Nof 80]^' ^^^' EASTERN CHEROKEE FOLKTALES — ^KILPATRICK 423 



even longer. Then he lived in camp, went out hunting all day, and at 

 night came in to dry the meat to take to his mother when he went 

 back home. 



One night when he returned to his camp, he noticed that someone 

 had been in his cabin. It had been swept out neatly, the fire was 

 burning, and his supper was ready for him — nice and warm. He 

 looked about and saw the footprints of a woman. 



He ate his supper and lay down to sleep, and next morning he went 

 out to hunt, as usual. 



When he came back at night, he again found his cabin swept, the 

 fire lit, and his supper ready. He was anxious to find out who looked 

 after him so well, and to see her; so instead of eating his supper, he 

 fasted, and he sat up all night, and while next morning he went out as 

 usual, he did not go far, but when he thought that the woman would be 

 in his cabin, he returned. 



When he entered the cabin, he found a good-looking woman, busy 

 at household tasks. They talked to each other, and they agreed that 

 they would be husband and wife, and that she would prepare his food 

 for him. 



They lived there together for perhaps 2 or 3 years. After a year 

 had passed, a child was born, and after another year had passed, there 

 was a second chUd. Both of the children were boys. 



Soon after that the man said that he wanted to go home to see his 

 mother, and to take her the dried meat. The woman said that it 

 would be all right, and that she and the children would live on the meat 

 that he left. 



"But when you get there," she told him, "you must not pay any 

 attention to the other girls. They will try to attract you, but you 

 must come back to me and the children." 



When he got home, his mother was very happy to see him. The 

 people who had attractive girls sent them to get some of the meat. 



One day his mother told him: "The parents of that girl that came 

 and talked to me want you to marry their girl. And she is a pretty 

 girl, too, so you had better do it." 



He thought: "Yes, indeed, she is a pretty girl!" 



So he did not mind what his wife in the wilderness had told him, 

 and he married this girl. 



After some time he became lonely, and he wanted to see his first 

 wife and his little boys again. He went back to the place in the 

 wilderness where he had left them, but when he got there, he found 

 nobody, and there was no indication of anyone having been there 

 for many years. 



Then he wanted to find out where they had gone. He fasted, and 

 I suppose he said a prayer, too, and he examined. I do not know 



