The brothers retired for the night and slept soundly. When daylight came and they arose they saw Little Burnt Belly still seated beside the fire. He maintained the one position and said nothing to any of his brothers. When they ate their breakfast he did not arise to have his share. The other brothers then left the lodge to go out hunting for game animals for food. After they had gone Little Burnt Belly arose, saying, “Let me amuse my elder brothers.” Thereupon he then took down his bow and arrows, and shot two arrows up out of the smoke-hole of the lodge. [[535]]
As the brothers were engaged in the chase at no great distance one from another, they were greatly surprised to see a very large deer rush up to them and fall dead at their feet, and soon another deer did likewise. They saw that an arrow protruded from the body of each deer—a circumstance which was very mysterious to them. As quickly as possible one of the brothers rushed up to the stricken deer, and breaking off a leaf, wrapped it around the arrow before touching it with his hand to draw it forth, saying, “I do not desire to uncharm my youngest brother’s arrow.” Then drawing out the arrow, he carefully laid it up in the fork of a tree. Having done this he started at once for home, carrying the whole body of the deer. Before it was dark Little Burnt Belly saw his elder brother bringing back the deer. Not long afterward the other brother came into the lodge bearing on his back the other deer properly packed for carrying. The other two brothers returned with them as guards.
They found Little Burnt Belly still seated before the fire. But when they were back in the lodge he said to them, “Our missing brothers have not yet returned home. Tomorrow I myself will go on their trail to seek for them.” After eating their evening meal they retired for the night and slept soundly. When morning came they prepared their usual breakfast and then started out to hunt. Thereupon Little Burnt Belly arose, and going to his couch procured such articles of apparel as he needed for his journey. He took also his bow and arrows, which were his immediate trust and dependence for accomplishing his task, for they were full of orenda (magic power), which he could control for his own use. He ate no breakfast; he needed none, for he desired to have all his faculties clear and alert. While seated beside the fire he had been taking suitable medicine to make him sound and clear visioned that he might be able to cope with the wizard whom he suspected of having destroyed his missing brothers.
Leaving the lodge, Little Burnt Belly shaped his course northward to find the trail of his three brothers. It was not long before he struck this, and he followed it on the run, presently entering a vast forest whose great trees made it dark and gloomy. He had been running for a large portion of the day when he saw daylight through the trees, from which he inferred that there must be a clearing ahead of him. Keeping his course, finally he came to the edge of a large clearing or field. As he saw the tracks of his brothers there, he stopped to look around. Immediately he heard a peculiar sound of tapping, and looking in the direction whence the sound seemed to come he perceived that it proceeded from the opposite side of a great valley just ahead of him. Making his way along to the brink [[536]]of the valley he heard the voice of a man saying, “It seems that I am in luck, for on the opposite side of the valley a human being walks along.” He heard this voice three times. As the trail led him in the direction of the sound he said, “I think it my duty to follow this trail, for the voice may be that of one of my brothers (said ironically).”
So descending into the valley he came to a terrace or bench, along which he was following his brother’s tracks, when his attention was attracted by pieces of bark falling around him. Halting and looking up into a tree standing just at his side, he saw a small bird high up on the trunk, clinging to it and flitting at times from place to place. He saw that the bird pretended to be a flicker, or yellowhammer. When the flicker saw him looking up, it said with a laugh, “Some people who believe themselves possessed of orenda go about with bow and arrows just as if they knew how to use them, although they may be the poorest of marksmen.” Pointing an arrow at it, Little Burnt Belly said: “Be careful of thyself. Some people trust their orenda too far, for they lay claim to too much power for their own good.” At once the flicker became visibly agitated, and kept glancing at Little Burnt Belly furtively, as it slowly crept around the tree trunk. At an opportune moment he let fly an arrow, which pierced the body of the flicker, causing it to fall to the ground without uttering a sound. Little Burnt Belly did not fail to notice the shocks of arrows sticking in the tree trunk near the spot where the flicker was clinging and to recognize them as belonging to his brothers; he saw also their broken bows, and knew that they were in the power of some wizard.
Taking up his arrow with the flicker still pierced by it, and placing it over his shoulder, he resumed his journey. He was not long in coming to the lodge which he had seen in the distance, and to which the trail of his brothers had led him. As he drew near, a man’s voice within said, “Oh, my grandson! come in; I am thankful that you have come to visit me.” On entering the lodge he saw an old man whom he recognized as a cannibal, and he saw also before him, seated on her couch, a fine-looking young maiden. The old man exclaimed: “I have been looking for you for a very, very long time. I have said all along that a great hunter was on his way to visit me. There sits my granddaughter whom you are to marry. Granddaughter, move along, and give him some room by you.” As Little Burnt Belly passed the old man the latter saw that he was carrying something which he had killed, and he arose quickly, saying: “Do give me the body of that thing which you have killed, for it is indeed a very fine game animal.” But Little Burnt Belly replied: “I will not give it up. I will first see my missing brothers.” The old man [[537]]persisted, however, saying: “You should give me that bird. I am greatly agitated in my mind. Nothing yet has curbed my orenda. I will get back that bird at any cost. A game animal has now come to my lodge.” Little Burnt Belly retorted: “You are boasting of the invulnerability of your orenda, but this bird contains your life, and I am your master, and you know it. You have long ago forfeited your life by all your murders and cannibalism, so now you shall die.” So saying, Little Burnt Belly crushed his head with the blows of his war club. Then he liberated the slave, or prisoner, of the cannibal from the effects of drugs which had been given her by her master, and after bringing back to life his own brothers, who had been devoured by the cannibal, they all returned to the lodge of Honenhineh.
112. The Legend of Godasiyo
In the beginning of time, when the earth was new, when the inhabitants of it spoke but a single tongue, when these good people dwelt in perfect harmony and peace, and when the several settlements lived in such manner that there were no quarrels or contentions among them, there dwelt in one of these settlements, or villages, Godasiyo, a woman, who was the chief of her village.
The village over which Godasiyo held sway was situated beside a very large river; in fact, it occupied both sides of this important stream. It was the custom of the people of Godasiyo to cross the river for the purpose of visiting, of attending the dances which are held every night, and of exchanging their goods—meat, venison, skins, furs, roots, bark, and dried fruits and berries—in order to supply their several needs. Moreover, the lodge of public assembly was situated on one side of the river—a feature that occasioned considerable traveling across and back. This stream was very large and rapid. The people crossed it by means of a bridge constructed of saplings and of limbs of trees carefully fastened together. The state of good will and contentment, above described, continued for a long time, but at last trouble arose. The cause of this was a white dog which belonged to the chief, Godasiyo. The dissension became so serious that there was great danger that the factions would become involved in a fight over the matter. The great river divided the two parties.