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



Then the boy went on his way. He had not gone very far 

 when he heard other sounds — dum'', dum!', dum!'. He soon came 

 to the phvce where the sounds were made, and he was indeed fright- 

 ened, for then the sounds were fearful in vohmie and rapidity. He 

 was astonished to see two groat firedragons in ambush, guarding 

 the pathway. Thereupon the boy said, "So let it be; I will make 

 the attempt." Running aside, he killed a large deer, and having 

 dragged the body back to the place where the two firedragons were, 

 he divided it into two portions. Then saying, " You two are guard- 

 ing this pathway, and one would think that you might eat what I 

 am offering you." He threw a piece to each of them. They were 

 pleased tp get this food, which they ate ravenously; after doing this 

 they were quiet for the time being. Then the boy again spoke, 

 saying, " You two beings must withdraw from this place. This is 

 food good to eat; it is called deer meat. You now go to some other 

 place. You are indeed slaves, are you not? But He who com- 

 pleted our lives did not intend that anyone should be a slave to a 

 sorcerer." He ceased speaking, and the two firedragons fled from the 

 spot, as they had obtained their liberty. 



Now the boy passed on. After having run a long way from his 

 home, he suddenly saw in the distance openings in the forest, which 

 seemed to indicate that there might be people dwelling in those 

 places. So he went along slowly and craftily, concealing himself 

 as much as possible; he arrived at the edge of the clearing, where 

 he stood for a while. He looked around to learn, if possible, what 

 other antagonists he had to meet. Suddenly he saw hanging up 

 not far away the skin of a dead woman watching the pathway. 

 This woman's skin *"'■' was guarding the trees of chestnuts which grew 

 in the clearing into which the boy had come. In performing this 

 duty the skin kept saying, "I espy (out-eye) you. You who are a 

 human being, I suppose." But the boy kept very still, standing at 

 the edge of the clearing. He saw in the distance a lodge that stood 

 on the farther side of the clearing, and he saw women going in and 

 coming out of it. Most of these were maidens. On looking around 

 the boy saw the chestnut trees that grew there, and he noticed that 

 they bore many burs. He realized at once that within these burs 

 were the chestnuts. And as he watched he saw some of the chestnuts 

 fall from the trees. 



But while he was thus engrossed he was surprised to hear the 

 woman's skin begin to sing, Gi'-nu, gi'-nu, gi'-nu., gi'-nu; " I espy 

 a human being," and then out of the lodge in the distance the boy saw 

 three women and their mother emerge. The mother, addressing her 

 daughters, exclaimed, " Exert yourselves, my children ! I suppose, 

 now, that some one has come to rob us of our chestnuts." The skirts 

 of these women reached to a point just above their knees, and they 



