parsons] folk tales 383 



Next morning he flew ofi', flying from tree to tree. At the mountain 

 he flew from rock to rock. Up at the middle of the mountain he was 

 resting and eating from his bowl. He flew up and rested on a rock 

 and he flew and rested. He heard the song of the town chief. Then 

 he stopped and ate. He felt very happy. He flew up again. At 

 last he reached the top. He was so tired he stayed there, eating his 

 grease. With two or three jumps he reached the top. Then he saw 

 the town chief sitting there, on the top of a big rock. All around were 

 lots of dried rabbits. Bat said, "My father, what are you doing here 

 where nobody lives, no animals, no ants?" "Yes, son, I have been 

 living here seven years now." Then he told him all the story about 

 the eagle. Bat was wise. He said, "WeU, my father, I will go down 

 and tell my chief about it. You have been here seven years. You 

 can stay four days more. Then we will take you down." "Well, 

 my son, I am thirsty." Bat said, "I will get you some water." He 

 went back of the rock and prayed to his god (Wipide) to give him some 

 water in his pot. So he got some and gave the town chief a drink. 

 The town chief said, "Well, my son, I have not enough in that pot." 

 "Do not think of that, but drink." So the town chief drank, and 

 what was left bat drank. So bat flew down, \^^len he came down, 

 they gave him a seat. He asked for a smoke. Then the people 

 knew at once that he had reached up. So they gave him a cigarette. 

 He thanked (i. e., smoked) in all the directions, that he had gone 

 and come back well. 



So he told the story. They were sad that the chief of aU the world 

 was up there and they began to think how they could bring him 

 down. One would say one thing, one, another. At last the Ant 

 kaade thought it over'" and said: "Let us get a spruce tre'e seed 

 (koatq.) and let us bury it tonight, and let everybody carry water 

 and water it, so the tree will come out in the morning." So they all 

 said yes. They buried the seed, and every animal carried water in 

 their mouth — birds, lion, ants. The seed swelled up and at sunrise 

 it began to sprout. \Mien the tree was so high (indicating 6 inches), 

 the chief told bat he was the one to go up there. So he went and sat 

 on the kaptu (tip of spruce). Then they kept watering the tree, and 

 it grew and grew (that was the power of the ant, his opinion) until 

 it got to the middle of the moimtain, the third day. At last, the 

 fourth day, at noontime, it reached to the top of the mountain and 

 there on the tip was the bat, and he talked to his father again. And 

 the town chief asked for a drink, and bat gave him a drink. So the 

 town chief gave thanks for getting help before he died. So bat sat 

 him on the tip of the tree. Bat shook the tip and far below they 

 knew he was ready to come down. And all the animals began to 

 pull it down. It took four days for it to come down. Then the town 



" " They say the ant is the best man to think things over." 



