Jump to content

Page:Kutenai Tales.djvu/120

From Wikisource
This page has been validated.
Boas]
Kutenai Tales
105

He entered the old man's tent and lay down. He threw | something warm on himself and lay there. Then it became very cold. | Twice he heard the bursting of eyes of the || old man. Ya.ukue′ᵢ- 340 ka·m said: "Don't let it be cold any more." | He arose. Ya.ukue′ᵢ ka·m went across. | He went up, and there he was lying. The old man had turned into a mountain sheep. | Ya.uk{{{1}}}e′ᵢka·m chopped off its horn, which was to be | his arrow straightener. Then he started, and he also killed that || which was to be killed by the people. Then 345 he went back to | his grandmother. He staid there. |

(e) Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢka·m Obtains Sinew

He said: "If there were sinew, I should put feathers on my arrow." | Frog said: "O grandson, grandson! there is no sinew. | Go there. There is a tent. The name of the man is Mouse. || His tent 350 stands there. Bull Moose almost breaks | his tent. You will kill him. You will take | the sinew." Then Ya.ukue′ᵢka·m started and came | to the tent of Mouse at Aₐ‘qo·ła′ka's.[1] He entered. Mouse said: | "What do you want?" He knew it was Ya.ukue′ᵢka·m. || He had 355 heard that there was a youth named Ya.ukue′ᵢka·m | who was to be chief. When Mouse spoke to him, "What | do you want?" he whispered. Ya.ukue′ᵢka·msaid: "I have come." | When Ya.ukue′ᵢka·m spoke, he spoke loud. Mouse said: | "Don't speak loud. Bull Moose might break our tent." || Ya.ukue′ᵢka·m said: "Give me | your 360 bow." He gave it to him. He looked at it. | It was bad. (Mouse's) younger brother carried meat. He said to the one who brought the meat: | "Give me your bow." He gave it to him. Ho looked at it. It was almost | good. Then Ya.ukue′ᵢka·m went out. He shot || the 365 Bull Moose, shot it again, and killed it. He said to them: | "Take the meat and the skin. You shall split | this skin. I shall take only one thing. I shall take the sinew." | Then Mouse and his brothers cut it up. I Ya.ukue′ᵢka·m went back, and arrived at his grandmother's (tent). || He staid there. Then he made an arrow. 370 Then it was all finished. |

(f) Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢka·m Obtains Flint

He said: "If I knew where there is some flint, I should get it." | Frog said: "O grandson, grandson! | it is far away where the flint is. The flint is a man. | It is a stone. When a person arrives and intends || to take it, then the stone becomes a man. | Then it can not be taken." 375

Ya.ukue′ᵢka·m thought: "I'll | go after that stone." Then he started,


  1. This is a small hill on the south side of St. Marys River, an Isolated part of the lowest terrace in the valley of the Kootenay River. The hill is called Aₐ‘qo·ła′ka's.