﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  SOCIAL 
  LIFE 
  331 
  

  

  anything 
  from 
  another 
  without 
  recognition 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  an 
  expression 
  

   the 
  equivalent 
  of 
  "thank 
  you;" 
  this 
  equivalent 
  was 
  the 
  mention 
  of 
  a 
  

   term 
  of 
  relationship. 
  

  

  To 
  elucidate 
  further 
  the 
  teachings 
  and 
  training 
  given 
  to 
  children 
  

   and 
  youths, 
  the 
  insistence 
  with 
  which 
  industry, 
  good 
  manners, 
  and 
  

   consideration 
  for 
  others 
  were 
  impressed 
  upon 
  the 
  young, 
  the 
  follow- 
  

   ing 
  notes, 
  taken 
  beside 
  a 
  camp 
  fire 
  one 
  evening 
  in 
  early 
  September 
  

   years 
  ago, 
  are 
  here 
  given. 
  An 
  old 
  man, 
  no 
  longer 
  living, 
  was 
  on 
  that 
  

   occasion 
  in 
  a 
  reminiscent 
  mood 
  and 
  somewhat 
  inclined 
  to 
  question 
  

   the 
  advantage 
  of 
  influences 
  that 
  were 
  creeping 
  in 
  among 
  the 
  people. 
  

   As 
  he 
  talked 
  he 
  sat 
  playing 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  stick, 
  tracing 
  figures 
  on 
  the 
  

   ground, 
  while 
  the 
  firelight 
  shed 
  a 
  ruddy 
  glow 
  on 
  the 
  faces 
  of 
  those 
  

   who 
  made 
  the 
  circle. 
  In 
  the 
  distance 
  the 
  tents 
  stood 
  pule 
  and 
  

   specterlike, 
  overhead 
  the 
  stars 
  were 
  brilliantly 
  white 
  in 
  the 
  clear 
  dark 
  

   sky 
  and 
  no 
  sound 
  but 
  the 
  snapping 
  of 
  the 
  burning 
  wood 
  broke 
  in 
  on 
  

   the 
  flow 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  man's 
  words. 
  

  

  The 
  children 
  do 
  not 
  receive 
  the 
  training 
  that 
  we 
  men 
  did 
  from 
  our 
  fathers. 
  Every- 
  

   thing 
  is 
  changed. 
  I 
  remember 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  sayings 
  that 
  used 
  to 
  be 
  common 
  in 
  my 
  

   young 
  days: 
  sayings 
  that 
  were 
  supposed 
  to 
  hold 
  us 
  young 
  people 
  in 
  order 
  and 
  teach 
  

   us 
  to 
  be 
  mindful 
  of 
  our 
  elders 
  and 
  not 
  become 
  self-indulgent. 
  Write 
  them 
  down; 
  I 
  

   would 
  like 
  the 
  Omaha 
  to 
  know 
  how 
  children 
  were 
  talked 
  to 
  in 
  the 
  old 
  times 
  — 
  chil- 
  

   dren 
  from 
  10 
  to 
  15 
  years 
  of 
  age. 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  boy 
  used 
  a 
  knife 
  in 
  cutting 
  meat 
  the 
  old 
  men 
  said: 
  "The 
  knife 
  eats 
  more 
  

   meat; 
  you 
  should 
  bite 
  it." 
  This 
  saying 
  means, 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  knife 
  makes 
  one 
  lazy; 
  

   a 
  man 
  should 
  rely 
  on 
  his 
  own 
  resources; 
  the 
  one 
  who 
  so 
  trains 
  himself 
  is 
  ready 
  for 
  any 
  

   emergency. 
  

  

  In 
  old 
  times 
  kettles 
  were 
  scarce 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  kettle 
  would 
  often 
  serve 
  several 
  

   families. 
  It 
  was 
  also 
  customary 
  never 
  to 
  return 
  a 
  borrowed 
  kettle 
  entirely 
  empty 
  but 
  

   to 
  leave 
  a 
  little 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  portion 
  that 
  was 
  cooked 
  in 
  it. 
  If 
  a 
  lad 
  should 
  help 
  himself 
  

   to 
  that 
  which 
  came 
  home 
  in 
  the 
  kettle 
  the 
  old 
  men 
  would 
  say: 
  "If 
  you 
  eat 
  what 
  is 
  

   brought 
  home 
  in 
  the 
  kettle 
  your 
  arrows 
  will 
  twist 
  when 
  you 
  shoot" 
  [will 
  not 
  go 
  

   straight], 
  adding 
  in 
  explanation: 
  "The 
  youth 
  who 
  thinks 
  first 
  of 
  himself 
  and 
  forgets 
  

   the 
  old 
  will 
  never 
  prosper, 
  nothing 
  w-ill 
  go 
  straight 
  for 
  him." 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  intestine 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo, 
  called 
  wash-no,, 
  that 
  is 
  very 
  tender, 
  

   so 
  that 
  the 
  old 
  people 
  who 
  have 
  no 
  teeth, 
  or 
  but 
  few, 
  can 
  eat 
  it, 
  chew 
  and 
  digest 
  it. 
  

   If 
  the 
  lads 
  want 
  to 
  eat 
  this 
  tender 
  bit 
  the 
  father 
  would 
  say: 
  "You 
  must 
  not 
  eat 
  the 
  

   washna, 
  for 
  if 
  you 
  do, 
  and 
  go 
  with 
  a 
  war 
  party 
  for 
  spoils, 
  the 
  dogs 
  will 
  bark 
  at 
  you." 
  

   Why 
  the 
  dogs 
  would 
  bark 
  was 
  left 
  a 
  mystery, 
  which 
  fact 
  would 
  make 
  the 
  young 
  people 
  

   afraid 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  washna, 
  and 
  so 
  the 
  old 
  people 
  could 
  enjoy 
  it 
  in 
  peace. 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  young 
  man 
  attempted 
  to 
  drink 
  the 
  broth 
  in 
  the 
  kettle, 
  the 
  old 
  men 
  would 
  

   say: 
  "A 
  young 
  man 
  must 
  not 
  drink 
  the 
  broth; 
  if 
  he 
  does, 
  his 
  ankles 
  will 
  rattle 
  and 
  

   his 
  joints 
  become 
  loose." 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  marrowfat 
  was 
  tried 
  out 
  and 
  the 
  lad 
  desired 
  some 
  of 
  it 
  with 
  his 
  meat, 
  the 
  

   old 
  men 
  would 
  say: 
  "If 
  you 
  eat 
  of 
  the 
  marrowfat 
  you 
  will 
  become 
  quick 
  tempered, 
  

   your 
  heart 
  will 
  become 
  soft, 
  and 
  you 
  will 
  turn 
  your 
  back 
  to 
  your 
  enemy" 
  [be 
  afraid]. 
  

  

  In 
  my 
  day 
  the 
  young 
  men 
  were 
  forbidden 
  to 
  smoke, 
  for 
  smoking, 
  we 
  were 
  told. 
  

   would 
  make 
  young 
  men 
  short 
  winded 
  and 
  when 
  they 
  went 
  into 
  battle 
  they 
  would 
  

   be 
  quickly 
  overcome. 
  

  

  The 
  old 
  men 
  used 
  to 
  tell 
  the 
  young 
  men 
  that 
  they 
  must 
  learn 
  to 
  make 
  arrows. 
  They 
  

   said: 
  "If 
  one 
  does 
  not 
  make 
  arrows 
  he 
  will 
  borrow 
  moccasins, 
  leggings, 
  and 
  robes 
  and 
  

  

  