»b TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann.31 



front of TxamsEm, and he thought while he was eating, what strange 

 tilings he was seeing now. When he had finished, a horn dipper came 

 forward filled with water. He took it hy its handle and drank. Then 

 he saw a large dish full of crabapples mixed with grease, and a black 

 horn spoon, come forward by themselves. TxamsEm took the 

 handle and ate all he could. Before he emptied his dish, he looked 

 around, and, behold ! mountain-goat fat was hanging on one side of 

 the house. He thought, "I will take down one of these large pieces 

 of fat." Thus TxamsEm thought while he was eating. Then he 

 heard many women laughing in one corner of the house, "Ha, ha! 

 TxamsEm thinks he will take down one of those large pieces of 

 mountain-goat fat!" Then TxamsEm was ashamed on account of 

 what the women were saying. He ate all the crabapples, and another 

 dish came forward filled with cranberries mixed with grease and with 

 water. TxamsEm ate again, and, behold! he saw dried mountain- 

 sheep fat hanging in one corner of the large house. He thought again, 

 "I will take down one of these pieces of mountain-sheep fat, and I 

 will run out with it." Again he heard many women laughing, 

 "Ha, ha! TxamsEm is thinking he will take down a piece of the 

 mountain-sheep fat and will run out with it. " TxamsEm was much 

 troubled on account of what he heard the women saying, and when 

 he heard them laughing in the corner of the house. He arose, ran out, 

 and snatched one of the pieces of mountain-goat meat and of moun- 

 tain-sheep fat; but when he came to the door, a large stone hammer 

 beat him on the ankle, and he fell to the ground badly hurt. He 

 lost the meat and fat, and some one dragged him along and cast him 

 out. He lay there a while and began to cry, for he was very hungry, 

 and his foot very sore. On the following day, when he was a little 

 better, he took a stick and tried to walk away. 



(27) TXA'MSEM KILLS LITTLE PITCH 1 



TxamsEm went on, not knowing which way to go. He was very weak 

 and hungry, and sore of foot. He went on and on in the woods until 

 he saw a house far off. He went toward it, came near, and entered. 

 There were a man and his wife, a very pretty young woman, there. 

 They permitted him to come in, for they had pity on the poor man 

 who had come to their house. They asked him if he wanted some- 

 thing to eat, and they gave him to eat. Then the young woman tried 

 to cure his ankle, which was hurt by the stone in the house of Chief 

 Echo. He was now in the house of Little Pitch. He came in, and 

 the people were very kind to him. The wife of Little Pitch put 

 pitch on his sore ankle. After two days he was quite well, and he 

 was very glad. The young woman gave him to eat every day. The 



