FBACHTENBERG] ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 25 



Finally they started out. (Soon) they came to a river, and were 

 (thus) spoken to by the inhabitants, ''Do you want to play shinny V — 

 "Certainly," (the travelers answered). ''If you like it, we will begin 

 to play shinny at once." To this, indeed, all agreed quickly. So then 

 (the people) began to bet mutually, (and the travelers) placed their 

 sister as their stake. Now all were playing shinny. (The brothers) 

 were staking their sister. They were not playing very long when (the 

 brothers) began to win point after point. Finally the shinny game 

 was stopped. The next day they started out again. (Before depart- 

 ing) they left (behind them) the women whom they had won. (The 

 women) became pregnant as soon as (the travelers) left them. 



Then they came to another river. Again the same thing happened; 

 they began to play shinny once more. (And) as before they bet their 

 sister again, putting her up as their stake. (This time) the shinny 

 game (lasted) a little longer, and at night, after they stopped (play- 

 ing), they began to dance again. (During the dance) their sister was 

 constantly standing behind (them) at a distance. When the night 

 was (almost) gone, (the girl) suddenly began to suspect (some- 

 thing). So she said to her brothers, "(I am afraid) we will meet 

 with some foul play." Thus she kept on telling her brothers. 

 Then the}^ stopped (dancing) . The next morning they did the same 

 thing. As before, they left the women they had won (saying), "We 



