308 THE ORIGIN OF MEDICINE CEREMONIES OR POWER. 
85. THE MEDICINE-MAN WHO KILLED HIS SON.* 
A long time ago the Pawnee held their medicine-lodge ceremonies 
and performed sleight-of-hand. While they were performing a ceremony 
the wife of the leader of the medicine-men spoke to herson, who was now 
about thirteen years old. She said: ‘‘My son, it is now time that you 
were in the medicine-lodge where all these acts are being carried on. Go 
to the medicine-lodge. When you have entered, walk up to your father, 
place your hands upon his head, pass them down over his body, speak 
and say, ‘My father, I want you to take pity on me. I want you to 
accept mein thislodge. Ihave one pony and I now giveittoyou.’”’ The 
boy went to his father and did as his mother had told him, but his father 
refused him, and would not admit him into the lodge. The boy went 
back and told his mother that his father had refused him. The mother 
did not know what to make of it. She said: ‘‘Take these presents to 
your father, place them before him and tell him that you want him to take 
pity on you.’’ The boy went, but the father again refused. The boy 
returned to his mother and told her what his father had done. Then the 
woman said: ‘‘Once more you shall go. Take this pipe filled with 
native tobacco, place it in his hands, and tell him that you wish to become 
a member of the medicine-lodge.’”” The boy went into the lodge and 
placed the pipe in his father’s hands, but his father refused to light the 
pipe and returned it tothe boy. The boy went home and told his mother 
that his father had refused. The mother then said: ‘It is strange that 
your own father should do this. He is the leader of all the medicine-men 
and he rejects you. You shall go to him for the last time. Take this 
vessel of corn which I have boiled, and this dried meat into the lodge. 
When he sees this surely he can not refuse.” The boy took the corn into 
the medicine-lodge. He again went with the dried meat and put it in 
front of his father. His father still rejected him. The boy went home 
to his mother. As he sat in his mother’s lap he cried and said: 
“Mother, I do not see how I can meet my father when these ceremonies 
are over. I can not understand why he refuses me.’”’ Then the mother 
said: ‘“‘Boy, you must not cry. Your father is not the only medicine- 
man. My father was also a leader in amedicine ceremony. To-day, for 
the first time, your father shall know that I understand some of the 
mysteries of your grandfather. ”’ | 
The woman took her sacred bundle, untied it, and took therefrom a 
skirt which had been dyed black. Upon this skirt were scattered soft 
‘Told by White-Horse, Pitahauirat. This story may be regarded as the 
Pitahauirat version of the preceding tale. The story teaches that the father should 
not refuse to admit his own son to his medicine ceremony. 
