15. THE GIRL WHO MARRIED A STAR.
Girl taken up to heavens by star digs turnip and sees people on earth. Old woman makes sinew rope and lets her and child down through hole, but rope too short. Husband kills her with stone, but boy safe. He goes to cornfield and is caught by old woman, who takes him home. He shoots huge serpent behind curtain, who was woman’s husband. She plans for bear to kill him, but he captures bear. Boy finds tipi with four strong men playing dice game. He shoots through hole and cleans man’s nose with arrow. He goes with them to hunt and they annoy him with elk’s fœtus. He climbs tree and men remove fœtus from tree only on his promising them his grandmother. She goes with him to men’s tipi and they teach boy ceremony of catching eagles and of hunting. Boy meets camp of Snakes, all of whom but one he kills, as in No. 14. Surviving Snake enters anus while he sleeps and gets into head, from which it is driven by water boiling. Boy seizes it and knocks its head on flat rock. Boy afraid of fœtus because cluster of stars to which boy’s father belonged did not come up at that time with rest; so father not present to help him.
16. NO-TONGUE AND THE SUN AND THE MOON.
Young man goes upon high hill to mourn. Little bird takes him to another place. Man, painted red, comes and says he is going to be his son and asks for his tongue. Young man cuts off his tongue and gives it to man and then falls dead. Moon sees him and goes and touches his feet. Young man sits up and Moon tells him man to whom he had given tongue is Sun. Moon makes him his own son and warns him that when Sun offers him choice of weapons he is to take old ones. Sun takes him to sky in morning and cries because No-Tongue takes best things, as these give boy life. Sun asks No-Tongue to send him white buffalo robe. Moon tells him to get dark-brown robe for Sun and powder it with white clay. Sun hangs up robe and wind shakes all white clay out of it. Sun tells Moon his Little-Sun is going to kill No-Tongue. Moon warns No-Tongue and advises him what to do. No-Tongue goes with party on war-path and Sun plans for Little-Sun to kill him. Little-Sun with enemy and in morning asks No-Tongue to shake hands with him. No-Tongue goes and kills Little-Sun and his people defeat enemy. Sun sends son Big-Sun to kill No-Tongue, but is killed himself. Sun becomes Buffalo to kill No-Tongue, but falls into mud hole. No-Tongue makes fire on his back and Buffalo burns up. Sun tells Moon he will scalp No-Tongue. Moon tells No-Tongue to put false scalp over head with dog’s blood inside. Sun comes and takes scalp. Seeing that No-Tongue is not really scalped, Sun leaves him alone. When old and blind No-Tongue goes to top of hill and makes circle of red sticks for Sun and circle of white sticks for Moon. Sun and Moon come and Sun takes old man to his home.
17. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.
Poor boy, Burnt-Hands, lives with grandmother outside of village. Last-Child, daughter of chief, brings them food. Burnt-Hands follows trail of wounded elk and finds it dead. Chiefs Red-Bear and Black-Bear come. Red-Bear shoots boy and drops him into air-hole in ice. White-Bear’s cub takes boy to father. Father pities and adopts him as son and teaches him Bear ceremony. Burnt-Hands receives bundle of medicine and goes home. Notice given for buffalo hunt and that Red-Bear wants hide of white buffalo. Burnt-Hands goes with young men to chase. He gets white buffalo robe, as Red-Bear afraid of him. When he reaches camp he eats meat prepared for Red-Bear. Burnt-Hands takes white buffalo hide to grandmother, who gives it to Last-Child. Elk chase is made to get teeth for Red-Bear. Burnt-Hands promises grandmother elk-tooth dress and tells her in case of trouble to flee to timber. Burnt-Hands goes to chase and collects-many elk teeth and so does Red-Bear. They meet at last elk. Burnt-Hands strikes Red-Bear on head with war-club and drags him to air-hole. Burnt-Hands finds grandmother and they perform Bear ceremony. They turn into Bears and attack warriors, killing many. Others send peace-pipe by Last-Child and it is accepted. Burnt-Hands makes grandmother thirty-eight years old and himself twenty-two, and marries Last-Child. Burnt-Hands becomes chief and has Black-Bear as slave.
18. HOW BURNT-HANDS BECAME A CHIEF.
Poor boy goes on war-path with warriors. Grandmother says he is not to tell coyote stories and gives him round burnt clay ball that has handle. When hungry he is to put kernels of corn on ball and roast them. Boy asked to tell coyote stories, but refuses. He roasts corn upon clay ball and then tells stories. Enemy comes and men are scared. When boy has finished eating corn he attacks enemy with clay ball, which is war-club, and kills many. Enemy run away. Burnt-Hands made chief and given good tipi and wife.