boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 805 



home, and throws it down in front of his uncle Tl 4 .257. The chief sends his son-in-law 

 to get the devilfish. His wife tells him not to attack it until it has spit upward and 

 until there has been lightning four times. He shoots it with arrows received from 

 his father. It shoots up water four times. Then he spits medicine on it and is swal- 

 lowed. He thinks of his father's helpers. Four of these appear and club the devilfish 

 in its eyes. They pull out the youth. He cures himself by spitting medicine on 

 his body. There are many human bones in the devilfish. He tears it apart, and 

 ordains that it shall be as, Jul to man . He carries half of the devilfish home and throws 

 it down at the door of the house Sk 241. 



(7 a) The Clam 

 (5 versions: Kodiak 92; Tl 200; Sk 243; Sk 278; Ne 10.368) 



The uncle invites the youth to go with him to get clams. They wade into the 

 water until they find a very large one. 'When the boy bends over, the clam closes 

 over him. He cuts the ligaments with his knife and escapes, Kodiak 92. The uncle 

 takes the youth along the beach and pushes him into the clam. The youth turns his 

 bracelet four times, is transformed into a ball of feathers, cuts the clam, and gets out 

 Tl 200. The uncle takes him to get a cockle and pushes him in, but the youth cuts 

 the ligaments with his knife. Half of the cockle he throws away, and half he carries 

 home and throws it down in the house Sk 278. The jealous brother sends his youngest 

 brother to kill the giant cockle. He takes a fire-drill along, is swallowed by the 

 cockle, starts a fire inside, and comes out unharmed Ne 10.369. (These incidents 

 belong to the tale of the youth who married among the Eagles.) 



The youth is sent to get a clam. His wife tells him to wait until the clam has spit 

 out water four times. After it has done so, the boy digs it out, and finds himself in 

 its mouth. His father's supernatural helpers appear, strike the ligaments of the clam, 

 and pull him out. He scatters half of it and ordains that people shall make use of it. 

 The other half he takes home and throws it down in the house Sk 243. 



(7 b-d) Sea Lion, Seal, and Eagle 



(3 versions: Tl 17S: M 423; Sk 241) 



The incident of sending the youth to kill various animals that are 



to destroy him is enlarged upon in one of the Skidegate versions. 



After having been sent to kill the devilfish, he is to get a sea lion, a 



seal, an eagle, and a clam. The incidents are all of the same character. 



He Who Got Supernatural Power From His Little Finger is sent by Many Ledges to 

 club a sea lion. His wife tells him not to attack it until after it has looked at him 

 and growled four times. He does so, but the sea lion sucks him in . His father's super- 

 natural helpers kill the sea lion with clubs, pull out the youth, who restores himself 

 by putting medicine on his body. Then he pulls the sea lion apart, scatters one half, 

 and ordains that it shall be useful. The other half he throws down in the house of his 

 father-in-law. Exactly the same happens with the seal. When he is sent to get the 

 eagle, his wife says, "Go to it after its eye mucus has dropped four times." He shoots 

 it from two sides, scatters one half of it, and ordains that it shall be useful. The other 

 half he takes home and throws it down in the house Sk 242. — In M 423 the youth 

 is sent to kill the eagle, seal, and devilfish. In the analogous Tlingit story he has 

 to overcome devilfish, rat, and sculpin Tl 178. 



(7 e) Dogs 



(1 version: Ne 10.368) 



The jealous brother sets fire to the roof of the house and asks his youngest brother 

 to extinguish it, intending to have him killed by the ferocious dogs which he keeps 

 on top of the house. The youth kills the dogs Ne 10.368. 



