400 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ANN. 32 



other logs, and so would go from one to another, keeping them in 

 order. When the pieces were burned off and ready, the old man 

 would carry them or drag them home, and as he threw them down 

 they made a deep, pleasant sound on the earth. Thereupon all the 

 people of the region round about, even to the most distant places, 

 heard the sound, and would say, " The uncle of Okteondon is well- 

 to-do and strong." On some other days Haiefit'hwus would go out 

 to gather beans and squashes or to dig wild potatoes. 



One spring morning, in the planting .season, Haiefit'hwus went to 

 his clearing in tlie woods witli two basliets of seeds strapped to his 

 belt. Before starting he left plenty of food with his nephew, say- 

 ing, " I am going to put these seeds into the ground." The old man 

 was in the field engaged in making holes in the earth with a stick 

 forked at one end and sharp at the other. Into these holes he 

 dropped seeds, closing them with fine earth. All at once he heard 

 a song accompanied with the words, " Oh, uncle ! I am going to 

 rise; I am going to rise." He knew at once that what he had 

 heard was his nej^hew's song; so dropi)ing his j^ointed stick for 

 planting, and forgetting all about the seeds in his two baskets, he 

 rushed home. As he ran the baskets struck the trees on both sides 

 of the narrow* trail, scattering the seeds so that all were lost on the 

 trail. AVhen Haieht'hwus readied the lodge he saw that his nephew 

 was resting on one elbow and that the tree was inclined toward tiie 

 earth, with its roots starting from the ground. "Well, nephew, 

 what is the matter?" asked the old man. "I am getting thirsty, 

 uncle," said the youth. The old man gave him some water and 

 pushed the tree back into its upright position ; then looking into his 

 baskets, he saw that they were empty. So Haieht'hwus spent the 

 rest of the day on his knees, picking up what seeds he could find 

 along both sides of the jaath. 



On another day he went out to strip bark from the slippery-elm 

 trees for the purpose of making cords. Before starting he gave 

 Okteondon everything that he needed. After he had stripped oft' 

 a large quantity of bark and was tying it into bundles, Haieht'hwus 

 heard the song again, accompanied with the words, " Oh, uncle ! 

 I am rising; I am rising." As soon as he heard these words, Hai- 

 eht'hwus, slinging a bundle of the bark on his back, swiftly ran home. 

 As he hurried along the bundle struck against tlie trees, first on one 

 and then on the other side of the trail, causing pieces of bark to 

 slip out every here and there, until there was nothing left of the 

 burden on the old man's back but the ends of the forehead strap. 

 On reaching liome Haiefit'hwus asked, " What is the matter, nephew ?" 

 as he saw Okteondon resting on one elbow and the tree leaning over 

 to one side. " Oh, I am thirsty, uncle," replied Okteondon. The 

 uncle brought him water, and then straightened up the tree, after 



