FKACHTEXBERG] ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 141 



assembled." — ' ' Who was the one who was kiUed ? " — ' ' Well, they went 

 down to the father of (him) who has a dog for a mother." — "Oh ! and 

 for such reason are you on your way home?" Then they were just 

 brushed aside with a bow and were told : ' ' Your name will be nothing ; 

 it will be only Flies." Then those who had packs (on their backs) 

 just crawled around with them. Those people were crawling around 

 everywhere, even after they were cut in two. And this is the reason 

 why Flies act thus. Even after they are cut in two they still keep on 

 crawling aromid, because they did so when they were pushed aside at 

 that time. 



And then after they were through (with these flies) they two 

 started out. And then (it was) not long when they two heard again 

 some people. So they two went (there) ; but (it was) not loiig 

 before they two perceived two women. Then the two (women) 

 were watched (by them) from a hiding place. The two (women) 

 would dig just a little bit, would stop and would use their (dual) 

 digging sticks as feathers (while) they two would dance on their 

 knees smging: Hd'nehd', Jid'nelid', hd'nehd', Tid'nehd'. But not 

 long (afterward) the older (of) these women said : " I feel exceedingly 

 hot. It seems as if some person is watching me continually." There- 

 upon the other one said: "Are we two digging here for the first time 

 that a person should watch us two from somewhere? It is just hot 

 all over." And then not long (afterward) they two were approached. 

 And after they two were approached they two were asked, "What 

 are you two doing now?" — "Oh! we two are digging roots." — "And 

 what do you two (mean) when you are singing ?" — "Oh ! in our house 

 everybody is dancmg the murder dance, but they have not fuiished 

 yet." — "Wlio is it who was killed?" — "Oh! they went down to the 

 father of him who has a dog for a mother, but they came back with 

 his head only, and (now) it is hanging high up in the house." — "Oh! 

 what time is it when you two usually go home?" — "Well, the sun is 

 just settmg." — "How do you two habitually arrive (there)?" — 

 "Well, our (dual) husband always brings us two over to this side and 

 then goes back to the other side. And then when the sun is in the 

 west, he usually takes us two back." — "Who is the husband (of) 

 you two?" — "Oh! he is the one who, as has been said before, 

 descended to the father of that (boy) who has a dog for a mother." — 

 "Now what do you two do when you get into the canoe?" — "Oh! 

 he just floats with it away from the shore, and we two always jump 

 into the canoe." — ^"And what are you two usually doing then?" — • 

 "Well, our (dual) husband just lies in the middle (of the canoe), 

 while we two keep on paddling. And then whenever we arrive 

 again at the other side we two alwaj^s pull the canoe ashore, and 

 then we two habitually carr}^ our (dual) fern roots." — "And who 

 looks after it usually when you two dry it?" — "Oh! just we two 



