SWANTON] HAIDA TP:XTS AND MYTHS 128 



siiioinu- clitiercnt songs."*'* Yet hi.s uncle said [sarcastically]: "We 

 shall indeed have lots to eat." They sat down in lines, and around 

 tlu' door was a crowd to serve the food. 



Then NAnki'lsLas-iina'-i said: "Now go to my sister Si'ndjugwaii 

 to get food for me."^* And a crowd of young men went to get it. 

 The3' came ))ack with silver salmon and cranberries. And [he said]: 

 "Go to Yal-kinfi'ng.o,'*' too, to beg some for me." Her house was also 

 full of silver salmon, cranberries, and sockeye salmon. Thej' also 

 })r()ught some from the woman at the head of Skidegate creek, ^* and 

 they brought some from the woman at the head of QIa'dAsg.o creek. 

 It mounted up level with the roof. The distribution of food was still 

 going on when daylight came. On the next day, too, and on the next 

 day [it went on]. At the end of ten days they went off in a crowd. 

 These [days] were ten winters, they say. 



And he went otf with his father Qi'ngi. Soon after they arrived at 

 his \ illage he invited the people to come. He called them for a feast. 

 Me (NAiiki'lsLas) did not eat the smallest bit. And on the next da}' he 

 called thoin in to a feast for his son. Again he did not eat. Two big- 

 bellied fellows had come in. People took up cranberries by the box, 

 and when one of these opened his mouth they emptied a boxful into 

 it. They also emptied boxes into the mouth of the other. 



On the next day his father invited them again, and they (the big-bel- 

 lies) came in and stood there. And again cranberries were emptied 

 into their mouths. Then NAfiki'lsLas went quickly toward the end of 

 the town. As he was going along he came to open ground where cran- 

 berries were being blown out. He stopped up this hole with moss, 

 and he did the same to another. After he had entered he questioned the 

 big-bellied ones, who stood near the door: "I say, tell me the reason 

 whj' you eat [so much]." " Don't ask it, chief. We are always afflicted 

 in this way." "Yes; tell me. When my father calls in the people, 

 and you are going to eat, if 3'ou do not tell me I will make 3'ou alwaj^s 

 full." "Well, chief, sit close to me while I tell you. Early in the 

 morning take a bath, and when you lie down [after it] scratch your- 

 self over your heart, and when scabs have formed on the next day 

 swallow them." 



He did at once as he was told. After he had sat still for a while [he 

 said]: " Father, I have become hungr3\" Upon this his father sent to 

 call the people. [The big-bellied persons] again came in and stood 

 there. Again was [food] emptied into their mouths. It did them no 

 good. And he again became hungr}'. He again called them in. Day 

 after day, for many da3's, he called them in. One day he went out 

 [to defecate]. The3" saw him eating the cranberries that had floated 

 ashore upon the beach [from peoples' dung]. Thereupon they shut 

 the door upon him. ' 



