How one of the Stasa′os-lā′nas became wealthy
[Told by Walter McGregor of the Sealion-town people.]
His name was Sqî′lg̣aᴀlᴀn.[1] His wife belonged to the Seaward-sqoā′ładas, and her name was A′łg̣a-sīwa′t. They were camping at Djiłū′.
And, when the tide was low, he went seaward. He heard some puppies yelping. He looked for them. He could not find them. Then he began to eat medicine. After he had eaten medicine for a while, he went seaward again. Again he heard the puppies yelping.
After he had gone toward the place where they were yelping the yelping sounded behind him. After he had done this for a while he found two small pups among some stones lying in a pool of salt water. Then he pick them up and stood up planks on edge for them around a hollow between the roots of a tree behind the house. And he had them live there. He hid them. He named one of them Found and the other Helper. He fed them secretly.
When they became larger they went into the water early one morning. They came shoreward together. They had a tomcod in their mouths. They gave it to him. He said he had gone out to look for it very early. And he brought it into the house.
Again they swam seaward. They brought in a red cod in their mouths. When they started off again they brought back a halibut in their mouths. When they became larger they brought in a piece bitten out of a whale. All that time he said he had found the things. When he had a quantity of food he carried the whale to his brothers-in-law[2] at Skidegate as a gift.
They were nearly starved at Skidegate when he came and gave them what he had. The day after he arrived he went for firewood. When he brought it in the food was all gone. He wished to eat some salmon eggs put up in bladders which his mother-in-law owned. She did not give them to him. At that time he kept repeating: “I guess there will be plenty in the dogs’ house.” Then his mother-in-law said: “I wonder what sort of dogs have grease all over their house.” His mother-in-law was stingy.
Next day he again came in from getting wood and said the same thing as before. And his mother-in-law again said: “I wonder what sort of dogs have grease all over their house.”
Next day he started for Djiłū′, and his mother-in-law went with him. After they had gone along for a while they came to a porpoise floating about, and his mother-in-law wanted it. He paid no attention [[326]]to her. After they had gone on for a while longer, they came to a hair seal floating about. His mother-in-law also wanted that. He paid no attention to her.
After they had gone on for a while from there, they came to pieces bitten out of a whale floating about. Those his mother-in-law also wanted, and he said: “Nasty! that is my dogs’ manure.” And after they had gone on for another space of time, they came to a jaw good on both sides. Then he cut off two pieces from it and took them in.
Now he landed at Djiłū′, and he would let his mother-in-law eat nothing but fat food. When his mother-in-law went down to get sea eggs he spilt whale grease around before her upon the sea eggs. He also spilt whale grease around in the water. He was killing his mother-in-law with mental weariness.[3]
Then the dogs brought in two whales apiece. He (each) had one laid between his ears and one laid near his tail.
His wife became two-faced (i.e., treacherous) to him. She discovered that the dogs always went out at daybreak. Then she allowed urine and blue hellebore to rot together.
One day, when the dogs were coming in together, she put hot stones into this mixture. And, when it was boiling, she poured it into the ocean. At once the wind raised big waves. There was no place where the dogs could come ashore. The dogs carried some islands out to sea in trying to scramble up them. One is called Sea-eggs, the other G̣agu′n.
Then they swam southward. He watched them from the shore. They tried to climb ashore on the south side of the entrance of Skidegate channel.[4] But they only made marks with their claws on the rocks instead. They could not do it. Then they swam away. On that account they call this place “Where-dogs-tried-to-crawl-up-and-slid-back.” Then they swam together to the channel.[4] They lie in front of Da′x̣ua.[5] They call them “The Dogs.”[6]
He had many whales. He filled up “Whale-creek.” He bent boxes for them, and he put the whale grease into them. By selling these he became a chief.[7]
Compare “[The story of those who were abandoned at Stasqa′os].” [[327]]
[1] And he was a member of the above family, an Eagle family on the west coast. [↑]
[2] In this case “brothers-in-law” is synonymous with the entire family of his wife. [↑]
[3] According to the stories a person who lived entirely upon greasy food came to be afflicted with mental lassitude; see the story of [A-slender-one-who-was-given-away]. [↑]
[4] First the western entrance of Skidegate channel (G̣a′oia) is referred to, then the channel proper which was called Kꜝē′djîs, a word applied to the stomach and intestines of an animal or man. ↑ [a] [b]
[6] These are two rocks near the steamer entrance to Skidegate inlet. [↑]
[7] The word used here, I′ʟꜝxagidas, is applied to a house chief and is almost synonymous with “rich man,” there being no caste limitations to prevent one from becoming a house chief. [↑]