nwANioNj HAIDA TEXTS AND MYTHS 269 



The .stoky of iini whose sister thought him food fkom the, 



LAND otters 



[ToM liy Abraham of Tlioso-l)(irii-at-yia'(lAsg.o, as related to hirn by an okl Ninstints man] 



lie y,\v\\t out from the town to make a canoe. He had two children. 

 His wife was also witli him. When he came in from making the 

 canoe he said: "■ Would that 1 had a sister to bring in food to me." 



One time at evening burning pitchwood came toward him.^ His 

 sister, who had long ago been carried aAvay by something^ in the woods, 

 came in to him with good food. She talked to him as siie used to. 

 Then she said to him: "Your brother-in-law is going to watch j^our 

 canoe [to see when it is time to move it]. When you are ready to 

 turn it ()V(M- do not go to it for some time after daybrea4v." So she 

 spoke to iier brother. 



When lie was ready to turn it over he did not go to it for some 

 tiTue. When he did go to it his canoe had been turned over. Then 

 he worked the bottom of it. 



After that his sister again brought him food. Then his wife wanted 

 to give her something. She refused it. And they saw her put one of 

 the arms of a crab^ they had eaten which was lying near the fire inside 

 of her blanket. Then they gathered some for her, and, when she 

 again brought food, they gave them to her. She even took their hands 

 along with them [for joy]. Every evening his sister came in to him with 

 food. 



Then she said to her brother: "'When you are going to launch the 

 canoe 3'our brother-in-law says that 3'ou had better not go out to it for 

 some time after daybreak.* Your brother-in-law says he and his 

 friends will bring it out. When he has brought it out, j'^our brother- 

 in-law says he wants }'ou to bring it to him."' She also told him 

 Avhither he should go. 



As soon as he had it ready for launching he did not go to it. When 

 some time had passed after daybreak he saw it sticking half out of 

 the woods near him. Immediately he and his wife hiunched it. Then 

 he went to the place whither his sister had directed him. 



Soon he came to a town. They landed in front of those who had 

 come out of the houses to meet him. They placed his canoe where he 

 was going to finish it, and his sister led them into the house. 



After she had given them food they went to bed. When he awoke 

 in the night [he found] he was pressed in l)y something, lie could in 

 no way stretch out. Those were the roots of a large tree. When it 

 was day, a good house again stood there. 



