Next day her husband again went fishing. Afterward she went after roots again. No sooner had she got out than a noise arose inside of the house. At that time she did not return so soon. Then she gathered a quantity of dry firewood and looked in again. Again the skins hung upon the pole in the rear of the house. And, when she made a noise with the door again, they went over quickly and pulled their skins down. They lay around the fire. And again she put them into the cellar. When Łᴀguadjî′na came home again he asked her: “My child’s mother, what made the noise in the town?” “The dog was playing with himself and made a noise on the floor planks.”
When he went fishing again, the dog lay on the opposite side of the fire. Then she threw a stone at him and said to him: “Who does not get wood for the mother of his children?” And he got up. He shook himself and went out. Then there was a noise behind the house, and she looked at him between the house planks. One with a big knot of hair which fell below his buttocks and a striped skin rolled the firewood about. After the noise had gone on for a while outside, he came in. He shook himself and lay down again on the opposite side of the fire.
When her husband came home he asked her: “Where did that good firewood come from?” “Why, that is [from a tree] which fell behind us and which I rolled out to an open place.”
Next day her husband went fishing again, and she went after roots. Just before she went out, she put wood on the fire. Soon after she went out a noise arose in the house. Then she crept quietly thither. She had shut the door to easily. When she looked in [she saw that] the skins were again hung in the rear of the house. They were pushing each other about.
After she had looked for a while they pushed each other toward the corner, and she ran in quickly. She gathered the skins together quickly and put them into the fire. At once they burned up. Then they sat in a row on the other side from her. One among them was a woman.
Then she said to them: “My children, when your father comes home and eats, do not look toward him. After he is through eating I will let you eat also. People never look him in the face.”
Then Sawałī′xa ran out. His father was fishing seaward. He said, “Hō hū′-u-u-u hū.[1]” The more his mother tried to stop him, the more he shouted. When he (her husband) came home she again steamed food for him. After she had laid it before him she turned her face from him toward the door. Before he had eaten Sawałī′xa arose, picked up a fat piece from the edge of a split fish, and stood around eating it. After he had finished it, he picked up another. When he had finished that as well he pushed away the tray. [[254]]
And he called to his wife: “My child’s mother, bring my cape to me.” Then she brought it to him, and he put it on. Then he called for the eldest: “Come here, my child, while I sing a song for you.” Then he went to him. After he had sung for a while he pulled him closer to his breast. He was as one who has gone to sleep. “My child is asleep. Let me lay him down.”
And he called for another. He also went to him, and, after he had sung for him for a while, he pulled him close to himself. He acted like the other. “My child is asleep.”
After he had done this for a while, he got through with eight. Then he called the last one, who had medicine in his mouth. After he had sung to him for a while and pulled him closer to himself, he spit the medicine upon his chest. Something sharp, like glass, fell from him and stuck into the floor planks. Then he brought the back of his cloak round in front. And, after he had sung for him again and pulled him closer to himself, he again spat medicine upon his breast. From that also the needles fell off.[2]