FKACHTENBERG] ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 143 



ourselves." — "And what do you two usually do after (the roots) are 

 dry? Do you two habitually divide them?" — "Yes, we two always 

 distribute them among the people in the house." — "Do you two 

 never cook it?" — "Yes, we usually throw it into the fire. And 

 after it is cooked we two usually feed it to our (dual) husband." — 

 "And how do you sit down (to eat) ?" — "Well, he lies down in the 

 middle, while we two are drying our (dual) fern roots. And then 

 after he eats he usually sits down." — "And how do you usually go 

 to bed? Who goes habitually first?" — "Oh! we two go first to bed, 

 then he always lies down afterward, and he customarily (sleeps) in 

 the middle." — "On which side lies thy younger sister?" — "Oh! she 

 always sleeps on the left side." — "And how do you two (act) when- 

 ever you two go out at night ?" — "Oh ! we always go out together." — • 

 "Does not your (dual) husband ever go with you?" — "No." . . . 

 Tiien after the asking of the various questions was accomplished 

 they two were stripped (of their skin). Then those two (brothers) 

 put on their skins. And this is the reason why Snake acts thus. 



Tlien they two went to (the place) to which those two (women) 

 directed them. And when they two came to the river they saw a 

 man floating in a canoe far from the shore. He was just lying in the 

 middle of his canoe singing, "Come up, please, make war on me!" 

 (He sang this song several times.) Then they two got ready for him. 

 They two (were going to) jump now into the canoe. And then the 

 older (brother) dropped one of his legs into the water. So their 

 (dual) husband' said, "Well, wherefore art thou (acting) thus?" — 

 "Oh! am I not human; can I not be tired?" Then they went back 

 across. And after they came back to the other side they two dragged 

 (asliore) their (dual) husband (while he was still in the canoe) and 

 thereupon packed their (dual) fern roots. Then when they came 

 back to the house they two began to dry their (dual) fern roots. 

 And whenever the older (brother) would look upward he would 

 begin to cry, because he was all the time looking at the head of their 

 (dual) fatiier (which) was just hanging by the smoke hole. But 

 then (it was) not long before the youngest (member of the family) 

 said: "Why is it that my sister-in-law makes her eyes shed tears 

 whenever she looks upward ? It seems as if she is continually looking 

 at that head." — "What am I? Am I not a person? Can not my 

 eyes smart as the smoke works on me, because I continually stir up 

 my fern roots, while I bend over the smoke?" And (after a while) 

 when that same woman stood up again, her dress spread suddenly 



