﻿512 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [ETH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  animals 
  living 
  near 
  this 
  ureal 
  lake 
  have 
  had 
  a 
  council 
  and 
  I 
  am 
  their 
  messenger." 
  

   Then 
  he 
  went 
  on 
  to 
  tell 
  the 
  man 
  that 
  there 
  were 
  Beven 
  leaders 
  in 
  this 
  council 
  — 
  the 
  

   black 
  bear, 
  the 
  buffalo, 
  the 
  elk, 
  the 
  deer, 
  the 
  cougar, 
  the 
  gray 
  wolf, 
  and 
  the 
  skunk. 
  

   These 
  were 
  specially 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  man. 
  There 
  were 
  seven 
  other 
  animals 
  that 
  

   would 
  be 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  woman; 
  these 
  were 
  the 
  otter, 
  the 
  raccoon, 
  the 
  mink, 
  

   the 
  swan, 
  the 
  silver 
  fox, 
  the 
  squirrel, 
  and 
  the 
  owl. 
  Of 
  these 
  animals, 
  the 
  black 
  bear, 
  

   the 
  buffalo, 
  the 
  elk, 
  and 
  the 
  deer 
  are 
  for 
  food; 
  the 
  cougar 
  has 
  strength 
  and 
  courage, 
  

   it 
  rises 
  with 
  the 
  sun 
  and 
  goes 
  forth 
  to 
  get 
  food 
  for 
  its 
  young; 
  the 
  gray 
  wolf 
  does 
  the 
  

   same; 
  the 
  skunk 
  is 
  a 
  hunter; 
  it 
  dwells 
  in 
  a 
  snug 
  house 
  and 
  is 
  clean. 
  The 
  otter 
  hunts 
  

   in 
  the 
  water; 
  the 
  raccoon 
  hunts 
  along 
  the 
  streams 
  and 
  takes 
  of 
  the 
  fruit 
  growing 
  there; 
  

   the 
  mink 
  does 
  the 
  same. 
  The 
  swan 
  provides 
  clothing 
  that 
  gives 
  comfort 
  and 
  also 
  

   beauty. 
  The 
  silver 
  fox 
  is 
  a 
  hunter; 
  squirrels 
  live 
  on 
  food 
  from 
  trees; 
  and 
  the 
  owl 
  

   hunts 
  at 
  night. 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  council, 
  the 
  first 
  seven 
  counseled 
  with 
  the 
  second 
  seven 
  and 
  all 
  agreed 
  to 
  

   help 
  man. 
  Then 
  the 
  sun 
  was 
  appealed 
  to, 
  and 
  the 
  sun 
  consented 
  that 
  the 
  animals 
  

   should 
  help 
  man, 
  give 
  him 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  powers, 
  so 
  that 
  by 
  their 
  powers 
  he 
  should 
  have 
  

   power 
  to 
  become 
  like 
  them 
  and 
  to 
  partake 
  of 
  their 
  qualities. 
  The 
  sun 
  said: 
  "I 
  shall 
  

   stay 
  above 
  and 
  look 
  down 
  on 
  my 
  children." 
  The 
  moon 
  was 
  appealed 
  to, 
  and 
  the 
  

   moon 
  gave 
  consent, 
  and 
  said: 
  "I 
  shall 
  stay 
  above 
  and 
  look 
  down 
  on 
  my 
  children." 
  

   The 
  lightning 
  agreed 
  to 
  make 
  paths, 
  the 
  small 
  paths 
  for 
  the 
  elk, 
  the 
  deer, 
  the 
  buffalo, 
  

   and 
  the 
  bear, 
  and 
  a 
  wide 
  path 
  for 
  all 
  the 
  other 
  animals. 
  Then 
  all 
  said: 
  "Go, 
  search 
  

   for 
  the 
  proper 
  person 
  to 
  whom 
  to 
  give 
  this 
  power." 
  This 
  was 
  the 
  explanation 
  the 
  

   stranger 
  gave 
  to 
  the 
  father 
  and 
  mother 
  when 
  he 
  accepted 
  the 
  gift 
  of 
  their 
  children. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  meat 
  secured 
  by 
  the 
  father 
  had 
  been 
  dried 
  and 
  cached, 
  the 
  family 
  moved 
  

   on, 
  and 
  came 
  near 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  lake. 
  Willows 
  were 
  growing 
  on 
  its 
  banks 
  and 
  

   it 
  was 
  beautiful 
  to 
  look 
  upon. 
  In 
  the 
  lake 
  was 
  a 
  high 
  rock 
  and 
  there 
  was 
  also 
  an 
  island 
  

   with 
  trees 
  growing 
  on 
  it. 
  There 
  was 
  a 
  smooth 
  beach, 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  lapping 
  

