FRACHTENBERG] ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 215 



(that were near the) sea were burnmg as soon as the fire arrived at 

 the sea. Everywhere even the blossoms of the highest trees burned 

 down. ''What, indeed, can We do (to help ourselves)? Who is 

 going to come here to tell us (of the conditions m other places) V — 

 ' ' Yes, (I) wonder if anybody will be so void of sense that he will not 

 (know enough to) go to the water ? " Thus they would talk as soon 

 as darkness feU over the world. The cracklmg of the fire just seemed 

 to roar all over. "Now we are just going to stay (here). (I) wonder 

 how we can go anywhere (else) V 



My grandmother was crying all the time. She was crymg for her 

 people. "All my people must have perished in the flames." Her 

 child would there speak to her continually. "Thou shalt not cry aU 

 the time (or else) my heart will become smaU. It is nothing (even if) 

 we two only (myself) and my younger brother have survived." Thus 

 my father was continually speaking to his mother. All sorts of 

 (animals) were coming to the sea: elks, black bears, and cougars — 

 the hair of all (of them) was just partially burned. My grandmother 

 was singing, "(I) wonder, indeed, what nature is going to do." 

 When I slept, the fire never came to us. My grandmother would 

 speak thus: "Your (dual) hearts shall not be small. It simply got 

 dark all over. (I) wonder when it is going to get light again. Prob- 

 ably for five nights will the world be in flames." The cracklmg of 

 the fire (was heard everywhere). Wherever a log lay on the beach 

 (and) whenever the fire dropped there, it would (instantly) catch fire. 



But (at last) the crackling of the fire seemed to be dymg out. It 

 seemed to have the appearance of birds. The fire was flying in all 

 directions. The fire seemed to be of such a size. The fire was 

 dropping close to where we were staymg. (My mother) was watch- 

 ing the children carefuUy, she never allowed one (to go away from 

 our camp). The children just (had to) stay together. Then they 

 two began to talk: "We shall not go anywhere, we have plenty of 

 food." Then they two spoke (agam) : "What are we two gomg to do 

 (to help) ourselves? Somethmg bad has happened to the universe. 

 We two wiU just stay here for a long time. Only after the fu-e 

 shall have disaj^peared will we two go to see whence it had started." 

 Thus they two would talk among themselves. Then siU would speak 

 thus^ "None of us wdl go anywhere; we will just stay together." 



The fire was just terribly hot. The smeU of the smoke made an 

 awful odor all over. (But) not far away it was getting light. Where 

 that trail was leading, the ground had burned entirely. All the 



