544 REPORT—1899, 
come of his bride soon made him forget the danger he had run in reaching 
her. Next morning, when the Shaman, according to his wont, aroused 
his family, he was greatly astonished to see the young man appear safe 
and sound from his daughter’s quarters ; but dissembling his feelings he 
bade him good morrow and hoped he was ready for his second task that 
day. ‘O yes,’ responded the youth, ‘I am quite ready and eager.’ When 
he had gone for his morning plunge and exercise, the father took the 
opportunity of warning his wife and daughters that they were on no 
account to give the youth any hints or advice. ‘He has some powerful 
medicine,’ added he, ‘ working in his behalf, or he could not have accom- 
plished the task I set him yesterday or escape the trap I placed for him 
last night. If I do not destroy him I foresee he will outwit me and 
deprive me of my prestige and power.’ He little suspected that his 
younger daughter had already revealed the nature of his second task he 
proposed to set him, and had conspired to outwit him and assist her hus- 
band. But so it was ; for before they had risen that morning she had 
told him that her father would change herself and sister and mother into 
three beautiful speckled trout, so exactly alike that it would be impos- 
sible to tell one from another without assistance from the fish themselves. 
Said the young wife, ‘I will wag my head from side to side as I swim 
about : by this means you will be able to distinguish me from the others 
when you are asked to point me out, without exciting my father’s sus- 
picions that I am helping you ; for,’ added she, ‘ the task that awaits you 
to-day is to point out which of the three fish is your wife. Be careful not 
to point me out at the very commencement of the trial. Pretend for a 
while to be in doubt, and declare the task to be impossible, and only 
when you have exhausted my father’s patience make a real and final 
effort.’ The young man promised to do as she had bidden him, and 
thanked her for her good advice, 
All breakfast-time the Shaman was very merry and talked much, 
telling the youth how many young men had come to him to be initiated 
into the mysteries of Shamanism and had proved themselves unworthy, 
and had been cast to the beast and been devoured. The youth was not 
to be dismayed by the misfortunes of those who had tried before him and 
failed. Secure in the love and assistance of the Shaman’s own daughter, 
and mindful of his dream, he maintained, to the Shaman’s secret chagrin, 
the same self-confident air that he had worn on the previous day. As 
soon as the morning meal was over, the Shaman bade his daughters fetch 
a large basket-tub and fill it with water. As soon as they had done this 
he called the young man to him and said, ‘Now you must essay your 
second task, and if you fail, notwithstanding your success of yesterday, I 
shall cast you to the beast.’ Transforming his wife and two daughters 
therewith into three speckled trout, so exactly alike that it was impossible 
to detect the slightest difference between them, he cast them into the 
basket of water and bade the youth come near. After watching them for 
a moment he asked the young man which had the smallest tail. ‘It is 
impossible to say,’ replied the youth; ‘they seem to me to be exactly of 
the same size.’ ‘ Which has the largest head, then?’ questioned the 
Shaman. ‘I cannot say,’ said the youth. ‘Which has the finest fins ?’ 
‘They are all equally fine,’ was the answer. And thus the Shaman ques- 
tioned him upon all their points, always receiving a similar answer from 
the youth, as his wife had instructed him. The Shaman then put the 
real and final question: ‘ Which of the three is your wife, my youngest 
