eoas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 691 



people to move away. This happens. The slave puts him in a grave-box, which he 

 ties up firmly. Then, after the people have left, the slave eats all the best codfish, 

 and does not untie the box until after he has had enough Ts. 



Raven and his slave go to another village and see stores of fish oil in the chief's 

 house. Raven tells the slave that he will pretend to die. The story continues as 

 before. At night fish oil drips into his eye. All day long he rubs his eye, and in the 

 evening he dies. The slave sings mourning-songs, puts Raven into a box, asks 

 the people to tie it up, and hangs it from a rafter. The people are sent away under the 

 pretext that disease and misfortune will come, and the slave eats all the food. Raven 

 tries to get out of the box, finally breaks the rope, but there is only dry meat left for 

 him Tl 5. 



(d) Raven Kills His Slave 



(5 versions: Ts 73; N6 40; Tl 5.315; M6 297; Sk/ 135. See also Tla 9; T16 107) 



The story of Raven and his slave ends with the death of the latter. 

 They leave the house where the slave had eaten all the food and 

 Eaven remained hungry. 



They go out, and reach a canyon. Raven places the stem of a skunk-cabbage across. 

 When the slave is in the middle, the bridge breaks. Ete falls down, his belly bursts, 

 and Raven flies down and eats the contents of the stomach, taking the food with both 

 hands. Then he flies away Ts. 



The Nass River version is the same as the last, except that a stalk of wild celery 

 (hokv) is placed across the canyon. After Raven has eaten, the slave rises and says 

 to him that Raven is eating excrement X6. 



Raven travels with Butterfly. When they come to a fiord, Raven places a piece of 

 kelp across. Butterfly is afraid to follow. Finally, when he is in the middle of the 

 kelp stem, it turns, he is drowned, and the body drifts ashore. Raven eats the intes- 

 tines, and then buries him under stones. After that, he revives him, saying, "I 

 thought you were lost, and now you are asleep here " Tl 5. 



Raven meets his cousin Eagle, and they travel together. Eagle eats an abundance 

 of berries before Raven can get there (this is evidently a substitute for the visit to the 

 chief's house). Raven puts a sharp fishbone into moss and wishes it to enter Eagle's 

 foot. Eagle steps on it. Raven pretends to pull it out with his teeth, but pushes it 

 in. Finally he pulls out the fishbone. When they come to a chasm, he puts a 

 grass stalk across, which he covers with moss, and which he makes look like a fallen 

 tree. He carries Eagle across. When in the middle, he drops him down. Eagle's 

 belly bursts. Raven flies down and eats the contents of his stomach Sk/. 



They reach a canyon. Raven places a piece of kelp across. Butterfly is afraid that 

 it will turn. When Butterfly is in the middle, it turns, and Butterfly is drowned. 

 Then Raven sings, "In Raven's head toward my son! " meaning that he is mourning 

 him. Then he cuts Butterfly's belly and eats the contents M6. 



Somewhat different from this are two Tlingit versions which are 

 evidently related to the story how Raven killed the Deer (see p. 703). 



Raven calls various animals, and finally accepts the Deer. He travels with Mm. 

 They reach a canyon. He places a stalk of wild celery across and covers it with moss. 

 Raven goes across and asks Deer to follow. When Deer is in the middle, the bridge 

 breaks, and Deer's head is broken in the bottom of the canyon. Raven goes down 

 and says, "Shall I start at the root of his tail, at the eyes, or at the heart?" Then he 

 begins to eat at the anus, skinning the Deer. After this Raven pretends to be sad 

 and wails Tla. 



A second version is the same, except that the bridge is made of a rotten stick, and 

 the words of Raven are not given T16. 



