MICHELSON. ] AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FOX WOMAN. 317 
have a hard time when they are born that way. That is why one 
believes and fears (what one has been told), so that one will not 
suffer a long time at childbirth. It is better to do what we are told. 
And no corpse is to be touched. If it is touched the babies would die 
after they are born, by inheriting it. And if the dead are looked at, 
they are to be looked at with straight eyes. Also it is said that if 
they are looked at slantingly, the babies will be cross-eyed. And if 
cranes are touched, the babies will always look upward. The chil- 
dren will not be able to look upon the ground. And when any one 
drowns, if he is touched, the babies would die. These are the number 
of things one is forbidden to do. And it is told that one should carry 
wood always on one’s back so that the babies will be loosened (i. e., 
born easily). Again, after (a woman) knows that she is pregnant, she 
is to cease to have anything to do with her husband. (Otherwise) the 
babies will be filthy when they are born. When their parents do not 
observe this, (the babies) begin to move around. That is the rule 
when that happens. For we women have a hard time at childbirth. 
We suffer. Some are killed by the babies. But we are not afraid 
of it, as we have been made to be that way. That is probably the 
reason why we are not afraid of it. Oh, if we were all afraid of it, 
when we all became old, that is as far as we could go. We should not 
be able to branch out (to a new generation). So at childbirth we 
should do only what we are told. The ones who do not do as they are 
told are the ones who are injured by their children.’’ 
I have now told you all how it is, though I did not know about 
this, namely, how hard childbirth is. Even at this time I was not 
able to know about it. Only after I had given birth (to a child) 
would I know how hard it is. Soon surely my abdomen grew large. 
IT was ashamed. When there was a dance I did not go there as I 
was ashamed. 
Soon after eight months were by, my mother-in-law came. She 
came of talk with my mother. ‘‘Now is the time when she is on 
the point of giving birth (to a child). We should build (a little 
wickiup) beforehand for her so that she may be delivered there. 
That is why I took my time coming, (thinking) she might be sick 
at night,” she said to my mother. They built it. After they built 
it, she said to my mother, “‘ Well, you may summon me whenever she 
is sick.” 
Soon I became sick in the evening when lying alone. I did not 
tell of it. Soon I was told, “You might be sick?” “Yes,” I 
answered, “TI am sick and have a little pain in the small of my back,” 
I said to my mother. ‘Oh ho,” she said, ‘very likely now is the 
time when you are to have a child. I shall summon her. For she 
said, ‘you will summon me.’”’ In a little after she came, she said 
to me, “Come, go to the little wickiup.” (Blankets) were spread for 
me. When I sat down comfortably a strap was fastened from above. 
