fbachtenberg] alsea texts and myths 125 



10. The Story of the Dog Children 



(There was) one man was living. He had only one dog. . . . 



Verily, his dog had offspring, but the offspring born to his dog 

 were human bemgs; she had two (and) both were males. So (the 

 man) took good care of them two while they two were growing up. 

 They two were not growing long when at last they two became 

 tall (boys). He made for them dual bows and also arrows. And 

 then after they two grew big the}^ two did all sorts of things. 



(After a while) he left them two (going) to build a canoe. And 

 when he came back to them two in the evening they two (would) 

 ask their (dual) father, "Whence art thou (coming) back?" — "Oh! 

 I (am coming) back from working (on) a canoe." Then he custom- 

 arily left them two every day in order to (go to) work. In the second 

 year he suddenly heard something repeatedly making a noise. So 

 he liimself began to listen m various directions; he did not hear dis- 

 tinctly (the nature of) the repeated sounds. So he went back home. 

 But on the third day he would again hear (the sound) as before. So 

 he went straight (to the place) whence the sound came', but he could 

 not understand what the somid (was about). Then he went back 

 home at night. And then when daylight came agam he wen t back 

 to work as on previous (days). The sun came exactly (to the same 

 position as on previous days), when he heard the sound once more. 

 So he himself began to listen in various directions. However, this 

 time he understood, indeed, what the voice (said), "Keep on hewing; 

 thou slialt habitually hew." Then he returned home. He did not 

 (feel) weU in his mind (concerning) what he heard. (In anger he 

 spoke to himself): "(I) wonder what (it may mean). I must be 

 watched (by someone) from somewhere. I wonder what will happen 

 to me?" He almost did not go back, when day broke agam for 

 the fifth time. He had many things to think about. However, he 

 (decided) to chance his own life once more (and) went (there) again. 

 He was not hewing long when he heard a sound agam, "Hewmg, tliou 

 shalt always hew."' (So) he would stop, he would look around every- 

 where, but he would not see anything. (But) whenever he would 



