myths and legends of the sioux-第24章

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shape　of　a　white　buffalo　has　driven　all　the　large　game　out　of　the

country。　　Every　day　this　white　buffalo　comes　circling　the　village；

and　any　one　caught　outside　of　their　tent　is　carried　away　on　its

horns。　　In　vain　have　the　best　marksmen　of　the　tribe　tried　to　shoot

it。　　Their　arrows　fly　wide　off　the　mark；　and　they　have　given　up

trying　to　kill　it　as　it　bears　a　charmed　life。　　Another　evil　spirit

in　the　form　of　a　red　eagle　has　driven　all　the　birds　of　the　air　out

of　our　country。　　Every　day　this　eagle　circles　above　the　village；

and　so　powerful　is　it　that　anyone　being　caught　outside　of　his　tent

is　descended　upon　and　his　skull　split　open　to　the　brain　by　the

sharp　breastbone　of　the　Eagle。　　Many　a　marksman　has　tried　his　skill

on　this　bird；　all　to　no　purpose。



〃Another　evil　spirit　in　the　form　of　a　white　rabbit　has　driven　out

all　the　animals　which　inhabit　the　ground；　and　destroyed　the　fields

of　corn　and　turnips；　so　the　nation　is　starving；　as　the　arrows　of

the　marksmen　have　also　failed　to　touch　the　white　rabbit。　　Any　one

who　can　kill　these　three　witches　will　receive　as　his　reward；　the

choice　of　two　of　the　most　beautiful　maidens　of　our　nation。　　The

younger　one　is　the　handsomer　of　the　two　and　has　also　the　sweetest

disposition。　　Many　young；　and　even　old　men；　hearing　of　this　（our

chief's）　offer；　have　traveled　many　miles　to　try　their　arrows　on　the

witches；　but　all　to　no　purpose。　　Our　chief；　hearing　of　your　great

marksmanship；　sent　me　to　try　and　secure　your　services　to　have　you

come　and　rid　us　of　these　three　witches。〃



Thus　spoke　the　stranger　to　the　hunter。　　The　hunter　gazed　long　and

thoughtfully　into　the　dying　embers　of　the　camp　fire。　　Then　slowly

his　eyes　raised　and　looked　lovingly　on　his　wife　who　sat　opposite　to

him。　　Gazing　on　her　beautiful　features　for　a　full　minute　he　slowly

dropped　his　gaze　back　to　the　dying　embers　and　thus　answered　his

visitor：



〃My　friend；　I　feel　very　much　honored　by　your　chief　having　sent　such

a　great　distance　for　me；　and　also　for　the　kind　offer　of　his　lovely

daughter　in　marriage；　if　I　should　succeed；　but　I　must　reject　the

great　offer；　as　I　can　spare　none　of　my　affections　to　any　other

woman　than　to　my　queen　whom　you　see　sitting　there。〃



White　Plume　had　been　listening　to　the　conversation　and　when　his

father　had　finished　speaking；　said：　〃Father；　I　am　a　child　no　more。　

I　have　arrived　at　manhood。　　I　am　not　so　good　a　marksman　as　you；　but

I　will　go　to　this　suffering　tribe　and　try　to　rid　them　of　their

three　enemies。　　If　this　man　will　rest　for　a　few　days　and　return　to

his　village　and　inform　them　of　my　coming；　I　will　travel　along

slowly　on　his　trail　and　arrive　at　the　village　a　day　or　two　after　he

reaches　there。〃



〃Very　well；　my　son；〃　said　the　father；　〃I　am　sure　you　will　succeed；

as　you　fear　nothing；　and　as　to　your　marksmanship；　it　is　far

superior　to　mine；　as　your　sight　is　much　clearer　and　aim　quicker

than　mine。〃



The　man　rested　a　few　days　and　one　morning　started　off；　after　having

instructed　White　Plume　as　to　the　trail。　　White　Plume　got　together

what　he　would　need　on　the　trip　and　was　ready　for　an　early　start　the

next　morning。　　That　night　Dead　Shot　and　his　wife　sat　up

away　into　the　night　instructing　their　son　how　to　travel　and　warning

him　as　to　the　different　kinds　of　people　he　must　avoid　in　order　to

keep　out　of　trouble。　　〃Above　all；〃　said　the　father；　〃keep　a　good

look　out　for　Unktomi　（spider）；　he　is　the　most　tricky　of　all；　and

will　get　you　into　trouble　if　you　associate　with　him。〃



White　Plume　left　early；　his　father　accompanying　him　for　several

miles。　　On　parting；　the　father's　last　words　were：　〃Look　out　for

Unktomi；　my　son；　he　is　deceitful　and　treacherous。〃　　〃I'll　look　out

for　him；　father；〃　so　saying　he　disappeared　over　a　hill。　　On

the　way　he　tried　his　skill　on　several　hawks　and　eagles　and　he　did

not　need　to　use　his　painted　arrows　to　kill　them；　but　so　skillful

was　he　with　the　bow　and　arrows　that　he　could　bring　down　anything

