Swaiä and her husband lived at the head of Sprague River, near a flat where there were many roots. Swaiä had a baby, which she carried around strapped on a board. One day when she was digging roots, Kówe came along, and said: “Let me take care of your baby; then you can dig faster.”
Swaiä’s husband had told her not to let Kówe touch the baby, but Swaiä thought: “I will not go far; I can watch Kówe all the time.”
Kówe took the baby on her back and sat in a spring that was right there where the mother was digging. After a while Swaiä said: “You needn’t sit so long in one place; you can walk around a little.”
“I never dig roots. I will stay right here. I am afraid if I move around, the baby will cry.” She held the baby all day, and Swaiä dug a great many roots.
That night Swaiä’s husband told her to always keep her eyes on Kówe; if she didn’t they might lose their baby. Kówe might steal it.
The next day Kówe said: “You can go as far as you like. You needn’t watch. If the baby cries, I will take him to you.”
Kówe took such good care of the child that Swaiä began to feel easy, so she went farther and farther. Once in a while she called: “Is the baby crying?” [[250]]
“No,” said Kówe, “the baby is good,” and she began to carry it around.
Swaiä said: “Don’t go near the spring again. If the baby drank water, it might make him sick.”
“I won’t go there,” said Kówe. “I will just carry him around till he goes to sleep.”