196 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ann. 32 



The girls started, going along in a narrow path. They saw no 

 person and no lodges until the evening ; when they noticed a man run- 

 ning on ahead of them. He had a bow and arrows and was trying 

 to shoot a squirrel in a tree. On seeing the girls he stopped them, 

 saying, " Put down your basket and watch my arrow ; see where it 

 goes,'' adding that he was almost blind and could not follow its 

 cour.se. He was very pleasant, so the elder girl put down her basket, 

 and both sistei's ran for the arrow. When they got back the basket, 

 which they had left on the log, was gone. " Now," said the younger 

 girl, " we have disobeyed our mother. She told us not to answer 

 anyone who spoke to us." They had then nothing to do but to go 

 home. 



On reaching home they told their mother : " We met a man who 

 begged us to bring his arrow. We put our basket on a log and when 

 we got back it was gone." The old woman did not scold much, 

 although she was very sorry; she said that they could not love her 

 or they would obey her words. Later she said to the youngest and 

 to the second sister, " You must go for the young man." Then they 

 made more marriage-bread. The mother told the youngest : •' If your 

 sister Mants to stop, make her go on. Do not speak to or answer any 

 man." The sisters traveled until they met the same old fellow. 

 Thereupon the elder, who carried the basket, wanted to ask how far 

 it was to the place where Big Earth lived, but the younger cautioned 

 her, repeating her mother's words. As they came up to him, how- 

 ever, he was so kind and pleasant and spoke so agreeably that the 

 eldest asked how far it was to Big Earth's lodge. " Oh," he said, 

 "she lives in the first lodge; it is not far from here." Running 

 around to the lodge, he told his wife to go to the other side of the fire 

 with her child, as two girls were coming and he wanted the bread they 

 brought, and, further, as he had informed them that Big Earth lived 

 there. Then he threw ashes over his wife, making her look old. 



By and by the two girls came in and. as the old man was painted 

 and looked fine, they sat down by him — they thought he was the young 

 man they were seeking. In a short while they heard some one com- 

 ing, who kicked the door, saying : " Gesagwe ! Gesagwe ! They want 

 you at the Long Lodge." 



Turning to the girls, the old man said: " My name is not Gesagwe. 

 They always call me nicknames." By and by the child cried out, 

 " Oh, father ! " Whereupon the old man explained, " The child's 

 father died yesterday and now he is calling for him." After a time 

 the runner came again, saying, " Gesagwe, the people are waiting for 

 you." Again lie said, " They call me nicknames all the time." The 

 girls thought it was all right, and he told them to lie down and wait 

 for him. 



