swANTONi HAIDA TKXTS AND MYTHS 247 



wliei'o the old iiuiii was. Tho}' got in with him and started off. After 

 thoy had o-one on a wlTde longer he came with her to the town. He 

 had got his wife back, and he staj^ed there with her always. 



['I'lic f()lli)\vi!i{,' excellent version of this story was obtained by Professor Boas from Charlie Edenshaw. 

 chief of the StA'stas, a Masset family.] 



In the village Tl [on the west coast of (jraliam island] there was 

 a boy who lived with his grandmother. His parents were d(>ad. 

 While he was still living in his little house with his grandmother, he 

 used to make wands with a little shell knife. While doing so he ran 

 a splint under his linger nail, which made his finger swell to an enor- 

 mous size. Therefore he received the name SLEg.otsg.a'noe. 



One dav the bo}^ met a crane whose beak was broken. He carved a 

 new beak for him out of wood. The}' were living in the last house of 

 the village. He had ten uncles who were all chiefs. One of his 

 uncles had a boy who was sick all the time. Now, the boy who had 

 healed tiie crane, took a small mat, which he tied round his waist like a 

 shaman's apron. He made a rattle of cockleshell and carved a sha- 

 man's wand for his own use. He tried to imitate the shamans who 

 were trying to heal his cousin. One day the youth went to his uncle's 

 house, Avhich was full of people. He looked into it and saw a bone 

 sticking in his sick cousin's side. A black man was standing on each 

 side of the door. They were the porpoises. The boy thought: " If I 

 am a])le to remove that bone ni}' cousin will rtM-over." The two t)lack 

 men said at once: ''This boy says a bone is in the sick ])oy's side, and 

 that he is able to pull it out." Then the people laughed at him, but 

 they allowed him to try. The crane had given him a shaman's powers, 

 although he did not know^ it. Then he pulled out the bone, and his 

 cousin arose, healed and well. Then he put it back again, and he was 

 sick again. Now the boy returned to his house. He said to his 

 grandmother: ''I am able to save my cousin." She struck him, say- 

 ing: '"Don't sa}' so, else the}' will punish 3'ou." But he was able to 

 see the bone in his cousin's side, although nobod}' else was able to dis- 

 cover it. 



Now tiie chief sent for his nephew. One of his slaves went to call 

 him. Then his grandmother said: "Surely, the chief is going to kill 

 us." Then the l)()y took his mat apron, his rattle, and his wand and 

 went to his uncle's house. There were many shamans inside. He 

 went around the tire, keeping the fireplace to his left. Then he pulled 

 the bone out of his cousin's body, blew ui)on him, while the people were 

 beating time, and the sick bo}^ recovered. Then he put it in again, 

 and he felt sick again. The sick bo}'^ said that he had felt better for a 

 little while, but that he was sick again. The other shamans tried again 

 to cure him, but the}^ wei'e unable to do so. Then the sick boy asked 

 them to send once more for his cousin. They sent for him, and, wlien 

 he came, they offered him all kinds of property, but he refused it. 



