The rejected lover
[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o.]
At Qꜝadō′ a certain person fell in love with a woman. She then refused to have him, but she told him to pull out his hair, and then she would fall in love with him. He went again to talk to her. She then told him to pull out his eyebrows and his eyelashes; she would then fall in love with him. After that he went again to speak with her. That time she told him to pull out his mustache and the hair on his body. Only then, [she said], would she fall in love with him. After that he again went to her. Then she absolutely refused him.
He ceased going abroad among the people. When he needed anything he always went out at night. He began to work inside. He whittled. After he had done this for a while he had filled two boxes. And, when a moonlight night came, he went out.
He then shot the sky. He picked up another arrow and shot it into the notch of the first. He did the same thing again and again. After he had shot away his two boxfuls it hung a bow’s length from the ground, and he laid the bow upon them. He at once went up upon it.
After mounting for some time he came to a town. That was the Moon’s town, they say. After he had gone about the town for a while some one said to him out of a big house: “Your grandfather invites you in.” And he entered. He (the Moon) then had him sit at his right hand in the rear of the house.
After he had sat for a while looking at him, as he sat near him, he had a box brought to him. He saw that all of his hair was gone. At that time he saw only one box. After he had pulled them apart five times he took a small comb out of the inmost one.
He then had water brought and began to make his face look as it ought to look. Each time he wet his hands he rubbed them upon his eyes. When he had made him good-looking he began to comb his hair. He ran the comb down along half of his head, and when it had passed below he took it off. And after he had done this to him three times he stopped. After that he also made his eyebrows with the comb, and his eyelashes, and he also brought out his mustache.
When he first came in he said to him: “Grandson, news had come that you were going to come up to let me set you to rights. I will make you quite proper.”
He straightway made him good-looking. He finished him. He was there many nights. Then he gave the chief directions: “When the one that you loved, who made you pull out your hair, comes with [[355]]the others to look at you do not turn your face toward her. Turn your back to her.”
He then went down again upon the arrows. Now he sat erect in his father’s house, and all the town of Qꜝadō′ came in to look at him. Then the one with whom he had been in love looked in at him, and he turned his back upon her. By and by, fascinated by the sight of him, she died.
The first part of a longer Masset story resembles this. See Memoirs of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition, volume V, pages 228 and 229. Also compare the story of [Big-tail] of the present series. The scene of this, like many others, is located at the Tsimshian town of Qꜝadō′; see the last episode in the story of [A-slender-one-who-was-given-away]. [[356]]