472 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ann. S2 



came to a stump, where she found a pot of hulled corn. On the fol- 

 lowing day, when she awoke, the man was standing by her; he said, 

 " You are near home, so I shall leave you here. I am one of those 

 whom you call Hadiwenodadyes."^^" Starting on, she soon came in 

 sight of an old cabin. Then she came to a spring which she knew, 

 for it was the spring where, when a girl, she used to get water. 

 Going to the cabin, she found all her people, who looked very old. 

 She said, " Mother, I have come." All were very glad and said, 

 Nydwen. 



[The narrator thinks the net-maker was a spider.] 



102. Gaqga and Sgagedi'^^ 



A brother and his sister lived together in a lodge. The brother 

 never allowed his sister to go outside. When he went hunting, he 

 did not fail to tell his dog to stay at home and to bring whatever his 

 sister wanted. 



One day when her brother was hunting the sister wanted water; 

 not seeing the dog she thought what hai'm could it do for her to go 

 out and bring back water as quickly as possible. She ran to the 

 spring, and stooping down, filled the bucket, but as she straightened 

 up and rested, putting the bucket on the edge of the spring, someone, 

 grasping her from behind, carried her away through the air. The 

 dog came on the nm, and barking loudly, made a spring into the air 

 to catch her, but he could not reach her. On hearing the dog bark, 

 the brother hurried home. Findinghissister gone, hesaidtothedog, 

 " You have caused me great trouble." The animal felt the rebuke so 

 keenly that, putting his head beneath his body, he became a stone. 



Gaqga, the man who had stolen the young woman, took her to an 

 island in the middle of a lake, whei-e she passed some time. Every 

 day Gaqga would go away, returning with dry fish which he found 

 on the shore. Sometimes he would bring pieces of human flesh, 

 which he ate himself; afterward he would send the young woman 

 to get water for him to drink. 



One day when the woman went to the edge of the island for water, 

 a man stood before her, who said : " I have come to tell you that the 

 man who is keeping you is very hungry, and has made up his mind 

 to kill you tomorrow. He will tell you to bring water to fill the 

 kettle; as soon as you do this, he will seize his club to kill you. 

 You must run behind the post on which the kettle hangs. He will, 

 strike the post and break his arm. Then come to this spot as quickly 

 as you can." The ne.xt day Gaqga acted as the man said he would. 

 When the kettle was full, seizing his heavy club, he struck at the 

 girl, who ran behind the post; as his arm came down with the club 

 it struck the post and it broke. The woman ran to the lake. The 

 man was there with a canoe. Both got into it, and the man pushed 



