444 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 196 



to fish it out, but as they did not succeed, they decided upon another 

 plan. 



There was a tree standing near and overhanging the water. So, 

 grasping a limb, one hung from the tree; another one grasped the legs 

 of the first one; still another grasped the legs of the second one; and 

 so on. When all were hanging this way, and the seventh one was 

 getting ready to try to get the gold out of the water, the one on top 

 said, "Hold on tight! I must spit upon my hands!" 



So he and all of the others tumbled into the water. ^"^ 



8.— CORN AND BEANS* 



In a wild spot near a river, beautiful singing was heard (v). This 

 is what was being sung: 



' ' Tso : gin ( v) tsv : sdi agwadu : liha 



to marry, he me I I want." 



I want to marry. 



Everyone went to find out who it was that was singing. Everyone 

 saw that it was a woman, a beautiful young woman. 



The Panther went up to her and said, "I wUl marry you." 



"What can you do? What food can you give me?" she asked. 



"Deer meat," replied the Panther. 



"I don't eat deer meat. I don't like deer meat," said the woman. 



Next the Wolf came to her and said, "I will marry you." 



""What can you do for me?" asked the young woman. 



"I can give you meat that I have stolen," replied the Wolf. 



"I don't want things that have been stolen," said the beautiful 

 young woman. 



Then the Wildcat said to her, "Why don't you marry me? I will 

 catch mice and moles for you." 



"I don't live on such meat," she said. 



Finally a young man came forward and said, "You can be my wife, 

 and I will feed you roasting ears and beans." 



This made the young woman very happy, and she arose and threw 

 her arms around him. 



ETHNOGRAPHIC NOTES 



1.— THE CONVOCATION OP CHIEFS 



In olden times the Seven Clans gathered in the ga:dhi. Each clan 

 had to be there. (Each settlement had a chief, but there was also a 

 principal chief.) 



2" This White man's story constitutes the ending of a Natchez-Cherokee narrative in Swanton (1929, 

 p. 264). The Irishman as a stock comic figure is well represented In Cherokee folktales as yet uncollected. 

 There Is a longish tale of this genre In the Barber Collection. 



