426 THE ORIGIN OF MEDICINE CEREMONIES OR POWER. 
115. THE WEEPING CEDAR TREE.? 
In olden times a war party went out to the west to find the enemy. 
For many moons they traveled. At last they came to a rough country. 
There they made acamp. In the night these warriors heard a woman 
crying. Three warriors were selected to find the woman. They went 
in the direction of the crying, which became fainter as they drew near 
toit. They went away, and again the crying was heard. They followed 
the sound again and all came to acedar tree. It was the cedar tree that 
was crying like a woman. When they found it was the cedar tree that 
was crying, one of the men said: ‘‘ Warriors, let us go home.” They 
would not listen to the man, but continued their march. The man 
would not go with them, but lingered behind, for he was afraid to go on 
the war-path after he had heard the cedar tree weeping, for he thought 
it was a bad omen. The next day they were attacked by the enemy. 
The lone man looked on from a distance. All were killed, so the lone 
man went home and told the story. 
116, BIG TURTLE.” 
- In olden times a warrior borrowed the warriors’ bundle, for he was 
going to leave his country to capture ponies or to kill people. He took 
the bundle to his lodge and invited other young men to join him. The 
young men came into the lodge where the leader was sitting with the 
bundle in front of him. As the young men came into the lodge they 
were told to sit around the fireplace in a circie. A pipe was filled and 
lighted, and the men smoked to the gods in the heavens to insure their 
success. When the pipe was empty the leader spoke to the young men and 
said: ‘‘I am about to gointo the enemy’scountry. If any of you want 
to go you had better get ready, for I am going to start in the morning.” 
The young men all went out and returned in a short time with their bun- 
dles of clothing and food and their moccasins. They left the lodge in 
the morning and started out for the enemy’s country. For many days 
they walked. 
One day as they were walking along a deep ravine the warriors saw 
a big Turtle moving along. Two mischievous young men climbed upon 
the Turtle’s back and said: ‘‘Let us ride the Turtle.”” They jumped up 
and down, but all at once they found themselves stuck fast upon the 
1Told by Big-Crow, Kitkehahki. This is presumably a fragment ofa longer 
tale which relates the origin of some medicine-lodge. 
? Told by Curly-Hair, Kitkehahki. The story is told to the children so that 
they may not make fun of any animals on the earth. 
