boas] ISIMSHIAN MYTHS 107 



turned to the small animals, who were seated on one side of the 

 prairie, and said, "We want to know what you have to say in this 

 matter." Then the small animals kept quiet, and did not reply to 

 the question. After they had been silent for a while, one of their 

 speakers, Porcupine, arose, and said, "Friends, let me say a word or 

 two to answer your question. Your counsel is very good for your- 

 selves, for you have plenty of warm fur, even for the most severe 

 cold, but look down upon these little insects. They have no fur to 

 warm themselves in winter; and how can small insects and other 

 small animals obtain provisions if you ask for severe cold in whiter ? 

 Therefore I say this, don't ask for the greatest cold." Then he 

 stopped speaking and sat down. 



Then Grizzly Bear arose, and said, "We will not pay any attention 

 to what Porcupine says, for all the large animals agree." Therefore 

 he turned his head toward the large animals, and said, "Did you 

 agree when we asked for the severest cold on earth?" and all the 

 large animals replied, "We all consented. We do not care for what 

 Porcupine has said." 



Then the same speaker arose again, and said, "Now, listen once 

 more! I will ask you just one question." Thus spoke Porcupine: 

 "How will you obtain plants to eat if you ask for very severe cold? 

 And if it is so cold, the roots of all the wild berries will be withered 

 and frozen, and all the plants of the prairie will wither away, owing 

 to the frost of winter. How will you be able to get food ? You are 

 large animals, and you always walk about among the mountains 

 wanting something to eat. Now, if your request is granted for 

 severe cold every winter, you will die of starvation in spring or in 

 summer; but we shall live, for we live on the bark of trees, and our 

 smallest persons find their food in the gum of trees, and the smallest 

 insects find then food in the earth." 



After he had spoken, Porcupine put his thumb into his mouth and 

 bit it off, and said, "Confound it!" and threw his thumb out of his 

 mouth to show the large animals how clever ho was, and sat down 

 again, full of rage. Therefore the hand of the porcupine has only 

 four fingers, no thumb. 



All the large annuals were speechless, because they wondered at 

 the wisdom of Porcupine. Finally Grizzly Bear arose, and said ; 

 "It is true what you have said." Thus spoke Grizzly Bear to Porcu- 

 pine, and all the large animals chose Porcupine to be then wise man 

 and to be the first among all the small animals; and they all agreed 

 that the cold in winter should be as much as it is now. They made 

 six months for the whiter and six months for summer. 



Then Porcupine spoke again out of his wisdom, and said, "In 

 winter we shall have ice and snow. In spring we shall have showers 

 of rain, and the plants shall be green. In summer we shall have 



