SENECA FICTTON, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS 



108. 



The Legend of Hayanowe (" He-the- Fleet-footed") 



Once there dwelt together in a lodge in a village two brothers. 

 The time of the story is autumn. 



It so happened that the elder brother said to the younger, " Now, 

 let us go to the forest to hunt deer." The younger answered, " So be 

 it. We will take our blowguns." But the elder said : " As for me. I 

 will not take a blowgun. I will make use of a tomahawk and a knife, 

 for the reason that I am very fleet-footed." The younger brother 

 rejoined, "Let it be so. I am satisfied with what you suggest," add- 

 ing, " Come, now ! let us start for the forest." 



So they started for their destination in a distant forest. They 

 encamped on the way three nights before they reached the rendezvous 

 where they knew game animals abounded. Then they erected at once 

 a temporary shelter for their camp. 



In the morning the elder said, " Now, early in the day we must go 

 out to do our hunting." But the younger brother replied, " You must 

 follow me around in the forest, and then you will see how fleet I am 

 on the cours-e." Then the two started out from their camp to hunt. 

 Carrying only a tomahawk and a hunting knife, the younger brother 

 took the lead, while the elder brother followed him, as requested. 

 Just before starting from their lodge the younger bi'other said to the 

 elder: "Do not take a blowgun with you. for just as soon as I kill 

 anything you must bring it back to our camp." 



Having gone into the forest some distance, they finally saw a large 

 herd of deer, which at once fled from them, whereupon, then, the 

 younger brother said : " Whenever I kill one I will call out in a loud 

 voice, -am, 'am." So saying, with loud shouts he pursued the deer 

 into the forest, and by the time the sun marked midday he had over- 

 taken and killed six deer, on account of his great fleetness of foot. 

 Then the two brothers rested from hunting for the day. 



When they had retired to their camp, the elder, addressing his 

 younger brother, said, " Do not ever say that you are fleet of foot, 

 because that quality is an essential of your character." But the hot- 

 headed younger brother answered, " I am fleet-footed, anyway." 



495 



