128 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 



the house. She was very kind to the. young people, and gave them 

 to eat. She said, "Stay here awhile and refresh yourselves from 

 your long journey!" While they were eating, the woman asked 

 them, "Did you meet my granddaughter on your way here? She 

 went out to get chips for a fire." The four brothers replied that 

 they had not met her; that they had seen only a raccoon on their 

 way, which they had killed. 



Then the wrath of the old woman was great. She said, "Oh, oh, 

 oh! Let every hole close up ! Let the door close up! Let the smoke 

 hole close up!" And all the openings of the house began to close up, 

 and the heat began to increase, and the four brothers felt the heat 

 like that of an oven. However, before the smoke hole had closed, 

 the youngest brother, in the form of bird's down, ascended with the 

 smoke through the smoke hole ; and when he was outside, he ran 

 quickly toward the raccoon which he had killed. He found the place 

 where it was, wafted his beautiful plume over the body of the raccoon, 

 and it came to life again. Then he helped the Raccoon to gather 

 wood. 



The three others, however, were dying of the heat in the house. 

 Little Feather returned quickly with the Raccoon; and as soon as 

 they reached the door, the Raccoon called her grandmother, and 

 said, "Grandmother, open the door for me and let me in!" As soon 

 as the old woman heard her granddaughter's voice, she said, "Let 

 the door open, and let all the holes open! Let the smoke hole open! '' 

 And they all came out of the house safely. 



They continued their journey, and went on farther until they came 

 to a large lake. Behold ! there was beautiful green grass, and a variety 

 of sweet-smelling flowers were around the lake. They went around 

 the lake, and, behold! they saw a hut before them at one end of the. 

 lake with the beautiful sweet-scented breeze. When they came near 

 the hut, a kindly old woman came forth to meet them. "Come in," 

 she said, " and refresh yourselves in my house, for you have made a 

 long journey. Take a rest for a while." The men all went in, and 

 the old woman was very kind to them. She gave them good clean 

 food, and they ate. Before, nightfall she showed them the place 

 where to lie down in her hut, and she let them have her good warm 

 blankets. She also told them that no danger would come near them 

 as long as they were in the house. Before they went to bed, she gave 

 them food again, so that they should take a good comfortable rest 

 and sleep well. Soon after they had their meal, they were ready to 

 sleep, and they immediately went to bed. 



The eldest brother, Nalq, whispered to his brothers, "Brothers, 

 don't take too much sleep tonight, lest misfortune befall us and we 

 all perish. Let some of us sleep, and others keep watch during the 



