tA FLESCHE] 



CHILD-NAMING RITE 85 



knife which was accepted as suitable for the purpose. Then followed 

 the idea of the people of making a magical war club for ceremonial 

 use. The Sho'-ka went in search for the right kind of tree out of 

 which to make it. He brought to the elder brothers the hickory 

 tree, the thick-barked hickory tree, the red oak tree, the red wood 

 tree, the dark wood tree, each of which was rejected as being unsuit- 

 able for use as a club. Then he brought to them the willow tree, a 

 tree that never dies. This the elder brothers accepted as eminently 

 fitted for use as a club, and: 



268. Their round-handled-knife 



269. They quickly took from its resting place, 



271. And spake, saying: It is a fear-inspiring knife, 



272. Verily, it is a mysterious knife. 



273. Mysterious-knife 



274. The little ones shall take as their personal name. 



276. They lifted the round-handled knife 



277. And quicldy stabbed with it the body of the willow tree. 



278. Then from its wound its life-blood streamed forth. 



—(36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 261.) 



3. We'-thi°-5a-gi, Strong-strap. With the mysterious knife the 

 people shaped out of the " tree-that-never-dies " a mystic club. 

 Taking with them the knife and the club they went in search of a 

 buffalo and found one. On coming in sight of the animal they 

 brandished the magic weapon four times in the air and the buffalo 

 fell lifeless to the groimd : 



511. The skin of the (left) hind leg 



512. They cut into a narrow strip, 



514. And said: VerUy the skin stretches not, 



515. We shall make use of it as we travel the path of life. 

 517. Verily, it is a strong strap, 



519. We shall consecrate it for ceremonial use, 



520. Therefore Strong-strap 



521. We shall make to be our sacred personal name. 



—(36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., pp. 267-268.) 



4. We'-tW-ga-xe, Strap-maker. By the cutting of the first 

 strap out of the skin of the left hind leg of the magically killed buffalo 

 the people of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-no° gens created for themselves the 

 office of making the straps (pi. 8) for the warriors for the tying of 

 captives when any are taken. As they continued to cut out the 

 strap they said: 



523. Strap-maker, also, 



524. We shall make to be our sacred personal name. 



—(36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 268.) 



