438 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ann. 32 



One day when the woman returned to the lodge with water from a 

 near-by stream, she heard talking, and, looking into the lodge, she saw 

 a woman dressed in stone. The woman had taken up the baby and 

 was rocking it on her Icnee, singing, Ahiioah^ a'uwah (such good eat- 

 ing). Every little while she would take a bite out of the child's 

 cheek. The child screamed. Then spitting on her hand and rubbing 

 the cheek, it became whole again, and the child stopped crying. The 

 mother stood near the door, and seeing all this, was terrified. " Now 

 we are going to die," said she to herself. The Genonsgwa (Stone 

 Coat Woman) looked up, and on seeing the mother bade her come in 

 and be not afraid, as all would be well. Toward night the hunters 

 returned. When they saw the woman dressed in stone, they were 

 afraid, but the Stone Coat Woman said, " I have come to help you 

 in hunting." 



So they all lived together. The men went hunting day after day 

 and had good luck in finding game and bringing home meat. 



One evening during this hunting season the men said, "We have 

 found a pond not far away that has a great many beavers in it.'' 

 The Stone Coat Woman said, " I will go with you tomorrow." The 

 next day she went to the pond, and having cut a small circular hole 

 in the ice, called to the beavers to come out. A number came out; 

 these she caught and killed. Then she called again and more came 

 out; she killed them, too, and so she continued to do till the hunters 

 had as many as they wanted. The men skinned the beavers and kept 

 the furs. The Stone Coat Woman fell to eating the bodies raw. 



One morning the Stone Coat Woman said to the hunters: "A 

 visitor is coming, and you must do all you can to defend j-ourselves. 

 My husband is mad, and perhaps he will kill us all. Wlien I loft him, 

 I ran away and came to you ; he is angry, and when he comes I will 

 fight with him as well as I can. You must be ready with a basswood 

 stick. Sharpen it and harden it in the fire a little to make it effective. 

 When he throws me to the ground, as he will do, you must spear him 

 from behind and kill him. He will come some time this afternoon. 

 Then you must be on the lookout for him continually." At last they 

 saw him approaching; he came up and talked with his wife. She 

 begged him not to make any trouble, saying she would go home with 

 him, but he would not listen to her words. He saw there were two 

 men there; so he became jealous and began figliting. He Imocked 

 down his wife, and as he leaned over to beat her, the men ran the bass- 

 wood spear into his body, thus killing him. Then the woman, having 

 gotten up, said: " I do not know what will happen to us now, for my 

 husband has two brothers, who Imow he is dead, and who will come 

 here and kill us. The river is open ; you have canoes and must escape 

 that way." 



