182 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann. 31 



As soon as they reached there, the Robin chief invited the strangers 

 who came to the town with his young daughter, and the chief was 

 much pleased to see her come; and when all the young men were 

 seated on one side of Ms large house, the chief first gave them cooked 

 fresh spring salmon to eat, and then fresh salmonberries and all 

 other kinds of fresh berries. 



After the meal the princess called the young men who came with 

 her from her husband's town, and led them to one side of her father's 

 house. There she opened the door of a large room and showed them 

 snow and ice, which filled the inside of the large room. Then she 

 took them to the other side of the house, opened the door of a large 

 room, went in, and all her companions followed her. There she 

 showed them a large hill full of salmonberry bushes and all kinds of 

 berries around that beautiful hill. There were all kinds of wild 

 flowers budding on the green grass, and all kinds of birds were 

 singing on the flowers. The hummingbirds went in rapid flight 

 among the flowers. Then the princess took them to the rear of the 

 house and showed them a large beautiful river. The river was full 

 of all kinds of salmon. So the people said that the house of Chief 

 Robin had winter on one side, and summer on the other. 



On the following day the chief invited all his people into his large 

 house. After the feast he began to speak, and said to his people, 

 "My dear people, you all know that my daughter has come up to me 

 from her husband's, for their provisions are gone, for they used them 

 in the winter. Therefore my beloved daughter took her husband's 

 people to come with her for food. Therefore I want you, my great 

 tribe, to bring her fresh spring salmon, fresh ripe berries — salmon- 

 berries, blueberries, and all other kinds of berries — also mountain- 

 goat meat and fat and the soft fat of grizzly bears." 



On the following morning the birds were ready before day-dawn. 

 Very early in the morning Chief Robin stood on the roof of his large 

 house and began to sing to call his people. Then they all flew out to 

 gather food; and before noon they came home one by one, bringing 

 meat and fat of mountain goats, grizzly-bear meat and fat, salmon- 

 berries and blueberries, and all kinds of food. At dusk all the Robins 

 had come back into the house of their chief. 



Then the chief said to his tribe that he would send his daughter 

 back to her husband the following morning, with all the provisions 

 that had been brought to his house. When the morning came, he 

 stood on the top of his house to call the people, and sang as robins 

 sing. So his people assembled, loaded the two canoes with all kinds 

 of food, so that the two canoes were full of all kinds of provisions. 

 Then the two canoes started down the river. The young princess was 

 in the first canoe, and she did as before. .She was standing in the bow, 

 and sang her song, and the ice of the river melted away before them. 



