304 MYTHS OF THK CUKIMKKK [ktm. asx. 19 



over the n^st of its hody. It was so iiuniensi! that when it was thus 

 sti'etched across its shadow darkened the whole valley below. For a 

 long time the people did not know it was there, l)ut when at last they 

 found out about it they were afraid to live in the valley, so that it was 

 deserted even while still Indian country. 



56. THE SNAKE BOY 



There was a boy who used to go bird hunting every day, and all the 

 birds he brought home he gave to his grandmother, who was verj^ 

 fond of him. This made the rest of the family jealous, and they 

 treated him in such fashion that at last one daj^ he told his grand- 

 mother he would leave them all, but that she must not grieve for 

 him. Next morning he refused to eat anv' breakfast, but went off 

 hmigry to the woods and was gone all day. In the evening he 

 returned, bringing with him a pair of deer horns, and went directh' 

 to the hothouse (asi), where his grandmother was waiting for him. 

 He told the old woman he must be alone that night, so she got up and 

 went into the house whei'e the others were. 



At early daybreak she came again to the hothouse and looked in, 

 and there she saw an immense uktena that filled the asi, with horns 

 on its head, but still with two human legs instead of a snake tail. It 

 was all that was left of her boy. He spoke to her and told her to 

 leave him, and she went away again from the door. When the sun 

 was well up, the uktena began slowly to crawl out, but it was fidl 

 noon before it was all out of the asi. It made a terrible hissing noise 

 as it came out, and all the people ran from it. It crawled on through 

 the settlement, leaving a l)road trail in the groiuid behind it, until it 

 came to a deep bend in the river, where it plunged in and went under 

 the water. 



The sfrandmother orieved much for her bov, until the others of the 

 family got angry and told her that as she thought so nmch of him she 

 ought to go and stay with him. So she left them and went along the 

 trail made by the uktena to the river and walked directly into the 

 water and disappeared. Once after that a man fishing near the place 

 saw her sitting on a large rock in the river, looking just as she had 

 always looked, but as soon as she caught sight of him she jumped into 

 the water and was gone. 



57. THE SNAKE MAN 



Two hunters, both for some reason under a tabu against the meat of 

 a squirrel or turkey, had gone into the woods together. When even- 

 ing came they found a good camping place and lighted a fire to prepare 

 their supper. One of them had killed several squirrels during the 

 day, and now got ready to broil them over the firi\ His companion 

 warned him that if he broke the tabu and ate siiuirrei meat he would 