that　flew　with　his　common　arrows。　　He　was　drawing　near　to　the　end

of　his　destination　when　he　had　a　large　tract　of　timber　to　pass

through。　　When　he　had　nearly　gotten　through　the　timber　he　saw　an

old　man　sitting　on　a　log；　looking　wistfully　up　into　a　big　tree；

where　sat　a　number　of　prairie　chickens。



〃Hello；　grandfather；　why　are　you　sitting　there　looking　so

downhearted？〃　asked　White　Plume。　　〃I　am　nearly　starved；　and　was

just　wishing　some　one　would　shoot　one　of　those　chickens　for　me；　so

I　could　make　a　good　meal　on　it；〃　said　the　old　man。　　〃I　will　shoot

one　for　you；〃　said　the　young　man。　　He　strung　his　bow；　placed　an

arrow　on　the　string；　simply　seemed　to　raise　the　arrow　in　the

direction　of　the　chicken　（taking　no　aim）。　　Twang　went　out　the　bow；

zip　went　the　arrow　and　a　chicken　fell　off　the　limb；　only　to　get

caught　on　another　in　its　descent。　　〃There　is　your　chicken；

grandfather。〃　　〃Oh；　my　grandson；　I　am　too　weak　to　climb　up　and　get

it。　　Can't　you　climb　up　and　get　it　for　me？〃　　The　young　man；　pitying

the　old　fellow；　proceeded　to　climb　the　tree；　when　the　old　man

stopped　him；　saying：　〃Grandson；　you　have　on　such　fine　clothes；　it

is　a　pity　to　spoil　them；　you　had　better　take　them　off　so　as　not　to

spoil　the　fine　porcupine　work　on　them。〃　　The　young　man　took　off　his

fine　clothes　and　climbed　up　into　the　tree；　and　securing

the　chicken；　threw　it　down　to　the　old　man。　　As　the　young　man　was

scaling　down　the　tree；　the　old　man　said：　〃Iyashkapa；　iyashkapa；〃

（stick　fast；　stick　fast）。　　Hearing　him　say　something；　he　asked；

〃What　did　you　say；　old　man？〃　　He　answered；　〃I　was　only　talking　to

myself。〃　　The　young　man　proceeded　to　descend；　but　he　could　not

move。　　His　body　was　stuck　fast　to　the　bark　of　the　tree。　　In　vain

did　he　beg　the　old　man　to　release　him。　　The　old　Unktomi；　for　he　it

was；　only　laughed　and　said：　〃I　will　go　now　and　kill　the　evil

spirits；　I　have　your　wonderful　bow　and　arrows　and　I　cannot　miss

them。　　I　will　marry　the　chief's　daughter；　and　you　can　stay　up　in

that　tree　and　die　there。〃



So　saying；　he　put　on　White　Plume's　fine　clothes；　took　his　bow　and

arrows　and　went　to　the　village。　　As　White　Plume　was　expected　at　any

minute；　the　whole　village　was　watching　for　him；　and　when　Unktomi

came　into　sight　the　young　men　ran　to　him　with　a　painted　robe；　sat

him　down　on　it　and　slowly　raising　him　up　they　carried　him　to　the

tent　of　the　chief。　　So　certain　were　they　that　he　would　kill　the

evil　spirits　that　the　chief　told　him　to　choose　one　of　the　daughters

at　once　for　his　wife。　（Before　the　arrival　of　White　Plume；　hearing

of　him　being　so　handsome；　the　two　girls　had　quarreled　over　which

should　marry　him；　but　upon　seeing　him　the　younger　was　not　anxious

to　become　his　wife。）　　So　Unktomi　chose　the　older　one　of　the

sisters；　and　was　given　a　large　tent　in　which　to　live。　　The　younger

sister　went　to　her　mother's　tent　to　live；　and　the　older　was　very

proud；　as　she　was　married　to　the　man　who　would　save　the　nation　from

starvation。　　The　next　morning　there　was　a　great　commotion　in　camp；

and　there　came　the　cry　that　the　white　buffalo　was　coming。　　〃Get

ready；　son…in…law；　and　kill　the　buffalo；〃　said　the　chief。



Unktomi　took　the　bow　and　arrows　and　shot　as　the　buffalo　passed；　but

the　arrow　went　wide　off　its　mark。　　Next　came　the　eagle；　and　again

he　shot　and　missed。　　Then　came　the　rabbit；　and　again　he　missed。



〃Wait　until　tomorrow；　I　will　kill　them　all。　　My　blanket　caught　in

my　bow　and　spoiled　my　aim。〃　　The　people　were　very　much

disappointed；　and　the　chief；　suspecting　that　all　was　not　right；

sent　for　the　young　man　who　had　visited　Dead　Shot's　tepee。　　When　the

young　man　arrived；　the　chief　asked：　〃Did　you　see　White　Plume　when

you　went　to　Dead　Shot's　camp？〃　　〃Yes；　I　did；　and　ate　with　him　many

times。　　I　stayed　at　his　father's　tepee　all　the　time　I　was　there；〃

said　the　young　man。　　〃Would　you　recognize　him　if　you　saw　him

again？〃　asked　the　chief。　　〃Any　one　who　had　but　one　glimpse　of　White

Plume　would　surely　recognize　him　when　he　saw　him　again；　as　he　is

the　most　handsome　man　I　ever　saw；〃　said　th