POWELL.) MYTHIC TALES 55 
vwots’ pretended that he saw him coming, and they ran in great haste 
to the den. The little one outran the greater, and going into the den, 
hastened out again through his secret passage. 
When Kvi’-ats entered he looked about, and not seeing his little friend 
he searched for him for some time, and still not finding him, he supposed 
that he must have passed him on the way, and went out again to see if 
he had stopped or been killed. By this time Ya-vwots’ had perched 
himself on the rock at the entrance of the den, and when the head of 
the bear protruded through the hole below he hurled his pa-riéim’-o-kwi 
and killed him. “Aha,” said Ta-vwots’, “I greatly feared this renowned 
warrior, but now he is dead in his own den. I am going to kill the Sun. 
A!-nier ti!-tik'-a'-nimp kwaik-ai'-gar.”. And sounding the war-whoop he 
went on his way. 
The next day he met Kw-mi/-a-péts, the tarantula. Now this knowing 
personage had heard of the fame of Ta-vwots’, and determined to outwit 
him. He was possessed of a club with such properties that, although 
it was a deadly weapon when used against others, it could not be made 
to hurt himself, though weilded by a powerful arm. 
As Ta-vwots’ came near, Ku-mi!-a-pots complained of having a headache; 
moaning and groaning, he said there was an w-nw/-pits, or little evil spirit, 
in his head, and he asked Ta-vwots’ to take the club and beat it out. 
Ta-vwots' obeyed, and struck with all his power, and wondered that 
Kw-mi'!-a-pots was not killed; but he urged Ta-vwots’ to strike harder. 
At last Ta-vwots’ understood the nature of the club, and guessed the 
wiles of Ku-mi!-a-pots, and raising the weapon as if to strike again, he 
dexterously substituted his magie ball and slew him. “Aha,” said he, 
“that is a blow of your own seeking, Ku-mi/-a-pots. I am on my way to 
kill the Sun; now I know that I can do it. A’/-nier ti-tik’-a!-ntimp kwaik- 
ai'-gar.” And sounding the war-whoop he went on his way. 
The next day he came to a cliff which is the edge or boundary of the 
world on the east, where careless persons have fallen into unknown 
depths below. Now to come to the summit of this cliff it is necessary 
to climb a mountain, and Ta-vwots’ could see three gaps or notches in 
the mountain, and he went up into the one on the left; and he demanded 
to know of all the trees which where standing by of what use they were. 
Each one in turn praised its own qualities, the chief of which in every 
case was its value as fuel.* Ta-vwots’ shook his head and went into the 
center gap and had another conversation with the trees, receiving the 
same answer. Finally he went into the third gap—that on the right. 
After he had questioned all the trees and bushes, he came at last to a little 
one called yu/-i-nwmp, which modestly said it had no use, that it was not 
even fit for fuel. “Good,” said Ta-vwots’, and under it he lay down to 
sleep. 
* Several times I have heard this story, and invariably the dialogues held by Ta-vwots' 
with the trees are long and tedious, though the trees evince some skill in their own 
praise. 
