Thereupon the eldest daughter started away. Having indeed arrived at the settlement in which dwelt Doädanegeñ, she took position a long distance from his lodge and watched for him a very long time, but was not able to see him. Suddenly, Doädanegeñ came out of his lodge and looked around. The young woman was just a short distance aside, watching him. Then he started on his hunting trip, for he had not detected the presence of the young woman. She kept her eyes on him as he walked away and finally disappeared in the distance. Swiftly now the young woman pursued him with the determination of finding him. She had followed him a very long distance when suddenly, as she kept looking ahead, she saw him climbing a large tree. Going toward that tree undetected, not far from it she stopped still. The raccoons were coming out one after another with great rapidity and verily there was a high pile of bodies. The maiden stood there watching Doädanegeñ at work. Moving up close to the tree, she exclaimed: “Do you come down again from the tree. Perhaps you are now bringing down the last one.” But all at once a yellow hammer cried out Kwĕⁿʻ, kwĕⁿʻ, kwĕⁿʻ, and she saw it flying along the edge of the forest, crying as it flew. In bitter chagrin the maid exclaimed: “Oh, how provoking [[752]]it is! Doädanegeñ has made me angry,” and taking from her back the basket of marriage bread, consisting of 20 cakes, she emptied the basket to one side of her and then started homeward.
Having reached her home, where her sisters and her mother awaited her, she was asked by the latter: “Well, what has happened so serious that you have returned without bringing him?” The young woman replied: “I have not the ability to do anything with him, because, I think, he is immune from my orenda—he is, indeed, immune to enchantment.” The mother answered: “Truly I do not depend on you because you are so incapable, so weak (in orenda). So now my youngest daughter shall go, for truly I do depend on her so much. Now, then, do you prepare the basket of marriage bread, which must consist of 20 cakes.”
With a cry of “Come, now,” they set to work pounding the corn into meal, and after making the meal into 20 cakes they boiled them, and when they were cooked they placed them in a basket suitable for the purpose. Then her mother set to work dressing the hair of her youngest daughter; she oiled it with fine bear’s grease and braided it into many fine braids. She braided it very close and wrapped the braids so tight that the maiden seemed not to have any eyebrows left. When the mother had finished the task of dressing her daughter and had instructed her as to what she should do to insure success on her way, the basket of marriage bread was placed on the young woman’s back. Finally her mother said to her: “Have courage. You certainly are able to conquer him. I depend on you to bring Doädanegeñ back with you.”
Then the young woman started on her journey. She carried the basket on her back by means of the forehead strap. Finally she reached the settlement to which she had been sent. There, not far away from the lodge of her intended victim, she concealed herself in various places the better to keep a watch on the lodge. She hid from place to place for a long time without seeing her victim. But finally she was surprised to see him come out of the lodge and after looking around very carefully start away. She tracked him, and after pursuing him for a long time she saw him in the distance high up in a tall tree. She concealed her presence from him as best she knew how. She would get behind a tree and move nearer the tree on which her victim was. Then, slipping quickly around another, she kept drawing nearer and nearer to him, for she was determined to conquer him. Finally she reached the tree without being perceived and there she sat down, leaning against the tree. She placed there beside her the basket of marriage bread. She saw the raccoons falling down one after another without interruption. For a long time she remained there very quiet. Meanwhile Doädanegeñ looked around suspiciously, first taking in the entire horizon and then the [[753]]ground below; then he descended the tree very slowly, until finally he reached the ground on the side opposite the spot where the young woman was sitting. At this time the maiden, quickly arising, went swiftly around the tree to the place where Doädanegeñ stood. He could do nothing to escape. He looked at her with a smile of defeat and was astonished to see how beautiful the maiden was. She was, indeed, far prettier than his wives were, although they, too, were fine looking. Then the victorious maiden said to him: “Rest yourself. Perhaps you are tired, for you have been continually climbing high up in the trees. You must sit down and rest your head in my lap, and I will dress your hair. You must face me when you sit in front of me.”
