Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 337 



third time the snake reached him and he awoke. The fourth time he 

 had become tired. He slept soundly. The bow fell on him and he did 

 not wake. "I have you at last," said the snake. It entered his anus, 

 and crawled up his backbone into his skull and coiled up in his brain. 

 The boy lay on the ground coiled like a snake at sleep. He remained 

 with the snake in his head until his flesh had disappeared. For many 

 days and months he lay there, until he was only bones. While he lay 

 sleeping this long time with the snake in him, he never asked for help 

 from his own relatives above, though they were powerful. When there 

 were no tendons left on his bones he began to reproach his grandfather. 

 "I thought I belonged to your family," he said, meaning his grand- 

 father and grandmother and father. "Here I lie helpless, nothing but 

 bones. Will you do what I ask?" Whatever he said was heard. "If 

 I am the true grandson of my grandparents, let there be rain enough to 

 wet the rocks through. After the rain let it be hot like fire. Let there 

 be heat like that felt by a person stirring the fire." After he said this, 

 clouds came, and it began to rain. It rained so much that the rocks 

 were wet through. When the clouds disappeared, the hot sun showed 

 itself, and the heat began. The snake felt it and began to move. The 

 heat became more than it was able to bear. When it was about to 

 emerge, Little-star sat up, with his mouth open, watching closely. The 

 sun was becoming hotter. When the snake stuck its head out of his 

 mouth, he caught it with his left hand and pulled it out of himself. 

 Then he continued to hold it. He said to it : "This is what I am able 

 to do. Now what shall I do with you? Is it best if I kill you? You 

 shall remain in the ground. You will have no legs and will not live 

 with people. If people meet you accidentally they will kill you." "It 

 is well." said the snake to him, "Since you pity me, I will give you my 

 body. I will help you. All your life you shall arrive wherever you go, 

 just as I never became tired and reached you. I will help you all your 

 life, as long as you are on earth. But when I am asleep, and you come 

 on me, I will bite you and kill you." This is Little-star's great mistake ; 

 he did not tell the snake that it should not bite men. Then Little-star 

 showed the snake his bow. The snake said : "Take my body and at- 

 tach it to the bow." The bow had a swallow tied to it at one end. then 

 a bluebird, then, in the middle where it was held, a king-fisher, next a 

 chicken-hawk, and at the other end a small dark bird. Eagle, wood- 

 pecker, prairie-chicken, crow, magpie, and all birds' feathers were tied 

 to the bow. There were also berries on it, strung like beads and painted 

 white. This string of beads was the snake's body. Then Little-star 

 said : "The upper end points to the sky ; it belongs to mankind. You 



