boas] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 91 



I do!" TxamsEm was much ashamed. He arose, went into the 

 woods, found some pitch, and put it on his fingers. 



People say that in olden tunes all the joints of man's or woman's 

 fingers had eyes and mouths until TxamsEm held up his hands when 

 he invited Chief Seal into his house, and that man's fingers have had 

 no eyes and no mouths since; when people ate food in those days, 

 the fingers also ate. 



(31) txa'msem imitates chief kingfisher 1 



Again TxarusEm went on. He came to a creek, and saw a house in 

 front of him. It was a very nice house. He went toward it ; and when 

 he went in, he saw a good-looking young man who was making a hook. 

 When TxamsEm entered, the young man looked at him, arose hastily, 

 and spread a new mat on the floor. Then the young man went and 

 fetched a pail of water. He took a nice dish, and roasted a dried 

 salmon. He put it into the dish, and placed it before TxamsEm. 

 This young man was Chief Kingfisher. He had large stores of all kinds 

 of provisions, and gave nearly everything to TxamsEm. At last he 

 took a nice dish and stretched his foot out over it. Then he took a 

 smooth stone, struck his ankle, and salmon eggs poured out of it and 

 filled the dish. He placed it before TxamsEm, gave him a wooden 

 spoon, and TxamsEm ate it all and was very much pleased. He left 

 the house of Kingfisher when he had had enough. 



Then he thought that he would invite his friend to visit him. 

 Now, TxamsEm built a house better than that of young Kingfisher. 

 When he had finished it, he invited Kingfisher, who sat down along- 

 side the fire. TxamsEm took a dish, stretched out his foot over the 

 dish, took a smooth stone and struck his ankle. He fell back, and 

 said, "Oh, I am almost dead!" Then young Kingfisher flew away 

 from him, and TxanisEni was very much ashamed. His foot was 

 sore and swollen, and he lay there a long time until it became well 

 again. 



(32) txa'msem imitates the thrush 1 



Again he went, not knowing which way to turn. He came to a 

 large river where there were many sahnonberry bushes. There was 

 a house, and TxarnsEm went toward it. There he saw a fine- 

 looking man, the Thrush, who invited TxamsEm to come in. The 

 good-looking young man took some dried salmon, roasted them, put 

 them in a dish, and placed them before TxamsEm, who ate. When 

 lie had finished eating salmon, he drank water. Then Thrush took a 

 nice clean dish, wiped it out, arose, and took it up to the smoke hole. 

 Then he sang — 



"Miyu (jhiihI: gumik gumlk gumikl " 



i Notes, pp. 694, 696. 



