Myths and Legends of the Great Plains Part 27

When the people went homeward, some boys stood there. Big Turtle approached, floating. He came peeping. Some boys stood looking at the place where the deed was done.

Big Turtle said, "When Big Turtle came in the past to war on you, you said that you killed him. Look here at me."

The boys went homeward to tell it. "You said that you killed Big Turtle, but as this one behind us showed his body, he laughed at us.

Big Turtle is he who is alive."

"Ho! We attack him," said the people. They attacked him. They arrived there.

"In what place?" said they.

"In this place," said the boys.

"Where is Otter? Where is Gra.s.s Snake? Let those two seek him," said they.

Big Turtle sat under the mud at the bottom of the water. Only the tip of his nose and his eyes were sticking out. Snake and Otter sought him beneath the water. They pa.s.sed very near to him, and stepped regularly over his head. When Otter was about to pa.s.s the second time, Big Turtle bit him in the stomach.

"Ho! elder brother, you give me pain," said Otter. Big Turtle said, "Why do you seek me?"

"I did not seek you. As I desired food, we have met each other," said Otter.

"No, you wished to join those who desire to kill me, so you sought me," said Big Turtle.

"O elder brother! O elder brother! O elder brother! I pray to you. I have not sought you," he said.

"I will by no means let you go from my mouth," said Big Turtle.

"Ho! elder brother! How long before you will open your mouth and let me go?" said Otter.

"When the Thunder G.o.d has come back, I will let you go."

"Halloo!" shouted Otter to the people. "He will let me go when the Thunder G.o.d comes back. Halloo! He bites me between the legs. Halloo!"

said he.

"He says that he is bitten," said the people. "He says that he is bitten between the legs. Hit tent skins for him."

They made the tent skins resound by hitting them.

"Ho! elder brother, the Thunder G.o.d has come back," said Otter.

"They hit the tent skins," said the Big Turtle.

The people said, "It is good to fell trees." They began felling trees here and there. The trees said, "_Qwi! qwi!_" as they fell.

"Ho! elder brother, the Thunder G.o.d has come back," said Otter.

"They are felling trees," said Big Turtle.

At length the Thunder G.o.d roared, very far away.

"Ho! elder brother, he has come back," said he. Big Turtle let him go.

Otter was very thin. He went homeward. He reached home very lean.

"Let the two birds drink the stream dry," said the people. "Bring the Pelicans here."

When they came, the people said, "Drink the stream dry. A person came here to war and we killed him, but he is alive. He laughs heartily at us."

The birds drank the stream dry. There was only a very small quant.i.ty left in which Big Turtle sat.

Big Turtle called, "Ho! warrior Gray Squirrel, be coming hither, wherever you may be moving. They have almost killed me."

Gray Squirrel was coming back, crying loud. He was coming back to attack them. He attacked the two birds. He tore open their water pouches by biting. He bit holes in them. At length all the water returned to its former place. At the creek and the lake it was as before; they were filled with water.

"Sew up their pouches for them," said the people. So they sewed up the water pouches of the Pelicans. They finished sewing them.

"Come, drink it dry again. Do your best. Beware lest we fail," said the people. They drank the stream dry again. Again very little of the water was left.

"Ho! warrior Gray Squirrel, wherever you may be moving. They have nearly killed me. Be coming hither again," said Big Turtle. He came back again. He bit and tore the throats in many places. It made their throats very bad. He made them bad to be sewed at all. It was difficult to sew them.

"Yet we shall fail," said the people. "Gray Squirrel is abominable! I think Gray Squirrel is the only one with Big Turtle. I think he is the only one siding with them. Therefore we have failed to hurt them,"

said the people.

They ceased. When it was night, Big Turtle went back. He reached his comrades again.

"Ho! Warriors, when men get the better of their enemies in a fight, they usually go homeward. I suspect that your sisters are tired of waiting to dance!"

They went homeward. He walked around them, rattling his gourd.

"Warriors, I said that I would do thus, and so it is," he said. He burnt the gra.s.s.

He burnt the gra.s.s so that they might think he was coming home after killing the foe. At length they arrived at the village. They tied scalps to a stick. Then those in the village said, "Yonder come those who went to war!" The returning warriors raced around and around as victorious warriors do. People said, "There they are coming home, having killed the people of the enemy."

An old man shouted: "Corn Crusher says that he killed one. _Halloo!_ He says he killed her right at the lodge. _Halloo!_ Comb says he killed one right at the lodge. _Halloo!_ Awl says he killed one right at the lodge. _Halloo!_, Gray Squirrel says that he killed three right in the midst of the people. _Halloo!_ It is said they held the war chief, Big Turtle, right among them, in a great uproar. _Halloo!_ It is said they failed to injure him. _Halloo!_"

Big Turtle walked very proudly, carrying his shield. He went homeward to enter the lodge. He sat there telling them about himself. As people wished to hear it, they continued arriving there.

"Why did they fail, when they were so near you? If you sat very near them, how is it that you are alive?" asked the people.

"I pretended to be afraid of water, so I am alive," he said.

"If so, then those over there have no eyes. How is it that they did not find you when you were alive?"

"I sat in the ashes, therefore I am alive. I have come home, having killed people. Why did you doubt me? As you did not take vengeance on the people who used to kill you, I went to war on them myself. I killed them. How can you doubt me? I will tell no more about myself,"

said Big Turtle. "I have ceased."

THE END