Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions— Dorsey and Kroeber. 91 



father and mother gave all the help they could to the people, but the 

 girls objected bitterly against any kind of marriage. 



One day these folks were presented with another baby, which was 

 a girl. This was the youngest of the seven sisters. She also grew 

 up handsome and charming. The young men liked her very much and 

 through their relations asked the parents for a marriage, but failed to 

 get the consent of the girl. The young men would occasionally meet 

 the girls, court them for love, but got no sa.tisfaction in regard to mar- 

 riage. Time went on and the tipi of this family was crowded with 

 daughters. 



It happened one day that a boy was bom to this man and wife. 

 They were very much pleased to have a boy. This baby boy was hand- 

 some, too, the only brother that the seven sisters had. The boy grew 

 up rapidly and was soon a good reliable young man. While he was out 

 having fun like the other hcys, a young man came up to him and 

 asked him to give his consent for his oldest sister to marry. He 

 told the young man that he had no objections whatever. This young 

 brother knew that he could not very well stay at home with all the 

 sisters. He would rather be alone with the old folks and see his sis- 

 ters all married, so that they could have their own ways with their own 

 husbands, and that the folks would be well off and perhaps receive some 

 help from their sons-in-lav/, so that their troubles, anxieties and burdens 

 would be lighter. So when he came home in the evening he mentioned the 

 thing to his father and mother. "Father and mother, it is my earnest de- 

 sire that all my sisters should get married sooner or later. I think that 

 as I am the only male in the family, they should respect my wishes 

 and do what I say in their behalf. So I want you to tell my sister, the 

 oldest one, to give her consent to marry a young man, in the usual 

 method," said the son. This young man left the tipi and was out 

 during the night, perhaps at his relatives or having fun. The sisters 

 all went into their tipi and their parents repeated the son's wish con- 

 cerning his oldest sister. But in spite of the father's eflfort to induce 

 the oldest sister to marry and also in spite of the brother's wish, this 

 woman would not accept the idea. "I am glad to know this, but, father 

 and mother, I cannot under any circumstances get married. I am 

 sorry that I cannot please my older brother, cannot do as he orders 

 me," said she. The old folks thought this a hard stroke to the brother, 

 and they were afraid that the brother would probably get mad and 

 wander off. So they did not say anything more than was necessary. 

 Several days passed by. The same objection was given by the other 

 sisters. 



