Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 95 



This oldest sister said that there were two kinds of wood, of small size, 

 either of which would be good ; these were a yellow willow stick which 

 grows along the beaver dams or drifts, and the red berry stick of whose 

 berries the bears are very fond, which is a very light red color and 

 transparent to the eye while standing. There are small ones growing 

 alongside the large ones. It was decided by all that the latter be 

 chosen. So they searched for the stick day after day. At last they 

 found it, standing perfectly straight and healthy. They cut it down 

 and took it home to the cave. Night came on and they all retired. 



In the morning the stick was cut into proper length and laid on the 

 bed, which had very nice furnishings for a young man. Among the 

 furnishings were a buflfalo robe well quilled, shirts, buckskin leggings, 

 also buckskin moccasins. Against the lean-back there were a bow-case 

 and a quiver of arrows, also a lance with eagle-feather pendants, etc. 

 — such things as a young man needs. The next morning one of the 

 sisters got up and spoke to the stick. "Brother, get up out of your bed I 

 Take this spoon ! Here is the water. Wash your face and get ready for 

 your breakfast." Each morning the sisters spoke in the same way to the 

 stick, imtil the fourth time, when the body of the stick moved a little. 

 The fifth time the sister spoke to it and it spoke a little, but went to 

 sleep again. The sixth time the next sister spoke louder and emphati- 

 cally, and the body was fully developed, and it rolled over to the other 

 side. The seventh time this youngest sister brought out a vessel of 

 water, dipper, pemmican in a wooden bowl, some berries, ere, and stood 

 by the bedside. "Now, brother, get up! Take this spoon, wash your 

 mouth and face and eat this food!"' said she. Immediately this stick 

 (man) got up as a man, dressed in the best, and did as the sister 

 directed. After he had had his breakfast he said to his mothers, ''I 

 am glad to have such liberty, for I had been standing a long time, and 

 was fully exhausted, and I am very thankful for this privilege," said he. 

 "Yes, we want you now to look out and see the clouds, the green earth, 

 timber, the courses of the creeks, the beautiful hills and grand moun- 

 tains, to breath the air and stretch yourself well and take, in every- 

 ihing in nature ; for you shall be our son, to do the errands if necessary, 

 ro climb the hill-tops, to see the game and to do other things around 

 the cave, as might be expected of a young man," said the younger sister. 

 So this young man went and did as directed. His name was Red-Stick- 

 Man ( Ha wauna wnae ) . 



Red-Stick-Man did as he was directed by the sisters, till one day 

 he told his mothers that he was going to the other camp for a visit, 

 and that he would be gone for a day, but that he would come back 



