MISCELLANEOUS TALES 

 9. Vulture and His Brothers-in-Law 



(Vulture) was traveling all over this world. And then he came to 

 one place and began to live (there). Those to whom he came had 

 children. The youngest (was a) girl, and he fell in love with her. 

 Then he told (those people), ''I want (to be) your relative-in-law." — 

 "All right; thou shalt marry her." Thereupon, indeed, he made her 

 his wife and stayed (there) for a long time. 



On the fifth day his brothers-in-law took him along (saymg), ''We 

 will go to make a canoe." — ''AU right; I will go with you." There- 

 upon they went, mdeed. And then they came to where they were 

 going. (Vulture) began to look around everywhere. (He) just 

 (saw) bones piled up. He did not seem to pay any attention to them. 

 He did not even say anything. (However) he knew who (were) 

 those whose bones were piled up here and there; (those were) the 

 bones of people. "We have arrived at last, my brother-in-law. 

 These here are our tools."— "What shall I do now?"— "Well, we 

 will commence to split this log." Thereupon, indeed, (they) did so a 

 whole day. Then they went back home toward night. 



And then when another day came they started out again as before, 

 but once more the same thing was done. Again they began to split 

 as before. Long afterward the wedge (of one man) dropped inside 

 (the log). "Oh! my brother-in-law, thou shalt go after it inside." 

 However, he just caught it with a stick. . "Not so ! Seize it with thy 

 hand!" So then (the wedge) came nearer to the top, whereupon he 

 took hold of it. He had not yet pulled himself out entirely when the 

 tree closed suddenly. It almost closed upon his hand. And on the 

 third day they would (act) similarly. (This was done for four con- 

 secutive days.) Fmally, at the fifth attempt he was caught. The 

 log suddenly closed upon him (while he was still) inside. He could 

 do nothing to (help) himself. He called everyone (to help him), l)ut 

 he was constantly told, "I can do nothing (for) thee." At last he 

 was told, "I will send here the Little-Old-Man Sap-Sucker." And, 

 verily, he arrived and began to peck from the outside. "I can not 

 do anything (for) thee. I shall leave thee again. I will send the 

 Woodpecker here." And then he came, indeed. "What is it thou 

 wantest?" — "Oh! have thou pity on me in thy heart." — ''And what 

 art thou doing here V — " Oh ! my brothers-in-law tricked me." There- 

 upon he began to peck from the outside. He was not pecking at (the 

 tree) long when at last, verily, there appeared a hole. He repeatedly 



* Misheard for tii'Mx. 



6 mEldn- TO KNOW. 



6 For LELxusu'yu; lxsu- to drop. 



' The future tense used as an imperative; t^jfc'-. . . -u is ftoin- to have pity. 



8 Vcir Isp/a'yusxar 



119 



