140 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eih.ann.31 



night he went home; but his wife was still in the water, and staid 

 there all through the night. The man did not sleep. He heard his 

 wife striking the water with her apron whenever she turned. 



Early the next morning he arose and went down to look after his 

 wife. Then he saw a lake below the camp, and his wife swimming 

 about in it. Therefore the man stood on the shore of the lake and 

 cried, "Come home, my dear wife! You know I love you better 

 than any one. Come home, now! Do come home!" She replied, 

 ' ' No, you love the raccoons better than me. I shall never come back 

 to you. " She still worked at her dam, and she would strike the water 

 with her small leather apron whenever she dived. 1 



Then the man was very sorry. He kept on watching for several 

 days, and would call his wife to come ashore; but she would only 

 reply, ''I am very much ashamed on account of what you said to 

 me. Go home, and tell my brothers that I am not dead. I am 

 going to live in this lake all by myself. " 



Therefore the man went down to his village. When he reached 

 home, he went to his wife's brothers and told them what had become 

 of his wife. Then these six brothers went with their sister's husband 

 to the hunting-ground. When they reached there, behold! there 

 was a large lake between the two mountains, and a beaver's house in 

 the center. The six brothers stood on the shore of the lake, full of 

 sorrow, together with their brother-in-law. 



Then the eldest one said, "My only sister, we have come to ( ake you 

 down to our home. " Then she came swimming and stopped in front 

 of them, and said, "No, I will not come. Leave me alone! I am 

 well off here. My husband is not angry with me, but I am ashamed 

 of myself. No, I will never go down with you, but look well after 

 my poor husband ! Don't hurt him ! I intend to stay here by myself. 

 Any time you want to come, visit me." After she had said these 

 words she dived. Then the six brothers lilted their voices and wept. 

 She emerged on the other side of the large lake. 



Then the brothers went home full of sorrow. After two months 

 had passed, they went up to the valley again; and when they reached 

 there, there was a very large lake between the two mountains. It 

 covered the whole valley; and they saw their sister diving, and they 

 saw also three large round objects floating in the middle of the large 

 lake, with three young beavers on them. 



The woman had been very good-looking. Her hair was reddish. 

 The brothers were standing on the shore weeping, and their sister 

 came toward them. Then the eldest brother said again, "Will you 



i In olden times men as well as women used to wear a small piece of leather as an apron. They used 

 soft leather of a good quality, as wide as the palm of the hand. They used to fasten both ends in the belt 

 In front and behind, and the body was bare. They wore only loose garments. The men had no coats, 

 nor shirts, nor trousers, nor suits of clothing. The women also had no petticoats, as they have now. 

 Thus it was with this woman.— Henry W. Tate. 



