LA n-BSCHB] TRIBAL, RITES — FREE TRANSLATION 105 



10. I, as a person, have, verily, made my body. 



11. I am continually watched over by all the gods as one worthy of 



their notice. 



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



13. They too shall be watched over by all the gods as worthy of their 



notice. 



14. I am fitted for the use of the little ones as a means to reach old age. 



15. Behold the skin of my feet. 



16. I have made it to be the means to reach old age. 



17. When the little ones make of it the means to reach old age, 



18. They shall always live to see old age. 



19. Behold the skin of my feet where they are dark in color. 



20. I have made these dark parts of my feet to be as my charcoal. 



21. When the little ones make them to be as their charcoal, 



22. They shall have charcoal that will easily sink into their skin. 



23. Behold the tip of my beak is black in color. 



24. My black beak I have made to be as my charcoal. 



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



26. They shall have charcoal that will easily sink into their skins. 



27. Behold the parts of my body that are black. 



28. I have made the parts of my body that are black to be as my 



charcoal. 



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



30. They shall have charcoal that will easily sink into their bodies. 



31. Behold the tip of my tail, that is dark in color. 



32. I have made the black tip of my tail to be as my charcoal. 



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



34. They shall have charcoal that will easily sink into their skin. 



The Wa-ja '-be-to" (Black Bear) Gens 

 (Osage version, p. 327; literal translation, p. 491) 



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



2. The Ho°'-ga, a people who possess seven fireplaces, 



3. Spake to the Wa-(?a'-be-to°, the gens whose symbol is the Black 



Bear (pi. 10, b), 



4. Saying: O, grandfather, 



5. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies. 



6. The Wa-9a'-be-to° made quick response: O, little ones, 



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



bodies. 

 S. Let the little, ones make of me their bodies. 

 9. Let them also make of me their charcoal. 



