Coos Texts: Miscellaneous Tales: 18. Night-Rainbow and Grizzly Bear

18. NIGHT-RAINBOW AND GRIZZLY BEAR.

The Night-Rainbow people were living in a little place. Night- Rainbow-Old-Woman had five children. One morning they two--(one man and) his wife--went hunting. They

Rainbow-Old-Woman remained alone. The Rainbow was a very old woman. One morning she saw a man coming. He came to her. It was the enemy who came there. The Rainbow seized a digging-stick, (and) speared Grizzly Bear with it. She speared him in the anus. She jabbed (the spear) inside. With a digging-stick Rainbow-Old-Woman killed him. "Indeed, I killed one of them." Thus thought the Rainbow.

She had one grandson. She put the grandson on mats. (She turned) them over. There Rainbow-Old-Woman kept the grandson. The Rainbow's grandson grew up. Her grandson commenced to hunt. "Begin to make me a bow!" Thus spoke the grandson. "They run there, (and) I cannot kill (even) one." Thus he said to his grandmother. Indeed, she made a bow for her grandson.

The next day he went again. Thus she said to him: "Don't go far away." Thus Rainbow-Old-Woman was talking. Suddenly he brought home two rabbits. The old woman skinned them. "I saw two things, big things."

The next day he went, indeed. He came through a prairie. Suddenly he saw camas spread out. Thus he thought: "I'll take some of it home. What may it be? My absent grandmother shall see it." Thus the young man was thinking. Now, indeed, the young man picked some. "It seems, some one must have put down this camas." Thus he was thinking. Indeed, he looked there, as he put some into his quiver. Suddenly a man came quickly to him (through the prairie). (The boy) became afraid, (and) ran away. He, too, ran. (Grizzly) almost overtook him. The young man stood up. "Why did you pick it?" Thus spoke Grizzly Bear. "The thing that you picked is my property." (Grizzly) wanted to fight him. He stood up. He stood just like a person. The young man stood. "What may he do to me?" Thus the young man was thinking. He stretched out his two hands. (Grizzly) jumped at him. He was going to hug the young man. Indeed, he hugged him. The young man went through his arm-pits. just that way he ran when he came through. Grizzly Bear turned around. Indeed, the young

The young man went home to his grandmother. He informed his grandmother. "I saw camas spread out." Thus he informed his grandmother. "I put some of it into my quiver. Suddenly I saw some one run quickly. He fought with me, when he came to me, because I picked that camas." Thus he spoke. "He said it belonged to him." Thus he spoke. Thus he informed his grandmother. "I forgot to tell it to you. He had killed your parents."--"What did you do?"--"Surely, I killed (one of them)." Thus the Rainbow informed him.

The next day the young man went again. That old woman was continually dancing the murder-dance. That old woman was very glad when he had killed one. The

Now the young man went home. The young man went back to the house.--Thus he said to his grandmother. "Again I killed one."--"It must be the female whom you killed." Thus spoke the Rainbow. "Let me go there!" Indeed, the young man went there. The young man examined Grizzly Bear. Sure enough, it was a woman.

The next day they went there. They went after the camas. He filled the house with camas. "You will also take this home." Thus she said to her grandson. "You must stay." Thus he said to his mother. "We two will go, (I and)

His uncle looked at him. His uncle was a "Paunch-man" (I, too, am such a man). 1 "How is it that you did not tell it to me?" Thus he said to his grandmother. "Your uncle wants to come back here. He, too, knows something. He will teach you something." Thus she said to him. Indeed, his uncle arrived. The grandson had two wives. The grandson became rich. He possessed all their money. They all lived together in one village. This was the work of the Rainbow. Thus she made her grandson work. "We will go. We will go down the river." Thus said the Paunch-Man to the young man. Indeed, they two went. They two had fisher-skin quivers. (The grandson) saw it when they two arrived. The Rainbow's grandson arrived. They two came to a house. Right away they two were given battle. No one touched them (dual) when they were fought (by the people). It seemed there as if they two turned into nothing,--the Rainbow grandson (and) the Paunch-Man. It seemed as if they disappeared there, "We two are surprisingly good." Thus (the Paunch

Thus the quiver killed them all. The young man saw it. He was glad when the quiver killed all the people. Thus he said to the young man: "Let us two go again. Suppose he will kill all?" The young man did not want it that way. "They shall be our (dual) subjects." Thus spoke the young man. "If you don't want it thus, I will teach you one thing." Thus he said to the young man. A large fir-tree was standing. "You shall hit it right in the middle." Thus he said to the young man. "(See) what will happen! No matter how strong a thing you hit, still you will kill it." Thus he said to him. "Hit it with force." Thus he said to him. Surely he hit it. The fir-tree fell. It was smashed to pieces when it fell down. Thus he said to him: "You ought to be all right." Thus spoke the Paunch-Man. A big rock was lying (there). "Please hit this rock here!"--"I shall probably hit it." Thus spoke the young man. "Hit it." Thus spoke the Paunch-Man. Indeed, the young man hit it. The rock seemed to be crushed. It was scattered everywhere. It was scattered like sand. The Paunch-Man spoke: "Now you are all right, since you crushed it." Thus he said to him. "Now let us two go again." Thus spoke the young man. "We two will turn back." Thus (the boy) said to him. "These shall be our subjects." Thus he said to the Paunch-Man. Indeed, thus he spoke: "It will surely be good if they will be our (dual) subjects."

Now, so far it got. Thus they tell (the story about) the Rainbow. When you see her like a person, you will get rich. (Even) to-day this is the custom (of the) Rainbow.

Here ends the (story of) Night-Rainbow-Old-Woman.

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Footnotes

123:1 The narrator was referring to himself.