TSIMSHIAN TEXTS 



81 



his hands were not a])le to hold on to the tree. Only the Porcupine 

 knows how to do that, beuause his claws are long. 



Now the Porcupine said, ''Hold on to the tree, friend. I will go 

 down first." The Beaver did so, clinging I'ound the branch with his 

 arms. Then the Porcupine let go of the tree and fell down. He .said 

 again ( !^) { 1} and ho struck the rock, but he was not dead. 



Now the great Beaver was uuich troubled, holding on to the bi"anch. 

 He was afraid to let go; but the Porcupine ran about at the foot of 

 the tree, and looked up to his friend. He said, "Oh, friend, that is not 

 difficult. Look at me. I am not dead, although 1 fell down." Then 

 the Beaver let go of the l)ranch, and when he fell through space, he 



dKm det-dix'-yo'gur. gan. K"sax aXt fan hwila'x't ai. hwil 



knows because 



NLk'"e tgoni, hcL ti'Xtg'e: "'SEra-g'it dix'-yo'guL, damqLk". 



Then this said the "Really fast hold, friend, 



porcupine: 



DEm d'Ep-k's-qaq nee'st liin." NLk''e hwilL ts'Eme'lix'. 



(Fut.) down lirst I thee." Then did so the beaver. 



Then very in troubled 

 was 



the the 



heart of great 



aL aba'g'ask" aL dEm tgwantk"t 



atid he was troubled to (fut.i to fall. 



1 



2 

 3 

 4 

 5 



Txa-xLEni-d'a'LdiL an'o'nt. NLk'^et qale'L aXL ga'ng'e, lax- 



.\I1 around w*ere his hands. Then let go the the tree, on 



porcupine 



qal-be'is yo'xgutg'e. NLk-"e huX tg5nL bet: "AndEbEla'q, 6 



space he went. Then again this he (?) 



said: 



aiulEbEla'q." NLk''e ha'k'sEui huX ok'st aL lax-lo'op. NLk"e ^ 



I,' I Then once more again he on on the Then 



dropped stones. 



ni'g'i no'ot. o 



not he wa.s 



dead. 



Tk"'e sEm-lo-ha'xk"!- qa'otL wI-ts'Eme'lix" at lo-dfi'mL ane'st 9 



beaver he in held 



the 

 branch 



NLk''e k'uL-ba'xL aXt aL 10 



Then about ran 



the at 

 porcupine 



meuL gan. NLk-'et mEn-g'a'aL hwil le-d'il'L an-da'niqLk"t. 11 



the the Then up he where on was his friend, 



foot of tree. looked 



Ni.k-^e tgOuL heL a'Xtg-e: "Gwom, daiuqLk"! Nig-idi qaqe'tk^t. 12 



Then this said the "(loon, friend! Not it is hard, 



porcupine: 



G-a'as ne'e; ni'g'i no'oeE, aL hwil tgwantk"."' NLk-'et qale'L 13 



Look at me; not lam because I fell," Then let go 



dead. 



ts'Kmi"''lix'L ane'st. TgonL heL ts'Eme'lix' aL La tgwantk"t ai. lax- 14 



the beaver the branch. This said the beaver at (perf.) he fell at on 



B. A. E., Bull. 2 



'i)'2- 



