396 THE ORIGIN OF MEDICINE CEREMONIES OR POWER. 
feathers. We were arranging a time when this man should be allowed 
to come into ourden. Instead of waiting until we should arrange for him 
to come, he has stolen a child and has given it to us. This child has a 
father and a mother. The father and the mother are hunting for the 
child, and they are mourning at this time for the child. This father and 
mother love their child.’’ Then one of the Eagles said, ‘‘See, on the 
east side of our den are seated our father and our mother.”’ All the 
Eagles looked to the east in the den, and there sat two old Eagles. 
Their feathers were worn off. They looked very old. Then the Eagle 
who was speaking said, ‘‘ We will leave it to these two old people to tell 
us what to do with the boy.”” The two old Eagles then began to stir 
around, stretching their wings and their necks. The old man Eagle said: 
‘‘The man in his haste to learn our power has stolen this boy and thrown 
him into our den to learn our secrets. We had promised to help this 
man, but since he has stolen this child we will let him go and will not give 
him any powers. Let the child remain with us. I give you my power 
and my consent to turn the boy into an Eagle.”’ All the Eagles in the 
den jumped up and screeched, for they were satisfied with what the old 
Eagle had decided. The child was now toldto sit up. The Eagles flew 
around in the den, for they were very numerous. All these Eagles were 
descended from the two which were now old. The Eagles flew around in 
the den and also around the boy. Then the Eagles flew in a flock around 
in the den and surrounded the little boy. When the Eagles flew up, 
there were many feathers scattered around the boy. 
Again the Eagles surrounded him. This time they covered him with 
soft downy feathers. The next time they flew around the boy and 
surrounded him. When they flew away the arms of the boy had feathers 
upon them. Again the Eagles surrounded him, and when they flew away 
the boy was not there. They flew around the den several times and 
then placed the boy on the south side. When the Eagles had flown away 
the boy sat there as an Eagle, for he had been turned into an Eagle 
according to his age. The boy tried to fly, but as he was still young 
and his feathers small, he could not fly. Every day the Eagles flew out 
of the den and went over the country. In the afternoon they would 
return to the den with all kinds of meat and animals and drop them into 
the den. The boy and the other young Eagles would surround the meat 
and eat of it. When the young Eagles had eaten the meat from the 
bones, and the old Eagles had returned to the den, the bones were taken 
out and dropped over the country. For some time the boy remained in 
the den, for he could not fly out. The boy was being taught by the old 
Eagles the power which he was to have. The old Eagles kept telling the 
_i 
