ICTINIKE AND THE FOUR CREATORS. 557 
Samuel Fremont (Wadjepa) said in 1889 that the nida® b¢eya and the naxide cktni 
were different birds, resembling in plumage, beak, and fondness for fish, the naxide 
ckuini being slightly larger than the other fisher. Frank La Fléche insists that they 
are two names for the same bird. 
TRANSLATION. 
Ictinike married and dwelt in alodge. One day he said to his wife, ‘‘Hand me that 
tobacco-pouch. I must go to visit your grandfather, the Beaver.” So he departed. As 
he was entering the Beaver’s lodge the latter person exclaimed, ‘+ Ho, pass around to 
one side.” And they seated Ictinike on a pillow. The wife of the Beaver said, ‘* We 
have been without food. How can we give your grandfather anything to eat?” Now, the 
Beaver had four young beavers. The youngest one said, ‘‘Father, let me be the one 
who shall serve as food.” So the father killed him. After boiling her son, the Beaver’s 
wife gave the meat to Ictinike, who ate it. But before Ictinike ate it the Beaver said 
to him, ‘“‘ Beware lest you break even a single bone by biting! Do not break a bone!” 
Yet Ictinike broke the bone of one of the toes. When Ictinike felt full, after eating, the 
Beaver gathered the bones and put them in a skin, which he plunged beneath the 
water. In a moment the youngest beaver came up alive out of the water. When 
the father said, ‘Is all right ?” the son said, ‘‘ Father, he broke one of my toes by bit- 
ing.” Therefore from that time every beaver has had one toe, that next to the little one, 
which has seemingly been split by biting. When Ictinike was about to go home, he 
pretended that he had forgotten about his tobacco-pouch, which he left behind. So 
the Beaver said to one of his chiidren, ‘“* Take that to him! Do not go near him, but 
throw it to him when you are at a great distance from him, as he is always very talka- 
tive.” Then the child took the tobacco-pouch and started after Ictinike. After getting 
in sight of the latter, the young beaver was about to throw the pouch to Ietinike when 
standing ata great distance from him; bat Ictinike called to him, ‘‘Come closer! come 
closer!” And when the young beaver took the pouch closer Ictinike said, “Tell your 
father that he is to visit me.” When the young beaver reached home he said, ‘*O father, 
he said that you were to visit him.” The Beaver replied, “As I apprehended that 
very thing, I said to you, ‘Throw it to him while standing at a great distance from 
him.” Then the Beaver went to see Ictinike. When he arrived there Ictinike wished 
to kill one of his own children (in imitation of what he had seen the Beaver do), and 
was making him ery by hitting him often. But the Beaver was unwilling for him to act 
thus, so he said, “‘ Let him alone! You are making him suffer.” And then the Beaver 
went to the stream where he found a young beaver that he took back to the lodge, 
and they ate it. 
On another day Ictinike said to his wife, ‘‘ Hand me that tobacco-pouch. I must 
go to call on your grandfather, the Muskrat.” So he departed. As he was entering 
the Muskrat’s lodge the latter exclaimed, ‘* Ho, pass around to oue side.” And Ietinike 
was seated on a pillow. The Muskrat’s wife said, ‘‘We have been without food. How 
can we give your grandfather anything to eat?” Then, said the Muskrat, ‘Fetch some 
water.” And the woman brought the water. He told her to put it in the kettle and 
hang the kettle over the fire. When the water was boiling very fast the husband upset 
the kettle, and instead of water out came wild rice! So Ictinike ate the wild rice. 
When Ictinike departed he left his tobacco-pouch, as before. Then the Muskrat called 
