326 MYTHS OF THE CHEKUKEE [eth.an.n.19 



wanted to be so much in the woods that he would not even eat at home. 

 Said the boy, "I find plenty to eat there, and it is better than the 

 corn and beans we have in the settlements, and prettj' soon I am going 

 into the woods to stay all the time." His parents wei'e worried and 

 begged him not to leave them, but he said, "It is better there than 

 here, and you see I am beginning to be different already, so that I can 

 not live hei-e any longer. If you will come with me, there is plenty 

 for all of us and you will never have to work for it; but if you want 

 to come you must tirst fast seven days." 



The father and mother talked it over and then told the headmen of 

 the clan. Tiiey held a council about the matter and after everything 

 had been said they decided: "Here we must work hard and have not 

 always enough. There he says there is always plenty without work. 

 We will go with him." So they fasted seven days, and on the seventh 

 morning all the Ani'-Tsa'guhi left the settlement and started for the 

 mountains as the boy led the way. 



When the people of the other towns heard of it they were very 

 sorry and sent their headmen to persuade the Ani'-Tsa'guhi to stay at 

 home and not go into the wood:? to live. The messengers found them 

 already on the way, and were surprised to notice that their bodies were 

 beginning to be covered with hair like that of animals, because for 

 seven days they had not taken human food and their nature was chang- 

 ing. The Ani'-Tsa'guhi would not come back, but said, " We are going 

 where there is always plenty to eat. Hereaf tei' we shall be called ydiiu 

 (bears), and when you yourselves are hungry come into the woods and 

 call us and we shall come to give you our own flesh. You need not be 

 afraid to kill us, for we shall live alv>avs." Then they taught the mes- 

 sengers the songs with which to call them, and the bear hunters have 

 these songs still. When they had finished the songs the Ani'-Tsa'guhi 

 started on again and the messengers turned back to the settlements, 

 but after going a little way they looked back and saw a drove of bears 

 going into the woods. 



J^/rxi B/itr Song 



He-e! Ani'-Tud'gulii, Aiii'-Txd'gi'dil, akiriiiidu'ri i-'lanli' gintm'ti, 



Ani'-Tsd'giihi, Ani'-Tsd'giihi, akwandn'li c'lantV gindn'ti — Fft.' 



He-e! The Aiii'-Tsd'gilhi, the Ani'-Tsa'guhi, I want to lay them low on the 

 ground, 

 The Ani'-Tsa'guhi, tlie Ani'-Tt-d'gulii, I want to lay them low on the 

 ground — Yu ! 



The bear hunter starts out each morning fasting and does not eat 

 until near evening. He sings this song as he leaves camp, and again 

 the next morning, but never twice the same day. 



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