myths and legends of the sioux-第20章

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them　out　of　their　tepees　and　driving　them　away　from　their　lines　of

jerked　buffalo　meat。　　Indeed　they　got　so　numerous　and　were　such　a

great　nuisance　that　the　Chief　finally　gave　orders　to　his　camp

criers　or　heralds　to　go　out　among　the　different　camps　and　announce

the　orders　of　their　Chief；　that　war　should　be　made　upon

the　crows　to　extermination；　that　their　nests　were　to　be　destroyed

and　all　eggs　broken。　　The　war　of　extermination　was　to　continue

until　not　a　crow　remained；　except　the　youngest　found　was　to　be

brought　to　him　alive。



For　a　week　the　war　on　the　crows　continued。　　Thousands　of　dead　crows

were　brought　in　daily；　and　at　the　end　of　the　week　not　a　bird　of

that　species　could　be　seen　in　the　neighborhood。　　Those　that　escaped

the　deadly　arrow　of　the　warriors；　flew　away；　never　to　return　to

those　parts　again。



At　the　end　of　the　war　made　upon　the　crows；　there　was　brought　to　the

Chief's　tepee　the　youngest　found。　　Indeed；　so　young　was　the　bird

that　it　was　only　the　great　medicine　of　the　Chief　that　kept　him

alive　until　he　could　hop　about　and　find　his　own　food。　　The　Chief

spent　most　of　his　time　in　his　lodge　teaching　the　young　crow　to

understand　and　talk　the　language　of　the　tribe。　　After　the　crow　had

mastered　this；　the　Chief　then　taught　him　the　languages　of　the

neighboring　tribes。　　When　the　crow　had　mastered　these　different

languages　the　chief　would　send　him　on　long　journeys　to　ascertain

the　location　of　the　camps　of　the　different　enemies。



When　the　crow　would　find　a　large　Indian　camp　he　would　alight　and

hop　about；　pretending　to　be　picking　up　scraps；　but　really　keeping

his　ears　open　for　anything　he　might　hear。　　He　would　hang　around　all

day；　and　at　night　when　they　would　all　gather　in　the　large　council

tent　（which　always　stood　in　the　center　of　the　village）　to　determine

upon　their　next　raid；　and　plan　for　a　horse　stealing　trip；　Mr。　Crow

was　always　nearby　to　hear　all　their　plans　discussed。　　He　would　then

fly　away　to　his　master　（the　Chief）　and

tell　him　all　that　he　had　learned。



The　Chief　would　then　send　a　band　of　his　warriors　to　lie　in　ambush

for　the　raiding　party；　and；　as　the　enemy　would　not　suspect　anything

they　would　go　blindly　into　the　pitfall　of　death　thus　set　for　them。　

Thus　the　crow　was　the　scout　of　this　chief；　whose

reputation　as　a　Wakan　（Holy　man）　soon　reached　all　of　the　different

tribes。　　The　Chief's　warriors　would　intercept；　ambush　and

annihilate　every　war　party　headed　for　his　camp。



So；　finally　learning　that　they　could　not　make　war　on　this　chief's

people　unbeknown　to　them；　they　gave　up　making　war　on　this

particular　band。　　When　meat　was　running　low　in　the　camp　this　chief

would　send　the　crow　out　to　look　for　buffalo。　　When　he　discovered

a　herd　he　would　return　and　report　to　his　master；　then　the　chief

would　order　out　the　hunters　and　they　would　return　laden　with　meat。　

Thus　the　crow　kept　the　camp　all　the　time　informed　of　everything

that　would　be　of　benefit　to　them。



One　day　the　crow　disappeared；　over　which　there　was　great　grief

among　the　tribe。　　A　week　had　passed　away；　when　Mr。　Crow　reappeared。　

There　was　great　rejoicing　upon　his　return；　but　the　crow　was

downcast　and　would　not　speak；　but　sat　with　a　drooping　head　perched

at　the　top　of　the　chief's　tepee；　and　refused　all　food　that　was

offered　to　him。



In　vain　did　the　chief　try　to　get　the　crow　to　tell　him　the　cause　of

his　silence　and　seeming　grief。　　The　crow　would　not　speak　until　the

chief　said：　〃Well；　I　will　take　a　few　of　my　warriors　and　go　out　and

try　to　ascertain　what　has　happened　to　cause　you　to　act

as　you　do。〃



Upon　hearing　this；　the　crow　said：　〃Don't　go。　　I　dreaded　to　tell　you

what　I　know　to　be　a　fact；　as　I　have　heard　it　from　some　great

medicine　men。　　I　was　traveling　over　the　mountains　west　of　here；

when　I　spied　three　old　men　sitting　at　the　top　of　the　highest

peak。　　I　very　cautiously　dropped　down　behind　a　rock　and　listened　to

their　talk。　　I　heard　your　name　mentioned　by　one　of　them；　then　your

