276 THE WINNEBAGO TKIBE [eth. ann. 37 



one upon the other; and they told me to blow again and show my power. 

 And I blew, and the ocean, mighty as it was, became quiet again. 



" 'This, human, is the way you will have to do,' they said to me. 

 'Not anything will there be that you can't accomplish. Whatever 

 illness all (the people) may have, you will be able to cure it, ' they 

 told me. All those who are on earth (the spirits) blessed me. 'If 

 any human being who has suffered, pours tobacco for you, then, 

 whatever you demand, that we will do for you,' they said to me. 

 At Blue-Clay-Bank (St. Paul) there is one who is a dancing grizzly- 

 bear (spirit), and there they came and blessed me. If ever I should 

 meet with some great trouble, they would help me, they said. I 

 should pour as much tobacco as I think (necessary) for them, and 

 they will smoke it, they told me. Songs they gave to me; and the 

 power of beholding them, a holy thing, they permitted me, they told 

 me; and their claws, which are holy, they gave to me, they told 

 me. Then the grizzly-bears danced, performing while they danced. 

 Their abdomen they would tear open, and making themselves 

 holy, they would then heal themselves. Then they did it again, 

 and shot bear-claws at each other, and they were badly choking 

 with blood. Then they made themselves holy, and cured themselves. 

 Now, again, they did the following : they made a front paw disappear 

 in the dirt, and after a while they pulled out a prairie- turnip. Then, 

 again, they grabbed a hold of a small plum tree that stood there, 

 and breathed upon it, and shook it, and many plums began to fall. 



"Then all sorts of 'shells' they gave. 'All of this, human, we 

 bless you with; and if you do (what we desire), you will obtain 

 (what you desire),' they said. Then he sang, and breathed (upon 

 me), and squirted some water on my chest. 'Very true this is; 

 very holy it is, I believe,' he said. 'You will get well,' he said to. 

 me." 



