74 TRADITIONS OF THE ARIKARA. 
I have been here a long time, and every time I place my young upon 
this place a strange animal that lives in yonder lake comes up and eats 
my young. I have not raised my young, so I have asked you to help 
me; and if you save my children I will give you great power. The 
animal that devours my young is a water-serpent. It has two long 
heads. It has a very thick covering of flint stones. When I throw my 
lightning upon it, it does it no harm. I throw the lightning in its mouth 
and it does not die, for the covering extends beyond its head, so that I 
do not hurt it. Now, my son, do not cry, but stay here and help me 
kill this monster, and you shall have lightning in your eyes and your 
mouth and limbs, and you shall have control of all the birds in the 
whole world.” 
The boy wiped away his tears and said: “I will die with my 
brothers. I will stay here and help you.” ‘The Thunderbird flew away, 
for she was happy. The boy went to the east slope of the mound, which 
he found very steep, but covered with timber. He clambered down 
from the crest of the mound and went into the timber, and there he 
found many birds. This was the home of all birds. He found a deer 
and killed it. He cut it up and carried the meat to the top of the 
mound. He carried some ‘wood to the top also, and made a fire with 
flint stone. He saw the young birds with their mouths open. He took 
some meat to them and fed them. The parents of the little birds came 
and saw that the boy was taking care of them and were glad. The male 
bird spoke to the boy, and said: “We are all glad to have you here. 
Our young are very young, but as soon as they begin to turn black 
then it is time for the serpent to come out from the lake and climb this 
hill, to kill.and eat my birds. We will go far away, where we will get 
more power, for it is nearly time for the serpent to come up. When 
the serpent comes up we will be here in time to try to kill it. We are 
gone.” | 
The Thunderbirds flew away and for many days the boy did not 
see them. He was told that when the serpent was ready to come out 
from the lake he would see a fog rising from the lake, and by that 
would know that the serpent was coming. 
One fine morning when the boy was sitting down, with his bow and 
arrows lying in front of him, looking at the sun as it came up in the 
east, something seemed to move his head towards the lake. He saw a 
small roll of fog coming up from the middle of the lake and the fog 
seemed to spread as it went up. After a while the fog seemed to cover 
the hills around, and to reach up into the heavens. The boy saw some- 
