﻿370 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  the 
  flood 
  season 
  the 
  current 
  is 
  too 
  rapid 
  for 
  anyone 
  to 
  venture 
  to 
  cross 
  

   the 
  river. 
  Diving 
  was 
  practised 
  by 
  boys 
  and 
  girls 
  and 
  was 
  enjoyed 
  

   by 
  men 
  and 
  women 
  also. 
  In 
  these 
  water 
  sports 
  the 
  sexes 
  did 
  not 
  

   mingle; 
  women 
  and 
  girls 
  kept 
  together 
  and 
  apart 
  from 
  the 
  men 
  and 
  

   boys. 
  

  

  Story 
  telling 
  was 
  the 
  delight 
  of 
  everyone 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  evenings. 
  

   It 
  was 
  then 
  that 
  the 
  old 
  folk 
  drew 
  on 
  their 
  store 
  of 
  memories, 
  and 
  

   myths, 
  fables, 
  the 
  adventures 
  of 
  the 
  pygmies 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  gajazhe 
  (the 
  

   little 
  people 
  who 
  play 
  about 
  the 
  woods 
  and 
  prairies 
  and 
  lead 
  people 
  

   astray) 
  — 
  all 
  these 
  and 
  also 
  actual 
  occurrences 
  were 
  recited 
  with 
  

   varying 
  intonation 
  and 
  illustrative 
  gesture, 
  sometimes 
  interspersed 
  

   with 
  song, 
  which 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  and 
  heightened 
  the 
  spell 
  of 
  the 
  

   story 
  or 
  myth 
  over 
  the 
  listeners 
  clustered 
  about 
  the 
  blazing 
  fire 
  

   The 
  uncle 
  (the 
  mother's 
  brother), 
  who 
  was 
  always 
  a 
  privileged 
  

   character 
  and 
  at 
  whose 
  practical 
  jokes 
  no 
  nephew 
  or 
  niece 
  must 
  ever 
  

   take 
  offense, 
  often 
  made 
  the 
  evening 
  merry 
  with 
  pranks 
  of 
  all 
  sorts, 
  

   from 
  the 
  casting 
  of 
  shadow 
  pictures 
  on 
  the 
  wall 
  with 
  his 
  fingers 
  to 
  

   improvising 
  dances 
  and 
  various 
  rompings 
  with 
  the 
  little 
  ones. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  spring, 
  after 
  the 
  thunder 
  had 
  sounded, 
  the 
  boys 
  had 
  a 
  festiv- 
  

   ity 
  called 
  i 
  n 
  de'gthefe 
  (inde, 
  "face;" 
  gthefe, 
  "striped"), 
  the 
  word 
  

   referring 
  to 
  the 
  mask 
  worn 
  by 
  the 
  boys. 
  A 
  dried 
  bladder, 
  with 
  holes 
  

   cut 
  for 
  the 
  mouth 
  and 
  eyes, 
  was 
  pulled 
  over 
  the 
  head; 
  the 
  bladder 
  

   was 
  striped 
  lengthwise 
  in 
  black 
  and 
  white, 
  to 
  represent 
  lightning. 
  The 
  

   boys 
  carried 
  clubs 
  and 
  scattered 
  over 
  the 
  village. 
  Each 
  boy 
  went 
  

   to 
  the 
  tent 
  of 
  his 
  uncle 
  (his 
  mother's 
  brother) 
  and 
  beat 
  with 
  his 
  club 
  

   against 
  the 
  tent 
  pole 
  at 
  the 
  door, 
  while 
  he 
  made 
  a 
  growling 
  sound 
  in 
  

   imitation 
  of 
  thunder. 
  The 
  uncle 
  called 
  out, 
  "What 
  does 
  Striped 
  

   Face 
  want?" 
  The 
  boy 
  disguised 
  his 
  voice, 
  and 
  said, 
  "I 
  want 
  leg- 
  

   gings 
  or 
  moccasins 
  or 
  some 
  other 
  article." 
  Then 
  the 
  uncle 
  called 
  him 
  

   in 
  and 
  made 
  him 
  a 
  present. 
  Should 
  the 
  uncle 
  refuse 
  to 
  give 
  anything 
  

   the 
  boy 
  might 
  punch 
  a 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  tent 
  or 
  do 
  some 
  other 
  mischief. 
  

   But 
  generally 
  the 
  sport 
  ended 
  pleasantly 
  and 
  was 
  greatly 
  enjoyed 
  

   bv 
  old 
  and 
  young. 
  

  

  >-> 
  

  

  