After he had looked at him a while, he stole his gimlet and went under a clump of ferns with it. Then the old man hunted for his gimlet. Then he put his finger nails into his mouth. Presently he said: “Grandson, if it is you, come to me. News has come about you that Burning-sky pursued you for your five blankets.”
Then he went to him. He gave him his gimlet. It was old and [[232]]rotten, they say. Then he made one for him. He also gave him a whetstone. Then he picked up two creeks near the town and told him to look on attentively. “Now, grandfather, act as you are going to when common surface birds[25] get food for themselves.” Then he made him a beak out of the creeks. He also gave him some feather clothing. And he said to him: “Now, grandfather, practice.”[26]
So [Heron] flew away. He sat on a kelp floating about in front of the burned town. After he had sat watching for a while he speared something with his beak. An eel was moving in his mouth. He swallowed it. Then he flew away again and sat near the canoe.
Then he said to him: “Now, grandson, come with me. Go out and look for your blankets again. Those on the other side are not chiefs. Now, grandson, go and get the canoe. You are going to see your blankets.” The old man got into the stern also, and they went oceanward.
They went, went, went a while and came to his town, to Burning-sky’s town. Then they came down to meet him. Part of them also filled the house as if something had poured into it. And they said to one another: “They say he has brought his nephew, Sandhill-crane,[27] to dance.”
And he gave him these directions: “When I go in look toward the rear of the house. After your poor nephew has danced go over and get your blankets. And you will also get your mother neatly.”
Then he landed. He went up. And he had a little box in his hand. He had a baton. When he got inside, he stretched himself. Lo! his blankets were hung in the rear of the house. His mother also sat in front of them. He sat down in the middle of the side of the house. The house had ten rows of retaining timbers.
Then he hunted in his small box. He took his nephew out of it, wā-ā-ā-ā-ā. And he stood him up. He began dancing. He took the end of his wing in his mouth. After he had moved backward a while, the people in the house [said] “S-s-s-s-s-s” [with pleasure]. Those on the top step went to sleep at the sight.
After he had danced a while, he stuck his baton up, took [his nephew] and threw him at it. At once he was a weasel[28] climbing up on it. Again they said “S-s-s-s-s-s.” The next row went to sleep.
And he again picked him up and threw him at the baton. He became a woodpecker[12] and climbed up it. Again those in the house said, “S-s-s-s-s-s.” The next row below went to sleep.