188 THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA. 
woman’s walking stick. Young-Boy-Chief asked if he might help her 
across, and she said that he might. After entering the river the old 
woman asked Young-Boy-Chief to pack her up on his back, for she 
said that she was not able to wade the river. Young-Boy-Chief packed 
the old woman across on his back, and when they landed on the other 
side he asked ther to get off, but the old woman refused to do so, and told 
him to let her down on the edge of the village. Young-Boy-Chief 
went on with the old woman on his back. When they reached the 
village it was getting dark, but he still had the old woman on his back, 
for she refused to get off. Young-Boy-Chief then asked her if she 
wanted him to pack her to the place where she lived, but she said: 
“No; you have refused to marry any one, and since you always refuse 
to marry I have made up my mind to be your wife.” Young-Boy- 
Chief said to the woman: “If this is the case, now get off from my back 
and you shall be my wife, and I will live with you always.” But the 
old woman said: “No, no! Iam now on your back and I shall never get 
off; I am on to stay.” Young-Boy-Chief then thought to himself: 
“Well, if I am going to have this woman on my back, I might just as 
well go home.” 
Now, the men were in the habit of sitting up with the chief, Young- 
Boy-Chief’s father ; and they were waiting, wondering why he had not 
come home, for it was late. When Young-Boy-Chief got to the place 
he stopped outside and waited until some one should step out to bring 
in some wood to put upon the fire. Finally, some one stepped out, and 
when he returned, said: ‘“Young-Boy-Chief is outside standing with 
some one.” ‘The chief called to Young-Boy-Chief, saying: “If you 
have selected some one for your wife, bring her in.” Young-Boy- 
Chief went in, went toward his bed and at once lay down. When 
Young-Boy-Chief had lain down the old woman spoke to his people, 
saying that she was their daughter-in-law. The people said to the 
woman: “If you will come off from the back of Young-Boy-Chief you 
may have some supper.” But Young-Boy-Chief’s wife did not come 
off to eat. Then men returned to their homes, and Young-Boy-Chief 
went to bed, thinking how the could get rid of the woman. On the 
next day he still had the old woman on his back, and he finally found 
that he could not get rid of her, for she was stuck to his back. Deinde 
anus in eius tergo urinari defaecareque incipicbat. Young-Boy-Chief 
ate but twice a day, and felt pretty bad. His life was about to come to 
an end, because the old woman was such a nuisance to him, and his 
people were afraid he was going to die. 
