FEACHTENBBRG] ' ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 77 



then they two were asked which one of them (dual) lay with his 

 face down in the water for a longer period. Then Bear said that he 

 lay in the water face down a longer time. Thereupon again Beaver 

 said that he was the one who lay in the water face down for a longer 

 period. Then the Bear was told: "Thou wilt go into the moun- 

 tains, thou wilt habitually live there. Only occasionally wilt thou 

 stay in the water. Only thus wilt thou usually act, and thou wilt 

 also dig up the graves, thou wilt not customarily be very valuable." 

 For that reason the Bear is not valuable, and for that reason, more- 

 over, he is constantly uncovering the graves, because thus he was 

 told (at that time). And then it was said to the Beaver, "Thou 

 wilt constantly live in the water, only the bark of wiUow trees wilt 

 thou habitually eat; nevertheless thou wilt always be very valu- 

 able." And this is why the Beaver is superior to the (Black) Bear. 



Now one day his son said to him (S^u'ku), "What are we two 

 going to do now?" Then (S^u'ku) said to him, "Oh, yes! we will 

 separate (from them); we two will go somewhere to look over the 

 world." Then, indeed, on a certain day they two started out. 

 And not long (afterward) they two arrived at a village. Then he 

 said to his son: "We two wiU stay here. Thou art going to marry; 

 thy wives will be two (in number)." Then, indeed, he married two 

 women. And (it was) not long before one of his wives had a child. 

 And then again the other one gave birth to a child. Then he said to his 

 son, "Every day thou shalt habitually go (away) to work." Then, 

 indeed, he went away every day. Then S^u'ku would turn himself 

 (into a) different (person). Whenever his son was at home he would 

 (appear as) an exceedingly old man. But whenever he was gone 

 he would usually become rather young and would repeatedly try to 

 cohabit with his two daughters-in-law. Finally one day they two 

 told their (dual) husband (about it). Then (S^u'ku) was not left 

 behind again. (From) now on he was usually taken along. And 

 that man also took along his children. Then one day a bird came 

 to where that man (S^ti'ku's son) was working. And one boy fancied 

 it very much and said to his father, "Do thou catch it for me!" So, 

 indeed, he went toward it where that (bird) was perchmg (on a twig). 

 And as he was about to catch it it moved up a little higher. Then 

 he climbed after it, but again it moved higher up as before. Then 

 again he went after it in spite of the fact that it was S^u'ku who 



