Now while the young man slept, the Deer tried skin after skin till they found one which fitted him, and they also fitted a pair of antlers to his head and hoofs to his hands and feet. In the morning, he opened his eyes and perceived that he also was a Deer, and he remained with the herd.
In the meantime, his mother and his relatives continued to search for him throughout the forest. After some weeks, they discovered the lost one’s bow and arrows, hanging on the branch of the tree under which he had slept after shooting the doe. They all gathered on the spot and began to sing songs of magic.
Soon a herd of deer appeared in the distance, coming nearer and nearer as they were drawn by the singing. At last one spoke, and immediately they knew his voice for that of the missing hunter. His mother cried bitterly, and insisted that they should take off the deer’s hide from her son and restore him to his own shape again.
“We dare not,” protested his brothers and his cousins. “It might endanger his life!”
“Even so,” she replied, weeping, “I had rather see my son dead than wearing the form of a beast!”
When they began to tear off the deer’s hide, behold! it had grown fast to his own skin, and he began to bleed.
“Go on! go on!” exclaimed the mother in agony, and they persisted until the man died. Then at last they carried home his body and gave it honorable burial.
PRETTY WOMAN
Once in time of famine there were two children deserted by their parents, because they could not find food enough for all. The boy and girl were perishing of hunger when they were discovered wandering in the wood by Old Crow Woman. The kind old body took them to her poor teepee and went out to search for something to eat.
While she was gone, the girl, who was very clever, picked four grains of corn out of the dust and tossed them into the air. In this way each grain became a fine full ear, which they roasted and ate. She then threw up the small skin tent, and it came down large and beautiful. She took her little brother in her arms and threw him up, and he was a tall youth. Finally she said to him: “Brother, throw me up, too!” and he did as she asked.