522 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS Ieth. ans.32 



put me back into the water again." Bnt the youth, paying no at- 

 tention to what it was asking him to do, again baited his hook and 

 cast it into the waters. At once it was seized in the mouth of another 

 one of the great wizard beings, which appeared in assumed shapes, 

 and immediately the youth began to pull on his line, soon landing 

 another of his adversaries. This, too, like the other, began to 

 whimper, saying, " My grandson, will you please put me back into 

 the water?" The youth replied: "I have no legs. You have 

 liroken off my legs." At this the two beings came forward and began 

 to work on his body. And the youth said to them in turn: *' Do you 

 two reset my legs. You see that I can not do it myself." So the two 

 I'eings, which were posses.sed of great orenda, obeying his insti'uc- 

 tions, put back his legs. Next the youth kindled a great fire, and 

 just as soon as this was burning fiercely, seizing the hair of the 

 male being, he cast him into the flames, and he did likewise with the' 

 body of the female being. When the bodies were consumed the heads 

 of these beings exploded and out of them flew owls.*^' 



Continuing a shoi't distance, the youth found the lair of panthers 

 which were fierce in aspect, for they were fighting. Eaising his 

 bow and arrow, he said to them, " Stop your anger, you two, for 

 the place where you are belongs to me." 



Going on a short distance farther, he found a number of elk 

 fighting in their turn. He said to them also, " Stop fighting, 

 3'ou two;" and they did stop fighting and separated. The youth 

 told them, too, " This region belongs to me." 



Then there arose a great tumult and noise among the animals 

 of all kinds. The youth saw there what seemed to be a long lodge, 

 on the top of which owls were seated; these, too, were making 

 outcries, saying " Hi\ hi!', A^', A«', A/'. Awake ! a male human being is 

 coming." The youth now watched them, and he was surprised to find 

 there lying down the body of some one who much resembled his 

 grandfather, and he saw also everything that was inside the lodge. 

 Among the things he saw was a kettle of corn mush, which was 

 boiling over the fire. " I have found something which is perhaps 

 good to the taste." 



Entering the lodge, he went to the farther side of the fire, where- 

 upon from the opposite side of the fire a white deer came forth and 

 entered the bosom of the old man. At this the youth started out 

 of the lodge, and at once everything in the lodge Isegan to leave. 

 The breechclout of the old man went out, and the boiling mush, too, 

 started out. The youth had gone a long distance before the old 

 man awoke, exclaiming, '' Pshaw ! I think that he still has a grand- 

 son, that old man." Straightening himself up, he said : " So let it be. 

 I now believe that I also will start." 



