LITERARY ASPECTS OF NORTH AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY. 
9 
PLOT ELABORATION. 
The action of a plot is generally developed in one of three 
ways: either the sequence of events is brought about by the 
actions of the actors themselves without the intermediation of a 
figure foretelling the various episodes; or it is outlined before- 
hand by some individuals and the episodes appear in full force 
only then; or, finally, the plot is developed in the form of a 
dialogue. 
The first method is found exemplified in many of the trick- 
ster cycles of North America, e.g., in the Nenebojo cycle of the 
Ojibwa, the Icdinige cycle of the Omaha, the Wak'djurjk'a-'ga 
cycle of the Winnebago, and the Rabbit and Coyote cycle of 
the Zapotecan Indians of Mexico. The second method is found 
in the legend of the origin of the Thunderbird war-bundle of 
the Winnebago, 1 the Winnebago myth of “Holy-one and his 
brother,” 2 the Omaha “Haxige,” 3 etc. The third method 
is found in many Zapotecan myths. As an illustration of the 
first method we will select the Ojibwa Nenebojo cycle; 4 as 
examples of the second the Omaha Haxige, its Winnebago 
version “Holy One,” and the Winnebago “The man who visited 
the Thunderbirds;” and as an example of the third, the Zapotecan 
Creation Myth. 6 
“They (Nenebojo and his grandmother) walked along until 
they came to the shores of Lake Erie. ... At Lake St. 
Clair Nenebojo saw a number of ducks and he thought to him- 
self, how am I going to kill them ?’ After a while, he took 
one of his pails and started to drum and sing at the same time. . . 
When the ducks saw Nenebojo standing near the shore, they swam 
toward him and as soon as he saw this, he sent his grandmother 
ahead to build a little lodge, where they could live. In the 
meantime, he killed a few of the ducks, so, while his grandmother 
started out to build a shelter, Nenebojo went towards the lake 
i P. Radin, “Winnebago tales,” Jour. Amer. Folk-lore, Vol. XXII, 1909, pp. 288-313. 
1 P. Radin, Winnebago MS, 
1 J. O. Dorsey, “Dheglha Texts," Contributions to North American ethnology, Vol. VI, 
p. 289. 
« P. Radin, "Some myths and tales of the Ojibwa of southeastern Ontario," Geological 
Survey of Canada, Memoir 48, Anthropological Series, No. 2, 1914, pp. 2, 3. 
1 P. Radin, Zapotecan Myths (MS.). 
