132 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. a.vn. 32 



runs around the tree ? " was her next question. " Yes ; and that is 

 why I look as old as I do. He craftily stole my enchanted outfit — 

 my garments and dress," declared the elder brother. In her own 

 mind the young woman thought that this was the man for whom 

 they were waiting, so she resolved to marry him. Saying to him, 

 " You may come along with me," she ferried him with his brother 

 across the river and took him to the lodge of her father, where she 

 showed him to her couch, which was also beautifully adorned with 

 skins and fine furs. She told him, " This is your place of rest." 

 Above it was a smaller bed, and she added, " Your brother can have 

 that couch." and they placed the Turkey Brother up there. 



That night the old thief opened the fisher-skin jiouch to take out 

 the pipe, but the fisher bit his finger and it was with the greatest 

 difficulty that he released his finger from its mouth. 



After the youngest daughter brought h'er husband home there 

 was great dissatisfaction in the lodge because of her seemingly poor 

 choice of a husband. They tried to get the aged chief to dissuade 

 her from living with her husband, but with a knowing look he 

 would saj', " Oh ! she knows what she is doing ; so let her alone." 



For a number of daj's these families lived without any unusual 

 incident. Then the husband of the youngest daughter informed 

 her that he was ill with severe pains in the stomach, and that she 

 must get from her father his best wampum bowl, because he, the 

 sick man, desired to disgorge into it. Hurrying awaj", she brought 

 the bowl. Her husband cast up enough beautiful black wampum to 

 fill it completely. Then he bade her, " Take this to your father and 

 give it to him for me." In receiving it, the chief remarked : " Oh ! 

 thanks. I knew that he is a great man, for he came from a good 

 country. He is the greatest man of whom I have ever heard. This 

 is a beautiful present." ^^ 



When the eldest daugliter's hu.sband heard of this he said to his 

 wife, " Run to j'our father and get his wampum bo.wl. I too desire 

 to use it." When slie had brought it. he filled it in a similar manner, 

 but only with half-decayed lizards and worms and all manner of 

 foul things of an intolerably offensive odor. He then bade her to 

 take it to her father as a present from him. She did so, but her 

 father was very angry, saying: "How dare you bring that vile stuff 

 to me. Run to the creek with it, and thoroughly wash and scrape the 

 })owl ; wash it many times over. But never do this again." 



A few days later the husband of the youngest daughter said again, 

 " (Jo to your father and get that wampum bowl again." This time 

 he filled the bowl heaping full with beautiful white wampum. He 

 then said, " Take this to your father as a present from me." She 

 ran with it to her father, and the old chief was delighted with it, 



