298 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE (eth. ANN. 37 



that of a gun sounded. The two (spirits) were causing it. Suddenly 

 a great noise was heard. I kept riglit on crying, for I was trying 

 to be blessed. I sat tliere with staring eyes looking at the spirits. 

 "I must be receiving a blessing," I thought. I continued crying 

 and after a short time it began to rain very much. "How is this," 

 I thought to myself, "only a little time before it was so nice and now 

 it is raining." Yet in spite of the rain no water seemed to fall upon 

 me. "How is it," I thought, "here it is raining and yet no rain is 

 falling upon me." Then I looked aboA^e and I saw that it was very 

 cloudy, yet straight above me in a direct line the sky was blue. 

 Tliis blue spot was like a round object covering me as though it 

 were an umbrella. The Thunderbirds were blessing me. With the 

 blue sky, they were blessing me. Soon the noise stopped, and 

 when I looked above I saw four (men) standing with packs upon 

 then- backs. These (the spirits) killed. Then they blessed me with 

 the power of kilhng. They spoke to me and said, "Stop your crying. 

 What you have longed for and fasted for, with that we have blessed 

 you. Just as these four men have been killed, so you will be able 

 to kill people. But you will also be able to restore them to life 

 agam. Upon your body now we will make a mark and those whom 

 you wish to bless will be given an opportunity of selecting life for 

 themselves,'' so that, even when a person be practically dead he 

 will be restored to health. What is above you, the blue sky, that 

 we place on one of your fingers,'" and with that we bless you. H 

 the patient picks the finger with the mark upon it, he will live." 



The Thunderbirds were the spirits speaking to me. They had 

 spears and little war-clubs in their hands and (wreathes) made of 

 flat cedar leaves upon their heads. Thus did four Thunderbirds 

 bless me. 



"Well, brother-in-law, I want you to live and I want you to pick 

 life for yourself — i. e., pick the finger with the blue mark upon it. 

 Do it carefully and do not attempt it when you are tired. Here are 

 my four fingers and one of them has the blue sky upon it (i. e., the 

 blue mark that betokens life) . If you choose that, you will certainly 

 live. You are the second person ( to whom I have offered my fingers) . 

 Now do not miss it, for if you miss it you will surely die. Be careful, 

 then, in picking it." 



Then the brother-in-law picked the little finger and Aratcge'ka 

 said, "Brother-in-law, it is good. You will live." Then he turned 

 his little finger around and there a circular blue mark was visible. 



ACCOUNT OF X.'S FASTING 



The spirits can bless you with everything. My father used to 

 tell me how much he loved me and how much he wished me to fast. 



li That is, a sick person will have to guess at the part of the body that has heen blessed by the Thunder- 

 birds, and if he guesses correctly he will become well. 

 1* That is, we will place a mark made with blue clay upon your finger. 



