boas] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 179 



24. The Chief who Married the Robin and the Sawbill Duck ' 



In olden times, long ago, the people of this coast used to marry 

 animals, birds, frogs, snails, mice, and so on. So it happened with 

 one great chief. His village was at the northwest side of Xlen 

 Island, and Ids tribe consisted of many people. He had no wife. 

 His people assembled several times, and tried to find a woman to be 

 his wife. Then the chief said to them, " If you bring me a woman of 

 the Robin tribe, I will marry her; and if you will bring me a woman 

 of the Sawbill Ducks, I will marry her." 



Then the people of his tribe had a great meeting to talk over these 

 matters. Some of his wise men took counsel, and chose hunters to 

 search for the two women whom the chief wanted to marry. There- 

 fore the hunters fasted; and after their fasting, some went up the 

 mountains, and others went out to sea. 



Those who went up the mountains reached a large plain, where 

 they saw a large village, and they went toward it. When they came 

 near, they saw young people walking up and down on the street. 

 They seemed very happy, and they were good to look at. They were 

 young men and young women. When they saw the hunters coming 

 to their village, some young men ran in and told the people and also 

 their chief, who invited the strangers into his house. They spread mats 

 at the side of the. chief's large fire, and immediately they sat down. 



Then some one touched the side of one of the hunters. It was the 

 Mouse Woman. She said, "Do you know whose village this is?" 

 He said, "No." Then the Mouse Woman said, "This is the village 

 of Robin, and this is the house of their chief. He has a beautiful 

 daughter, whom her father will let you have to be your chief's wife 

 if you promise him to take good care of her." After Mouse Woman 

 had spoken, she went away. 



Now, the chief said to his attendants, "Get ready for these men 

 who have come to visit us. Prepare good food for them." Then 

 his men roasted a good dried spring salmon, put it into a dish, and 

 placed it before the hunters, who ate of it. After that they gave 

 them fat meat of mountain goats and all lands of fresh berries. 

 Late in the evening, after they had eaten, the head men of the 

 hunters said to the chief, "You are a great chief, and we are glad to 

 see the riches in your great house. We have come from very far 

 to visit you ; for we have heard of the fame of your wealth, which we 

 see now, and part of winch we have tasted. Our poor chief has sent 

 us to you, for he wants to have your daughter to marry her. We 

 will honor her, and she shall be the greatest chieftainess in our 

 village and among all the Tshnshian tribes. We shall do all we can 

 for her." 



i This story resembles in style the Kwakiutl stories (see p. IOC).— Notes, p. 759.— F. B. 



