414 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BuU. 194 



Before leaving the girl, the old woman gave her advice on conserving the food 

 and warned her not to travel during the daytime. She traveled night after night 

 until her food was gone. She was very hungry but still she traveled. One moon- 

 light night she saw something ahead of her. At first she thought it was a white 

 rock but when she was nearer, she saw that it was a large wolf. The wolf wagged 

 its tail like a friendly dog and walked up to her. Then the wolf walked on, 

 showing her the way. When it was daylight she stopped and the wolf brought 

 her a buffalo leg bone with some meat on it. She broke the bone and ate the 

 marrow. That night the wolf came again to lead her and when she was hungry, 

 the woK brought her tallow from around the buffalo's kidneys. 



The fourth night the Wolf said, "I know all about you. I did not come to you 

 until you lost your way. When we get to Butte-with- Grass I will call all the 

 wolves to you and they will tell you what to do when you get home." 



They walked all night until light appeared in the east. Then the wolf said, 

 "This is the place." 



Wolf faced towards the south and howled. Soon wolves were coming from that 

 direction. Then she faced the west and howled and the west wolves came. Then 

 she faced to the north and to the east to howl and the wolves of those directions 

 came also. She listened to their conversation and could understand everything 

 they said. The "leader of the wolves" kepu repeating, "We must finish what we 

 have to say before sunrise." 



The wolves selected the north wolves to speak to her as that was the most 

 numerous group. Their leader said, "Whenever she goes anywhere alone, she 

 will turn into a wolf and have powers like we have. And one thing more, she 

 must make a ceremony to the wolves. When making the ceremony, you should 

 give offerings and call the name 'prairie people' because the ^\olves are the people 

 of the flats." 



The wolves decided that the wolf who had taken her this far should lead her to 

 the village. The wolf led her to a high hill back of the village and then said, 

 "Your fathers will come to look for you because they know you are coming 

 toward the village. You stay here until they find you." 



While she sat there, it became light and she could see people walking in the 

 distance. They were her father and his brothers. She scolded them saying, 

 "Look at all the trouble we have had just because you would not listen to my 

 dreams. My brother is with the Snake people whose holy man gives him good 

 care. The older women were killed. I promised the wolves to give their cere- 

 mony as soon as I reached home." Her father knew what she meant. Soon 

 the criers were calling that Strong Jaw's daughter had returned from the enemy 

 and that the wolves had led her all the way back. 



A few days later she resolved to give the ceremony to the Wolves. She carried 

 robes and corn balls onto the earth lodge and wore ceremonial clothing such 

 as the wolves told her she must wear. The Wolves had said, "Take the skin off 

 of a wolf's head with the head and nose on to make the headdress of. Wear 

 12 eagle tails fastened to a band made of porcupine quills. Wear wolf claws around 

 your ankles and wrists." 



Then she went onto the lodge and called, "People of the Prairies." 



Since she was too young to fast, her father and his seven brothers fasted and 

 performed the dances for her as the wolves had instructed her. Each called 

 for arrows to record his exploits in warfare. In this way the men tried to outdo 

 each other. Afterwards others wanted to perform the ceremony and she would 

 tell them when the proper time had come to give it again. 



She grew up like other girls only all knew her to be holy. She learned to plant 

 and harvest corn like the other women. People praised her for discovering the 



