784 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [BTH. ANN. 31 



32. The Prince Who Was Deserted (p. 2251 

 (20 versions: see p. 785') 



This story consists of three parts: I. The story of the boy who, in- 

 stead of catching salmon, feeds the eagles, is refused food in winter, 

 and is finally deserted. II. The grateful eagles provide food for the 

 boy. III. The boy sends a gull with food to a person who pitied him 

 when he was deserted by the tribe. IV. The people send to ascer- 

 tain the fate of a deserted boy. The messengers find that lie is rich, 

 and are given food. One of them hides some of the food and gives 

 it to his or her child, who is starving. The child chokes, the chief- 

 tainess pulls out the morsel of fat, and thus it is found out that 

 the deserted boy has become rich. V. The people return and seek 

 the good will of the deserted boy. 



Tales of this type are very numerous, and appear in many different 

 combinations. I will designate the variants by numbers. 



I. A child gives offense and is deserted. 



(1) A boy, instead of catching salmon, feeds eagles. 



(2) He eats food sent home from a feast. 



(3) He is lazy. 



(4) A girl steals sea eggs. 



(5) A boy is greedy and begs for food. 



(6) A boy eats while training for supernatural power. 



(7) A girl marries a dog. 



(8) A girl has a child from an unknown father. 



(9) No details. 



II. Animals or supernatural beings help the deserted boy. 



(1) Eagles whom the boy has fed feed him. 



(2) He finds food at the foot of a cedar. 



(3) He mends a heron's bill, and the heron helps him. 



(4) The girl catches a sea-spirit in her fish basket. 



(5) The Dog children help their mother. 



(6) A boy receives help in a vision. 



(7) The Sun helps the children. 



(8) The father of the deserted girl's child helps her. 



III. A bird carries food to the deserted child's relatives. 



IV. The discovery of the good fortune of the deserted child. 



(1) A slave's chdd that is fed secretly, chokes, and in this 



way the wealth of the deserted child is discovered. 



(2) An old person who has visited the deserted boy is dis- 



covered eating secretly the food given to him. 



V. The return of the people. 



(1) The people dress up their daughters, wishing the boy to 

 marry them. Some of these are so hungry that they 

 dip up the grease from the water and are rejected. 



I have not discussed all the laics <>i this type, because very ollen the motive is used as an introduc- 

 n (as in N 137, Sk 227, Sk 2SS, Sk 26, Wish 139, 2tiUj , and the stories themselves are exceedingly 



rinl in ihamcter. 



varied in character 



