Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 229 



of my road,'' said Skunk. "You cannot do much, such an ugly creature 

 as you are, having small eyes and face, coming to claim this road. I 

 tell you to get off this road," said Bear. "Oh, no ! you cannot make me 

 get out of tEis road, and you cannot kill me either. There is only one 

 vital spot about me," said Skunk. 



Bear; seeing a chance to get the best of Skunk, asked Skunk to 

 tell him of the vital spot. "Well then, show me the vital spot, then I 

 will leave you alone," said Bear. ""When they want to kill me, they 

 get behind me, and look closely at my rectum," said Skunk. "Well, 

 then, turn around and let me look in," said Bear. Skunk then gave 

 a sharp turn and lifted its tail and opened his rectum, and told the bear 

 to come and look at it closely. "Now if you really want to kill me, 

 open your eyes wide and take a good glance and I will be dead," said 

 Skunk. 



So Bear, wishing to get rid of him, walked behind him and stooped 

 down and took a good glance. Skunk defecated into both of Bear's 

 eyes. He staggered off from the road, holding his eyes, and cried 

 for help. The sting being to much for him, he rolled and rolled 

 on the ground, while Skunk yelled for victory and took a run on the 

 road. 



The dispute over the ownership of the road or trail and the result 

 shows the approach of the disease and the healing power. Bear re- 

 sembles the plague and the skunk the medicine-man. In all the treat- 

 ments upon the sick, the spitting of the medicinal weeds and herbs is 

 often employed, after the skunk's action on the bear. The methcd is 

 used, even in the ceremonial lodges. The medicine-men use the skunk 

 hide for their bags. The road which the skunk took possession of is the 

 white streak on its back. 



When a person gets stung from a skunk, of course it is very pain- 

 ful to the eyes. Immediately the person calls for an old moccasin, hav- 

 ing a strong odor, and looks in with his eyes wide open. The eyes are 

 cleansed again by the odor of the moccasin. It answers for eye-water. 

 — D. 



Told by Francis Lee. In an Osage tale, Opossum causes the death of Skunk in a similar 

 manner. 



99. — The Quarreling Porcupines.* 



A party of young men who were on the war-path camped for the 

 night. Next morning they heard a woman crying in the brush near 

 the bank of the creek. They said, "There must be an enemy near us." 



' Informants J. 



