MICHELSON ] OWL SACRED PACK OF THE FOX INDIANS 41 
After they had arrived somewhere, he related: ‘‘I do not suppose 
you recognize me,’’ they were told. ‘I instructed you in the past 
about the sacred pack. ‘You are to make it,’ I told you in the past. 
I do not suppose you recognize me. ‘Owl’ is what I am called,” they 
were told. ‘This is how I am,” they were told. To be sure, they 
saw an owl. 
_ Then (he said to them) :‘‘My grandchildren, I bless you. There is 
nothing evil in the way I have thought of you. I have thought of 
you indeed in a good way. So long as your life shall endure, so long 
shall I make it go for you. And from time to time you will continue 
to gladden (the people) by what you do: such is the blessing I shall 
continue to bestow upon you. But, my grandchildren, do not expect 
anything in return from your fellow-people whom you have pleased. 
That is the only (thing) I tell you. And you will use my body, for I 
bless you, not any one. But itis not I alone. The one yonder who 
has power over your lives, is he who really plans this. This is what 
I tell you. I bless you as I tell you. He who is leading one blesses 
you. But you will always think of me. Do not throw me out of 
your thoughts. Verily I too have put my thought in here (the sacred 
pack) when I blessed you. When I think (of going) yonder, I go 
thither. I arrive at where I am going. Even if there were a river 
flowing by, I would come there; nothing would go wrong with me; 
even if there were a cliff where I was going I should go there. I 
should not be hindered at all. And you here, you would be hindered 
if there a river flowed by; you might seek a shallow spot, or you 
might make a boat! if you crossed. You would not then come 
quickly: something would go wrong with you there.’ That is one way 
I bless you. If a river is deep and wide; you will easily wade across. 
“And again, if any one is wounded, you will heal him. . You will 
not fail to heal him, but only if he prays to you: if he does not pray 
to you, (you will) not (heal him). (You will heal) only the one who 
prays to you: that is what you willdo. You will heal them. Even 
if any one’s bone is broken, you will heal it together for him,” they 
were told. ‘‘ But you will live quietly. You will have plenty of time 
to share it with (others). But (there is) this: you will instruct those 
who will take care of (the sacred pack) in the future, that each may 
take extremely good care of it; and you will accordingly tell them 
that they continue to hold gens festivals with solemnity; and you 
will accordingly tell them that they always think seriously of it. 
‘““As to the gens festival songs, you will know what is called a gens 
festival. The one that will truly continue to believe you is the one 
that will continue to be blessed by the sacred pack here. And the one 
who shall not believe you will not continue to be blessed in the future. 
