boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 729 



winter trill be enough, because else the animals will die. I^to^m 1 (Spider) gets-angry 

 and kills Frog, who stretches out seven of his toes. They finally agree, Assiniboin. 

 In another version, after the summer has been stolen from the beings who own it, 

 I^kto^m 1 and the animals meet in council. Frog holds a pipe, and says, "There shall 

 be six months of winter and six months of summer. " I^to^m 1 clubs him, saying, 

 "That is too short a time. " Frog stretches out his hands, and ^kto^m' takes pity 

 on him. Then he sends Frost far north, and tells him that it may he cold weather for a 

 few days, but not too cold. He tells the animals to dive into a hole containing fat and 

 to keep warm in winter, Assiniboin. 



There are also two Tlingit passages and one Skidegate incident, of the Raven legend 

 which are related to our tale (No. 17, p. 568). The Skidegate incident has evidently 

 a very close connection with the Tsimshian tale. 



Raven calls the Dog, and says, "Shall I make (or ordain) four moons?" The Dog 

 wants six. Raven asks, ' ' What will you do when it is spring? " Dog replies, ' ' When 

 I am hungry, I move my feet in front of my face. " Then Raven makes each season 

 last six months Sk. 



Raven makes the Dog, who is first a human being, and does everything Raven 

 wants done, but he is too quick. Therefore Raven pushes him down, saying, "You 

 are nothing but a dog. You shall have four legs. " It is rather doubtful whether 

 this tale belongs to our group Tla. 



Raven goes to Ground Hog's house for the winter. He stays with them, and finally 

 becomes tired. Raven shouts, "Winter is coming! " thinking that the Ground Hog 

 has power to make the winter pass rapidly. The ground hog had to stay in the hole 

 for six months, and had six toes. Raven pulls out one, therefore the groundhog has 

 only fire toes nowadays T16. In another Tlingit tale Raven causes the ground hogs 

 to throw out their provisions by making them believe that spring has come Tl 15. 



Here belongs also the Hare Indian story, according to which the Frog ordains that 

 there shall be three months warm weather and three months cold weather 7.299. 



9. Am'ala' (p. 116) 



(a) Am'ala' Acquires Supernatural Strength, 



(8 versions: Ts 116; N 116; Sk 190; [Sk 8.12]; M 365; Kai 250; Tla 145; T16 289; Tl 194) 



This tale appears in a great many different combinations. 



A chief sends his four nephews to get fuel. In winter, when it is cold, he orders 

 them to bathe in order to prepare against the chiefs and warriors of other tribes. He 

 whips them with bundles of twigs. The youngest one does not go, but lies in the 

 corner of the house. They believe that he never bathes. He rises late in the morning, 

 and it is seen that steam arises from the ground where he lies. The chief tells the 

 young men to try to pull out the branch of a tree. Although they are strong, they are 

 unable to do so. The youngest lies down in the ashes during the day, but at night 

 he always stays in the cold water. When the brothers are unable to twist out the 

 branch, he says that he will do it. He i3 laughed at by his brothers, goes to a brook, 

 and meets a shining youth, who tells him to gather the leaves of a supernatural tree. 

 Winn the boy can not find it, the youth himself goes. He washes the boy in a pond 

 four times and makes him very clean and strong. Then he tells him to dive, and now the 

 boy is able to pull out a young spruce tree with its roots. This is repeated four times, 

 until the boy is able to pull out a large spruce tree. Before re-entering the house the 

 boy tears out the branch. When the chief thinks his nephews are strong enough, he 

 invites the chiefs of the other tribes. He sends his nephews for firewood. The three 

 elder ones bring young rotten cedar trees, while the youngest brings a whole spruce 

 tree with its roots. The warriors fight against the brothers and vanquish them. When 

 the turn of the youngest comes, he breaks the heads of his rivals like eggshells. His 

 uncle has to pay dearly for the losses of the other tribes, and the young man is left 

 alone Ts 116. 



