44 TRADITIONS OF THE CADDO. 
little boys. There was a lake near the village where the men fished, 
and the children were accustomed to go to the lake and watch them. 
One time Medicine-Screech-Owl asked his mother if he could not fish 
too. She only laughed at him and told him that he was too little; 
but he begged so hard that she finally said he might go and try. 
He went, taking his little bow and arrows, and soon returned with a 
big fish. His mother was greatly surprised and gave her consent for 
him to go the next day. Again he came home with a big fish, and 
again and again, until his fame as a fisherman spread throughout the 
village. 
There were many who did not like the boy because they did not know 
who his father was, and when they heard about his success they began 
to fear him and decided to kill him. There was among the people a 
powerful Medicine-Man, and they asked him to use his powers against 
the boy and kill him. 
One day, while the boy was at the lake fishing, he saw the reflection 
of a big, black cloud in the water. He knew that the Medicine-Man 
was sending Thunder totry to kill him, but he did not fear. He walked 
into the water until it was upto his knees. Thencamea peal of thunder 
and ashaft of lightning. He raised his bow over his head and the light- 
ning rolled from it intothe water. Again and again the lightning shafts 
struck at him, but every time he caught them on his bow and hurled 
them into the water. At last the Medicine-Man realized that the boy 
had more power over Thunder than he had, and sohe gave up. That 
evening the boy returned home with a big fish and told his mother what 
had happened. 
Nothing more happened for a long time, but one day while the boy 
was lying in his lodge resting it occurred to him that something was 
going to happento him. He arose from his bed,took his bow and arrows, 
went back to his bed, lay down and began to sing. Soon he heard a 
great noise, and he knew that the Medicine-Man was sending Cannibal 
monster to destroy him. He heard the monster’s roar, that sounded like 
thunder, but he lay still and sang as though he had nothing to fear. 
As the monster came nearer he could feel its hot breath, but he did not 
move until it leaped upon his lodge and fell through with an awful 
crash. ‘Then he arose and killed it. 
After that Medicine-Screech-Owl started out to travel, and he went 
from place to place, killing monsters and ferocious animals and healing 
the sick. Where he was, death could not come, and so powerful was 
his touch that people were healed if he placed his hand on the diseased 
place. Finally, after he had been with the people for a long time, he 
called them together and told them that he was going to leave them. 
He disappeared and has not been seen since. 
