They hung up five moose skins for him. He went thither, and the beating plank beat itself as it came in. They had opened the door for him. While they were looking through it for him, his dancing hat came out back of the fire.[5] It did the same thing on the other side, on the side toward the door, and on the opposite side. After it had come up in all four corners he stood up. He took his feather. When he pulled it out the pain ceased, and the sickness was gone. Just before [[239]]he went out he blew it in again. He did not think he had received enough. Then he went away.
Next day they made the number of his moose skins ten, and he again went there. Again the drum and the beating board went in of themselves. After he had entered as before he stood up. After he had danced around for a while he pulled his feather out for good. The chief’s child slept.
He had many uncles. They kept their daughters for him. Among these one was short on one side. That was the youngest’s daughter. One time, when they were going on a picnic, he started. And he changed himself into a salmon-berry bush near the trail and waited there.
When the lame one came along behind he tangled himself up in her hair. While she was trying to untie it, all left her. Instead, he came and stood near her. Then he said to her: “I will marry you. Go with me.” Then she went with him. After he had entered the house with her he spit medicine on her. He stretched her leg out. It became well. He married her.
Then he threw away the house of branches and built a regular house for himself. He made a bedstead which he and his wife always used. One night, while he slept, the house moved with him, and he awoke. He heard some one talking with his mother. When day broke he opened his eyes. Something wonderful lay there into which he awoke. The carvings inside of the house winked their eyes. The carvings on the corner posts of the bedstead moved their tongues at each other. In a rear corner of the house something stood making a noise. That was Greatest Hopper,[6] they say. Master Carpenter[7] had become his father, they say.
When he arose [the latter] said: “Come! my child, let me fix you up.” Then he went to him. He combed his hair. It hung down broad and glossy even beyond his buttocks. He painted his face. He was very handsome.
After he had lived a while with his father in that house he set out to marry the daughter of Many-ledges. Then his father told him that he destroyed the sons of the supernatural beings. And he let him take his arrows. “They fly around,”[8] he said to him. One bore the figure of a weasel. The other bore the figure of a mouse. He also gave him some knots. “In his town driftwood never floats ashore,” he said to him.
He had Greatest Hopper take him over. After he had gone along for a while with him the capes before him were burning. Then he spit medicine upon them, and he hopped quickly over with him. When he got close in front of Mā′g̣ᴀn[9] he felt extremely sweet. There were very many stick-potatoes there. That made him so, they say. After [[240]]he had brought him to the end of Many-ledges’ town, Greatest Hopper went back.
Then he changed himself into knots and at evening floated ashore in front of the town, awaiting until his children came down to defecate. By and by they came down. “See the driftwood which has floated ashore. It is wonderful, because driftwood never floats ashore in father’s village.” Then they picked it up and laid it down near the door. Then they forgot it.
And, when they were going to bed, they thought of it and brought it in. He (Many-ledges) started to cut it up with one of his five stone adzes. It broke. Then he took another. He struck it with that, too. That, too, broke. After the same thing had happened to four, he split it in pieces with the last one. Then he was glad. And he put it into the fire.