126 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [BTH. ANN. 31 



Then she took out from her bosom the piece of grindstone, and it 

 also became a baby boy, which she wrapped in a sea-otter garment; 

 and she took out the little branch of the crabapple tree, and it, too, 

 became a baby boy. She took out the little feather, and it be- 

 came a baby boy. She took out the little piece of shell, and it 

 became a little girl. Then she gave names to the. children. The first 

 one, which originated from the mucus of her nose, she called Nalq 

 (Mucus). This was the name of the eldest one. The second one she 

 named Little Grindstone; the third one, Little Crabapple Tree; the 

 fourth one, Little Feather; and the fifth one, Knife Hand. 



The children grew up; and when they became larger, they began 

 to play in the open ah, like the former people. Then they saw large 

 pdes of bones on the level ground; and when they came home, they 

 asked their mother what they were. She told them what had hap- 

 pened to the people — how they had played every night until the 

 chief in heaven became displeased at their noise, and how the chief 

 in heaven let a beautiful plume come down; that a tall young man 

 took hold of it and put it on his head; and that it wafted all the 

 former people up into the sky, young men, old men, women, and chil- 

 dren. She continued, "And I am left alone. Therefore I tell you, 

 beloved children, do not play always in the open, lest the Lord of 

 Heaven waft you up, too." 



The young people did not heed their mother's warning, and the 

 next morning they played again in the open, as their fathers had 

 done in the days of old. They made much noise. Then the plume 

 descended again from heaven. They stood still, gazing at the beauti- 

 ful plume which was coming down ; and as they looked up with amaze- 

 ment, the youngest brother, Little Feather, took hold of the beautiful 

 plume, which wafted him up. When his elder brother, Mucus, saw 

 Little Feather hfted from his feet, he took hold of him by the heels, 

 and his hands stuck to him. The feather could hardly drag Mucus 

 up, but at last his feet were lifted from the ground. Then the second 

 brother, Little Grindstone, took hold of his brother's feet, and he 

 became a large rock on-the ground. It was hard to pull him up, but 

 at last his feet were lifted from the ground. Then the third brother 

 took hold of his feet, and he became a large crabapple tree, whose 

 roots were stretched out underground; and it was hard to drag him 

 up, but finally the roots broke in the ground. 



Then the girl, Knife Hand, sharpened her hand; and as soon as 

 Crabapple Tree's roots were lifted from the ground, Knife Hand 

 climbed up her brothers' heads until she reached the head of her 

 youngest brother, who had first taken hold of the beautiful plume; 

 and she cut the air above the plume with her sharp hand, and the 

 brothers dropped down and were hke dead. 



