150 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ann. s: 



The next morning he said to his uncle, " You must tell me where 

 the tree stands, for I am going to try to find it." When the fond uncle 

 saw that he could not repress his nephew's desire to go, he replied: 

 " Go toward tlie rising sun, and after you have passed through the 

 forests intervening you will come to a large open space. In the 

 middle of this great clearing you will see a very tall tree near which 

 stands a lodge. On the top of this tree sits the eagle with his sharp 

 eyes looking in all directions; and it is in this lodge that the seven 

 sisters dwell." 



Taking a bag, the young nephew said : " Now, cheer up, uncle. I 

 will bring you a whole bagful of chestnuts before you have finished 

 eating the pudding in that kettle." With this remark the youth 

 started toward the sunrise. After traveling for some time he killed 

 a deer, which he cut up, filling his bag with the venison. 



Finally the nephew came to a place where he began to see through 

 the forests to an oi^ening, whereui)on he re!3olved that he must put 

 forth all his caution and craft. So, having the mole as his fetish, 

 he called out " Now, my friend, I want you to come to me ; come to 

 me, you mole ! " In a short time the leaves began to rustle at his 

 feet, and a mother mole appeared and asked him, " AVhat do you want 

 of me? " The youth replied: "I have done a great mischief to my 

 uncle by scraping awaj' all his chestnut. Now I want you to help 

 me get more for him. I shall enter your body and you will carry me 

 underground to that tall tree yonder on which the eagle is sitting. 

 When you are under the tree thrust out your nose a little so that I 

 can see. I shall have to carry my bag with me. Do you think that 

 you can bear me and it, too? " The mole answered, "Oh, yes! I 

 can carry all." 



After reducing his size magically, the youth entered the body of 

 the mole and then it made its way to the tree indicated. As the mole 

 arrived directly under the tree, thrusting its nose out of the ground, 

 it said, " The eagle is looking." In a flash the youth, stepping out 

 of the mole, scattered venison all over the ground under the tree. 

 The eagle flew down and began to eat voraciously of the meat. In 

 the meantime the youth stuffed his bag with the chestnuts, which he 

 gathered in handfuls, and just as the eagle was finishing the last 

 morsel, the mole was engaged in carrying the youth with his bag back 

 to the forest. When the meat was all eaten the eagle uttered a loud 

 scream, and out ran the seven sisters with their clubs. When the}"^ 

 saw that the chestnuts were already stolen and that no one was in 

 siglit, they fell upon the eagle and beat it until they had nearly 

 killed him. 



Arriving in the forest, the youth said to the mole: "Now, I will 

 hide my chestnuts here, and you must then take me back to the 

 lodge of the seven sisters, so I can hear what they say, in order to 