brother's　name　was　mentioned。　　Then　the　third；　who　was　the　oldest；

said：　'in　three　days　from　today　the　lightning　will　kill　those　two

brothers　whom　all　the　nations　fear。'〃



Upon　hearing　what　the　crow　stated　the　tribe　became　grief　stricken。　

On　the　morning　of　the　third　day　the　chief　ordered　a　nice　tepee

placed　upon　the　highest　point；　far　enough　away　from　the　village；　so

that　the　peals　of　thunder　would　not　alarm　the　babies　of

the　camp。



A　great　feast　was　given；　and　after　the　feasting　was　over　there　came

in　six　young　maidens　leading　the　war　horses　of　the　two　brothers。　

The　horses　were　painted　and　decorated　as　if　for　a　charge　on　the

enemy。　　One　maiden　walked　ahead　of　the　chief's　horse　bearing　in　her

hands　the　bow　and　arrows　of　the　great　warrior。　　Next　came　two

maidens；　one　on　either　side　of　the　prancing　war　steed；　each　holding

a　rein。　　Behind　the　chief's　horse　came　the　fourth　maiden。　　Like　the

first；　she　bore　in　her　hands　the　bow　and　arrows　of　the　chief's

brother。　　Then　the　fifth　and　sixth　maidens　each　holding　a　rein；

walked　on　either　side　of　the　prancing　horse　of　the　chief's　brother。　

They　advanced　and　circled　the　large　gathering　and　finally

stopped　directly　in　front　of　the　two　brothers；　who　immediately

arose　and　taking　their　bows　and　arrows　vaulted　lightly　upon　their

war　steeds；　and　singing　their　death　song；　galloped　off　amid　a　great

cry　of　grief　from　the　people　who　loved　them　most　dearly。



Heading　straight　for　the　tepee　that　had　been　placed　upon　the

highest　point；　adjacent　to　the　village；　they　soon　arrived　at　their

destination　and；　dismounting　from　their　horses；　turned；　waved　their

hands　to　their　band；　and　disappeared　within　the　tepee。　　Scarcely

had　they　entered　the　lodge　when　the　rumblings　of　distant　thunder

could　be　heard。　　Nearer；　and　nearer；　came　the　sound；　until　at　last

the　storm　overspread　the　locality　in　all　its　fury。　　Flash　upon

flash　of　lightning　burst　forth　from　the　heavens。　　Deafening　peals

of　thunder　followed　each　flash。　　Finally；　one　flash　brighter　than

any　of　the　others；　one　peal　more　deafening　than　those　preceding　it；

and　the　storm　had　passed。



Sadly　the　warriors　gathered　together；　mounted　their　horses　and

slowly　rode　to　the　tepee　on　the　high　point。　　Arriving　there　they

looked　inside　the　lodge　and　saw　the　two　brothers　lying　cold　and

still　in　death；　each　holding　the　lariat　of　his　favorite　war　horse。　

The　horses　also　lay　dead　side　by　side　in　front　of　the　tent。　（From

this　came　the　custom　of　killing　the　favorite　horse　of　a　dead

warrior　at　the　burial　of　the　owner）。



As　the　Indians　sadly　left　the　hill　to　return　home；　they　heard　a

noise　at　the　top　of　the　tepee；　and　looking　up　they　saw　the　crow

sitting　on　one　of　the　splintered　tepee　poles。　　He　was　crying　most

pitifully；　and　as　they　rode　off　he　flew　up　high　in　the　air　and　his

pitiful　〃caw〃　became　fainter　and　fainter　till　at　last　they　heard　it

no　more。　　And　from　that　day；　the　story　goes；　no　crow　ever　goes　near

the　village　of　that　band　of　Indians。













THE　〃WASNA〃　（PEMMICAN）　MAN　AND　THE

UNKTOMI　（SPIDER）



Once　upon　a　time　there　appeared　from　out　of　a　large　belt　of　timber

a　man　attired　in　the　fat　of　the　buffalo。　　On　his　head　he　wore　the

honeycomb　part　of　the　stomach。　　To　this　was　attached　small　pieces

of　fat。　　The　fat　which　covered　the　stomach　he　wore　as　a

cloak。　　The　large　intestines　he　wore　as　leggings；　and　the　kidney

fat　as　his　moccasins。



As　he　appeared　he　had　the　misfortune　to　meet　〃Unktomi〃　（spider）

with　his　hundreds　of　starving　children。　　Upon　seeing　the　fat；

Unktomi　and　his　large　family　at　once　attacked　the　man；　who；　in

order　to　save　his　life；　started　to　run　away；　but　so　closely　did

Unktomi　and　his　family　pursue　him　that　in　order　to　make　better　time

and　also　get　a　little　better　start；　he　threw　off　his　head　covering；

which　the　Unktomi　family　hastily　devoured；　and　were　again　closing

in　upon　him。　　He　then　threw　off　his　cloak　and　they　devoured　that；

and　were　close　upon　him　again；　when　he　threw　off　his　leggings