FKACHTENBEUG] ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 131 



Women) were digging fern roots a little and were at the same time 

 singing. The fern roots which they two dug they were using as 

 feathers. They two were not watched long when one of them said, 

 "I feel hot; we two must be looked at from somewhere." — "We two 

 could not possibly be watched from somewhere." They two did not do 

 this for a long time, when the two (brothers) appeared before them 

 two. "What are you two doing?" — "Oh! our (dual) husband went 

 down to do some killing; he killed him who had children with a dog." 

 Then they two were asked repeatedly all kinds of questions. "What 

 are you two usually doing whenever you two get home?" — ^"Oh! my 

 elder sister habitually goes ahead, and I customarily follow (her).'' — 

 "What are you two doing (then) V — "Well, we two always go home 

 and sing." — ''And what do you two habitually do after you two arrive 

 at the shore ? Do you two always shout V — " No. As sooij as we two 

 arrive, (our husband) always comes after us two in a canoe." — "Which 

 of you two enters the canoe first?" — "Oh! my elder sister usually 

 embarks first." — "Does he usually bring his canoe clear to the 

 bank?" — "No, he just floats it offshore." — "Then how do you two get 

 in ? " — "Oh ! we two habitually jump into the canoe from the shore." — 

 "xind after you two arrive at the other side, how do you two usually 

 disembark?" — "We two do (it) in the same way." — "Then after you 

 two arrive home what are you two habitually doing?" — "Well, we 

 two customarily dry the (fern roots) which we two gathered." — ^''And 

 what do you usually do at night?" — "We usually go to bed." — 

 ' ' Where do yoa always sleep ? " — " Oh ! we always sleep ups'tairs inside 

 (the house)." — "Do you two frequently go out at night?"— "Yes." — 

 "Do you two ever go out alone?" — "Yes." . . , 



— ''How many times do you two usually go out at night?" "We 

 two habitually go out many times." Thereupon they two were 

 killed; both were skinned. "You two will not ])e anything. Just 

 snakes will be your (dual) name." For that reason the snake habit- 

 ually sheds her own skin. 



Then they two began to put themselves into (the skins of) those. 

 First his elder brother put himself in, whereupon he asked his younger 

 brother, "How am I? Do I begin to look like herV' — "Yes, thou 

 art just like her." — "Then go ahead, please; put thyself in likewise!" 

 Thereupon he did it, indeed. "How am I? Do I look like her?" — 

 "Yes, thou art just like her." — "Wiiat are we two now going to do 

 with our (dual) knives ? " — ■' ' Try to put it into thy armpits ! " Verily, 

 he did it, but it did not fit (even) a little. Then they two put them 

 next into their ears; however, they just stuck way out. So then he 



