510 THE PAWNEE: MYTHOLOGY. 
They return home and next year young man gives medicine ceremony and does 
many wonderful performances and becomes leading medicine-man, commanding 
cottonwood tree to grow from cottonwood stick. Following year young man again 
has his performance, this time making beaver-lodge and making use of powers of 
beavers in which he thrusts sticks through cheeks of his friends, swallows willow 
poles, commands dead loon to fly about lake, etc. He lives to old age and transmits 
his beaver medicine to his son. 
78. THE ORIGIN OF THE LOON MEDICINE CEREMONY. 
Poor boy is befriended by chief, with whom he is invited to live, where he looks 
after chief’s ponies. Chief’s son and poor boy are great friends. Chief’s son is in 
love with daughter of another chief of village. He is continually with her, but 
decides not to mary her. To secure excuse for not marrying her he gets poor boy 
to lie with her. He tells girl should she refuse he will never marry her. The girl 
objects and refuses. He attempts this second time, getting poor boy to dress in his 
clothing and to meet girl outside village in night; whereupon he discloses his identity 
and tells her of deception, that he himself would marry her. He returns, obtains his 
belongings, while she obtains hers, and they journey south, killing game as they go. 
Her relatives ask chief’s son her whereabouts. Careful examination of young men 
in village reveals absence of poor boy, and it is known he has left with chief’s daugh- 
ter. Poor boy and girl travel south to Pahuk, where they make grass-lodge and live. 
As she is getting water in pond she sees Loon, and later finds nest with two young 
birds. She tries in vain to capture them. She sleeps late one morning and they 
hear Loons talking, asking why their mother hasnot come. She goes to pond and 
they allow themselves to be captured. Thereafter, Loons pass each night with 
couple, returning to ponds during day. Loons tell them that they will have no 
children; but that they will give them their power. One day man follows Loons to 
water, which they enter, making great noise, sparks flying upward. Loons and 
other water birds swim about in pond and downy feathers form in shape of earth 
mound, and man is taught mysteries of water fowl. At Loons’ suggestion man goes 
on hunt and returns with many ponies. Loons are anxious that they should all 
return to their village, and they start out, woman carrying Loons. They enter 
village and people are frightened, thinking they are enemy, for they had been gone 
four years. Man gives several ponies to chief’s son and tells him he has been to 
Pahuk, and chief’s son invites him and Loons to eat with them. War party is 
formed and ponies are brought home. Chief’s son then leads war party and poor 
boy assists him, and they take one of Loons with them, which guides and protects 
them. They return with scalps and ponies. They again go on war party and young 
man of village attempts to visit young’s man wife, but Loon which has remained 
with her makes noise in protest and is mistreated. On that night woman’s husband 
on war-path knows that something is wrong and they set out forhome. Arriving, he 
finds Loon is ill, and it tells man that his wife has been unfaithful during his absence, 
and that man who has been with her has mistreated him. Loon dies. Young man 
takes his skin, and shortly after skin of other Loon, which also dies. Then he drives 
his wife from his lodge, telling her never to return. Thereafter, Loons are used on 
altar of medicine-man. He finally dies of broken heart, but leaves his medicines to 
chief’s son. 
