168 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 



kind of food that they offer you you may eat, for it is fit for you." 

 She did as the Mouse Woman had told her. 



She staid there quite a long while. 1 After a whilo the young 

 woman was with child; and before the time had come to give birth 

 to the child, the Mouse Woman came to her again, and said to her, 

 "When you feel that you are about to give birth to the child, tell 

 your mother-in-law!" and when the young woman felt that the time 

 had come, she told her mother-in-law. Then her mother-in-law said, 

 "Cast this woman out! Turn her out!" She put both her hands in 

 front of her eyes, and the princess's husband threw her out of the 

 house. 



The young woman crept to the foot of a tree on the island; and 

 while she was sitting there, a little Otter was born. After a while the 

 Mouse Woman came to her, and said, "I shall bring you a fire." She 

 went and brought her a fire. Then the woman started a fire. She 

 gathered bark that had fallen from a tree. After three days had 

 passed she felt better. She took the little Otter and threw him into the 

 water. Then the little Otter swam ashore and crept to his mother. 

 She took him again and threw him into the water, and the little Otter 

 swam ashore again. She took him once more and threw him into the 

 water. Again he swam ashore. Then she took compassion on the 

 little Otter. She took him back and wrapped him in part of her 

 marten garment, and she cried bitterly. 



She staid there a while; and when she felt better, she gathered 

 firewood. When the little Otter had grown up, he came one day to 

 his mother, and asked, "Shall I bring you something to eat?" The 

 mother agreed, and so the following morning the Otter went out. He 

 brought two little bullheads to her. She cried again, and said to 

 her Otter child, " When you bring me things to eat, bring me some 

 crabs." 



Early the following morning the little Otter went out again to get 

 food, caught a large crab, and gave it to his mother. She cooked it 

 on the fire and ate it. Every morning the little Otter went for his 

 mother to get food, and brought all kinds of fish — halibut, devilfish, 

 red cod, and other kinds. , 



One morning the Mouse Woman came to her and pointed out to 

 her that way off on the other side of the island her father's tribe was 

 not far away from her. The Mouse Woman continued, "You must 

 kill all these people who cast you out of the house. Close the three 

 holes on the sides of the great otter den, and leave the main hole 

 open; and after you have closed the three holes, take as many yellow- 

 cedar leaves as you can find, bullrushes, and fragrant leaves, put 

 them in front of the main entrance, and burn them, so that the 



i Original: Da nAgA lu-t!a'dEt a ts!Em-gwI'<>t. Ada txanll g-amk n-sE-nlai'duksa han&'gat, txanll 

 lu-walt ligi-walt ksE'resdEt a g-i!I'°lgEt a walb. Ada sEm-n-liba'sEt a gwai n-sE-ulai'duksa nana 'gat. 



