BOAS] TSIMSHIAN TEXTS 229 



coming out of a place where a bunch of crras.s was growing. She 

 whispered iu his ear, '• Grandmother invites you in."' Then he pulled 

 off his blanket, and saw the mouse disappearing under the bunch of 

 grass. He pulled it out, and saw a house underneath. The mouse had 

 taken the shape of a woman, and spoke to him, "Enter, if you are 

 Asi-hwi'l, who has been deserted here." He entered, and the woman 

 gave him to eat. The old woman who had invited him in said, "You 

 know that this rock is the house of the .sealions. Their chief is very sick. 

 The shamans are unable to cure him. Please try if you can heal 

 him." He promised to do so, and she led him to the chief, who was 

 sick iu bed. Asi-hwi'l saw a bone harpoon in his side. He sat down. 

 Then the mouse said to the chief, " He will heal you if you will give 

 him this canoe in payment." So saying, she pointed to the largest 

 canoe. It was made of the inte.stines of sealions. The chief gave it to 

 him. Then he stepped up to him. and. taking hold of the harpoon, 

 pushed it first slightly into the flesh and then he pulled it out. The 

 chief opened his eyes, and said at once that he felt better. Then they 

 moistened the intestines, placed him inside, tied them up. and put 

 them into the sea. Then they invoked the west wind, which drifted 

 the intestines to the mainland. In the evening he heard the surf, and 

 felt that the sealion's intestines were being knocked about on the 

 beach. Then he opened them, and went out. 



He resolved to take revenge. Therefore he carved two killer- 

 whales out of red cedar. He put them into the water. They swam 

 a short distance, but then they liecame logs, turned over, and drifted 

 about. He called them back, and carved two new ones of yellow 

 cedar. They swam a little longer than the first ones, but then they 

 also became logs, turned over, and drifted about. He called them 

 back and burnt them. Then he carved two new ones of yew wood. 

 They became real killer-whales, who swam, blowing and snorting. 

 They did not turn into wood again. Then he called them back and 

 said to them. "The men who have deserted me will go out sealion iuint- 

 ing to-morrow. As soon as they go out I shall put you into the water. 

 Go and lireak their canoes." On the following morning, when he saw 

 his enemies coming, he put the whales into the water, and they broke 

 the canoes. Asi-hwi'l went back to his wife and stayed with her. 



The Grouses 



A Legend of the G'ispawaduwe'da 



(ToM by Chief Mountain] 



A chief had a beautiful daughter. Many young men came to marry 

 her, but he refused her to all of them. Then the chief of the Grouses 

 flew down and alighted on the roof of the old chiefs house. He 

 assumed the shape of a man who wore a blanket made of fox skin.s. 



