FOOTNOTES:
[17] Told by Standing-Bull.
17. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.[18]
There was a large village in a beautiful valley near a large tract of timber. It was in the winter time. Around the outside of the village and over a knoll lived Stanapaat, or Burnt-Hands, a boy of about eleven or twelve years, and his grandmother. The boys in the village came over the knoll to urinate on the tipi of these poor people. In this village lived one of the chiefs who had four daughters, the youngest of which was very charitable toward these poor people. Her name was Last-Child. She brought food to these folks whenever she could. Red-Bear and Black-Bear were the first chiefs of this village. They ruled their people as though they were slaves.
One day Red-Bear gave notice that the whole village was to turn out on an elk hunt. The next day, the people complied with the chief’s orders. The people, as they went through the timber in the deep snow, slaughtered the elk in great numbers. Burnt-Hands with other little fellows followed the chase. He watched the hunters butchering their game. He wished he could kill and take home to his grandmother the nice elk meat. He strode off in another direction, looking around as he went. As he went on he struck a fresh track with drops of fresh blood on clean snow, and there were no footprints of a hunter following. He took up the trail and followed it for a long distance. He found, to his great delight, a dead elk with two arrows through its chest. “Ah ho! Ah ho! The great chief knows I am poor. He has had mercy on me.” While he was looking all over the animal he heard a voice. He looked up, and who was there but the two chiefs—Red-Bear and Black-Bear.
Red-Bear gave an angry grunt and struck the boy in the face. “Who are you and how did you find this elk? I never expected to find such a worthless burnt-belly looking fellow as you.” Pulling his arrows out of his quiver, he said, “My father will be glad to have you for his meal,” and he shot two arrows through the boy. He dragged him out on the ice to a large air-hole and said, as he dropped him, “Father, I have done as you bid me.”
In this stream there lived a big White-Bear in a lodge. The young cub heard something drop outside the lodge. He told his father. The old one said, “Go out and see what it is.” The cub saw poor Burnt-Hands in his ragged clothing and with wounds. The cub felt pretty bad for the boy and told his father about him. The father told the cub to bring the boy in. “What a poor boy you are!” said White-Bear. “I know who you are, and how you were treated. I never expected to eat a man from Red-Bear’s tribe. I commanded him to feed me on an enemy. I will have great mercy on you. From now on you shall be my son. You shall treat Red-Bear just as he has treated you. I will enjoy his flesh. I will endow you with all the power I have. I will teach you all, and you shall go back and do as I say.” White-Bear and Burnt-Hands then sat down and began the bear ceremony, Burnt-Hands learning everything and receiving his bundle of medicine and other things. He was then shown the way out by the cub.
Burnt-Hands went on to his grandmother’s little home. When he arrived there he called his grandmother to kindle the fire, as he had come. Before this, when the boys found out that Burnt-Hands’ grandmother was worrying, they would come in, saying, “Grandmother, I have come home,” just to tease her. The old woman thought the boys were teasing her now when Burnt-Hands called. She gave a pitiful cry, saying, “You boys ought to feel satisfied with your teasing now.” “Oh, no, Grandmother! I am here! I was lost on the chase. Following up an elk I strayed off to a place I knew nothing about. I could not find my way home, so I stayed all night.” His grandmother arose. When she had kindled the fire there sat her boy. She rejoiced, for she was glad her boy was alive.
Nobody in the whole village knew what had happened to Burnt-Hands except Black-Bear, who had witnessed what Red-Bear did. He did not like what Red-Bear had done, but he did not say anything.
One day the scouts, on picket duty, saw a large herd of buffalo. The chiefs were notified. They gave notice that everybody should turn out to the chase, and that Red-Bear wanted the hide of the white buffalo that was in the herd. Burnt-Hands heard the call. He told his grandmother to help him make arrows. He also promised her the white buffalo robe. This was a secret surprise to his grandmother, who did not know that he was anything more than a “burnt-belly.”
The next day every one turned out to go on the chase. Burnt-Hands started out on foot with his quiver. A kind young man on horseback caught up with him, and asked him to get on behind him. He did so. While they were riding, the young man told the boy about the white buffalo. The boy asked his friend if he would put the meat and his white hide on his horse for him. They made plans to be together and help each other on the chase. The hunters had all collected on a hill, talking and smoking their pipes. The two arrived and sat around for a long while. Burnt-Hands began to inquire what they were waiting for. They answered they were waiting for the chiefs. “This will not do; if we wait here there may come up a bad storm and we will go home empty handed. Come now, and let us have our chase. Those chiefs will come later, and they will get their share of the meat anyway. I want that white buffalo robe, and when you have taken it off give it to this young man and he will take it home for my grandmother.”
