boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 749 



(a) The Girl who is not Allowed or Refuses to Marry 



(9 versions: Ts 161; Ts 177; Ts 192; Ts232; M500; M 554 ; M 625; Kai 254; 

 Kai 260) 



The introduction of most of the tales dealing with marriages of 

 girls to animals or supernatural beings begins with the statement 

 that the parents do not wish their daughters to marry. 



A chief lias a beautiful daughter. His sons are expert hunters. Therefore the 

 father is wealthy and proud. Chiefs want to marry his daughter, but the parents 

 refuse. The bed of the young woman is over their own room, and she is watched day 

 and night Ts 161. The parents of a young woman do not want her to marry, although 

 many princes woo for her Ts 177. A widow has a daughter. Many men want to marry 

 her, but she declines them all Ts 192. A great chief loves his beautiful daughter- 

 Many princes want to marry her, but he refuses them all. The girl is watched care- 

 fully Ts 232. The parents and uncles of a girl are unwilling to let her marry M 500. 

 People come from all the towns to marry a certain girl, but the father refuses them 

 M 554. The parents of a girl want a wise man to marry her and refuse all suitors 

 M 625. Chiefs come from long distances to marry a girl. They come in ten canoes 

 each time, but the father refuses to give her in marriage Kai 254, Sk 151. The parents 

 of a girl refuse to let her marry Kai 260. 



(b) The Offended Animal 



( 13 versions : Ts 161 ; Ts 278 ; Tl 38 ; Tl 53 ; Tl 130 ; Tl 175 ; Tl 237 ; Tl 239 ; Tl 247 ; 

 Tl 126 ; Tl 252 ; M 500 ; Sk 336) 



Iii a great many of the stories here referred to the girl goes out 

 and by some act or word offends an animal, who then comes to 

 marry her. 



The princess walks behind her father's house accompanied by her maid. She sees 

 a snail creeping along the street, kicks it out of the way, and says, "Wouldn't you 

 like to marry me?" Two nights after a youth appears to her at night. His skin is 

 as smooth as glass. He becomes the girl's accepted lover, and he takes her to hia 

 father's house Ts 161 (see Tl 175). 



It occurs in all the versions of the GunaxnesEmgVd stories and 

 in the story of Part Summer, which belongs to the same series. 



A princess and the girls go out picking berries. She steps on the dung of a bear 

 and says that it is nasty. Then the carrying-straps of her basket break. Two youths 

 appear and take her home Ts 278. This story will be found discussed in detail on 

 p. 835, where its distribution over the neighboring tribes is also given. 



Among the Tlingit this introduction appears with very great 

 frequency. 



A chief's daughter goes to the beach to cut halibut. She slips on the halibut slime 

 and scolds it. Then canoe-loads of people come to get her in marriage. She goes 

 with them. They are the Halibut people Tl 38. Back of a town is a lake full of 

 frogs, which sit on a swampy patch in the middle. The princess talks badly to the 

 frogs. At night a youth appears and wants to marry her. She accepts him, and he 

 takes her to his father's house in the lake Tl 53. A girl slips on the slime of a devilfish 

 and scolds it. At night a youth appears and wants to marry her. She goes with him, 