So Doädanegeñ took the seat indicated by the young woman, placing his head in her lap. She removed the vermin and snarls from his hair, being at this task a long time. So, indeed, the young man fell asleep, and, perhaps, she caused him to sleep soundly. Finally, she said to him in a loud voice, “Well, awake thou,” whereupon all his members moved. Then she placed him in her bag and emptied her basket of marriage bread. Then, after fastening a forehead strap to her pack, she placed it on her back, carrying it by means of the strap. It was very heavy, and he was asleep. Far away from the place where she had conquered him there was a very steep rock. On this the young woman seated herself and proceeded to unwrap her pack. She bound a band around the head of the young man; then she called to him, saying, “Awake thou!” She used all her might of voice in saying again, “Awake thou!”
Suddenly the young man awoke, and the young woman said to him: “Dost thou recognize this place?” He looked around to see whether he had any knowledge of the place, and said in reply: “I know this place. Here is where my uncle and myself take the moose while out hunting.” Answering him, the maiden replied: “It is true. You do know this place. I think that, perhaps, I can not do better than to hunt the vermin in your head again. Again you must face the place you did once before.” So he sat down facing the young woman, resting his head in her lap. The young woman again searched his head for vermin, while he meekly faced her person.
Again he fell asleep, and again his sleep was very sound, so truly, when the young woman again said, “Awake thou!” it was impossible for him to awake. Again she wrapped him in her bag, which she took on her back again, carrying the pack by means of the forehead strap. She then started for home. Arriving at the shore of the lake, she again awakened him, saying to him, “Awake thou!” But it was a very long time before he awoke. When he did so, she said to him: “Well, dost thou know this place?” After looking around a [[754]]while, he replied: “I recognize this place. It is here that my uncle and myself engage in fishing.” She replied merely: “So be it. Now again I will search for vermin in your head, and again thou must face the same place that thou didst the last time I cleaned thy head.” So she again searched for vermin in his head. It was not very long before he again was fast asleep with his head on the lap of the young woman. Thereupon she bound him up once more in her bag and again placed the pack on her back, carrying it by means of the forehead strap.
When she arrived at the place wherein abode her sisters and mother they were surprised that she returned carrying a pack on her back. Throwing the pack on the ground in the lodge, she said to her mother and sisters, “Verily, Doädanegeñ is contained in the pack. Do you now take him out of it.” Then her mother said to her, “Oh, my daughter! I am thankful that the matter has been accomplished, because I depend on you.” Then, addressing herself to the sleeping young man, she said: “Oh, my son-in-law, awake thou!” but it was a very long time before he awoke. He arose, and going aside, took a seat there. He was greatly surprised by the beauty of the inmates of the lodge and their mother, too. When night came on Doädanegeñ shared the bed of the young woman who had brought him back with her.
In the meanwhile, the next day, the younger one of his wives said to her elder sister: “These women who live far from here have taken our husband away from us; it is they who have conquered him. Now, I will now go after him. You must remain with the old man, his uncle.” Thereupon the old man began to weep because he did not know where his nephew was. He lamented, saying “Hāʹgiʻ, hāʹgiʻ, giʼ; 10 years will pass before I shall give him up, hāʹgiʻ.”
Then the younger wife started, saying: “I will go to fetch him back home.” So she departed, leaving her elder sister to remain with the uncle of Doädanegeñ. Finally she arrived at the tree in which her husband was accustomed to hunt for raccoons. She could see plainly the trail left by the woman who had accomplished his seduction and then carried him away. Then she started on farther. Again she sang the song in which she used the following words: “Hăʻhowi, hăʻhowi, hăʻhowi; I am going to hunt for the person, hăʻhowi, hăʻhowi, of Doädanegeñ wherever he may be, hăʻhowi, hăʻhowi, I am going to hunt for the person of Hatʻhoñʹdas (The Obedient), ĕʼ ĕⁿʻhĕⁿʻ.” Thus she traveled on.