134 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ANN. as 



husband of the chief's youngest daughter took from the old thief 

 the panther-sifin robe, the moccasins, tlie leggings, and the pouch of 

 fisher skin which had been stolen from him by craft. Having 

 recovered his own garments and accouterments, he now donned them 

 to attend the council. 



There remained in the chief's lodge only the old woman, the 

 servants, and the sleeping couple. Finally the old woman, the 

 chief's wife, went to the couch of the sleepers, and said, " Come ! 

 come ! you two, arise," at the same time shaking her daughter. Then 

 looking more closely at her sleeping son-in-law she started back in 

 utter disgust, with the exclamation, " That is a nice-looking husband 

 you have in your arms ! " When the covers were removed the true 

 character of the man appeared. With the loss of the stolen enchanted 

 garments he had immediately become old and shrunken, with the 

 face of an owl. The unhappy woman awoke, and, looking at her 

 husband, she was surprised to see what an ugly creature had been 

 sleeping with her. So without any compunction she dragged him 

 out of bed and pushed him with his own soiled garments out of the 

 lodge, saying, " I shall never again have you for a husband." The 

 wily old owl at once disappeared and was never seen in that place 

 again. 



When the husband of the chief's youngest daughter came into 

 the lodge he looked strong, young, and vigorous. The panther's 

 head on his robe cried out, the loon's feathers sang. Opening his 

 pouch and taking out the pipe, he lighted it and smoked; the bull- 

 frog croaked, the blaclcsnake wriggled and tried to swallow the bull- 

 frog. All the people looked on in wonder, and they said, " We have 

 never before seen a man with orenda so powerful." Then this 

 magically potent son-in-law said to his father-in-law, " I must now 

 go home to my uncle in the far east." " We shall go, too," replied 

 the aged chief, and all the people shouted assent. They were soon 

 ready to follow. The young husband replied : " It is well. My 

 brother and I will go on ahead to prepare for you. You are 

 welcome." 



Then, calling his Turkey Brother, he said to him, " Now, my dear 

 brother, I think that you may take off your turkey-skin robe and 

 put on garments such as other boys wear." His brother had grown 

 to be a large boy, for he was nearing the age of puberty. So he 

 removed his turkey-skin robe and put on his new style of garments, in 

 which he looked well. 



The two brothers then started, and they reached home in one day. 

 But the old chief and his people were six years on the way. They 

 could not travel with the speed of men possessed of powerful orenda. 

 They were welcomed with joy on their arrival in the country of 



