So TRADITIONS OF THE ARIKARA. 
boy found his legs had grown together and had turned into fhe tail of 
a snake. The other young man promised to take care of him as 
long as he could. He carried the boy upon his back to the nearest 
lake. Tihe idiot now turned into a Snake. 
The next morning, the Snake told the boy to place him in the 
take; that if the fishes were satisfied to let him remain with them he 
would let the boy know. The boy put the Snake into the lake. The 
Snake swam about the lake and there was a great commotion in the 
water. The fishes in the lake did not seem to like this Snake which 
had come among them. The Snake came out again, and the boy 
took it and put it upon his back and carried it to another lake. There 
was a great noise again in the lake. The Snake came out again, 
and said: “Carry me to the Missouri River and put me in. 
That is where I am to stay.” So the boy took the Snake down to 
the Missouri River and put it into the river. The Snake swam 
around in the river and came out and said: “My brother, I am to 
rest in the middle of the Missouri River. Whenever the people cross 
the Missouri River they must say, ‘My brother, let me step over you.’ 
They will then always cross over the river without any danger of 
drowning. If they do not say anything, there will be danger of 
their getting drowned. Let them also give me presents, throwing 
them into the river. Now go home and tell my friends to bring me 
some presents of pounded corn and dried buffalo meat.” 
The boy went home and told his friends what had happened. 
The people brought blankets, tobacco, pounded corn, and dried meat. 
The boy and some other people went to the river and there they gave 
presents. The Snake boy received the presents, showing himself, so 
the people knew that the idiot had turned to a Snake. Every time 
the men went on the war-path they said: “My brother, we want to 
step over you. We are upon the war-path. See that none of our 
young men get lost in the river.” To-day these people say to this 
river: ‘Brother, I am about to cross over you. See that I do not 
drown.” Presents used to be given to the Snake boy by warriors 
when upon the war-path. 
23. THE BOY WHO RECEIVED THE MOUSE POWER.* 
A long time ago, when the Arikara were in a village on the Mis- 
sourt River, the chiefs notified the people that they were going hunt- 
ing, and that they were all to get ready to go. So all the people went 
*Told by Snowbird. 
