139 
‘'Nonsense! How could I want to exchange my husband for yours, 
my husband who is a good hunter?” she answered her. 
“Sister-in-law,” said Bearskin-Breeches, “tie a rawhide rope to your 
husband; then you can hold fast to the rope, so that your husband shall 
not be taken from you.” 
“Very well!” 
Thereupon they took off their clothes and went into the structure 
where they were to take the steam-bath. Then the elder sister really did 
tie something round her husband’s waist by which to hold him on the 
line, in her fear that she would be robbed of him. Then they closed them 
in tightly. 
Then Bearskin-Breeches spoke, saying, “Now, because I am weary I 
am taking a steam-bath, but, besides, I hate the way I now look!” he 
said; “Let me have back my good looks!” he said, as he poured fat on the 
stone. 
The handsome youth felt too hot. 
He said, “Open it up! I am hot!” he cried. 
That young woman paid no heed. He sprinkled the stone all the more. 
He cried all the more, “Open it up! I am too hot!” 
The young woman paid no heed to his noise. 
He cried, “Wife, open it up!” to her. 
When she wanted to open it, the younger sister held the elder back. 
“Get away! My husband is being scalded!” she said to her. 
She paid no heed to her elder sister, but held her firmly. 
At last Bearskin-Breeches said, “There, wife, now open it!” 
By this time he had taken away the other’s comely appearance, and 
regained his former good looks. When the elder sister opened the hut for 
him, it was that Bearskin-Breeches whom she was holding on the rawhide 
thong. 
“Dear me, sister, it seems our husbands have changed places as to the 
rope!” 
“Oh, no!” the handsome young man told her; “This person here is 
your husband, my sister-in-law, who had robbed me of my good looks. But 
now I have had enough of his defiling my clothes and my headgear,” he 
said. 
It seemed as though he were even handsomer than before; the young 
woman was very glad to see her husband looking like that. The elder 
sister wept because her husband was ugly. She paid no attention to him, for 
he coughed incessantly, and was hunchbacked, but she stood to one side 
and wept. 
“\Vhy are you weeping, sister-in-law? You might be kissing your 
husband, you know! At least give him a kiss!” he said to her. 
She would not kiss her husband, for he disgusted her, and she kept 
weeping. 
“Little sister, please let me have your husband!” she begged her. 
“Oh, no! It is my brother-in-law who is your husband!” she told her. 
Then, when that youth gave his clothes a good shaking, they were 
pretty again. Then they put on their clothes, and when that Bearskin- 
Breeches had put on his, he departed; for he did not like his wife’s disdain. 
He went away. But the other stayed there. Then that younger sister 
was very happy. 
