YOUNG-BOY-CHIEF WHO BECAME AN OTTER. 167 
23. YOUNG-BOY-CHIEF WHO BECAME AN OTTER.* 
Once upon a time there was a village which had two chiefs. The 
village was divided into two parts by a wide, street-like space which 
extended east and west. On the north side of the division was a man 
named Young-Boy-Chief (Niasedia), who was the son of the chief of 
that part of the village. Sometimes great crowds of people assembled 
at this chief’s place, and the prominent men would sing for Young-Boy- 
Chief, who was considered as “wiasucks’’ (a boy who had never had 
intercourse with women), a name given to young men who have no 
thought of marrying. While the singing was going on only the men 
were allowed close to the singers, while just beyond them were the 
women of the village. This song ceremony was always carried on for 
Young-Boy-Chief. Now, there were several women who thought that 
Young-Boy-Chief was old enough to marry. They went by night to 
see him, but he rejected them, for he had no thought of ever living with 
a woman. His parents often talked to him regarding marriage, but he 
would not listen to them and continued with his boyish acts and had no 
thought of women. The chief of the south village had a daughter, 
whose ways were similar to those of Young-Boy-Chief. She had no 
thought of men. A great many of the young men of the village desired 
her for a wife, but she rejected them. She was not in the habit of 
going around like other women, but always stayed close at home. Only 
a very few people knew her, it being the custom for the chiefs to have 
company every night. The chief’s daughter did most of the cooking 
for the visitors. 
Once upon a time Young-Boy-Chief thought of the chief’s daugh- 
ter, who, at the same time, thought of him, each wondering how the 
other appeared. On a certain night each thought of going to see the 
other, but neither. knew what the other was thinking about. Young- 
Boy-Chief got up from his bed at midnight and went straight toward 
the south village. At the same time, the chief’s daughter got out of 
her bed and went toward the north village to see Young-Boy-Chief. 
Neither knew that the other was on the way. As they approached the 
dividing line between the two villages they saw each other. Young- 
Boy-Chief asked the chief’s daughter where she was going. She re- 
plied: “I am going to see Young-Boy-Chief.” The woman, seeing 
certainly that this was the man, asked where he was going, and he 
replied that he was going to see the chief’s daughter who was living at 
the south village. Then said Young-Boy-Chief: “I am that same 
*Told by Kadas (Wichita), 
