124 TRADITIONS OF THE CADDO. 
36. THE LAZY BOYS WHO BECAME THE PLEIADES. 
In beginning of world lives old woman with seven sons. They are full of fun 
and play all day long. They will not work, and eat only in morning and evening. 
Mother scolds them, and one evening will not give them anything to eat. Boys 
are angry, and next morning they go to playground and go around and around 
house, praying to Spirits to help them. With every round they rise higher and 
higher in air, and at last go up to sky, where they are ‘‘The Pleiades.’’ These 
stars are seen during winter, but at beginning of spring, at work time, they are gone. 
37. THE LOST TIMBER SPIRITS. 
When world is new, Coyote decides that people dying return to earth after ten 
days. Finally he makes rule that if anybody dies and is buried within six days he 
shall stay under ground. If not buried by seventh day hemay escape. If caught 
he is to be brought home. Fire is to be kindled all around him, and after being 
kept at home six days and nights he is to be washed by some old woman and he 
becomes real person again. At death body is laid in hole, head toward east and 
feet toward west. Fire is made at feet and kept up six days and nights. If fire 
goes out grave is found open and tracks seen toward east. When they follow 
tracks and overtake dead person, fire is built all around him until he tries to escape 
sparks. He is then coming to life again and is taken home, and in evening of sixth 
day bathed and will then live again. When dead person not caught he becomes 
like large monkey and lives in the thickets. These monkeys talk to people and 
they are thought to be crazy. When people meet them they always ask for wrestling 
match. They are still living, but do not talk as they did when world was new. 
38. THE MAN WHO TURNED INTO A SNAKE. 
Two boys go hunting. One of them kills snake and eats snake meat instead of 
buffalo. He turns into snake and tells friend to find hole for him to live in, 
Friend carries snake to hole. Snake tells him that when people go to hunt they 
are to offer presents to him and he will help them. Snake lives there many years 
until lightning kills him. 
39. THE WOMAN WHO TURNED INTO A SNAKE. 
Man has wife and dog. At that time animals talk, and dog talks to man and 
woman. Every day man goes to hunt, and as soon as he has gone woman goes out 
and does not return until evening. Dog tellshusband, and he says dog is to follow 
woman next time. Dog does soand sees woman go to large tree and whistle three 
times. Third time big snake comes from large hole in tree, goes to woman, and 
coils round her body. Finally it goes back to hole. Dog tells man, and next day 
he makes many arrows and tells wife that he and dog are going fishing. Instead 
of fishing they go to place where snake is. Man whistles three times and snake 
creeps out. When it reaches ground man shoots and kills it. Hethen cuts it into 
very small pieces to look like pieces of fish. They go to river and catch few small 
fish. Man tells wife he is going to cook fish and she is to goin grass house. Man 
cooks fish and snake flesh. He then takes snake flesh to wife for her dinner. He 
and dog eat fish. Man sends dog to see what wife is doing and he sees she is 
eating snake. Second time dog sees she is scratching herself all over. When she 
scratches, skin turns color of snake skin, until finally she turns into snake. She 
