Tskel said: “The five Leméis brothers are bad men; they kill people and eat them. Their house is in a deep place, and there are great rocks around it. The tallest tree in the world wouldn’t reach to the bottom of the house. Our sister, who married Kaiutois lives there with her husband and his five brothers; we will go and visit her.”
Gäk and Káwhas went with Tcûskai and Tskel. When they came to the house the men were off hunting; only old Leméis and his wife and daughter and Kaiutois’ wife were at home. Tskel had on the cap made of Tániäs Sléwis’ head. The minute he went into the house ice was everywhere. Old Leméis and his wife were terribly scared; they thought somebody had come who was stronger than they were. They wanted to get away as soon as they could, but the ladder was covered with ice, and they kept slipping back into the house. At last they got out.
Kaiutois’ wife and children were warm. Tskel made it so, for she was his sister.
Old Leméis’ daughter was meaner than her brothers. The belt around her waist was made of men’s bones; she killed men by making them put on that belt. As soon as the belt was around a man’s waist, the bones pressed together until they cut him in two. She handed the belt to Tskel and told him to put it on.
He said: “I will put on your belt, if you will put on my cap first.” She put the cap on. It pressed her head and almost froze her to death, but she snatched it off and ran out of the house. She was scared.
Outside old Leméis and his wife were crying with cold. The [[79]]eldest of the five brothers came with two men in his belt. His father said: “There is somebody in our house who is stronger than we are.”
“There is nobody in the world stronger than I am,” said the young man. “I will kill the man who is in there.” He put one foot on the ladder, but sprang back and began to scream.
The second brother came with dead men in his belt. He said he was the strongest person in the world, but the minute he put one foot on the ladder, he sprang back, crying with cold.
The third brother put his foot on the second rung of the ladder, then he turned back. He roared terribly; he tried to frighten Tskel, but Tskel wasn’t afraid.
The fourth brother came with four dead men in his belt; one was kin to Tskel. He went down four rungs of the ladder, then sprang back; the dead man who was kin to Tskel slipped out of his belt and fell inside. Tskel made that so by thinking. Then he brought the dead man to life.