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Kutenai Tales
109

to this as I it was going to be first" Then the friends let go of each other. I Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m carried the flint along, and now || there is 425 flint everywhere in this world. |

(g) Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢka·m Obtains Bow Wood

Now, there was one thing that he did not have, a bow. When Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m came back | to his grandmother, he said: "Let me see where there is bow wood. | I'll get it." Frog said: "O grandson, grandson ! | it is far away where bow wood is f omid, and those who try to get it are killed." || Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m started. He went a long ways. | 430 He went along and heard a noise. His grandmother had told him | that he would be near by when it would be like that. He went along and heard ] squirrels making a noise. That squirrel bit everybody. | Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m saw a tree standing on each side of the trail. || They 435 struck each other continually. It looked terrible. The trees killed | every one. If they could not kill him, the squirrels | bit him. Long ago they were of the size of grizzly bears. | The squirrel was big and looked terrible. Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m took his spear, | and, when the trees went apart, he || put his spear across. Then they did not move any 440 more, and | he went through. Then the squirrels were angry and tried 1 to bite Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m, but the squirrel was stabbed and killed. Then | the squirrel was dead, and from it crept a Uttle animal, which | climbed up the tree here. Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m said: "Oh, || you shall be 445 Squirrel. There shall be many of you. | You may continue to bite, but you may bite only the hands of children | that play with you." Then he chopped down | the bow wood and scattered it. He said: | "Let cedar grow all over this world." Therefore || cedar, that is 460 the bow wood of the people, grows everywhere. | Then Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m started back. |

(h) Ya.ukᵘe′ᵢka·m Goes to the End of the World

He came back to his grandmother, and he said to her: "Grandmother, how big is this | world ? " Frog said : "The world is small." Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m said: | "From what place does the sun start?" || Frog 455 said: "It is far." Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m said: "Where | does the sun go to ?" Frog said: "It is far | where the sun goes to." Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m said: "I shall | look for the place where the sun starts from, and later on I | shall look for the place where the sun goes."||

That is all I know about what Chief Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m did [ among the 460 people of ancient times. |