750 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 



and he proves to be the Devilfish Tl 130. A princess steps on a snail, and expresses 

 her disgust. At night a youth appears and she goes off with him Tl 175. The daughter 

 of a Chilkat chief of the GanAxte'di family steps on something slimy, and scolds, 

 saying that people throw out their slops. She had stepped on the skin of a fish called 

 l!al!. At night a youth appears. She marries him, and he stays in her father's 

 house. He shows them how to haul wood over the frozen ground Tl 237. A princess 

 sits close by the fire. A spark falls on her clothing, and she says something bad to 

 the fire, pointing at it with her fingers. She disappears, and finally a powerful shaman 

 discovers that the fire of the house has taken her Tl 239. A princess of the Cohoes 

 people (Llu'kAnA-ca) trips over a skull, scolds, and kicks the skull aside. At night 

 she dreams that two boys come to her. They had been chiefs' sons, and she had 

 kicked the skull of the elder one. She married him. On the following morning 

 she tells her parents, and the young men come down with her to the fire. Her hus- 

 band appears to the other people as a skull Tl 247. 



The remaining Tlingit stories belong to the GunaxnesEmg-a'd 

 series, and tell of the girl who steps in bear's dung and is taken away 

 by the bears Tl 126, Tl 252. Among the various branches of the Haida 

 this incident occurs only in the stories of the GunaxnesEmg'a'd series 

 M 500, Sk 336. In this form the incident extends as far southward 

 as Rivers Inlet (see p. 836). 



(c) Helpful Animals 

 (5 versions: Tsl58; Tsl72; Ts 192 ; Ts 1.73; Ts 1.199) 

 In another group of tales of this class the supernatural beings 

 appear to the daughters of poor deserted people and marry them 

 in order to aid them. 



During a famine a widow lives with her daughter on a brook, where she tries to 

 catch salmon. While the mother is away, a tall youth appears to the daughter, who 

 offers to marry her. He does not show himself at once to the mother, but one night 

 she sees him come in. The youth then teaches the woman to make nets and proves 

 to be the Spider. After a while the Spider youth takes the woman to his parents 

 Ts 158. 



On the journey to Nass River a widow is encamped with her daughter. At mid- 

 night a youth appears and marries her. She feels that his body stings like nettles. 

 Every morning he leaves a partridge at the door and also a sufficient amount of fuel 

 Ts 172. 



A widow lives with her daughter. She tells her to feel of the palms of her suitors, 

 and to accept only one who has rough palms. One night a youth appears, whom 

 she accepts. He proves to be a Red Bear, who provides for them, leaving an animal 

 on the beach every day Ts 192. 



The same incident occurs in the story of Asdi-wa'l, where a super- 

 natural being appears to the starving women and feeds them (see 

 p. 792). The incident is also related to theGau'o story, in which' a 

 poor woman calls the animals to marry her daughter in order to 

 help them (see p. 849). 



