94 BUREAU OF AMP:KI('AN ethnology [bull. 21) 



A Story Told to Accompany Bear Songs 



[Told by Job Moody of the Witch people] 



A man began to set deadfalls. His son was always with iiim. 

 Wlioncvcr he went out to see them he found that in some way or 

 another the}^ had got awa}- from the deadfalls. And he now became 

 angry. He became angr}^ with himself because he could not get the 

 black bears. Now he began fasting. 



After eight nights had passed he became weak. In the ninth night 

 his son lay by him, and some time before daylight he pushed against 

 his father with his feet. Then his father did not move, and he looked 

 at his father. He was alread}' dead. He saw foam piled up in front 

 of his mouth. 



Now, although his father was dead, he went to see his father's dead- 

 falls. There was one in the first deadfall he looked into. Then he 

 pulled the bear out of the deadfall. He laid it face up to skin it. 

 Now, when he took his knife the bear's bod}^ began to sing through 

 him: 



Chief/ cliief [that I am"], be careful liow you pull your grandfather around. 

 Be careful how you pull around your grandfather as you sit beside him. 

 I am too much of a boy for you (i. e., too old). Chief, chief [that I am]. 



After he had skinned it he looked at one (a deadfall) farther inland. 

 One also lay in that. He pulled it out to skin it. Now he took his 

 knife. [It then sang through him]: 



Chief, chief [that I am], I am already far away. 



At the cliff, coming from my i:iassage through the mountains,^ I hold uji my 



head grandly. 

 Chief, chief [that I am], I am already far away from it. 

 From my blue mountain I am now far away. 

 On the island I travel, led about proudly. From it I am far away. Chief, 



chief [that I am]. 



He started for one still farther inland. One was also in that. He 

 pulled it out. When he laid his hand on his knife to skin it, that one 

 also sang through him: 



Chief, chief [that I am], they say [that I have] green mountains. 

 They say that I went into the creek I own which stretches its length afar.^ 

 Chief, chief [that I am]. 



His younger brother having disappeared, Marten traveled around 

 this island rapidly.* He then heard people singing [these songs]. 

 And he sent word })ack quickly. He said: "The human beings have 

 alread}' finished singing." He immediately turned his marten skin 

 upside down and held his beating stick to dance for his younger 



