194 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



and of pitch wood. Some went into the woods, and some to the 

 river, searching for the prince, but they could not find him. The 

 prince looked back and saw the lights of their torches, still the 

 searchers did not see him. 



After midnight the searchers went back to their own houses and 

 waited until morning came. The prince, however, went on, and came 

 ashore below the village; and he sat there resting himself, for he 

 was weary. Soon he thought that he. heard the noise of a canoe 

 poling up the river a little below the place where he was. He 

 remained sitting there silently; and as soon as the canoe came up to 

 him, it crossed the river and came toward him. It came to the 

 place in front of him. In it were seated four men. They went up 

 to him and called him to come to his father. 



Then the prince went down. They took him aboard the nice new 

 canoe; and the men in the canoe said to the prince, "Now lie down 

 and have a good rest and sleep." The prince did as they told him, 

 and the men paddled away to their home out at sea. When they 

 reached the village, the young prince awoke from his sleep. He saw 

 a large village. The houses were all carved with figures of spring 

 salmon, and in the middle of all the houses was a very large carved 

 house in which the chief lived. The canoe landed in front of this 

 house. 



Then the men said to the prince, "Come up with us to our great 

 chief's house! He invites you in." So they went up; and as soon 

 as they got in, the prince saw the great chief lying in the rear of his 

 large house. He was sick with palsy. For two years he had had 

 that dreadful disease. The sick chief ordered his attendants to 

 spread mats at one side of the large fire. They did so. Then the 

 prince went and seated himself on the mats which had been spread 

 for him by the chief's attendants. As soon as he was seated on a 

 mat, behold! an old woman came to his side, who touched him, and 

 said, "My dear prince!" Then she questioned him. "Do you 

 know who brought you here?" The prince replied, "No." — "The 

 Spring Salmon have brought you here, for their chief has been sick 

 with palsy for over two years, because your mother has kept him in 

 her little box for two years. When you unfolded the salmon the 

 other day, the chief got a little better because you did so." 



Before the Mouse Woman informed the prince, she had asked him 

 if he had no ear-ornaments of wool. The prince gave her both of his 

 woolen ear-ornaments, which he took and threw into the fire; and 

 she took the ear-ornaments while they were burning and ate them. 



She said, furthermore, "Some time when you are very hungry, 

 take a club and club one of the children who are playing on the 

 sand-hill behind the houses. Make a fire and roast it. Then eat it- 



