FKACHTEKBERG] ALSEA TEXTS AXD MYTHS 157 



to be daylight approached, the younger (brother) said, ''It shall not 

 be waited until daylight; he shall be killed at once." However, he 

 was just told: "Just keep still. After a while (he wiU be killed)." 

 However, soon he said, "Hey! I am going to be the one who will get 

 his pipe." And then not long (afterward) he would say agam, "I'd 

 rather be the one to obtain his quiver." Then he would keep stiU 

 (for) just a little (while), and would speak again, "By all means I 

 prefer to get his knife." And then not long (afterward) he would say 

 again, "I shaU prefer his tobacco pouch." So now they were playing., 

 the guessing game for a long time. And not long (afterward) that 

 younger brother said: "Do you leave him alone, please! I am going 

 to point always at the orphan." Then, verily, he contmuaUy pomted 

 at him. Every little while he would scratch himself, (and) his head 

 merely kept on getting bushy because of his own scratchmg (and) 

 because he frequently applied his marked gamblmg-stick to his head, 

 although he did not know it. 



Not long (afterward) the door was opened, and that little old man 

 (Kingfisher) peeked in this way. Then he just perched high on yon 

 crossbeam and kept on raismg himself higher. And then not long 

 (afterward) he jumped (down) mto the middle, whereupon he sat down 

 alongside of his grandson. He kept on raising himself after he sat 

 down. Then (it was) not long before the little old man began to sing, 

 "Do you take your knives !" Then the old woman went to the other 

 end (of the house) and dug a hole m the ground. And after she ceased, 

 she went back to her grandson; and when she came back, yon little 

 old'man jumped upward, talking, and went out through the smoke 

 hole. For that reason such are the actions of Kingfisher. He usu- 

 ally makes a bad omen only (when) he talks at night and also (when) 

 he customarily exposes himself to' the smoke. 



And now they were going to be engaged in fighting. Then the 

 yomiger (brother) jumped at the dentalia shells, but he seized only 

 ashes. So next he jumped at the pipe, but.similarly the same thing 

 happened. So in vain that man was pursued aU over the house (and) 

 struck with knives, for he was not touched anj^vhere (even) a little 

 because he merelv turned himself mto a shadow. And then not long 



