boas] TSIMSHIAN MVTHS 317 



53. The Prince and Prince Wolf 1 



In the time of our forefathers, animals would sometimes have a 

 woman or a man for wife or husband. 



There was a great prince, the son of a great chief, who had Ids 

 home in the old town of Metlakahtla, and three young men were 

 chosen to be his friends. He had a beautiful wife, whom he loved 

 very much. The prince was an expert hunter. Almost every day 

 throughout the year he went hunting with his three friends. Some- 

 times they would stay away a month and a half. Then he came 

 home, and would stay two or three days in the village. Then he 

 would go out again. He went all over the country and became rich. 

 His father and his mother were very old, and his name spread all 

 over the country, also all the animals knew the fame of his name. 

 He would always go about hunting, and his wife always wore new 

 garments of marten skin and sea-otter skin and skins of other ani- 

 mals. She had nothing to do or to eat ( ?) at home, but she wore nice 

 clothing, and many princes were well pleased to see her, but she 

 loved her husband most. All the princes tried in every way to seduce 

 her; but they could not do so, for she was very proud and would not 

 talk to any one. She always told her husband what the other princes 

 said to her. She showed her husband a new garment that her 

 mother-in-law had made for her. The prince loved her very much. 

 Therefore she told him all she had in her heart. 



The young prince went out again, and he told his beloved wife 

 how many days he would be away from home. Then he went. 

 As soon as he had gone, his wife took a walk with her girls around 

 the lake behind the village to refresh herself; and while she was 

 there with her maid, she said to her, "Go and pick cranberries for 

 me! I will wait for you here." She had done so many times before. 



As soon as her maid had gone, a good-looking young man came to 

 her, and she smiled when she saw him. Then the young man smiled 

 at her also. He came to the place where she was sitting. Now the 

 princess was very much in love with him. Then the young man asked 

 her, "May I sit by your side?" — "Yes, do sit down near me!" She 

 pointed to the place by her side, and the young man went up to her. 

 Then she embraced him, and the young man kissed her; and while 

 they were there, the girl came back, her basket filled with cranberries. 

 She saw her mistress embrace the good-looking young man, and said 

 to her, "Here are the cranberries!" The princess replied, "Just put 

 them down there and go and get some more !" The maid went away ; 

 and while she. was gone, she lay with the young man. After a while 

 the maid came back to her, and said, " I have filled this basket twice. 

 Let us go back before dark, lest some misfortune befall us!" 



pp 759, 858. 



