IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 



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The Ka-is-to-wan-ea grew rapidly. It was Ha-ja-noh's delight 

 to procure for it the choicest game of the forests, and for many 

 months there was happiness in his lodge which he hoped might 

 continue as long as he should live. But this was not to be. 



The Ka-is-to-wan-ea, so beautiful and graceful in its youth, soon 

 grew to be a ravenous monster, demanding for its insatiate maw 

 more food than Ha-ja-noh could obtain, although he was aided by 

 all the hunters of the tribe; and having grown so large that the 

 lodge could contain it no longer, it left Ha-ja-noh and wandered 

 to a cave under the mountain, whence it would emerge to forage 

 the forests, devouring the game until the people were famishing. 

 In the greed of its hunger, it crawled to the lake where it devoured 

 all the fish when, with hunger still unappeased, it encircled the 

 mountain with its enormous length, thereby preventing the people 

 from escaping, and began to devour them. 



Ha-ja-noh, who had now become a great warrior, was overcome 

 with remorse at beholding the destruction of his people; for he 

 knew that his love for the beautiful little Ka-is-to-wan-ea had 

 brought this calamity upon them, and wearied with grieving, fell 

 asleep. 



While sleeping, he dreamed that a voice spoke to him saying, 

 " Save your people. The Ka-is-to-wan-ea is strong, but I will aid 

 you to vanquish it. Your arrow must bear a charm. Make it of 

 dark snake wood and tip its point with white flint, string your 

 bow with a lock of your sister's hair and aim at the monster's 

 heart." Starting from his sleep and believing that the Great 

 Spirit had spoken to him, he hastened to obey. 



When all was prepared as directed in his dream, and he had 

 declared his intention to the people, he approached the Ka-is-to- 

 wan-ea, calling it to listen while he denounced it for its treachery 

 and base ingratitude; reminding it of the time when young and 

 helpless he had taken it from the swamp to the shelter of his lodge. 

 But the Ka-is-to-wan-ea, who had hesitated at the sound of Ha-ja- 

 noh's voice, would listen.no longer, and returned to his bloody 

 feast. 



" Ungrateful creature," exclaimed Ha-ja-noh, " yon shall die! " 

 and springing his bow to its utmost bend, sped his arrow at the 

 monster's heart. True to its aim, the arrow sank deep, and the 

 Ka-is-to-wan-ea, relaxing its grasp, rolled to the base of the moun- 

 tain, in its dying struggles disgorging the heads of the people it 

 had swallowed. 



Many of the heads sank in the lake where they were turned to 



