Traditions of the Arikara

by George A. Dorsey

Young-Eagle made up his mind to visit the north village to see the beautiful daughter of the chief. He told his sisters to make him several pairs of moccasins; for he intended to go to the north village. Now, Yellow-Calf, in the north village, also made moccasins for herself, for she had made up her mind that she would visit the south village and see the young man who was so handsome.

One day Young-Eagle started for the north village. On the same day Yellow-Calf started for the south village. Now, between the two villages there was a high hill, and as Young-Eagle was climbing the hill on the south side Yellow-Calf was climbing the hill on the north side. They both saw each other as they reached the top of the hill and were greatly surprised to see each other.

Young-Eagle asked Yellow-Calf where she was going, but she answered by asking where he was going. Finally the girl told him that she was going to the south village to see the man who was so handsome. Young-Eagle said, “I am that young man, and I am going to see the young girl who is so beautiful, down here at the south village.” They now knew that they were speaking of each other.

They sat down and talked, and here they found out each other’s mind. Young-Eagle wanted to know how many days it had taken Yellow-Calf to come there. She told how many days it had taken, and Young-Eagle told Yellow-Calf how many days it had taken him. They knew by this that the hill was just half-way between the two villages. This hill is known at the present time as “Lovers’ Hill,” because these two people met here. They agreed to place a pile of rocks upon the hill, and each was to place on the pile a number of stones equal to the number of days it had taken to come to the place. First, Young-Eagle placed a stone, then Yellow-Calf placed one, then Young-Eagle placed another, and so on, until they had a pile of stones. Yellow-Calf told Young-Eagle that she wanted to go with him to his home. But Young-Eagle said, “No, I would rather go with you to your home.” Yellow-Calf finally consented; so they went on. Yellow-Calf was satisfied and happy, for this young man was handsome and had a quiver filled with arrows, and a bow.

In the evening they came to a lake, and Young-Eagle told Yellow-Calf that they must take a swim and wash themselves; that it was not right that they should go to the village without being washed. So Yellow-Calf went into the lake first and washed. When she came out, Young-Eagle, with his leggings and all his things on, waded into the water for some distance. He told Yellow-Calf to watch for him. He dived, and stayed a long time under the water. Towards evening, at dusk, Young-Eagle came out of the water, having all his clothes on. He came upon the bank, and Yellow-Calf saw that he was not the same young man who had left her a little while before. This young man now was not so tall, nor was he handsome. His hair was unkempt, his nose was all covered with sores, and he seemed to have vermin. The robe he had on was a little piece of buffalo robe. His leggings were made of deer skin, but were very dry. His belly looked so large and plump that people would take him for a “burnt-belly” boy or a “burnt-fingered” boy. Yellow-Calf became scared, but she thought Young-Eagle was only making fun, so she took him home that night.

Young-Eagle lay down by the side of Yellow-Calf, and the next morning, when the parents arose to prepare the meal, they went to the girl and found a young man lying by her. The old people, knowing that Yellow-Calf had been away for some time, thought, of course, that she had got married, and had brought her husband home. They waked the young man. He did not attempt to wash, but jumped at the pot with the food in it, and he licked the mush off from the spoon. The old folks looked at him, and were sorry that Yellow-Calf had brought him. Yellow-Calf, too, was ashamed of him. She prayed hard in her heart that the young man might turn into the young man that she had first been with. But the young man remained the same and the people made fun of him. They called him the “Big-Belly-Boy.” The boy acted childishly all the time. When there was a battle going on the boy never went out, but stayed around the lodge.

One time the boy heard that a war-party was going out. He told the girl to tell her youngest brother that when the party should be out three days he should get some long intestines from the buffalo that the warriors would kill, and also some bones; these he should put in the fire; and that in the night he would hear the whistling of a young eagle, and he must know that it was his brother-in-law coming. The girl told her youngest brother all that Young-Eagle had said, and the boy said that he would do so, only he was afraid that what she had told him would not come true; he did not believe that his brother-in-law would come. But the girl said, “Brother, watch out, and when he comes, do as he tells you, for he is wonderful.” But the brother felt like making fun of his brother-in-law, Young-Eagle. It was announced through the camp that the Big-Belly-Boy was going on the war-path with the rest. They all laughed at him and made fun of him because he was going on the war-path for the first time.

The warriors started out, and after they had been gone three days Young-Eagle took his wife out to the lake where he had dived once before, and there he told her to take a swim. The girl went in and washed. After she came up, Young-Eagle went in, just the same as he had done before, with leggings, moccasins, etc., and he waded into the lake, then he dived, and stayed a long time. At dusk, Yellow-Calf heard a noise in the water, and Young-Eagle came out, the same man that she had first met. Young-Eagle told her not to touch him, but to go home; that he would come home soon; and that she should watch for him. He sat down and covered himself with his robe. All at once the robe rattled, and there flew up a young Eagle. It flew towards the southwest, where the warriors had gone, and in the night, the brother-in-law heard the cry of an Eagle. He rose, and said, “That is my brother-in-law; he has come.” The other warriors who heard it made fun of him, and said, “Do you think that that Big-Belly-Boy brother would come this far?” But the boy did not say anything. He went out, and sure enough, there was his brother-in-law.

The boy gave Young-Eagle the intestine to eat, and also some bones to gnaw. Young-Eagle told his brother-in-law that the enemy were within a short distance, and that he was going out to bring all the ponies that they had in the village; and that he was to turn all the ponies over to him; and that his brother-in-law should divide the ponies among the warriors.

The leader of the war-party had sent out different scouts, but they had seen no enemy’s village, nor any ponies. But every once in a while Young-Eagle would appear, and this brother-in-law of his would go to meet him. The warriors still doubted that they were brothers-in-law.