Tciwididik heard him; she was his aunt. She came, pushed him with her foot, and said: “Your mother fooled you; she wanted to kill you. You shouldn’t always do what people tell you to.” She put Wus in her basket and took him to her house. When he was almost well, she carried him part way home. He traveled many days, camping each night. He spent the last night in Kaltsik’s house.
Wus’ mother had cut her hair off and covered her head with pitch; she was mourning. When she saw Wus, she screamed, she was so glad. She rubbed deer marrow on his body and cured him; he got fat. They moved to a new place where there were lots of black crickets. Sometimes Wus killed a basketful in a day, and he and his mother had plenty to eat. [[213]]
WAR BETWEEN BEASTS AND BIRDS
Once there was a war between beasts and birds. Bat was on birds’ side. In the first battle, the birds were badly beaten. As soon as Bat saw that the battle was going against them, he crept away, hid under a log, and stayed there till the fight was over.
When the animals were going home, Bat slipped in among them.
After they had gone some distance, they saw him, and asked one another: “How is this? Bat is one of the men who fought against us?”
Bat heard them, and he said: “Oh, no! I am one of you; I don’t belong to the bird people. Did you ever see one of those people who had double teeth? Go and look in their mouths, and see if they have. If you find one bird with double teeth, you can say that I belong to the bird people. But I don’t; I am one of your own people.”
They didn’t say anything more; they let Bat stay with them.
Soon after, there was another battle; in that battle birds won. As Bat’s side was getting beaten, he slipped away and hid under a log. When the battle was over, and birds were going home, Bat went in among them.