696 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann.31 



(b) Birds Produce Food by Their Song 



(8 versions: Ts 91; N6 49; BC 5.245; BC 93; K 9.151; Chil 18; Quin 89; Lku'ngEn 

 ffill-Tout 7.348, Squ Hill-Tout 3.529. See also Ts 181; M589; K 10.298; K 11.148; 



Nu 5.103; Co 5.68, 82; Sts 5.34) 



As indicated before, the incident is not confined to the Bungling Host tale. 

 Fan her south it forms part of the story of Thunderbird's theft of a woman K 10.295; 

 K 11.148; Nu 5.103; Co 5.82; Sts 5.34 (see No. 436, p. 712). It occurs in connection 

 with the Test theme (see p. 806). A young man is sent to pick berries in winter. He 

 asks his grandfather, a water spirit, to whistle. When the spirit does so, bushes 

 sprout, bloom, and bear fruit Co 5.68 (also Squ 3.529) when birds whistle. In M 589 

 the incident appears as part of a shamanistic performance. A bird that is kept in 

 the innermost one of a set of five boxes sings. First skunk-cabbage grows; then sal- 

 monberries sprout and ripen. 



This type of story is developed most clearly in the area inhabited by the Tsimshian, 

 Bellacoola, and Kwakiutl tribes. It seems that it is generally the Thrush that pro- 

 duces berries in this way. In Ts the Thrush sings, "Mbju gum'ik giimik gumik 

 gumlkl" in N6, "Miyd,' miyd'l" in BC, "Aix''axone zone zone qad\" or in BC 5, 

 "Aixoaxa'nal" in K 9, "WaxwaxolidzEli'dzEli'dzEli'l" In the Chilcotin version it 

 is merely stated that the bird Yeenaxon fills a basket with berries by means of magic. 

 It seems likely, however, that this story is related to the Bellacoola story. In the 

 Quinault version the bird Kwet, a small warbler, sends his wife and daughters into 

 the woods to get salmonberries, and they fill six large baskets in a very short time. 

 In the LkufigEn version (Hill-Tout 7) the bird Cwot sings, and a blackberry bush 

 begins to sprout. This is followed by the story of Raven carrying a person all over 

 the world until finally he drops into the sea (see No. 185, p. 578). In Squ 3.529 

 Hummingbird, Bumblebee, and Wren fly about salmonberries produced by magic, 

 and ripen them. 



In our series the magical song of the robin breaks up the ice Ts 181. 



(c) Birds Produce Salmon, Egg* by Striking the Article 



(9 versions: Ts 91; N6 48; Skd 132; BC 93; Ne 5.177; K 9.153; K 11.150; Co 5.76; 

 Chil 18) 

 1 1 1 Ts Kingfisher strikes his ankle with a smooth stone, and salmon eggs pour out and 

 till a dish. In the Haida version Skrf Water Ousel drives a stick into his leg, and 

 salmon roe run out in a stream. In K 9 and K 11 Water Ousel places four boxes 

 belonging to Thrush on the floor of the house. He puts his leg over the box and 

 strikes his ankle with a long stone: salmon roe squirt out and fill the box. In the 

 Nass version N6 the bird is called Ts'Enk'oa'ts. He strikes his foot with a stone and 

 pulls out fish roe. Among the Bellacoola the bird Maxuatla'laqa holds his foot over a 

 box and cuts it with a stone knife : salmon eggs drop out and fill the box BC. Among 

 the Newettee it is stated that the bird G'ile'xwitsa cuts his ankle, and salmon roe drop 

 out Ne 5. In the Comox version the bird Ma'melaxuitsa invites the animals, cuts 

 his ankle, and salmon roe drop out, which fill the dishes. In the Chilcotin version 

 the bird Nu'silxa'tsi, a small black water fowl, taps his foot with a stone, and 

 salmon roe fall out and fill the dish. 



(d) An Animal Cuts Its Hands or Feet 



(23 versions: Tla6; [Tl 5.317]; Lil 305; Quin 87; Chin 180; Wish 145; Cherokee 273; 



Yuchi 153; Natchez 198; Hitchiti; Alabama 198; Micmac 302; Pawnee 245, 267; 



Apache [Russell] 265; [Takelma 51];— Sh 627; Sh 739; Lil 305; Crow; Ojibwa 



[Schoolcraft] 43-47; [Jones] 299; Hopi 209; Cora 202) 



This form does not belong to the North Pacific coast, where it occurs only among 

 the Tlingit. In Tla it is told that the Bear slits the backs of his hands, and that 



