S^H^'^S] LEGENDS 397 



the crunching of bones could be heard as they devoured them. 

 Lastlj' they licked the bark bowls. AVhen they had finished their 

 task they were satisfied and began to laugh : " Hi, hi, hi! That was 

 good meat, the old woman's brother." The old woman was very 

 angry and, taking up the corn-pounder, attaclced them, driving them 

 from the lodge. 



After the feast was over, the -wife of Okteondon told him that 

 the next trial was one among all others the most severe and exacting. 

 She said to him : " My motlier will say tonight, ' I dreamed tliat my 

 son-in-law was killed and skinned, and that I made a jjouch of his 

 skin.' I do hope you can survive this ordeal." In reply Okteondon 

 said, " Wlien she kills and skins me and places my flesh in a bark 

 bowl, you must set the bowl on the top of the lodge." Toward even- 

 ing Kahenchitahonk, the old witch, muttered, " Tlie sky is clear, so 

 we shall have a very cold night, and I must get logs to make a big 

 fire." At night she made a great fire in the lodge, and after all had 

 retired she began to moan and toss in her sleep ; finally she rolled into 

 the fire, scattering tlie firebrands around the room. Quickly rising 

 and seizing the corn-pounder, Oldeondon struck her on the head, 

 saying: "Oh, mother-in-law I Wliat is the matter? "Wliat are you 

 doing? What are you dreaming about? " She replied, "I dreamed 

 that I killed you and made a pouch of your skin." Okteondon 

 replied, " Oh ! go to sleep now ; we will see to that in the morning." 

 So the next morning Okteondon said, "Now, mother-in-law, I am 

 ready." Thereupon the great witch laid on the ground a piece of 

 bark sufficiently large for the purpose, telling Okteondon to lie down 

 upon it. "\Mien he did so. she knocked him on the head with a club, 

 killing him. Then she carefully flayed him,^*" removing the skin with 

 the hands and feet attached to it. Afterward she placed all the 

 flesh in a large bark bowl. As soon as the wife of Okteondon saw 

 her put the last piece into tlie bowl, she placed the bowl on the top 

 of the lodge. Then the old woman next cheerfully sewed up the skin 

 in the form of a pouch, which she distended by blowing into it. This 

 done, she hung it -over the flames, poking the fire to make it blaze. 

 As the pouch sWayed to and fro over the fire, the old woman gleefully 

 began to sing, "Oh I what a nice pouch have I ; no one living has such 

 a pouch." Every time she poked the fire the pouch swayed more 

 quickly to and fro, until at last it began to sing, " Oh ! were the wind 

 only out of me." The old woman kept on stirring the fire while 

 the pouch swayed to and fro faster and faster. " Oh, what a beauti- 

 ful pouch have I," said she ; " it even sings." After a while the 

 pouch made a noise, and with a hhu! went flying up through the 

 smoke-hole. As it flew out, the old woman cried, " Oh ! I have lost 

 my pouch; it has run away from me." She hurried to the doorway, 

 and in going out she met her son-in-law coming in alive and well. 



