FIGHT BETWEEN THE ARIKARA AND THE SNAKES. 125 
from some of the gods. She would eat no corn, squash, or anything, 
except chicken or duck. The girl grew to womanhood, and all the 
people respected and honored her. 
One time famine prevailed, and the people were in much distress. 
The medicine-men did all they could, but all in vain. Some came and 
talked to the woman, and she told them that it was an easy matter to 
give them aid. She advised all the people to open and clean their 
cellars. ‘They did so. The people took out the little corn they were 
saving for seed and gave it to the woman. Again she advised them 
to stand by their cellars until she had relieved them. So she went 
with a little corn, beans, and squash, and when she came to the first 
one she asked what things were usually kept in that cellar. The 
owner of the cellar gave his or her answer—such as, “Corn and 
beans were kept in this.” The woman then would throw down the 
seeds in the cellar and tell them to cover them up. She did this to all 
the people’s cellars, and they were all covered. She advised them 
not to open the cellars until at the end of four days. So the people 
waited, and after the fourth day they all opened their cellars and 
beheld the corn, beans, squash, and other things, which filled their 
cellars. The people were pleased and showed more respect and honor 
to Mother-Corn. Later, the woman did many other things for them. 
43. THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE ARIKARA AND THE SNAKES.* 
One summer the Arikara went out to hunt buffalo, deer, and ante- 
lope. On their way they saw by the path a pretty little snake. Some 
of the old people told the others to give presents to the snake, such 
as deer meat and moccasins. There were two foolish boys in the 
rear of the crowd, coming along on foot. When the foolish boys 
saw the pile of presents they wondered what it was for. They looked 
all around the pile, but could see nothing; but after a while they saw 
the little snake on top of the presents. The boys were mad, and 
said: “We are poor. We are living with these people and they do 
not give us anything, although they know that we need help, and 
here they have given these things to this little snake.” “Let us kill 
it,” said one of the boys. The other one said, “All right.” So they 
killed the snake. The boys told the people that they had killed the 
snake. The people turned back from their hunt and went to their 
village, and they began to climb upon high arbors for refuge. From 
the top of the arbors they saw something coming down both sides of 
*Told by Two-Hawks. 
