^j^^^^i'^^] FICTION 275 



&ang and the rattlesnakes rattled; all present made music, every one 

 in his own way. 



Above the clouds and mists of the sky dwells a bird who is the 

 chief of all the birds. His name is S'hadahgeah. This assembly of 

 bird and animal sorcerers chose the chief of the crows to notify him 

 of all that was taking place. This is the reason, according to the 

 tradition, the crow today sings the note " caw, caw." The eagle is 

 another chief who is under this great bird that dwells above the 

 clouds and mists of the firmament. 



When the leaders of this assembly saw that the trees and plants 

 were coming to life and putting forth green leaves and waxen buds,^^* 

 the presiding chief said to his associates: "This is enough. We hare 

 sung enough. Our medicine will now act, and we m.:st select some- 

 one to put it into the man's body." For this purpose they chose the 

 chickadee. This canny bird first drank the medicine; then going by 

 way of the man's mouth into his stomach, it emitted the medicine. 

 AVhile this was taking place the others were engaged in rubbing the 

 body of the dead man with the medicine. When his body was well 

 anointed they all sat down and began to sing. For two days and two 

 nights they did not cease from singing, until they perceived that the 

 body was becoming warm again. After his resuscitation ^-^ the man 

 reported that he felt suddenly as though he had just been aroused 

 from a sound sleep; he heard the singing of the birds and the various 

 sounds made by the beasts around him, and finally came to life again. 

 Remaining silent, he merely listened to the singing of the songs of 

 orenda that arose on all sides. He listened because he could untler- 

 stand the words that were used in these chants of the sorcerers. As 

 soon as his body began to show signs of motion the birds and tha 

 beasts drew back a little, but continued to sing and chant. 



AVhen the chief of the assembly saw that the man had fully re- 

 covered his life, he said to him: "We bestow this medicine on j'ou 

 and your people. Your people shall have it for their healing. If it 

 so happens that one of them is injured by a fall, by a blow, or by 

 an arrow shot, he must have recourse to this medicine. You must 

 make use of it at once. You must also from time to time strengthen 

 and renew this medicine by giving a feast in its honor. '^^ When you 

 make use of it you must burn tobacco in our behalf and turn j'our 

 thoughts toward us. As long as you shall have this medicine, you 

 shall assemble at intervals at appointed feasts to strengthen it. and 

 for this purpose you shall burn tobacco of the old kind. While doing 

 this you shall say, among the other things: 'Let all the birds and the 

 beasts on the earth and above the earth share this fragrant smell of 

 the tobacco.' As long as people live and are born this ceremony 

 must be niaintamed to fix the use of this medicine." Thus, after 



