208 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS tETH. ank.»2 



llodadefion went on until he came to the woman's skin walking 

 along on a platform. Turning back, he peeled bark from a slippery- 

 ehn tree. Marked off into small pieces, he made it turn to wam- 

 pum. Then he called a mole and, getting into it, said, " Carry me 

 to the platform yonder." The mole took him under the ground to 

 the platform, whereupon he put his head out and gave the woman 

 wampum, saying, "Keep quiet!" Leaving the mole, he went to a 

 tree where there were great piles of chestnuts. Here he took up a 

 nut and, splitting it, put one-half into his bag and hurried back. 

 He had almost reached the woods when the woman on watch cried, 

 " I have seen some one ! " One of the three sisters, running out, 

 looked at the woman, who changed her words, calling, " I have lied, 

 Ogonowent." The three sisters were very angry and had a mind 

 to kill the watch. When the latter called again, " I have seen some 

 one," then the mother said, "Do your best, my daughters; do your 

 best. It must be Hodadeiion ; kill him and finish his family." 



The three sisters saw Hodadenon far off in the distance. The 

 eldest sister ran ahead. As she raised her club to strike, Hodadenon 

 disappeared into the ground and the woman, striking her kneepan 

 with the club, fell and could go no farther. The next moment 

 Hodadenon was up, walldng along again slowly. The second sister 

 came up enraged, but as she raised her club to strike he disappeared 

 into the ground. She, too, striking her kneepan, fell. The youngest 

 sister tried, but with the same result, and then the old woman. All 

 four were disabled, while Hodadeiion went back to his sister im- 

 harmed. He gave Yenyent'hwus the half chestnut, saying, " Make 

 plenty of mush for our brother, as much as he wants, and give it to 

 him often." 



One day when Hodadenon was playing near the lodge, he cried 

 out suddenly and fell to the ground screaming. His sister ran to him, 

 asking. " What is the matter? Where are you hurt? " " Nowhere," 

 he answered. " Why do you cry then ? " she asked. " I heard my 

 brother Hotgoendaqsais '° sing a song and call on my name ; he says I 

 am his brother," said he. " That is true," said Yenyent'hwus ; " and he 

 is in the east, at the place where the sun comes up. He is tied to a 

 stake there and people burn him with firebrands and torment him to 

 make him cry, for his tears are wampum, and when they fall the peo- 

 ple run to pick them up." " Well, where does tobacco grow ? " asked 

 Hodadeiion. " On the other side of the world, where Deagahgweoses '" 

 lives. This man stole our tobacco from us and carried it off. No one 

 can conquer him, for he is a great wizard, i. e., Hotgongowa." 



That night Hodadenon told his sister to pound parciied corn and 

 make meal for him. In the morning he got ready for the road. 

 Yenyent'hwus put Hie food in a bundle on her brother's back. It was 



