TSIMSUIAN MYTHS 63 



(4) ORIGIN OP 



Again TxamsEm went on, and the people began to multiply on the 

 earth. However, they were distressed because they had no fire to cook 

 their food and to warm themselves hi winter; and Giant remembered 

 that they had fire in the village of the animals. Therefore he tried to 

 fetch it for the people. He started, wearing his raven blanket which 

 his father, the chief, had given to him before he left yonder. Soon he 

 arrived; but the people of his father's village refused to let him have 

 fire, and sent him away from their town. He tried in every way to 

 get fire, but he failed, for the people would not let him have it. 



Finally he sent one of his attendants, the Sea Gull, to carry a 

 message to the people; and this is the message the Sea Gull carried: 

 "A good-looking young chief will come soon to the people to have a 

 dance in your chief's house." Then the whole tribe made ready to 

 welcome the young chief. Then Giant caught a deer and skinned it. 

 At that time the deer had a long tail, like a wolf's tail. Giant tied 

 pitch wood to the long tail of the deer. He borrowed the canoe of 

 the great Shark, and they came to the village, where the chief had a 

 large fire in his house. The big Shark's canoe was full of crows and 

 sea gulls ; and Giant was sitting in the center of the canoe, dressed in 

 his deer skin. Then all the people entered. They built a large fire, 

 larger than it had been before, and the great house of the chief was 

 full of his tribesmen. Then all the newcomers were seated on one 

 side of the large house, ready to sing. Soon the young chief began 

 to dance, and all his companions beat time with their sticks, and one 

 had a drum. They all sang a song, and some of the birds clapped 

 their hands, and they all sang together. 



The Deer entered at the door. He looked around, and entered 

 leaping and dancing, and went around the large fire. Then all the 

 people were well pleased to see him dance. Finally he struck his tail 

 over the fire, and the pitch wood on his tail caught fire. He ran out 

 with the firebrand at his tail and swam on the water. Then all his 

 companions flew away out of the house. The great Shark canoe also 

 left. The people tried to catch the Deer, intending to kill him. He 

 jumped and swam quickly, and the pitch wood at his tail was burning. 

 When he arrived at one of the islands, he went ashore quickly, 

 struck a fir tree with his tail, and said, "You shall burn as long as the 

 years last." For that reason the deer has a short black tail. 



(5) txa'msem uses the sinews 'of the tomtit 2 



TxamsEm walked along the seashore and saw a long mass of seaweed 

 way out at sea. There were very large sea eggs on it. TxamsEm was 

 anxious to eat them, but he could not get them because the seaweed 



i Notes, p. 660. "■ Notes, p. 655. 



