90 THE OSAGE TRIBE ("TH. ank. 36 



42. When they use the awls to bring the Httle ones back to life, 



43. Thoy sliall always live to sec old age. 



44. Behold, the stooping of my shoulders, 



45. That I have made to be the means to reach old age. 



46. When they, also, make of it the means to reach old age, 



47. Tliey shall always live to see old age. 



48. Behold, the muscles of my throat, 



49. Which I have made to be the means to reach old age. 



50. When the little ones make of them the means to reach old age, 



51. They shall always live to see, in the flaccid muscles of their 



throats, the signs of old age. 



52. Behold, the locks on the crown of my head that are thinned with 



age. 



53. These locks, also, 



54. I have made to be the means to reach old age. 



55. When they, also, make of them the means to reach old age, 



56. They shall always live to see, in their scant locks, the sign of old 



age. 



PART III. M0N'-?E (metal) WI'-GI-E 

 (Osage version, p. 315; literal translation, p. 475) 



1. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house, 



2. On the seventh day (of his vigil) 



3. He (the Chief) came to the borders of the village 



4. And he paused and stood. 



5. There, upon the ground, lay a piece of metal. 



6. Close to it he stood and spake, saying: 



7. O, grandfather, 



8. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, O, 



grandfather. 



9. The metal spake, in quick response: O, little one, 



10. You say the little ones have nothing of which to make their 



bodies. 



11. They shall make of me their bodies. 



12. I am difficult to overcome by death. 



13. When the Uttle ones make of me their bodies, 



14. They shall be as I, difficult to overcome by death. 



15. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house, 



16. He also said: The httle ones shall make awls of me. 



17. When the little ones take to making bone awls of me, 



18. They shall have awls that will be sharp, indeed. 



19. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 



20. When they take to making awls of me, 



21. And should any of them pass, even to the realm of spirits, 



22. They shall, by the use of the awls (as scarifiers), bring them- 



selves back to consciousness. 



