264 ' MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE Ikth. a.nx.19 



at the spot. Hi'iKliiig low his ln'jul he asUs of the blood stains upon 

 the gfoiind it' thev have lieard — i. e.. if the imiiter lias asiced pardou 

 for the life that he has taken. If the foniiulistie pra3'er has been made, 

 all i.s well, because the necessary .sacriiice has been atoned for; but if 

 otherwise, the Little Deei' tracks the hunter to his house by the l)lood 

 di"ops along the trail, and, unseen and unsuspected, puts into his body 

 the spirit of rheumatism that shall lack him with aches and pains from 

 that time henceforth. , As seen at rare intervals — perlmps once in a 

 long lifetime — the Little Deer is pure white and al)out the sizi' of a 

 small dog, has branching antlers, and is always in company with a large 

 herd of deer. Even though shot 1)V the master hunter, he conies to life 

 again, being iunnortal, but the fortunate huntsman who c-an thus 

 make prize of his antlers has in them an unfailing talisman that brings 

 him success in the chase forever -sfte. . The smallest portion of one 

 of those horns of the Little Deer, when properly consecrated, attracts 

 the deer to the hunter, and when exposed from the wrapping dazes 

 them so that they foi'get to run and thus Injcome an easy prey. 

 Like the Ulunsu'ti stone (see number 50), it is a dangerous prize when 

 not ti'cated with proper respect, and is — or was — kept always in a secret 

 place away from the house to guard against .sacrilegious handling. 



Somewhat similar talismanic power attached to the down from the 

 young antler of the deer when properly consecrated. So firm was 

 the belief that it had influence over ''anything about a deer" that 

 eighty and a hundred years ago even white traders used to bargain 

 with the Indians for such charms in order to increase their store of 

 deerskins by drawing tlie trade to themselves. The faith in the exist- 

 ence of the miraculous Little Deer is almost as strong and universal 

 to-da_v among the older Cherokee as is the belief in a future life. 



The bears (ydnii) are transformed Cherokee of the old clan of the 

 Ani'-Tsa'guhi (see story, "Origin of the Bear"). Their chief is the 

 White Bear, who lives at Kuwst'hi, "Mulberry place," one of the high 

 peaks of the Great Smoky mountains, near to the enchanted lake of 

 Ataga'hl (see number (!'.•), to which the wounded bears go to be cured of 

 their hurts. Under Kuwa'hi and each of three other peaks in the same 

 mountain region the bears have townhouses, where they congregate 

 and hold dances everv fall l)efore retiring to their dens for the winter. 

 Being really human, they can talk if they only would, and t>nce a 

 mother bear was heard singing to her culj in words wliich the Inuiter 

 understood. There is one variety known as /•«/(?,s'-f/(^«r?/(/7«, "long 

 hams," described as a large ))lack bear with long legs and small feet, 

 which is always lean, and which the hunter does not care to shoot, pos- 

 sibly on account of its leanness. It is believed that new-born cubs are 

 hairless, like mice. 



. The wolf {ira''ya) is revered as the hunter and watchdog of Kana'ti, 

 and the largest gens in the tribe bears the name of Ani'-wa' va, " Wolf 



