THE WITCH-WOMAN WHO STOLE THE WONDERFUL ROBE. 223 
lived with the people for some time. One day he was challenged by the 
Deer family to run a race. These Deer, it seems, represented the old 
woman. She was trying to do away with the young man. It seems that 
the old woman was suspicious that the boy was from some god in the 
heavens. The boy went to the races and ran with the Deer and over- 
came them. The boy went to his tipi, picked up the robe, covered him- 
self with it, and went on. The old woman saw the robe and said: ‘‘ What 
a beautiful robe. It must bea fine robe. It will make a pretty skirt for 
me. I must have it even if I have to steal it.” 
One day the boy went to where the men were playing with the gam- 
bling sticks. As he sat down one of the men challenged him to play with 
the sticks. While they were playing a false alarm of an attack by the 
enemy was given. When the men ran to where the alarm was given, 
the old woman went to the robe, picked it up, took her dress off, and put 
- the robe under her dress. She went away. When the men discovered 
that there was no enemy in sight they returned to the playground. The 
boy missed his robe. The old woman was standing at one side of the 
village watching him. As soon as she saw that the boy was looking for his 
robe she made faces at him and said: ‘‘ Young man, you will never find 
the robe. The robe is now my skirt and it shall keep me warm. You 
shall never know where it is.’’ The young man went through the village 
from one tipi to the other asking for hisrobe. The people had not seen it. 
At last he went up to the Witch-Woman and asked her if she had seen 
anything of his robe. She said: ‘‘No, I have not seen your robe.”’ At 
the same time she made faces at the young man, saying to herself: ‘‘ You 
will never find the robe. I now have it for a skirt.”” The young man 
went through the village again. Hestoodin the west, then walked through 
the village, singing: 
I am hunting a robe. 
My painted robe I am hunting. 
The heavens are painted upon it. 
Attention! It is among the people. 
Attention! It is among the people, 
Attention! It is among the people. 
When the old woman heard this she began to clap her hands and said: 
“The robe must be a wonderful one, but you shall never again have it 
in your hands, for the robe is my skirt.”” The boy sang again: 
I am hunting a robe. 
Who picked it up? 
Flocks of swallows are painted upon it. 
Attention! It is among the people. 
Attention! It is among the people. 
Attention! It is among the people. 
