DAKOTA MYTHS. 91 
this child.” ‘* We will swing it around the tent,” the old man said, and whirled it 
up through the smoke hole. It went whirling around and fell down, and then came 
creeping into the tent. But again he took it and threw it up through the top of the 
tent. Then it got up and came into the tent walking. Again the old man whirled 
him out, and then he came in a boy with some green sticks, and said, ‘* Grandfather, 
I wish you would make me arrows.” But agaiu the old man whirled him out, and 
where he went was not manifest. This time he came into the tent a young man, and 
having green sticks. ‘‘ Grandfather, make me arrows of these,” he said. So the old 
man made him arrows, and he killed a great many buffalo, and they made a large 
tepee and built up a high sleeping place in the back part, and they were very rich 
in dried meat. 
Then the old man said, ‘Old woman, I am glad we are well off; I will proclaim it 
abroad.” And so when the morning came he went up to the top of the house and sat, 
and said, ‘I, [have abundance laid up. The fat of the big guts | chew.” And they say 
that was the origin of the meadow lark, a bird which is called taSiyakapopo.! It has 
a yellow breast and black in the middle, which is the yellow of the morning, and they 
say the black stripe is made by a smooth buffalo horn worn for a necklace. 
Then the young man said, “ Grandfather, I want to go traveling.” ‘ Yes,” the 
old man replied, ‘‘ when one is young is the time to go and visit other people.” The 
young man went, and came to where people lived, and lo! they were engaged in shoot- 
ing arrows through a hoop. And there was a young man who was simply looking on, 
and so he stood beside him and looked on. By and by he said, “* My friend, let us go 
to your house.” So he went home with him and came to his house. ‘This young man 
also had been raised by his grandmother, and lived with her, they say. Then he said, 
‘Grandmother, I have brought my friend home with me; get him something to eat.” 
But the grandmother said, ‘‘Grandchild, what shall I do?” The other young man then 
said, ‘“‘ How is it, grandmother?” She replied, ‘The people are about to die of thirst. 
All who go for water come not back again.” The star-born said, ‘‘ My friend, take a 
kettle; we will go for water.” The old woman interposed, ‘“ With difficulty I have 
raised my grandchild.” But he said, ‘‘ You are afraid of trifles,” and so went with 
the Star-born. By and by they reached the side of the lake, and by the water of 
the lake stood troughs full of water. And he called out, ‘‘ You who they say have 
killed every one who came for water, whither have you gone? I have come for water.” 
Then immediately whither they went was not manifest. Behold there was a long 
house which was extended, and it was full of young men and young women. Some of 
them were dead and some were in the agonies of death. ‘‘ How did you come here?” 
he said. They replied, “What do you mean? We came for water and something 
swallowed us up.” 
Then on the head of the young man something kept striking. ‘* What is this?” 
he said. ‘Get away,” they replied, ‘that is the heart.” So he drew out his knife 
and cut it to pieces. Suddenly something made a great noise. In the great body 
these were swallowed up, but when the heart was cut to pieces and died death came 
to the body. So he punched a hole in the side and came out, bringing the young men 
and the young women. So the people were very thankful and gave him two maidens. 

'Tasiyaka is the name of the large intestine, the colon; sometimes applied to the pylorus. Dr. 
Riggs gives another form of the name of the bird in the dictionary, tasiyakapopopa.—J. O. D. 
