268 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. a.nx. 82 



51. The Horned Snake and the Young Woman 



A woman living near Cayuga Lake had been asked many times 

 by young men to marry her, but she would never consent. The 

 knowledge that she was good-looking made her very proud and 

 haughty. 



During the warm weather the family slept out of doors. One 

 night, however, the young woman remained inside the lodge. As 

 was customary in those days, a skin mUntle was hung up for a door. 

 In the night the young woman, awaking, saw some one looking 

 through the doorway, whose face glistened and whose eyes shone. 

 The face disappeared and a man walked into the lodge; coming to 

 the bed, he sat down at the side of the young woman and began 

 to talk. His conversation was very enticing, and she could not 

 help listening to him, but she did not answer. Thinking she was 

 asleep, the strange man, shaking her, asked. "Are you asleep ? " She 

 did not answer. After putting sticks on the fire to make a light, he 

 again asked, "Are you asleep ? " She could not longer resist, and 

 drawing the mantle down from her face, said, " No." She saw that 

 he was very handsome and that even his raiment glistened. He 

 spoke of taking her for his wife, promising to give her all he had, 

 and saying, " You will find plenty of fine things in my lodge and 

 you shall have them all." While he talked she was fa.st becoming of 

 his mind, and at last she consented to be his wife. One man after 

 another had failed to win her, but this stranger was so engaging that 

 she was willing to go to him. When he left her, he said, " I will 

 come for you in two days." 



The next morning the young woman's family wondered why they 

 did not see her, for she was usually the first to be up. Her mother 

 said, " I wonder what the matter is." Going to the lodge, she found 

 her asleep. She shook her but could not arouse her. Her people 

 came to see her from time to time, but still she slept. At last, on 

 looking in, they saw her sitting with her head down, as though in 

 deep thought. They wondered what her trouble was — had she had 

 evil dreams? Finally she got up, but seemed sad, not as cheerful 

 as usual. They saw that something serious was on her mind. 



As the time approached for the husband to come, the young woman 

 thought, " I will put on my best clothes that I may look as nearly 

 as possible like him." When the time came he appeared before her, 

 saying, " I have come for you." Arising, she followed him without 

 hesitation. Pointing to a hill, he said, "I live on the other side of 

 that hill." On the way the young woman thought that she might 

 be possessed of something evil and almost resolved to go back. The 

 man seemed to know her thoughts, for looking at her he said. " You 

 are mine, and we are on our way home." So she continued to put 



