boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 663 



being covered with bird's down. The Ghosts offer the clothing in which they were 

 buried, and finally give the fire-drill in exchange for the child Na6 5. 



In Fraser Delta (Sts 5) this tale is combined with another one. 

 As in Comox, fire is first obtained by one person, and is then taken 

 away from him. 



Beaver has obtained the fire and gives it to the Ghosts. Mink goes to the house of 

 the Ghosts. After a dance they want to bathe, and he goes to fetch water. lie upsets 

 one bucket after another, so that the fires are extinguished, cuts off the head of the 

 Ghost chief, and runs away. The Ghosts come to recover the head. Mink has ten 

 houses, and dances on the top of each in another kind of dress. The Ghosts offer 

 blankets, bows, and arrows in exchange for the head. When Mink's grandmother 

 refuses all these, Ghosts and trees weep. This is rain. Finally they exchange the 

 head for the fire-drill. 



In a Lillooet version Raven and his servants, — Worm, Flea, Louse, and Little Louse, — 

 after obtaining daylight, set out to get fire. The servants' canoes are swamped, and 

 they borrow Gull's canoe. After going downstream for four days, they come to the 

 people who own the fire. They deliberate who is to steal their child, and Worm tun- 

 nels to the cradle and takes it. The sea animals go in pursuit, but can not find them. 

 Only a small fish sticks to their paddles, but he, too, has to give up. The child's 

 mother produces rain by weeping. Finally they try four times to ransom the child. 

 The last time it is given up in exchange for fire Lil 301. 



The Kwakiutl have the tale of the theft of the Wolf's tail in a form 

 similar to those here discussed. The Wolf, however, is the owner of 

 the tides (see p. 657). 



Hill-Tout has recorded a similar legend, which accounts, however, 

 for the origin of rain. 



There is no rain because the owner of rain keeps his house closed. Raven goes out 

 with Flea, Louse, and Mouse, and all their relatives. Raven sends in his companions, 

 who creep through cracks in the boards. They keep the people awake, and in the 

 morning Raven goes in and carries away the daughter of Rain Owner. When the 

 latter awakes, he pursues them. Rain is falling, but his own canoe remains dry. 

 The child is returned in exchange for a regular rainfall Squ Hill-Tout 3.544. 



In Ne Dawson 22 it is said that the Transformer stole the fire. This is probably 

 an error. In Hai Dawson 1.151 B the origin of fire is confused with the origin of 

 daylight. 



(9) STONE AND ELDERBERRY BUSH (p. 62) 



(8 versions: Ts 62; Ts 5.278; Na 72; Tin" 18; T16 81; Tl 5.319; Kai 236; Ma 319. See 

 also Ri 5.214; Kai 238) 



Txa'msEm meets Stone and Elderberry Bush on Nass River. They are quarreling. 

 Stone says, "If I give birth first, people will live a long time; if you give birth first, 

 they will live a short time." Txa'msEm touches Elderberry Bush, who then gives 

 birth first. For tliis reason people die curly Ts, Ts 5, N [the nails on fingers and toes 

 show what our skin would have been if Stone had given birth first Ts 5. The Nass version 

 is not connected with the Raven legend.] 



Raven At Head Of Nass River tries to make men out of rocks and leaves. The 

 work on rocks is slow; on leaves, rapid. Therefore he makes man of leaves, and they 

 die quickly. If they had been made of rock, they would not die T16. 



Raven makes man out of leaves, therefore he dies like leaves and flowers in the fall. 

 Because he made a new generation in this way, he must have changed all the previous 

 people into stones Tier. 



