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



son, Ilodadefion said, " Well, little boy, may I remain with you 

 to-night? " The boy answered, " I do not loiow. I will speak to my 

 grandmother." Kunning into tlie lodge, the boy told his grand- 

 mother what the strange man had asked him. The grandmother, 

 whose name was Yeqsinye,'* directed the little boy to tell the visitor 

 how poor and needy they themselves were. " Tell him that I have 

 nothing to give him to eat except scraps of food, for we are, indeed, 

 unfortunate people." Going to Hodadeiion, the little grandson re- 

 peated to him what his grandmother had said. " Oh ! " replied 

 Hodadeiion, " all I want is a place in which to stay. I do not want 

 food." " Well," sa;id the little boy, " I will tell my grandmother 

 what you have just told me." Answering the little boy further, the 

 old woman said, "Let him do as he pleases; he knows, now, our 

 circumstances and what he must endure while with us." Having 

 received this message from the little boy, Hodadeiion decided to 

 stay there. 



The next morning Hodadenon said to the old woman's grandson, 

 "Let us go to hunt game." Agreeing to the proposition, the little 

 boy made suitable preparations to accompany Hodadeiion. After 

 going a long distance into the woods they found a large hollow tree 

 frequented by a bear. Hodadeiion tapped the tree, sajdng to the occu- 

 pant, " Thou who dwellest in this tree, come forth." At once the 

 bear came out, whereupon Hodadeiion shot it with an arrow, and the 

 bear fell to the ground, dead. Together the two carried home the 

 carcass of the bear. When they threw it on the ground in front of 

 the door it made a great noise, causing the old woman to call out 

 in fear, " What is that? " But when she learned what it was she was 

 overjoyed. Having carefully dressed the bear, they cooked enough 

 meat to make a good meal for all. As they gathered around the 

 steaming bark bowl of meat and broth a young girl came in. The 

 old woman asked her to eat with them, and she willingly accepted 

 the invitation. The boys ate together and the girl and the old woman 

 by themselves, as was the custom. When they had eaten their meal 

 the strange girl asked for a piece of the meat to take home, and the 

 old woman gave her a generous portion for her mother. On receiving 

 it, the mother said, " Do you now give them corn bread and get some 

 of the meat in exchange." The girl did as her mother requested, 

 receiving two good-sized pieces of meat for the corn bread. Feeling 

 that others might like to have meat in exchange for bread, Hoda- 

 deiion said, " Let them have the meat for the corn bread, for corn 

 bread is what we want now." 



Toward evening a man came to the doorway, and kicking aside the 

 door flap, said : " I notify you to come to the Long Lodge, where the 

 man sheds wampum instead of tears from his eyes. If you can pick 

 up wampum after it has fallen to the ground, it is yours. If you can 



