334 THE ORIGIN OF MEDICINE CEREMONIES OR POWER. 
The next day the boy found himself upon dry land, and for the first 
time he noticed that there was a heavy weight in his stomach. The 
boy saw the Magpie and followed it. For several days they traveled 
until they arrived at the banks of the Platte River. There the boy lay 
down and went to sleep. He was awakened by a great noise. He sat 
up, looked around, and again he saw fire in the water in different places. 
Sometimes it was like a lot of hot coals coming up in the water. At 
another time, when he saw these hot coals in the water, it seemed as 
if something were blowing through the fire and the sparks scattered out. 
The boy had a strange feeling. He was again knocked over, and when 
he woke up he was in the lodge of the animals. He saw the Magpie 
sitting there. The Magpie said: ‘‘My brother here was taken into the 
lodge at Pahuk. They could not do anything for him, so they sent him 
to this lodge and I came with him.’’ When the animals looked at the 
boy they said, “‘If the lodge at Pahuk can not do anything, we can not 
do anything.”’ 
The Magpie took the boy out again and they went to another place 
called Spring-Mound, on the banks of the Republican River. The boy 
was placed on the ground where the spring was. He was taken into 
the lodge. Most of the animals in the lodge were Catfish, Mink, Rac- 
coons, Otters, Beavers, and a very few birds. They could not help the 
boy here. He was now weak. When this lodge failed to do anything 
for him, the Magpie told the boy to follow again and they would go to 
the lodge at Pahuk. The boy walked back. The ball of clay had grown 
larger, so that now his stomach protruded. He became very weak and 
thin. When he walked he had to use his bow for a cane. He was 
nearly dead, so he decided that if he got to Pahuk he would lie down 
upon the place where the Turtle had been. If he died there it would be 
well. Just as he reached the banks of the river he found he could go no 
farther. He fainted and fell. 
The Magpie entered the lodge, and the animals with their power took 
the boy in. The Magpie again begged the animals to help the boy. The 
animals said that they could not do anything, but that there was one 
animal who was classed with the animal medicine-men; that he controlled 
all the lodges of the animals; that he it was who carried the war club; 
that he could do many wonderful things; that if there were any of the 
birds who were willing to go for this being, to speak. They said, ‘‘If 
this animal does not help the boy, then nothing more can be done.” 
The Magpie flew up and said, ‘“‘I will go for that being.’’ Then there 
was a great noise again throughout the lodge, for they were glad to think 
that the Magpie should be willing to help the boy. The Magpie went 
