140 BUREAU OP AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 89 



into your sack. That will be the wave. Then take a feather from 

 the back of the head of an ayahl'ya (a soHtary bird that continually 

 flies about on the beach) and put it with the rest. You will become 

 a great dancer like that bird. Finally take this medicine to a point 

 running far out into the ocean where the wind blows continually. 

 Tie it there to the top of a tree, where it will always be blowing back 

 and forth." 



The man did as he had been directed, and the day after began to 

 think of composing a song. On account of the medicine this was 

 not hard for him. He also felt that he could dance, and began dancing 

 the same evening. While doing so he was very light upon his feet. He 

 was as if in a trance, not knowing exactly what he was doing. Then 

 he thought to himself, "I am going to the next town." So he went 

 there and began singing, and it was soon noised about, "A man has 

 come here who is a great singer. He is going to dance to-night." 

 Then all the people went to that house where he was to dance. He 

 danced and taught the women his songs, which were very sad. He 

 sang about the dilTerent clans [among the Haida], jncking out only 

 good clans. So the young women of those families began to bring 

 him presents, and each thought, "I will give the most." They gave 

 him all kinds of things, robes, fur shirts, blankets, leggings. He was 

 becoming ver}^ rich through dancing. 



In the same town was the young s<jn of a chief who wanted very 

 much to learn to dance and said to him, "How did you come to 

 learn to dance?" He answered, ''I have medicine for dancing." 

 "You must show me how. I will pay you well. I want very much 

 to learn." Then he showed him how to make the medicine. He 

 said, "You have to fast. If you do that you wdl learn. Fast 

 to-morrow, and the next day I will take you up to the woods." When 

 they went up he said, "After you have learned how to do this, you 

 nmst think of composing a song, and you will see that you will be 

 able to do so at once. You will be so happy over it that j'^ou will 

 feel as though you were making a great hre." In the morning the 

 yoimg num sang and found he coidd compose songs. Then he went 

 up to the woods and danced all alone by himself. Like the other, he 

 felt light as if he were in a dream. By and by it was reported all 

 over town, "This chiefs son can compose fine songs." He danced 

 for them, and, because he was a younger person than the other, he 

 danced far better. At this the youth's boy friends said to him, 

 "What makes you do such a thing? It doesn't look right foi' you 

 to do it." They tried to make him believe he was above dancing, 

 because they were jealous of him. wSo he went to the man who had 

 instructed him, and the latter said, "People will do this (i. e., dance) 

 all over the world. You will soon hear of it. You and I will not 

 be the only ones doing it. They say this because they are jealous of 



