Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 395 



told the myths, prepared to attack. He pawed, sniffed, butted, but could 

 do nothing. At last only the Buffalo-woman was left Then she reviled 

 Elk-woman : "You long-legged, thin, wrinkled, ugly one !" Elk-wo- 

 man said to her: "You big belly, with short tangled hair, come on! 

 I will give you one chance to make you think yourself powerful. You 

 may pierce the sweat-house once.'' The Buffalo-woman charged and 

 pierced the wood. Now she was proud to have penetrated it ; she 

 pranced and snorted, and butted the wood again and penetrated it, and 

 could not pull her horn out. Then the Elk-woman came down with 

 ■ a knife and cut her tendons, her nose, her genitalia, and her legs, while 

 she abused her. So the Buffalo-woman was killed. The four woods 

 were red, reddish yellow, yellow, and white — the color of metal. The 

 buffalo broke through all but the last wood. "Now, because we have 

 killed the buffalo, they shall become our game. We shall kill them 

 and use them. They will try to escape from us, but we shall catch them 

 and kill them," said the Elk-woman. Then she said to her husband : 

 "I was to have been the cause of your death, but instead I have over- 

 powered the buffalo for you. Now I will go to the mountains, and be 

 your wife there, from a distance." That is why the elk lives in the 

 mountains.^ — K. 



145. — Blue-Feather, Buffalo-Woman, and Elk- Woman. 



There was a family consisting of a man, wife, and a boy. The 

 man was called Blue-Feather, and he was noted among the people as 

 being very industrious and generous. One day, after he had brought 

 for his family a supply of beef, he sat down by his wife and began to 

 talk of another companion to help about the tipi, etc. Finally he said to 



' The following is another version : Blue-bird was traveling. As he went he found a buffalo- 

 cow fast in tne mire, and took her for his wife. Then he went on. .Mter a time a yellow (young) 

 buffalo calf came running up to him, and said to him : " My father I" The man was surprised, and 

 said: " How can that be?" The calf again addressed him as father, and said : " My mother and my 

 grandfather are coming." Then the woman and her father came. The man already had an elk for 

 his wife. Now he had two wives; their names were Elk-woman (waxuuhasei) and Buffalo-woman 

 (bihasei). Buffalo-woman went out as if to get wood, but came back bringing pemmican. Then 

 Elk-woman went out and brought back pemmican. Buffalo-woman went out again and brought in 

 tongues. Elkwoman did the same. Then Buffalo-woman brought meat from the back. Elk-woman 

 went out and brought elk pemmican. Buffalo-woman went out again, but the pemmican she brought 

 back was only half finished, for she was jealous of the other wife. Then she ran off from her 

 husband, taking her son, the calf. The man followed their tracks. He came to a small herd of 

 buffalo, and asked: "Have you seen my wife?" They said: ''She has gone on in that direction." 

 He continued to go till he came to a larger herd. When he asked them, they gave him the same 

 answer. The third time he met a still larger herd. The fourth time he reached the herd where his 

 wife and son were. He tried to pick out his son. The calf had told him ; " I will move my left ear. 

 Then you will know me among the other calves." Then the calf moved its ear. The others all 

 moved iheir ears also. Then it was said they would tell myths for four days and nights, and if he 

 kept awake he was to have his son. The man listened for four nights without sleeping. Then it 



