70 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. anm. 37 



along nevertheless, and whenever you wish to walk like the thunder- 

 birds and walk above tlie earth, then I can turn back. I will go 

 along." 



There were eleven who went along. When they got to the place 

 where the Shawnee prophet was staying they found all the other 

 tribes (represented) there except the Winnebago. 



Then the prophet said, "It is good, my younger brothers."' He 

 called the Winnebago younger brothers. "There are many tribes 

 here, but I wanted to see you here especially. It is good you have 

 come. I want to talk to you, but it is impossible (because I can not 

 speak your language)." Now the old man who had come along 

 against the wishes of the chief could speak any Indian language, so 

 the leader said to Dog-Head, "Older brother, you used to speak 

 almost any language; can you still do it?" Then Dog-Head said, 

 "My younger brother, I can understand what he is saying, but I 

 don't know whether I could talk the language myself. I may or 

 may not be able to speak it (enough to make myself understood). 

 I don't know." Then the leader said, "It is good, older brother. 

 Try to talk to him, and whatever you do will be better than nothing." 

 Then Dog-Head said to the Shawnee prophet, "I can understand 

 what you are saying, but I am afraid to talk to you because I don't 

 know whether I could Jnake myself clear to you." The prophet 

 thanked him and said, " It is good. I want to talk to you Winnebago." 



Tlien they had a long conversation and this is what he said, 

 "Younger brothers, we are not doing the right thing and that is 

 why we are not getting along very well in life." 



At that time they (the other tribes) were having their night dances, 

 so the Winnebago moved over to them. There they heard the 

 prophet speak. He said that he had been sent by the Creator because 

 the Indians were wandering away from their old customs. For 

 that reason the Creator had sent him to tell them of it. He at first 

 forgot all about it, for the devil misrepresented things to him and 

 he believed him. Tlie devil had told him that he would go to heaven 

 and that he could not be killed. He had told him that he had given 

 him a holy belt. He was a bad person. Wlienever he got angry 

 he would throw his belt down on the gi-ound and it would change 

 into a yellow rattlesnake and rattle. WThen he did this the rest of 

 the people were afraid of him. He was very mean when drunk. 

 They were afraid of him, not only on account of his belt, which he 

 could turn into a yellow rattlesnake, but also because of the fact 

 that he was very strong. If, when he was drunk, a number of people 

 jumped on him, aftei wards he would find out about it and hit them. 

 If they would resist he would kill them. 



It was utterly impossible for him to be killed. He was unkind 

 to the women. They would go with him not because they liked him 



