FOOTNOTES:
[19] Told by Two-Hawks.
19. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.[20]
One winter the people went a long distance to hunt. With them was an old woman and her grandson, named Burnt-Hands, who were very poor. One day the people made their village along a stream of water, where the scouts reported seeing many buffalo. The young man told his grandmother to make a bow and arrows; that he was going with the men to kill buffalo; and that he was going to bring back some tongues and hearts. The old woman cried, because she knew that the boy was poor, and that he could not get any tongues and hearts.
The boy started, and when he came up with the hunters some of the people said jeeringly, “Well, Poor-Boy is going to kill the first buffalo.” When the hunters stopped it was customary for one of the young men to stand somewhat in front of the rest and make motions for the men to divide up into companies and to go in certain directions, so that they could attack the buffalo on all sides. The boy began to sing about being the one selected to do that. This was announced to the leaders, and they selected him.
The people divided up into companies and circled around where the buffalo were. The command to attack was given and the boy went right among the buffalo, and there he began to kill. After he was through killing, he turned back and pulled out the buffalo beards, and also pulled out a bunch of hair from the side of the shoulder. This he kept. When he went on to find his robe, he found that somebody had taken it. The young man then began to sing about his robe. He wanted some one to return it to him, but they would not return it to him, but made fun of him. Then the boy began to sing about the snowstorm coming. The boy ran into the village where his grandmother lived. He took the hairs that he had taken off from the robe and threw them upon the ground, and there in that place appeared several tongues and hearts. The old woman was very glad that the boy had brought these things. She boiled them, and they ate until they were filled. The cold weather turned into a blizzard, and killed many men who had made fun of the young man, while others came home and said that the young man had done some things that were wonderful.
After the cold weather was over, the village broke up and moved on. Again scouts came and reported that there were buffalo. After this killing the people ceased to make fun of the boy. They called him again to stand in front of the procession and to wave his hand to divide the men into the different companies. They all attacked the buffalo, but the boy was the first to kill, although he was not on a horse. He again simulated the taking of the tongues and hearts by simply pulling out the beard and the hair from the sides of the buffalo. When the boy had taken the hairs and thrown them down in the lodge there at once appeared many tongues and hearts.
People found out that the boy was wonderful, and they finally gave him a pony on which to carry his meat home, and the chief’s daughter visited the young man, and finally Poor-Boy married the chief’s daughter. Poor-Boy became a great warrior, and at last became a chief.