boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 705 



Raven says to a Stump, "Wouldn't you like my fat meat?" When he goes for 

 skunk-cabbage leaves, which he means to use for dishes, the Stump sits on the hole. 

 When Raven returns, he asks him to sit farther away; but the Stump does not move 

 until he has eaten all the meat Ts. He makes a fire and talks to the tree under which 

 he is sitting. While the Deer is roasting, he falls asleep. The tree sits on the Deer, 

 and its branches take hold of the meat H 5 (see also p. 675 under [6]). 



(36) RAVEN STEALS SALMON EGGS 



(3 versions: M6 306; Mc 332; Ska 126) 



The people put a box of salmon eggs into the canoe. Raven pretends to be sick 

 and is placed under a mat in the canoe. The people are asked to put the salmon 

 eggs near him. After a while his mother smells the salmon eggs, and he answers her 

 question, saying that it is a scab on his thigh that causes the smell. He eats all the 

 salmon eggs M6. 



In another Masset version his leg is injured. His sister launches her canoe and 

 he crawls aboard. He asks his sister to put the salmon roe on his leg and to cover 

 him. After a while the bilge-water becomes milky, and his sister smells the eggs. 

 He pretends that it is matter from the wound; but when they land, it is found that 

 he has eaten all the salmon roe. His sister puts the empty box on his head Mc. 



In the Skidegate version it is said that he pretends to be sick, lies down in the 

 canoe by the side of the salmon roe; and when his sister smells it, he says that it is 

 a scab which he has pulled off. He eats all the salmon roe. and throws his sister 

 Siwa's's empty box ashore Skn. 



(37) RAVEN STEALS HIS SISTERS' BERRIES 



(7 versions: BC 5.243; Ri 5.210; Ri MS; Ne 5.177; Nu 5.107; Co 5.76; Lil 317) 



Raven goes berrying with his sisters. When the canoe has been filled, they go 

 ashore to boil the berries. After they are done, they put them into boxes. They go 

 on. . He goes ashore and asks his excrements to call like warriors. Their call fright- 

 ens his sisters, and he requests them to hide in the woods. Meanwhile he eats all 

 the berries. When they come back, they find the boxes empty and Raven lying on 

 his back in the canoe. He claims that the enemy beat him and ate the berries. 

 They see that his tongue is black and beat him BC 5. 



The same story is told in Rivers Inlet. K!wek!waxa'we £ gathers berries in order to 

 present them to the chief of the He'ista-itx. He smears his body with the red juice 

 of the berries in order to make his sisters believe that he has been wounded Ri 5. 

 In another Rivers Inlet version it is said that he goes out with his sisters Crow Woman, 

 Sawbill-Durk Woman, Toad Woman, and Snail Woman [Bluejay and Snail Co 5], to 

 take salal-berries to his brother-in-law. Snail Woman hides near the beach and 

 sees that he is eating all the berries. The boxes may be seen to this day Ri MS. 

 The Comox version is identical with this tale. 



Four sisters — the bird Xwitx', Bluejay, Crow, and Snail — want to take berries to 

 the daughter of the first named, who lives near the sea. Raven accompanies them. 

 Then follows the same story. Snail hides near by. When they come back, they find 

 Raven lying in the bottom of the canoe. He insists that they must go back in order 

 to escape their enemies. When they reach home, they find that Raven is simply 

 covered with berry juice Lil. Evidently this story is partly misunderstood and 

 identical with the Rivers Inlet story. 



The same story is also told in Newettee (Ne 5). After he has been beaten by his 

 sister, he flies into the woods and cleans head and tongue with sand. Then he 

 claims that his sisters have been mistaken. However, they find a few seeds in his 

 teeth, and they beat him again. 

 50633°— 31 eth— 16 45 



