52 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



The following paper was then read by Rev. J. Owen Dorsey: 

 The Young Chief and the Thunders : An Omaha Myth. 



Once there was a great chief, who had a lazy son. In spite of 

 all the advice which his father gave him he spent all of his time in 

 eating and sleeping. He would neither travel nor take a wife. At 

 length he had a separate lodge made for him. He entered it and 

 fasted for four seasons, speaking to no one. Only once in a while 

 he took very small supplies of food and water, which his mother 

 brought him. As he fasted, he saw a deity, who told him that he 

 could do whatever he desired, and he thought that he would like to 

 wear a robe of scalps ; so he summoned the young men of the tribe, 

 and made up a war party, which started in four days. At length 

 they came to an old man, who was very poor. No one but the 

 chief knew that he was a Thunder. They pitied him, and gave 

 him some of their robes, etc. The old man spoke of giving them 

 something in return. Just then his servant, a coyote, winked at 

 the chief, who followed him out of the lodge. The coyote told 

 him to choose the otter-skin sacred bag, when the old man showed 

 him that and three others. They re-entered the lodge. The old 

 man asked them which one of the four "sacred bags they would take. 

 The swallow bag would insure a return in half a day, with scalps, 

 etc ; the hawk bag would bring them home triumphant in two days; 

 the third would keep them away a little longer. "As for this 

 otter-skin," said he, " it is good; but it is old and worn." And, 

 grasping the otter-skin, the chief said, " Notwithstanding that, 

 grandfather, I will take that," and the old man was in a bad humor 

 and scolded his servant. "No, grandfather," said the chief, "he 

 did not tell me. I chanced to decide so." And the old man gave 

 him a wooden club with the otter-skin bag. "The owner of the 

 bag does whatsoever he desires, in spite of all difficulties. It kills 

 a great many people. If you wish to kill all the people in any 

 place, whirl this club around your head four times, and at the last 

 time say • Kau.' It will make thunder." The old man knew the 

 desire of the chief. Four days after that the chief sent out four 



