IGO SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [mn. ann. 32 



people on the inside of the lodge began to scramble and fight for the 

 wampilm beads, he swooped down through the smoke-hole, and 

 seizing the part of the body which he sought, he flew out with it to 

 the waiting youth, who sat on the back of the monster dog. With 

 an exclamation of thanks to his friend, the Black Chief of the Crows, 

 the youth parted from him. The huge dog ran homeward with 

 great speed, directing his way to the place where the turkey was 

 fastened to the tree. Having obtained it, the dog soon brought the 

 youth, the part of the mother's body, and the turkey to the waiting 

 mother, who hardly expected her son back so soon. At once the 

 youth killed the turkey, and taking the oil from it, rubbed it on the 

 severed surface of the lower part of the body. 



After treating likewise the surface of the upper part he brought 

 the two parts of her body close together, whereupon they joined of 

 themselves. Then the woman with her hands rubbed the place of 

 juncture. Becoming then entirely whole, she arose and, standing, 

 siiid, '' I am well now, and no one shall come to trouble us again. I 

 am thankful to you." This prediction proved true, for they two 

 lived in peace and contentment. 



The youth became a great hunter, famous for his great successes 

 in the chase. His mother continued to pass wampum beads as in 

 former 3^ears, and their lodge was richly ornamented with many 

 strings of wampum, each of which was worth a man's life and two 

 that of a WQ-iian.*'' Although the youth was always looking for his 

 father, the latter never returned. 



27. The Forsaken Infant and Gaha (the Wind) 



A number of Seneca went hunting. When they had finished their 

 hunting and were ready to return home, they did not know what to 

 do with a little boy whose father and mother had died while 

 they were at the chase. They had so much meat that they could not 

 well carry him, and, owing to his infancy, he could not walk. Fi- 

 nally they decided to leave him in the hunting lodge, with plenty of 

 wood and meat. Learning this, the child cried bitterly. 



When the hunters reached home the report went around that a 

 child had been left in the woods, and all feared that it would die. 

 At once the chief sent a trusty man to see whether the child was 

 alive. When he got outside the village the man turned himself into 

 a great bear, so that he could run the faster. 



Meanwhile the child kept a good fire and cooked meat and lived 

 fairly well. One cold night he began to cry, for the meat was nearly 

 gone and all the wood had been burned. At last he heard some one 

 come to the door, making a sound as if shaking the snow off his feet, 