The men were all agreed to what Burnt-Hands said. They thought Red-Bear would kill him and not themselves. They got on their ponies and the chase began. The white buffalo was killed and the chase ended. Burnt-Hands was walking along when his friend came and gave him a ride to where they were butchering. He took him where the white buffalo was and the men were standing around looking at the animal. “What are you waiting for now?” said Burnt-Hands. “Get to butchering and give me the hide!” When they had begun, the chiefs came. They gave them a welcome and told Red-Bear that Burnt-Hands had advised them to start the chase and had already spoken for the hide. Red-Bear and Black-Bear said everything would be all right, and that the boy could have the hide and some meat.
The hunters were all on their way home. Red-Bear ordered them to camp at a certain place. This they did. Burnt-Hands and his friend came to the camp and found the meat cooking, and a comfortable place made for the chiefs. “What is this place for? and are you afraid to sit here?” said Burnt-Hands. “That place is for the chiefs,” said they, “and that meat.” “Come,” said Burnt-Hands to his friend, “sit here with me and enjoy the meat with me.” The young man, with the rest, thought that Red-Bear would surely kill the boy this time. Burnt-Hands and his friend sat down on the robes and ate the meat prepared for Red-Bear. The chiefs came, and Red-Bear ordered another place and food prepared for him. He did not dare to say or do anything to the boy, suspecting his power as he did. Burnt-Hands’ friend and the others thought that Red-Bear had mercy on the poor boy, since he did not hurt him.
Burnt-Hands went home with his friend and pulled off the meat and the white buffalo hide. “Here, grandmother, is what I promised you, and a lot of meat. You now know that I can hunt and bring home game.” His grandmother was at once overjoyed. She thought about the pretty girl who always showed them charity. She sent out for Last-Child, who came in. “You have always been kind to us, and I have always been thankful. I want you to have this hide, and to have a robe made for yourself. You are young yet, and it will become you more than me.” Burnt-Hands was talked about all over the village, but they did not know that he had been blessed by a Bear.
A long time after this chase the chief gave out an order for everybody to go on an elk chase. Red-Bear had been accustomed to collect all the elk teeth. This was his object for the hunt. Burnt-Hands heard the order and began to make preparations for the hunt. He promised his grandmother an elk-tooth dress. Burnt-Hands told his grandmother that if any trouble arose on his account she must flee into the timber, and on through other timber, and there wait for him. The next day the chase was to come off. The hunters had great luck and were talking happily in the woods. There was a cry here and there for Red-Bear to come and get his teeth. Burnt-Hands and his friend were together. He told his friend to take the teeth out for him, for he did not know how. His friend was a little afraid to do it, but Burnt-Hands said it would be all right. The men, too, rather hesitated to let him have the teeth. They told him that Red-Bear had spoken for all the teeth; but he paid no heed to it, and told his friend to take them. Burnt-Hands had collected a lot of teeth, and so had Red-Bear. The hunters had chased the elk on to a smooth piece of ice and had killed several there. Here, Burnt-Hands and Red-Bear saw each other doing the same work. They met on the last elk, and Burnt-Hands spoke and said: “You have enough teeth. You will keep off and let me have these.” Red-Bear gave an angry grunt, and said, “A child like you cannot have much to say.” As Red-Bear leaned over to take the teeth Burnt-Hands took his war-club and struck him on the head. He took him by the feet and dragged him to the air-hole. “Father, this is what you asked of me.” A great yell was raised, and war was made on the boy.
The boy fled to the village and peeped in, to see if his grandmother had done what he had told her to do. She was gone, and he followed her and found her beyond the second timber as he had directed. “Now,” said he, “take one of these bear claws off my wrist and open the little bag of paint.” This she did, and he began to sing and perform the ceremony. He adorned his grandmother and himself according to the instruction of his Bear father. The people had all turned out to kill him for what he had done. Still others were calling it wrong to harm the boy, and reminded the people of what bad ruling Red-Bear had done.
Burnt-Hands and his grandmother had turned into Bears, and were making a big noise, growling and grunting. Nearer and nearer the warriors circled around the timber, shouting and yelling. The boy told his grandmother to be first to attack. So she did so. She caught Red-Bear’s brother and four or five others of his near relatives. “Now, I will attack,” said Burnt-Hands, “for you must be tired.” He picked out the leaders and the influential men of the village and scalped them and tore them up. The warriors began to retreat. A cry was raised to end the fight, as many had been killed, but how to stop the boy and the old woman they did not know. They assembled and filled the peace-pipe. They gave it to Last-Child to take to the boy and the old woman. She took the pipe and came toward them, they growling wildly. The boy knew it was the girl. He told his grandmother not to charge at her. The boy accepted the peace-pipe and both smoked it. This ended the fight.
Burnt-Hands asked his grandmother how old she would like to be. She said, “About thirty-eight,” and so she was. The boy made himself about twenty-two, and when all was quiet he married Last-Child. Burnt-Hands came to be chief, and had Black-Bear as his slave. The people lived happily under his rule.