312 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [hth. ann. 31 



'Why do you ask me ? I have done my best to meet a good-looking 

 wife." The prince said, "That is not my desire. Go out, and take 

 the grizzly-bear skin on which you are sitting." The old man went, 

 taking his grizzly-bear skin along. Then another one was invited ; 

 and after this old man had eaten his meal, the prince went to him, 

 and said, "What has been your employment ever since you were 

 young! 1 " The old man replied, and said, "Oh, why do you ask me? 

 I have been married to many beautiful girls whom I have loved." 



The prince said, "Stop! That is not my desire. Go out, and take 

 the grizzly-bear skin on wliich you are sitting." 



Long, ago there were twelve tribes among the Tsimsliian, and only 

 nine remain. In each of these tribes there was one old man. Finally 

 one very old man of the tribe of G'it-la'n, named Wiludal, who was 

 blind of old age, was invited by the prince. When he came in, they 

 led him to the grizzly-bear skin that was spread on one side of the 

 prince's house, and they gave him as good food as they had given the 

 others. After the meal the prince went to where he was sitting, 

 and questioned him. "What has been your employment ever since 

 you were young?" Then the old man said, "Bring me a bow and 

 arrow. Gird my loins, and place the two large empty boxes yonder, 

 that I may leap over them; then aim my arrow at a knot-hole." 

 After he had said so, they led him to the door. "Now shout!" 

 said he. The people in the house shouted, and the old warrior 

 leaped about. He did not turn his face after he had shot, but ran 

 forward and leaped backward over the big boxes that had been 

 placed there, to the same place from winch he had started. He shot 

 right through the knot-hole. Then he said, " Yalala! I shoot right 

 through the eye." Now the prince was glad to receive good instruc- 

 tions, and he rewarded the old man amply. He called him in day 

 after day until he knew how to hold his weapons. 



Now the young prince became rich. He invited all the chiefs of 

 the tribes to Ids house, and gave away much property to his guests. 

 Then he took his mother's eldest uncle's name, and his name was 

 now Asagulyaan. All the chiefs received his gifts gladly. Asagul- 

 yaan was the name of the man who accompanied the young prince's 

 rather when they first built the weir between the towns, and who 

 was killed by the prince's father. Therefore the chief who had killed 

 the young man's relatives was ashamed, because his son loved his 

 own relatives better than him. 



Therefore the chief tried in every way to entrap his own son, 

 intending to kill him; but his son knew his father's heart, because 

 the supernatural being told him what his father's thoughts were. 



Another time the young prince sent messengers to all the tribes, 

 inviting all the chief's princes, chief tainesses, and princesses; and 

 when all the head men of all the tribes were in his house, he said to 



