744 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ANN. 32 



just as soon as my tobacco begins to burn, for I want to be smoking 

 when you relate what you have heard." So he put tobacco in his 

 pipe and lighted it and immediately drew in the smoke. Then he 

 exclaimed : "■ Now, relate what you have heard." "All that I heard," 

 said the nephew to his uncle, "was the hooting of an owl." The 

 uncle at once laid aside his pipe, and seizing a bark paddle he arose 

 quickly, and dipping up a paddleful of hot coals and ashes, poured 

 them over his nephew, who was standing not far away. The burn- 

 ing coals fell on the youth's head. As he did this, the uncle said: 

 "I do not mean that." The nephew began to cry because of the hot 

 coals on his head, and going to his bunk he sat down, for these two 

 persons occupied each his own side of the fireplace. Finally he 

 stopped his crying and said : " Very misei-able, indeed, has become 

 my state, for now my vmcle has begvm to mistreat me, and he has 

 never done this thing before." Night came on, and they lay down 

 to sleep, the uncle and his nephew. The next morning they arose, 

 and when they had eaten their morning meal the uncle again said 

 to his nephew : " Come, oh, my nephew ! do you again go to listen, 

 and you nuist again sit in yonder valley where you sat yesterday." 



The nephew soon started, and having arrived at the valley he again 

 sat down to listen for mysterious sounds. He listened very atten- 

 tively. He was siirprised in a short time to hear hard by the place 

 where he sat the cry of some being: Tcihls, tcHilshhli'is. This was a 

 cry made by Tcoktcoii'khweii. Again the youth arose with a spring 

 and ran toward the place where stood the lodge occupied by his 

 uncle and himself. On reaching his home the elder man, his uncle, 

 said : " What thing is it you have heard, having just returned home? 

 Now, please tell it." Then his nephew, Hotkwisdadegeiia, replied, 

 " So be it ; I shall tell it." His uncle answered : " Just a little while, 

 first. I will first fill my pipe, and just as soon as the tobacco is 

 lighted you may tell me what you have heard." So he filled his pipe 

 with tobacco and lighted it, and when he had taken his pipe into his 

 mouth, he said : " Come, now, tell me what you have heard." Hot- 

 kwisdadegeiia answered: " So let it be. All I heard were the sounds 

 tnkisMskh, tci7nftJi-is7i-l9, in whispers." Then Doiidanegefi, the uncle, 

 suddenly sprang up, and laying his pipe aside, seized a bark paddle 

 and dipped up from the fire burning coals and hot ashes, which he 

 poured on the top of his nephew's head, who was standing near by. 

 The nephew began to weep, and the uncle exclaimed : " That is not 

 what I meant." The nephew then went away to his own bunk on his 

 side of the fire and there sat down. He stopped his crying and said : 

 " Indeed, I am in a miserable state. Poor me ! He has now over- 

 matched my orenda." 



Night coming on, they two retired and lay down to sleep for rest. 

 In the morning they ate their breakfast. Just as soon as they had 



