Haida texts and myths

by Unknown

And their younger brother came to know it. Then he began bathing in the sea. After he had bathed for a while he became strong. He smashed anything he took hold of. He also twisted and pulled out spruce limbs. When he had become truly strong he began to make various things. He finished two wedges. And he also took a sg̣u′nskaxaua shell.[2] He sharpened it. And he took a weasel skin and feathers. And he pressed mud taken from the woods hard together in his hands and made a hole within it. He made it large enough to get into.

Then he put paint upon his face and sat on top of the house. After he had sat there for a while his uncle came out. When he saw him he went back. His uncle was always jealous. One came out to call him in to his uncle. Then he went thither.

When he entered a mat was spread out for him. And, after he had given him some food, he said to him: “Nephew, you shall marry my wife.” Then he lay with her.

Next day he said to him: “Nephew, go and get a rotten tree I own behind the town.” He had his two wedges hidden about him. His uncle went ahead of him. He followed. He opened a crack where it lay. Something braced it apart. Then his uncle dropped a wedge in and asked him to get it. Then he went in and got it. He knocked out the brace. The crack came close together. Then he heard his uncle rejoice [saying]: “Look at him whom I killed because he wanted to marry my wife.” Then his uncle started off.

Then he began to cut it from the place where he was. And he cut a hole and came out. Then he split it open. He took his elder brothers out. Then he broke half of [the log] by jumping on it and threw it around. And half of it he carried home on his shoulder and threw it down hard in front of the house. That was his uncle’s supernatural power, they say. Again he slept with his [uncle’s] wife.

Next day his uncle said to him: “Come! nephew, go with me to get the cormorant I own which is sitting over yonder.” Then he [[278]]took his weasel and feather and went with him to get it. His uncle set a net where some sticks stuck out on top of a very high cliff. A cormorant got into it. Then he said to him: “Now, nephew, get it.” And, when he started down upon the pole, he pushed his nephew over. Then he put himself into the feather and dropped easily. He heard his uncle rejoice. “Look at the one whom I killed because he wanted to marry my wife.” Then he started off.

Now he entered his weasel skin and climbed up the cliff. And he stretched the net across. In it he caught a number of cormorants. After he had taken them out he tore his uncle’s net to pieces and threw the pieces about. Then he took the cormorants on his back and brought them into the house. They were his uncle’s supernatural helpers.

The day after that his uncle went with him to get bark. He concealed the thing he had made. He followed his uncle. By and by [they came to] the bark which was burning, and his uncle took some of it. Then he told him to get some also. When he did so he pushed him into it. And he got inside of the mud he had pressed together. He did not feel the burning. Then his uncle said he was glad. His uncle said: “Look at the man whom I killed because he wanted to marry my wife. He will try it no longer.”

When his uncle started away from him, he went to the place, pushed the bark down, and threw it around. Then he carried some home on his shoulder and threw it down inside. That was his uncle’s supernatural helper, they say. And again he slept with his [uncle’s] wife.

Next day he again said to his nephew: “Come! nephew and go with me for a small cockle I own, which is just over yonder.” Then he started thither with him. He took his knife. The cockle opened its mouth. Then his uncle told him to get it and, when he went to get it, he pushed him into its mouth. Again his uncle rejoiced. “Look at the one whom I killed because he wanted to marry my wife.”