THE BOY WHO TURNED INTO A PRAIRIE DOG. 185 
achild.”” The boy then spoke to the female Prairie Dog, and she came to 
him. As themother and son walked along, the Prairie Dog wife followed 
them, her belly nearly touching the ground, for she was pregnant. When 
they reached the village the little Prairie Dog wife rolled around in the dust, 
turned herself into a woman, and the three then entered the village. 
The boy and the girl lived in the village for many years, and had many 
children. The boy became a great man. The Prairie Dog woman told 
the young man that he should never lie with a certain woman, because 
it was through her that he had gone away. 
One time the boy was going from the creek to the village, when he met 
this girl. She spoke to him and he did not pay any attention to her. She 
continued talking and at last he stopped. She asked him why he never 
spoke to her. The boy told her why, and the woman said that she had 
been sorry that she spoke as she did when she really did not mean it. 
They went into the brush and were together. 
On the way to his home the boy met his wife and all his children. 
She scolded him and said that she had told him not to associate with 
this woman; that he hadnot minded her. The boy begged with her, but 
it did no good. She kept traveling on until they crossed the stream. 
As soon as they crossed the stream the girl said: ‘‘ Now go to your people 
and stay there. I am going to my people with my children.”” Then the 
girl and the children turned into Prairie Dogs. The boy returned to the 
village and he began to have bad luck. At last he died a broken-hearted 
man. 
?51. THE GAMBLER AND THE GAMING STICKS.' 
Two young brothers lived in a village. The older wore yellow paint 
all the time, and always carried a cougar quiver with black arrows in it 
and a dark red bow. The younger boy was more quiet but more won- 
derful than the older brother. Not far from their village was another 
village, and many young men went there and never returned. It had 
1Told by Beaver, a Chaui medicine-man. This tale may be regarded as a 
variant of No. 27, but it is not believed to be true, as is that tale, and hence is placed 
here. Still other versions were obtained from the other bands, especially two from 
the Kitkehahki, one told by Thief, the other by White-Sun. According to the 
first version the Gambler obtained his sticks from the Witch-Woman, and lost his 
power by the theft of his favorite ring by a buffalo, which had been informed by a 
traitor in his village. In the other Kitkehahki version, the brothers always dressed 
exactly alike. The Gambler’s assistantis a little boy, who, however, warns the 
second brother of the futility of playing with the Gambler. This second brother 
obtains his magic gaming implements from buffalo skulls, to whom he prays on 
‘the prairie and which become live animals—a strong young bull and a cow rolling 
in the dust and offering themselves as javelin and ring; thus the chance of success 
would be greater on account of the tendency of the two sexes to come together. 
