154 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS Ieth. ann. 32 



be .vour friend for this favor. You shall succeed in all that j'ou may 

 undertake." As the young man turned to go home the strange man 

 bade him farewell. Having proceeded a short distance toward home, 

 the young man turned to take a look at the lodge, but to his surprise 

 it had disappeared. What he had thought was an opening in the 

 forest was now a large body of water. 



Ever after this circumstance the chief's son-in-law enjoyed good 

 fortune in all that he undertook. He became a great hunter and a 

 great warrior. When his tribe waged a war against a neighboring 

 people he took many scalps and many prisoners. Whatever he 

 desired he obtained easily in abundance. It was said by those who 

 Itnew the circumstances that his good luck came from the friendship 

 of the otter, whose finger, or claw, the 3'oung man had so generously 

 returned to it. 



26. The Seven Sisters Who Produced Wampum 



In the long ago there lived seven sisters who were endowed 

 through their orenda with great skill in sorcery. These sisters lived 

 together in a lodge situated on a high mountain. From this advan- 

 tageous situation they were able to see a long distance in every 

 direction. 



One of their chief occupations during berrying time was to gather 

 large quantities of huckleberries for drying and storing. They 

 would carry long baskets on their backs by means of the forehead 

 strap and smaller ones in their hands, for collecting the berries from 

 the plants and bushes. These berries they gathered in the neigh- 

 boring patches which belonged to them and brought them home to 

 dry in the sun. 



Now, it so happened that these seven sisters were misanthropes, 

 and they boasted that they hated men. Each one of them sincerely 

 and frequently said, " I can not bear the odor of a man." True to 

 their animosity to men, they would not permit one to come near 

 their domicile. They carried this aversion to the presence of men 

 to the extent that they would have no relations whatever with mar- 

 ried women, even turning up their noses at them, with the contemptu- 

 ous remark, " Oh, they smell of men." So they would not allow 

 either men or women near their huckleberry patch. 



Among the young men who heard of these peculiar sisters was one 

 who determined to have a look at them. In order to see them he 

 managed to conceal himself in their huckleberry patch about the time 

 of their coming. When the sisters, therefore, came with their bas- 

 kets into the berry patch the young man saw the youngest, with 

 whom he immediately fell deeply in love, for she was very beautiful 

 in face and attractive in figure. He then and there decided to ap- 



