Kwakiutl Tales: X*â'nElku

(Dictated by Yâ'gôLas, a ?nE'mgês, 1900.)

The Koskimo were always killed by the Xô'yalas, and they were only a few. Then a man went to hide his child when all his other children were dead. X*â'nElk^u was the only child of the man. There were three,--he and his wife and his child. "Make a bird-arrow for me," said X*â'nElk^u. Then his father made a bird-arrow for X*â'nElk^u, and X*â'nElk^u shot a wren. He obtained many (wrens), and they were sewed together for a blanket for X*â'nElk^u. Then he started and went to the other side of the beach to shoot, and he came home carrying a mink. Then he came again carrying a raccoon; and the next day he came home again, and he had obtained one mink. Every time the blanket of X*â'nElk^u became small. "It is very important, what happens to the blanket of our child," said the father of X*â'nElk^u. "Let me go and hide behind our child."

Then the father of X*â'nElk^u started. Whenever X*â'nElk^u disappeared behind the point, his father would run to look for him. Then he disappeared again behind the point, and his father ran to look for his child. Then X*â'nElk^u was in the direction towards the sea, and he saw a mink; then the mink went under a stone. X*â'nElk^u went from side to side, trying to get the mink. Then two wolves came. His father only looked on. The wolves took hold at both ends of the cape, and bit at both ends of the cape of X*â'nElk^u. The child did not take notice of the wolves. Then the mink came out from under the stone, and the mink got away. Then the wolf ran and bit the mink, and it was dead; and he put it down from his

Then they went to sleep. The father of the child awoke. "Slave," he said, "stop sleeping!" Thus he said to his wife. "Evidently our child has been taken away. Evidently something dreadful has happened." Then the man searched on the floor of his house. There was no hole through it. He did not know where his child had gone through. Then his wife cried. "Don't cry, slave! Perhaps our child will become supernatural. Bear it with fortitude. Don't cry!"

Then X*â'nElk^u was taken along by the two wolves. He lay on his stomach on them. They went to a far Country. Then he heard the noise of people. "Yä," said what was heard. X*â'nElk^u was told, "Don't look at it! That is causing potlatch when it is seen." Then they came to many people who were shouting. They finished. "This is left by potlatching," said the Wolves. They started. Then he heard laughing. "Don't look that way, X*â'nElk^u! This is causing potlatch when it is seen. That is the laughing-dance." Then is was thrown among them. They laughed, and rolled about on the ground laughing. Then it was taken back.

They started. Then they heard shouting. Then they

Then X*â'nElk^u started, and they arrived there. "Don't look that way, X*â'nElk^u. That is causing potlatch when it is seen. Those are the Land-Otters." And it was thrown among them; and they rolled about on the ground with mud on their bodies, and they were grunting at the same time. Then it was taken back.

Then X*â'nElk^u started, and they arrived there. "X*â'nElk^u, don't look this way! This is causing potlatch when it is seen. This is the mosquito dance." Then it was thrown among them, and the men scratched their heads. Then they were very big. Then it was taken back. Now they were well, and became men.

Then they started, and they arrived at the house of the Wolves. He (X*â'nElk^u) was taken into the house of the chief, and he was taken care of by the Wolves. Then it was asked, "What does our friend wish?"--"He wants supernatural power."--"This word of our friend is good."--"He wants a wife from among the daughters of our chief." Then he said, "Does he not only take the one he likes for his wife?" Then (the chief) called his children. They sat down, and sat in a row. "Where is the one desired by our friend? Is it not this eldest one"'--"He does not want her," said the one who just hears the thoughts of men. Does he not want this middle one?"--"He does not want her."--"Does he not want the other one?"--"Not this one, either."--"Does he not want this youngest one?"--"That is the one desired by him." Then he married her.

"Go on, you shall move and be with her."--"Does he

Then all the different kinds of wolves came. "Welcome!" said the father-in-law of X*â'nElk^u. "This is the reason why I call you, that you may go and take our son-in-law out of the woods, and this death-bringer shall go at the same time. Don't use it often. You may use it against four tribes. Just blow from time to time when you desire that they shall sleep whom you wish to take, and against whom you make war. Now your name shall be Wolf. Now take the death-bringer out of the woods." Thus Quick-Spark and Quick-Raindrop were told, and he was tied on the backs of Quick-Spark and Quick-Raindrop.

Then they started, and it was not long before they came back. "We took time to twist cedar-twigs to tie him with." Then Wolf was taken out of the woods to his house. He carried his death-bringer, and showed it to his father. "My supernatural treasure has come! shall