   the 
  shore 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  were 
  jumping 
  in 
  the 
  sunlight. 
  The 
  stranger 
  bade 
  the 
  father 
  

   search 
  for 
  animals. 
  He 
  went 
  off, 
  and 
  finally 
  he 
  spied 
  a 
  Mack 
  bear. 
  He 
  took 
  aim, 
  shot, 
  

   and 
  killed 
  it. 
  Just 
  then 
  he 
  saw 
  something 
  descending; 
  it 
  was 
  an 
  eagle 
  that 
  dropped 
  

   and 
  lit 
  on 
  a 
  cottonwood 
  tree. 
  Then 
  the 
  eagle 
  spoke 
  to 
  the 
  man 
  and 
  asked 
  that 
  he 
  be 
  

   allowed 
  to 
  share 
  in 
  the 
  food 
  and 
  he 
  would 
  come 
  and 
  be 
  one 
  of 
  them. 
  The 
  family 
  of 
  

   the 
  man 
  had 
  stopped 
  on 
  the 
  second 
  bench 
  above 
  the 
  lake. 
  The 
  man 
  cut 
  up 
  the 
  bear 
  

   and 
  carried 
  it 
  all 
  up 
  to 
  his 
  family; 
  he 
  left 
  nothing, 
  not 
  even 
  the 
  blood. 
  The 
  stranger 
  

   bade 
  him 
  set 
  aside 
  the 
  heart 
  and 
  tongue 
  of 
  the 
  bear. 
  Then 
  the 
  father 
  went 
  forth 
  and 
  

   killed 
  deer. 
  At 
  sunset 
  the 
  wife 
  brought 
  water 
  and 
  cooked 
  the 
  heart 
  and 
  tongue 
  and 
  

   again 
  the 
  stranger 
  sat 
  at 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  fireplace, 
  the 
  father 
  on 
  his 
  left 
  and 
  the 
  mother 
  

   at 
  the 
  father's 
  left, 
  the 
  children 
  at 
  her 
  left 
  from 
  the 
  eldest 
  to 
  the 
  youngest, 
  and 
  all 
  

   partook 
  of 
  the 
  meat. 
  The 
  stranger 
  sang 
  songs, 
  and 
  taught 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  father 
  and 
  

   mother. 
  They 
  sang 
  all 
  night 
  and 
  the 
  youngest 
  children 
  fell 
  asleep. 
  The 
  two 
  older 
  

   boys 
  joined 
  in 
  the 
  singing. 
  At 
  the 
  close 
  they 
  all 
  sang 
  the 
  song 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  bidden 
  

   to 
  do. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  evening 
  of 
  the 
  third 
  day 
  the 
  stranger 
  told 
  the 
  father 
  and 
  mother 
  that 
  he 
  

   had 
  long 
  been 
  seeking 
  for 
  such 
  a 
  family 
  as 
  theirs 
  to 
  whom 
  to 
  give 
  his 
  magic 
  gifts 
  by 
  

   which 
  they 
  should 
  find 
  plenty 
  of 
  game, 
  accumulate 
  wealth, 
  and 
  become 
  chiefs 
  in 
  

   the 
  tribe. 
  He 
  said: 
  "I 
  am 
  going 
  away, 
  and 
  shall 
  take 
  your 
  children 
  that 
  you 
  have 
  

   given 
  me. 
  But 
  I 
  shall 
  come 
  again; 
  you 
  will 
  find 
  me 
  on 
  the 
  lake 
  shore; 
  I 
  shall 
  be 
  

   in 
  what 
  you 
  find 
  there." 
  The 
  morning 
  of 
  the 
  fourth 
  day 
  (he 
  stranger 
  rose 
  early. 
  

   There 
  was 
  no 
  wind 
  and 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  was 
  perfectly 
  still. 
  He 
  got 
  water, 
  

   gave 
  them 
  all 
  some 
  to 
  drink, 
  then 
  he 
  combed 
  the 
  hair 
  of 
  the 
  children 
  and 
  washed 
  

   them. 
  He 
  told 
  the 
  mother 
  to 
  put 
  on 
  the 
  children's 
  best 
  clothing, 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  tent 
  

   tidy 
  and 
  in 
  order, 
  and 
  to 
  spread 
  a 
  skin 
  at 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  fire 
  with 
  its 
  head 
  to 
  the 
  

   west 
  He 
  told 
  the 
  mother 
  to 
  sit 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  fireplace 
  near 
  the 
  door, 
  on 
  

   her 
  left 
  her 
  husband 
  and 
  at 
  his 
  left 
  the 
  stranger 
  took 
  his 
  seat. 
  He 
  told 
  the 
  children 
  

  

  