Nih'a^qa", for I might kill you." Nih'a"ga° 

 continued to urge him and taunt him, and at last said : "You are 

 unable to do it, so I will go on." Then the dwarf said : "I will shoot." 

 Nih'a'^ga'^ went a little distance ofif and asked: "Shall I stand here?" 

 "No, farther off," said the dwarf; "you might get hurt there." 

 Nih'a'^ga'^ went on, and asked again: "Shall I stand here?" But the 

 dwarf continued to tell him to go farther off. At last Nih'a'^Qa" said : 

 'I will not go any farther; I am as far as the voice reaches." He was 

 now on the hill, on the other side of the creek from the dwarf. Then 

 he saw the dwarf pick up the tree with one hand. At once he became 

 frightened and shouted: "Do not shoot at me; I know you are able to 

 do it. I was only pretending not to believe you." "Oh, I know you are 

 only pretending now; I will shoot," said the dwarf. "Do not shoot," 



' From informant B. 



' Seciitcabiihi seems to be a small bird. Cf. Nos. 38 and 81. 



