23-4 BUEEAU OF AMEKICAN ETHNOLOGY (bull. .7 



ROTTEN-FEATHEKS 



[The continuation of tliis story from piige loo, line tJ, was told by 

 Chief Mountain, as follows:] 



Twice she tried to cut it, then the feather .snapped and the boys all 

 fell down. The eldest one kept the feather and received the name 

 Rotten-feathers. At the .same time when the boy.s fell down a jjreat 

 many bones fell down from heaven. Rotten-feathers moved the 

 feather over them four times and the bones became again living people. 



Then the brothers went to Skeena river. Little-grindstone ate of 

 th(^ berries that were growing there and was transformed into a moun- 

 tain that may be seen to this day. The brothers traveled on and 

 reached a mountain which they were luiable to pass. Rotten-feathers 

 moved his feather over it and the mountain melted down. The molten 

 rock may still be seen. 



Finally they came to a canyon. They saw a town on the other side of 

 the river and a bridge leading across to it. Here they met a woman 

 named Great-goose (Wl-ksEm-ha'x), who warned them. She .said, '" You 

 can not cross this bridge. If you try to do .so, it will break and you will 

 be drowned. On the other side lives Chieftainess Knife-hand 

 (Haq'oLEm-an'o'n), who has a beautiful daughter. She cuts off with 

 her hands the heads of all her daughters suitors." Rotten-feathers 

 thought he could overcome her by means of his magic feather. He 

 crossed the bridge in safety and entered the house. The old woman 

 laughed when she saw him, and immediatel}' asked her daughter to 

 spread the bed. At night he laj^ down with the young woman. He 

 had his hair tied in a bunch on top of his head and in it he had hidden 

 his feather. As soon as the young woman was fast asleep he arranged 

 his own hair like that of a woman and tied the young woman's hair in 

 a topknot. Then he pretended to he asleep. Soon the old woman 

 came. She felt of the heads of the sleepers. She believed her daughter 

 to be the stranger and cut off her head. Then Rotten-feathers tied 

 up his hair again and put the feather on top. He took the labret of 

 the dead woman. Therefore he i-eceived the name Labret. The feather 

 carried him l)ack across the river. Great-goose greeted him, saying, 

 "My son, did you come back safely f He told her what had hap- 

 pened. On the following morning Knife-hand came across the river 

 wailing. '"My child! my child! Sister Great-goose, how did it hap- 

 pen that your child became a great supernatural being?" Great- 

 goose replied, "The heavens were clear when my child was born, 

 therefore she has become a great supernatural being, sister." Then 

 Knife-hand said, "O, yes, sister Great-goose." ("Lgo'uLgue, 

 Lgo'uLgue, g'axgo'desg'at Lgo'uLgun. g'lk" Wi-ksEm-ha'x, qan 

 wT-nExno'qt." — "Lda wI-Lii'm, lax-ha' desg'a't Lgo'uLgue, nei. 

 qan wI-nExu6'qt, g'lk"." — "Ha, net, g'lk" Wi-ksEm-ha'x.") 



