MATERIAL COLLECTED BY JEREMIAH CURTIN 



FICTION 

 1. The Sister and Her Six Elder Brothers 



Once there was a lodge, which extended east and west, with two 

 doors, one at each end. The fire burned in the middle of the lodge, 

 which was occupied by a sister and her six elder brothers. Three 

 of the brothers used the eastern doorway, and the other three the 

 western doorway, for entering and leaving the lodge, while the sister 

 made use of both doorways. 



The eldest brother said, " AVhat would you say, mj' brothers and 

 sister, if I should take a wife? " "We do not know,"' they replied: 

 " perhaps nothing, if she does not abuse us." So he went to bring the 

 young woman. He addressed her old mother, saying, "Are you will- 

 ing that thy daughter and I should marry?" She replied, "Cer- 

 tainly, if you will not ill-treat her, but have pity on her." Then the 

 young man went to his home, where he said, " She will come.'" 



Now, the mother made marriage-bread for the occasion. When it 

 was ready the maiden, bearing the bread on her back by means of 

 the forehead strap, started for the place where abode the six brothers 

 and their sister. They received her bread and ate it with a relish. 



Then the elder brother said to his wife: " Now, I will tell you. In 

 this room you must never cross to the other side of the fire ; and when 

 you desire to go out of doors 5'ou must invariably leave by this 

 eastern doorway. But when you desire to enter the lodge you must 

 enter at the other side, tlirough the western doorway." 



Then it came to pass that the brothers began to hunt, as was their 

 •custom. 



Some time after this event the bride said, " Oli, pshaw ! What 

 the man [her husband] thinks is indeed of small account," and 

 went directly through the lodge to the western doorway, the thing 

 which slie had been forbidden to do. 



Now, her husband, the eldest brother, was hunting, and he came 

 to a deep gully over which a log extended. In crossing on this log- 

 he fell off in such a way that his body was caught so that his head 

 hung down into the gully. 



When night came on his brotliers began to fear, saying, " Oh, why 

 does not our elder brother return ! Let us go seek him." So thej' 

 prepared torches and started. Following his tracks, in time they ar- 

 rived at the place where the body of their elder brother was hanging. 

 It was found that he was barely alive. After carefully extricating 



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