614 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [bth. ann.« 



They then called the Crow, gave it directions to fly as far as the earth 

 extended. The bird departed but did not return, from which they 

 concluded it to be so extensive that the Crow could not come back. 



Being in possession of land, and seeing all was damp and cold and 

 barren, they wished for spring to make something grow, and inquired 

 of the frog how many moons remained until spring would come. 

 The Frog said, " Seven," but the Spider contradicted it, called him a 

 liar, on which a quarrel ensued, and the Spider beat the Frog to death 

 with a stick. The latter, on dying, stretched out his legs toward 

 the men, indicating seven by the claws thereon. The eldest of the 

 party and head of the whole, whom they called their father, not 

 being certain whether the Frog told the truth, started two of 

 the others (brothers), both very brave and venturesome, with orders 

 to travel in quest of spring. They set out eastward and in six 

 months arrived at warm weather, where they found spring bundled 

 up and placed on a scaffold, the packages consisting of flowers, seeds, 

 turnips, roots, etc. Two large Cranes were standing beneath the 

 scaffold, which the brothers loaded with the " spring season " and 

 ordered them to fly back to their people. The birds started, and in 

 another month arrived with their cargo safe, thus verifying the 

 predictions of the Frog, which so enraged the men against the Spider 

 that they put him to death, and he is to this day despised and 

 crushed by all, while the frogs every spring sing forth the praises of 

 their truthful ancestor. 



The travelers, having accomplished their mission, bent their course 

 westward to explore the new country, and after a long time came 

 to the Rocky Mountains. 



In one of the valleys between the mountains they perceived a 

 motion in the earth at a certain spot as though it was boiling or as 

 though some animal was endeavoring to get out. One of the brothers 

 proposed shooting an arrow into it, but the other objected and re- 

 quested him to let it alone. The former was, however, a very obsti- 

 nate, reckless man who never would listen to good advice, and shot 

 an arrow into the spot. A whirlwind gushed out, and rose up in 

 the air in a round black column, bearing the two men up along with 

 it. Higher and higher they rose until so far above the earth that 

 they could not see it. The wind now carried them eastward for sev- 

 eral days, when at length they descended to earth on the other side 

 of the sea. Here they rambled about some time and found an old 

 woman working in a cornfield from whom they begged something 

 to eat. She gave them a mess of corn and potatoes. After having 

 eaten they inquired of her if she could inform them how they could 

 get back to their family. She said she could, but they must implicitly 

 follow her directions or some harm would befall them. After they 



