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



settled purpose not to marry anyone, as I have no desire to do so." 

 Thereupon the young woman, having failed in her suit, would re- 

 turn to her home. 



This pursuit of the young man by the marriageable daughters of 

 the community continued for many seasons. As each maiden came 

 with her proposal of marriage the youth invariably made the same 

 answer. During all this time his mother continued to remonstrate 

 with him on account of his firm resolution not to marry, telling him 

 repeatedly that it was a well-known fact that one who acted as he 

 was doing would surely be punished for his attitude by some great 

 calamity. He refused, however, to listen to her remonstrances. 



Now, it was his custom to go every autumn to hunt in the forest, 

 and he would return home with great quantities of venison and other 

 meat, and furs and skins. All the people who had none of these 

 things came to the lodge where the mother and son lived together 

 because they wished to trade for some of the meat or for some of 

 the furs or skins, each one bringing therefor something of value. One 

 would bring a bracelet, saying : " For this cut me off a small portion 

 of meat of the bear, of venison, or of some other kind." Another 

 would bring a burden strap, saying: "For this give me the skin of 

 a beaver, or a small portion of bear's meat, for I have come to buy." 

 This trading continued for some years, and all kept saying of the 

 young man: " He is indeed immune to adverse orenda." 



After a while another autumn came, and again he started alone on 

 a hunting trip into the forests where he knew game was always 

 abundant and in which it was his custom to camp for the season. 

 Having reached the place where his hunting lodge stood, he pro- 

 ceeded at once to repair it and to supply it with suitable fuel and 

 other necessities. Then he went forth to hunt, as was his custom. 

 He was very successful, retui-ning every day to camp with the game 

 he had killed. 



After a certain number of days thus spent he lay down one night 

 to rest, as usual. But in the middle of the night it so happened that he 

 moved about in his bed, and he was greatly surprised by feeling what 

 seemed to be a woman lying beside him. No one had ever slept 

 with him before, man or woman. Thereupon the surprised misoga- 

 mist said: " Lo, who are you?" The young woman, for such she 

 was, in a fascinating voice which thrilled the heart of the j'oung 

 man, replied : " Oh ! I desired to visit the place where you are only 

 because of the love which I have for you." Saying this softly, she 

 threw her arms around his neck and fervently embraced him. He 

 remained perfectly quiet, making no protest against the fondling of 

 the beautiful maiden. Without further ceremony the young woman 

 joyously exclaimed: " Come now ! let us two go to sleep again." But 

 the young man lost consciousness at once, and the last thing he re- 



