oIbeech J THE SWIMMER MANUSCRIPT 309 



once confirmed the statement, p:iving the words as above, which the 

 child repeats four times while nmning around the house, after which 

 he throws the old tooth upon*" the roof. Ho had not the formula 

 written down, as it is a well-known folklore custom, and in no way a 

 secret matter. As the beaver is noted for its gnawing powers, there 

 is a good Indian reason for asking it for a set of new teeth. 



[Although a similar belief and formula is very common through 

 almost all Europe (where, however, mice and rats are addressed instead 

 of the beaver), there is no necessity to consider this Cherokee practice 

 as borrowed from the whites.] 



•<' "Over the roof," my informant told me. — Editok. 



