Hewitt] LEGENDS 417 



bed and get a skull which is there. Seize it and bring it through 

 the tunnel to me." Shortly an army of mice came to eat the corn, 

 beans, and squash seed. When they had finished eating they began 

 to tunnel, and they did not cease their work until they had made a 

 hole through the ground to the lodge. There they found the skull, 

 which they drew out slowly. Then the old man .stealthily crept to 

 the place where they had left the skull, and, taking it, after dismiss- 

 ing the mice with thanks, he started homeward. He had told the 

 mice to eat all they desired, and so they did eat what they could in 

 the lodge. As soon as the pretended old man was out of sight of 

 the lodge, he again became a young man. Turning toward the vil- 

 lage, he spoke a curse upon it, sa.ving, " Let fire break out and destroy 

 all that belongs to that wicked woman, the lodges, and the people." 

 Instantly the whole was in flames and was soon entirely consumed. 

 Then the young man resumed his journey toward home. When he 

 arrived there he said : " Now, my brother, after much trouble I have 

 recovered this skull ; so do not permit any person to see it again. I 

 have destroyed with fire the entire village and substance of that 

 wicked woman. Hereafter we may live in peace and contentment. 

 So heed my words." 



76. The Orphan 



In times past, in a certain village of the Seneca there was an 

 orphan boy, about sixteen years of age, who went around among the 

 people, going from lodge to lodge to live on the charity of owners, 

 and living wherever people were willing to keep him. Sometimes he 

 slept by a brush fire on the ground and ate whatever was given to 

 him. 



When the youth was about twenty years old he was still as much a 

 boy as ever. A chief who was very rich lived in the same village. 

 He had a daughter and two or three sons. One day the boy stopped 

 near the chief's lodge, where they were burning brush. One of the 

 chief's sons came out and said to him, " Oh, my friend ! how long 

 have you been here?" "Not long," said the orphan boy. "Well, 

 do you not feel poor and lonely sitting as j'ou do ? " was the next 

 question. "No; I feel just as rich as you do," replied the orphan. 

 " Do you sometimes think that you would like to have a wife'^ " asked 

 the young man. "Yes; I sometimes think that I should like to have 

 one if I could get one," answered the orphan. " Well, what would 

 you think of my sister for a wife? Many men have tried to marry 

 her, but she has refused all." " Oh ! " said the orphan boy, looking 

 up, " I should as soon have her as anyone else ; she is handsome and 

 rich." " I will go and ask her,^' said the young man, thinking that he 

 would have fun with his sister. Entering the lodge, he said to her : 

 94615°— 18 27 



