788 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 



A Bird Carries Food to the Child's Relatives 



(11 versions: Tsa 229; Ts 5.302; N 179; Sk 182; Ne 5.180; Ne 9.259; K 5.133; Nu 

 5.115; Cow 5.52; Sts 5.20; Squ Hill-Tout 3.534) 



The next incident of our Tsimshian story has a wide distribution 

 on the North Pacific coast. It appears in a number of different 

 tales, all of which refer to the fate of a deserted child. 



After numerous adventures the prince shoots a small gull, puts on its skin, and 

 flies to Nass River, where the people are fishing. He takes away a single olachen 

 that is in the canoe of one of his father's slaves. When he is Hying away, they recog- 

 nize his anklet Sk 182. The prince calls a gull, borrows its skin, puts it on, and flies 

 with the seal meat to Nass River. He flies over his father's canoe, drops some seal 

 meat in the stern of the canoe, where a slave-woman is sitting. She puts it into her 

 glove, and sees the gull going down the river Ts 229. He catches a gull, takes its skin, 

 puts it on, and flies to the place where his uncle's tribe are fishing. He looks for 

 the youngest uncle. The people say it looks as though the gull wanted to alight. 

 He catches a fish and drops it in his uncle's canoe. When he flies away, one person 

 sees his feet and remarks that the gull has human feet Ts 5.302. He shoots a gull, puts 

 on its skin, takes a piece of seal meat and drops it into one of the canoes. The hunters 

 remark that it is strange that the gull should drop meat N 179. Ha'daga, the deserted 

 daughter of /£ meal, calls the gull, wishes it to be a person. She ties blubber on 

 her back and sends her to her grandmother, who had taken pity on her. The Gull 

 finds, the old woman mending a blanket and crying. She gives her the meat Ne 

 9.259. In another version the same incident is repeated, the only difference being 

 that the Gull finds the old woman digging clams Ne 5. 



A woman who has given birth to Dog children is deserted. She calls the Raven, 

 wishes him to become a man. She ties four pieces of whale meat on his back. He 

 flies to the old woman who had taken pity on the deserted girl, and meets' her 

 digging shellfish. The woman tries to drive away the raven by throwing stones at it, 

 but the raven speaks to her and gives her the meat K 5.133. The mother of the Dog 

 children, who has been deserted, transforms a piece of whale skin into a rook (?). 

 She lets the bird carry the meat to her grandmother, who is met crying Nu 5.115. A boy 

 who is sent to fast and bathe for power builds a fire, eats, and is deserted. After obtain- 

 ing food, he calls the Raven and lets him eat herrings. The Raven shakes himself, 

 so that he can fill up with herrings. Then he carries them to the boy's grandmother. 

 When he reaches her, he cries, "MEla'o!" Cow 5.52. A boy who bathes for power eats 

 fern roots and is deserted. A Dog calls his attention to fire hidden by his grandmother. 

 He makes a blanket of bird skins, which the Sun exchanges for a blanket producing 

 quantities of herrings. The Crow pays him a visit. He gives it four herrings to 

 take to his grandmother Squ Hill-Tout 3.534. A boy is deserted because he begs for 

 food. The Sun takes pity on him; and when he is rich, he calls the Crow, who swal- 

 lows a herring and is sent to take it to the boy's grandmother. The Crow calls, " Ma'n! " 

 Sts 5.20. The beginning of this last tale is identical with the tale of the boy and the 

 Sun, which is told by the Thompson Indians, Teit 2.51, U 230. The Thompson 

 version, however, does not contain the element here discussed. 



The Gift of the Deserted Child is Discovered 



(22 versions: Ts 229; Ts 5.298; Ts 5.303; N 182; Tl 264; M 472; Sk 183; Sk 289; Sk 



357; BC 5.264; Chil 10; Sh 5.10; Sh 684; Sh 711; Quin 127; Chin 53;— Ne 5.180; Ne 



9.259; K 5.133; Nu 5.115; Cow 5.52; Squ Hill-Tout 3.535) 



After the food has been secretly given to the person who had pity on the deserted 

 child, this person eats it or gives it to his or her children, who choke because they 

 eat too graedily. Then the meat is pulled out of the mouth, and in this manner it ie 

 discovered that the deserted child has plenty to eat. 



