DENSMORB] MANDAN AND HIDATSA MUSIC 89 
FOLK TALES 
Tue TurttE WuHo Went To War 
RELATED BY WoLFr Heap ” 
There was once a snapping turtle *° who wanted to go to war. He 
asked the coyote to go with him and said, “ Run around and let me 
‘see how fast you can run.” The coyote ran very fast and the turtle 
did not take him because he ran so fast. Next he asked the frog 
and said, “ Let me see how fast you can go.” The frog went just 
about as fast as the turtle, so he decided to take the frog with him. 
Their enemies lived across the river. The turtle said, “ Where 
shall we kill our enemies? Shall we stay down by the water or go 
up to their village?” The frog said, “‘ We are such great men that 
we ought to go right into their houses and cut off their heads. ” 
They swam across the river and the turtle went into the enemy’s 
house first, the frog coming after him. The turtle cut off the head 
of one of the chiefs of the enemy and took his scalp. He also killed 
the wife of the chief. Then the turtle tried to get out of the door but 
the doorsill was so high that he could not get out. So he went in the 
hole for the stones in the sweat lodge, taking the scalp with him. The 
turtle hid himself there. The enemy looked around and found the 
turtle with the scalps. Then the enemy called a neighboring chief to 
come and kill the turtle. This chief came over and wanted to put the 
turtle in a corn mortar and smash him. The turtle said, “ The corn 
mortar is my house.” Then the enemy chief said, “The fire is my 
medicine, let us put the turtle in the fire and burn him.” The turtle 
said, “ That is my house.” Then the enemy chief said, “The water 
current is my medicine. Ifa log comes down the river the water cur- 
rent whirls it around, so I will put the turtle in the water current.” 
The turtle acted very much afraid when he heard this, so the enemy 
chief called every one to come to the river. He sang four songs, and 
as he sang the fourth song he threw the turtle into the river. As the 
chief threw the turtle into the river the turtle pulled off his scalp. 
So the turtle was in the water with two scalps. He showed himself 
in the water and sang the following song: 
7 This story was translated to Scattered Corn and to Wounded Face, who made no 
corrections in it. Ben Benson added the incident of the testing of the coyote. The same 
story was recorded among the Chippewa in 1908 by the present writer. The Chippewa 
version included the testing of several animals preliminary to the starting of the expedi- 
tion and the taking of scalps at the close. In the Chippewa version the war party 
comprised a lange turtle and a company of small turtles. 
8° This variety of turtle is called by the Mandan puké. It grows to great size and 
hides in the mud. It is said that one of these turtles has been known to attempt to 
drag a man into the current of the river. 
