130. The Story of Hahskwahot[456]
In times past there was a boy who spent his time in hunting birds to kill and in cooking and eating them.
On one of his expeditions he came to a large rock, beside which he took his seat to rest, for it was drawing toward sunset, and began to make arrow points.
While seated there a man spoke, saying: “I shall relate a story.” The boy at once began to look around to learn who it was that had spoken. He finally came to the conclusion that it was the rock beside which he was sitting that had spoken for his benefit. In reply the boy said: “What is the name of it?” The man answered: “It is called a fable (tradition); now you must make me a present of a bird (for telling you this story).” The boy, replying “So be it,” left one on the rock. Then the man again spoke, saying: “You must return here; I shall relate a legend, but as to us we remained at home in the world that was.” And the boy went home.
In the evening the boy returned to the rock and seated himself upon it. Thereupon the man said: “Well, now, I shall say that you must speak; you must say, ‘What?’ I shall tell you what is called a legend. As soon as I make an end of telling one legend I may go on with another. But if you become sleepy, as you may, you must tell me, and we will take a rest; and you can come again to-morrow evening.”
The boy hunted birds, and he had many different persons to accompany him. He said to each: “You must accompany me (to hear) a man telling legends, as I think they are called. In the evening they two would take their seats on the rock and listen until they became sleepy, and then all would take a rest for the night. The next day they two would again return to the rock, and finally other persons followed them to the place. In the evening they would again sit around, and the man would relate another legend. On the following evening they would again repair to the rock. There were now a large number who went to the place where the great rock stood; and the man would again tell a legend. In this manner did it come to pass that there are legends in the world, as these stories are called.
Finally the man at the rock said to the boy: “You will grow old in years. You shall use these legends to aid yourself in your old [[681]]age (by telling them to persons who will pay you for doing so). So it came to pass that as the boy became old he did not cease telling legends.
It was in this manner. When in the evening he would tell a legend some brought on their backs loads of wood for fuel; others brought meat; others brought bread; and still others brought tobacco. These things were left in the lodge of the old man who had been at the rock when a boy. People gave him these things to repay him for telling them some legend. Many times the lodge would be full of people who had come to hear him relate the legends of their people.
So it was that legends came into being, for the people of the former other world were people who possessed great and powerful orenda. The stories of their acts have become the legends of this world. The scene of this story was laid in the former world.