RAOiN] THE PEYOTE CTTLT 425 



this time? Why did I not look before I began? No wonder the 

 people call me the Foolish One." 



So are we Winnebagoes. We never look before we act. We do 

 everything without thinking. We think we know all about it. 



The Trickster was walking around with a pack on his ])ack. As he 

 walked along, someone called to him. "Say, we want you to sing." 

 "All right," said he. "I am carrying songs in my pack, and if you 

 wish to dance, build a large lodge for me with a small hole at the end 

 for an entrance." Wlien it was finished, they all went in, and the 

 Trickster followed them. Those who had spoken to him were birds. 

 He told them that while dancing they were not to open their eyes, 

 for if they did their eyes would become red. Wlaenever a fat bird 

 passed the Trickster he would choke it to death, and if it cried out, 

 he would say, "That's it! That's it! Give a whoop!" 



After a whUe one of the birds got somewhat suspicious and opened 

 its eyes just the least little bit. He saw that the Trickster was 

 choking all the birds. "He is killing us all, " said the bird. "Let aU 

 who can rim for their lives." Then he flew out through the top of the 

 house. The Trickster took the birds he had killed and roasted them; 

 but he did not get a chance to eat them, for they were taken away 

 from him by somebody. 



So are we Winnebagoes. We like all that is forbidden. We say 

 that we like the medicine dance; we say that it is good and yet we 

 keep it secret and forbid people to witness it. We tell members of 

 the dance not to speak about it until the world shall come to an end. 

 They are afraid to speak of it. We, the Winnebago, are the birds, 

 and the Trickster is satan. 



Once, as the Trickster was going along the road, some one spoke to 

 him. He listened, and he heard it say, "If anyone eats me all bad 

 things will come out of him." Then the trickster went up to the one 

 talking, and said, "WhaJt is your name?" "My name is 'Blows- 

 himself-away.' " The Trickster would not believe it; so he ate it. 

 After a while, he blew himself away. He laughed. "Oh, pshaw! I 

 suppose this is what it meant." As he went along it grew worse and 

 worse, and it was only after the greatest hardship that he succeeded in 

 returning home. 



So are we Winnebagoes. We travel on this earth all our lives, and 

 then when one of us tastes something that makes him unconscious 

 we look upon this thing with suspicion when he regains consciousness. 



The Attitude of the Conservatives 



At every phase of the cult's development Rave had to contend with 

 the hostility of the conservative members of the tribe. It would be 

 interesting to know in what manner and degree this hostility mani- 

 186823°— 22 28 



