§20 THE PAWNEE: MYTHOLOGY. 
village, and following day presents are made to him. He then sends for his deceiver, 
takes him to creek, touches water, and he is dragged under and is never seen there- 
after. 
87. THE THUNDER-BIRD CEREMONY. 
Two hermaphrodites digging artichokes see strange man. One of them slips 
around behind him and kills him with hoe. They return home and relate their 
adventure. People gotosee deadman. His face is painted and his head is bloody, 
as though he has been scalped. That night they dance scalp dance. Shortly after, 
grandfather takes his young grandson, leads him to dead man, and boy counts coup 
on him. They remove downy feathers from man’s head and cut off scalp-lock, 
which is fastened on pole and placed in front of their lodge. Boy sees this man in 
dream, who tells him that he is Thunder-Bird, and boy now sees a great bird like 
acrane talking tohim. Bird again becomes man and tells him that he will give him 
power. Next day he throws away scalp, but keeps feather and always carries it 
with him. Once while on buffalo hunt boy sees the man in vision, and is told to visit 
him. He does so, leaving his feather as directed on tree. By pond he sees man 
turning into crane and into man again. He takes boy into cleared place with altar 
in west, where stands bird. In south of place is Bird-That-Never-Moves. Man then 
teaches boy ceremony and many sleight-of-hand performances during several days. 
‘He returns to his village, encountering his father crying on hill. They go farther 
and find his mother mourning. Boy asks that neither of his parents touch him. 
During hunt boy directs that they should kill many buffalo and prepare them for 
ceremony. Boy enters medicine-men’s lodge with his bundle. He is painted with 
blueclay. His friends make many offeringstohim. Heisgivenseatinsouth. His 
performances are wonderful, for he is not yet medicine-man. He turns downy 
feather into Thunder-Bird; makes skull, which he places in east; makes Thunder- 
Bird to disappear, along with sun crane in south. At boy’s request his friends 
prepare for him medicine-lodge and he gives ceremony which is called elk dance, 
because large crane in west of lodge has feathers on its head like deer antlers. 
88. PROUD BOY AND THE ANIMAL MEDICINE, 
Three bands of Pawnee unite in great medicine-lodge. Procession is formed to 
obtain tree to be used in lodge. In crowd is poor boy who afterwards is known as 
Proud Boy. He falls in love with daughter of leading man, but she pays no atten- 
tion to him. Scouts are sent ahead and return with news that enemy is near tree 
which has been selected. Old warrior is sent to kill him. Girl is selected to cut 
tree. On return to village with tree is race, which is won by girl, prize being that she 
may live with priest until end of season. Ceremony is held and tribes return to their 
village. Following year ceremony repeated, and Proud Boy watches for girl, who 
appears beautifully costumed. Boy asks his father for clothing, but receives only 
waistband. Again they go after tree and race back to village, which girl wins again. 
There is a dispute over race, and they decide to repeat it, but girl’s father asks that 
it be postponed until next day. Her father paints buffalo calf robe for her to 
wear. In race she wears her black moccasins and skirt and calf robe. They 
race, but girl outstrips the best runners, and Proud Boy’s determination to marry 
girl is greater than before, because he knows that she possesses wonderful power. 
For winning race girl receives red ointment and lives with priest, sitting under 
