648 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS Ieth. ann. 32 



"(A) 'I see (in vision) a beautiful Spring season. 



" ' I see a fine field of growing corn. 



" ' In the middle of this field of corn there stands a lodge 

 of bark. 



" ' There I see a profusion of drying poles and racks. 



" ' Thereon I see fine fat strings of corn hanging. 



" ' On these fine fat strings of corn I see rich lively seed corn.' 

 " (i) ' Now, I am walking along. I am walking along giving 

 thanks to the Life God.' 



" These are the essential songs which mankind shall sing." 



123. Tiu: Bean Woman "' 



(A FRAGMENT) 



In ancient times a jDcople dwelling near a river bank were startled 

 by the sound of singing, which came apparently from downstream. 

 The voice was that of a woman, and tradition says that it was indeed 

 the Bean-Woman who was singing. 



The Bean-Woman sang, it is said, "Who shall marry me again? 

 Let him ask me in marriage ? " The Panther-Man, answering this 

 challenge, said : " I will marry you if you will accept me for your 

 husband." Pausing in her singing, the Bean-Woman asked : " If I 

 marry you what shall be the food which I shall regularly receive 

 from you to eat?" The Panther-Man replied: "You shall always 

 have meat in great jalenty to eat." The Bean- Woman answered : " In 

 that case it is very probable I should die, for I do not eat that kind 

 of food under any circumstances." 



Thereupon the Bean-Woman resumed her singing: "Who will 

 marry me again? Is there one who is willing to marry me again? 

 If so, let him ask me." Then the Deer-Man approached the Bean- 

 Woman and said : " I will marry you if you will accept me for your 

 husband." The Bean-Woman asked him : " What food will you 

 regularly j^rovide for me to eat?" The Deer-Man replied: " Browse 

 and buds and the tender bark of trees, for these are the things which 

 I regularly eat." The Bean-Woman answered : " Such a marriage 

 would not bring good fortune to me, because I have never eaten that 

 kind of food." So the Deer-Man departed. 



Then the Bean-Woman resumed her song: "Is there not some 

 one who is willing to marry me? If there be, let him ask me?" As 

 she sang she heard the Bear-Man say to her : " I will marry you if 

 you will accept me." Whereupon she asked him : " What kind of 

 food will you regularly i^rovide for me to eat?" He replied : " I will 

 provide you with nuts of various kinds, for even now I have many 

 bark receptacles filled with nuts for food." The Bean-Woman 

 replied : " In this event I should most certainly die, for I have never 



