The next is quite different. A hunter is angry with his wife for secreting food, and makes her eat until she dies from its effects. Her new-born child he throws into a hollow tree, but takes good care of his older boy. For him he makes a bow and arrows, and after a long time saw little footprints around his lodge. He made a second small bow and arrows, and soon found they were being used. He now saw a little child come from the hollow tree to play with his boy, and knew it was the infant he had thrown away. He had been cared for by a bear, whom the hunter treated kindly. The two boys afterwards went far westward to slay the great and hurtful beasts.
The third was told in Canada, and is a variant of the one I have related. A man hated his step-son, and persuaded him to enter a porcupine’s hole. This he stopped up, leaving the boy a prisoner. He cried himself asleep, and when he woke up he was in a room with an old woman, who was the porcupine. He could not eat her food, and so she called the animals to a council to tell how he might be fed. “The fox said: ‘I live on geese and fowls. I’ll take him, but still he can’t eat raw food.’ The council decided that it was useless for him to assume the charge.” All offered in turn, without effect. At last the bear spoke, and the child was left with her, all agreeing to help her gather nuts. After living several years in a hollow tree, they saw a man and dog coming. The tree was cut down, and the bear and her two cubs were killed. The hunter looked for another cub, but found the boy instead. He made noises just like the cubs. The hunter took him home, tamed and taught him, and gave him his daughter for a wife. Her mother, however, was angry because the boy brought home no bear’s meat. At last he killed a bear, but it brought him no good luck. On his way home he fell on a sharp stick, which killed him at once.
In this tale the words of the fox are much like those of the wolf in the other. Some of the incidents differ much, and yet the common origin of the two is readily seen.
In New York the Iroquois stories are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. They maintain their hold among the older people, but the younger ones find those which are quite as good among the literature of the whites. It is easy to see how our stories are adopted, and told in an Indian way; and Mrs. Smith has given some good examples. The Onondagas are not behind in following the spirit of the times.
THE FOX AND THE BEAR.
While the fox is the type of all mischief with the Onondagas, they seem to have few stories about him. One of these has been related by Mrs. E. A. Smith, and has modern features. In this she makes one story depend upon another, while they were related to me as distinct tales. I inquired particularly about this, and was assured that there was no connection. These are the tales I received:—
I. The fox saw some men carrying home a wagon load of fish, and contrived to get upon it. At his leisure he quietly threw off one, and then another, until he was satisfied, and slipped off himself to eat them. As he was feasting on the last the bear came along, and asked about his good luck. The fox said he would show him how to get a good supply if he would go with him the next night. So they went on the ice till they found a hole, and the fox told the bear to put his tail in this that the fish might bite.
“Now,” said the fox, “you are very strong, and must wait until a good many take hold of your tail.” So the bear sat very still for a time; but when he shifted a little his tail was slightly pulled, for it was freezing to the ice. “Don’t pull yet,” said the fox; “more will take hold, and you will have a big haul. You are very strong, and must catch all you can.” So the bear waited, and the next time he moved it pulled a little harder. “Not yet,” said the fox; “more will take hold.” But when the morning was come the fox ran to a house on the bank, and the dogs began to bark furiously. This frightened the bear, so that he pulled with all his might, and left his tail frozen to the ice. Then I came away; but the bears have had short tails ever since.
II. For some reason the bear and the fox fell out, and were going to fight a duel. The fox chose a cat and a lame dog for his seconds, while the bear had the wolf and the pig, but the wolf kept away. The bear and the pig came to the place first, both of them a little afraid, and the bear said he would climb a tree and watch for the rest. The pig hid under the leaves by a log. The bear said: “I see the fox coming. He has two men with him, and one is picking up stones to throw at us!” For when the dog limped, it seemed to the bear he was picking up stones. The cat, too, raised its tail and waved it around. When it did this the bear said: “Now I see the other man. He has a big club, and oh! how he waves it around! Lie down there! Keep still! They’ll give it to us if they find us!” Then he looked again. “Yes, they’re coming! they’re coming! Keep still! keep still!”
So the cat came under the tree, and upon the log. The pig wanted to see, and tried to peep out; but when the cat saw the leaves moving she thought it was a mouse. Down she sprang in an instant, and had the pig by the nose. “Ke-week! ke-we-e-k!” he squealed and squealed, which scared the cat in turn, and she ran for the tree. The bear was so frightened when he saw her coming, that he let go his hold, fell from the tree, and was killed. Then I came away.