^"ewS] legends 509 



The old man. who was indeed feeble, replied: "Alas, my nephew, it 

 can still be said I am yet alive, my nephew — you who are called 

 Gajihsondis." His nephew answered: "I have now returned, and 

 I bring with me what I sought to obtain : I have a large quantity. 

 So now you can eat again, and now I will prepare mush of chestnuts 

 for you, and you will again become satisfied with a sufficiency of 

 food, and will recover your health." So saying, the young man set 

 to work making a very large quantity of the mush for his poor old 

 uncle. When it was cooked, he removed the kettle containing it 

 from the fire and poured the mush on a piece of bark. Then he 

 went to the side of his uncle, and raising him up and urging him to 

 be of good cheer, fed him the mush, although his uncle could hardly 

 move. The old man ate the mush, for he was nearly famished; his 

 privations had reduced his body to a mere skeleton — just skin and 

 bones. He ate a large quantity before he had enough. He did 

 indeed recover his strength and health. 



Later the old man said to his nephew : " My nephew, I am very 

 thankful indeed that you were able to accomplish this great task. 

 The only thing I did was to watch the branch, which was the index 

 of your state and situation. I could only think that you were still 

 alive. I now again thank jou for being able to accomplish this 

 great task. On my part, I am much delighted with our foi'tune. 



" Now I am going to ask you by what unheard-of means did you 

 accomplish this great task. The young man answered : " I, of course, 

 know, but I will tell j'ou only this: That I have destroyed all those 

 women, possessed of great orenda and moved by evil purposes." The 

 uncle said, " So be it. What a wonderful thing this is. You and 

 I will return to that place." To this the youth replied : " So let it 

 be," and then, after making their usual preparations, they departed. 

 They stopped along the route and finally reached the spot where the 

 women dwelt who had planted chestnut trees. The only one who 

 was alive was the skin of the woman which was hung up to swing 

 to and fro and to watch and to give the alarm should any person 

 make his appearance. 



When they arrived at the empty lodge of the women they unfas- 

 tened and uncovered the bark caSes containing chestnuts, which the 

 women had stored and guarded from all mankind. Taking up a 

 handful of the chestnuts, the old man exclaimed in a loud voice: 

 " All people shall eat this food. Never shall it again be the posses- 

 sion of a single family, but it shall be for all human beings": and 

 they scattered the chestnuts in all directions by handfuls. When 

 they had completed their task they went to the place where the skin 

 of the woman was swinging to and fro. Arriving there, they took 

 -down the skin, and the old man said to her: " You shall go together 

 -vvith us to our home. You will i-ecover, indeed, from that awful 



