124 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [HTH. amn. 31 



Then the father said to his last son, "Go north, my son Going 

 Behind Mountains, and bring back your sister!" At midnight 

 Going Behind Mountains went swiftly northward in the shape of a 

 cloud, sharp at each end. Then the north wind began to blow harder 

 and harder, but the cloud Going Behind Mountains was not driven 

 away. Its sharp ends passed all the mountains and slowly went 

 northward. The princess was crying, fearing that her last brother 

 might be driven away as the others had been, for she knew that she 

 would die there on the ice if he should not succeed. 



Now, the little cloud stopped a while and went on slowly. At last 

 it reached the village of North Wind and gained a great victory on 

 that day. Therefore the north wind ceased to blow. Then all the 

 brothers came with heavy rain, and all the ice was melted away, and 

 the house of North Wind was full of water from the heavy rain ; and 

 the sister-in-law of the princess was floating about in the house, 

 saying, "Take me with you, sister-in-law, lest I perish in this cold 

 water!" and the princess took the floating piece of ice and put it on 

 her right leg. Therefore women's legs are cold up to this day. 



Now, when the ice was nearly melted, Chief North Wind said to 

 the four princes, " Take away your sister, and come no more to my 

 country!" 



Then the four brothers said, "We shall take away from you two 

 months, and you shall have only four months." Chief North Wind 

 did not reply. The four brothers continued, " If you do not agree 

 to this, we shall kill you right now." 



Therefore North Wind agreed to what they said. Therefore the 

 winter lasts four months, and the three chiefs have among them 

 eight months. 



Now, the four brothers and then- sister went to their own country; 

 and when they arrived at their father's house, the father was very 

 glad to see his daughter back again. Therefore he invited the neigh- 

 boring Winds with their children. He told them of the hard life that 

 his daughter had led when she lived in the house of North Wind. 

 He continued, "She was in such distress that I had to send my sons 

 to take her back, and my sons fought for many days with the people 

 of North Wind. At last my sons won the victory over them. The 

 reason why I sent my sons was to take away from North Wind two 

 months, and let him keep only four months." 



West Wind said, " Let each of us have three months! North Wind 

 shall have only three months in winter, South Wind shall have 

 three months in the fall, I will have three months in summer, and 

 East Wind shall have three months in spring." Then the three 

 chiefs agreed. Therefore the seasons have three months throughout 

 the year. The new law they made was better than the first. 



