BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, LOUISIANA 35 



all the others. "But we must look inside your basket, even if we do lose our eyes," 

 replied one of the wildcats, at the same time seizing the basket and raising the cover. 

 WTien they saw the man's head they knew it was the old woman who prowled around 

 during the night, killing men and animals and birds, so they determined to kill her. 

 WTiile one held her the other went to find a large club. When he had gone she said 

 to the wildcat holding her: "Over there is a large club. You would do well to get 

 it and kill me before your companion returns, for the one that kills me will always 

 have good luck, and I like you." So the remaining wildcat went to get the club, 

 for he believed what the old woman had told him, and hence wanted to kill her. On 

 his return with the club he could not find the old woman, for she was Skate'ne, an 

 owl, and had flown away. 



Tashka and Walo 



Tashka and Walo were brothers who lived long ago. Every morning they saw the 

 sun rise above the horizon, pass high overhead, and late in the day die in the west. 



When the boys were about four years old they conceived the idea of following the 

 sun and seeing where he died. So the next day, when he was overhead, they started 

 to follow him; but that night, when he died, they were still in their own country, 

 where they knew the hills and the rivers. Then they slept, and in the morning 

 when the sun was again overhead they once more set off to follow him. And thus 

 they continued for many years to wend their way after the sun in his course through 

 the heavens. 



Long, long afterward, when the two boys had become men, they reached a great 

 expanse of water, and the only land they could see was the shore on which they were 

 standing. Late that day, when Sun died, they saw him sink into the water; then 

 they also jjassed over the water and entered Sun's home with him. All about them 

 they saw women — the stars are women and the moon is Sun's wife. Then Moon 

 asked the brothers how they had found their way so far from their home. They told 

 her how for many, many years, ever since they were mere boys, they had followed 

 Sun in his daily journey. 



Then Sun told his wife to boil water. Into this he put the boys and rubbed them; 

 this treatment caused them to turn red and their skin to come off. 



Sun then asked them whether they knew the way to return to their home, and they 

 said, "No; " so he took them to the edge, whence they looked down to the earth but 

 they could not distinguish their home. 



Sun asked why they had followed him, as it was not time for them to reach heaven. 

 They replied that their only reason for following him was a desire to see where he died. 



Sun then told them that he would send them home, but that for four days after 

 reaching their home they must not speak a word to any person. If they spoke during 

 the four days they would die, otherwise they would then live and i^rosper. A large 

 buzzard was then called by Sun and the two boys were placed on its back. Buzzard 

 then started toward the earth. The clouds are midway between heaven and earth; 

 above the clouds wind never blows. As buzzard flew from heaven to the clouds the 

 brothers could easily keep their hold; but from the clouds to the earth the buzzard 

 was blown in all directions. All reached the earth in safety, however, and the boys 

 recognized the trees that stood about their old home. 



They rested beneath the trees, and while there an old man passed by who knew 

 the brothers. He continued down the road, and soon meeting the boys' mother, told 

 her the boys had come back. She hastened to see them. WTien she saw them she 

 began to talk and made them answer her. Then they told her that, as they had sjioken 

 during the first four days after their return, they would surely die. Knowing she had 

 forced them to speak, on hearing this the mother was greatly worried. Then all went 

 to the mother's home, and the brothers told of all they had seen and how they had 

 followed Sun during many years. After they had told all, they died and went up to 

 heaven to remain forever. 



