[Contents]GRASSHOPPER IN LOVE WITH DEERCHARACTERSDjáhdjaiGrasshopperDjihensAntWiĕsDeerA man had two wives, Djáhdjai and Djihens. When it came root-digging time, the two women went out every morning to dig roots, but they went in different directions; they didn’t dig on the same flat.At midday Djihens always went home with a basketful of nice, white roots. Djáhdjai never went home till it was getting dark, and then she had only a few roots in the bottom of her basket. Each night she took Djihens’ basket and picked out all the longest and best roots, and when her husband came from hunting deer, she said: “I dug these!”The man loved Djáhdjai better than he did Djihens, but Djáhdjai didn’t love him; she loved Wiĕs.Each morning, as soon as she got to the flat, she began to dance and to chirp her love song. Her song said: “Come this way, Big Head! Come this way; I want to see you!”Wiĕs listened, and as soon as he heard the song, he came up on the rocks and looked down on the flat. He looked all around, as if counting the trees and bushes to see that everything was right, that there was nobody around, then he went to Djáhdjai.Each evening the husband asked his wives if their moccasins were worn out. Djihens always answered: “No, I don’t kick the ground all the time and wear my moccasins out.”Djáhdjai always had holes in her moccasins.Her husband scolded, and asked: “How do you wear out your moccasins so? I haven’t made moccasins for Djihens since we came here.”[356]“I can’t stand still when I dig; I have to jump around and stand hard on the ground. I dig roots among the rocks, where they are long and sweet. Djihens digs on the flat, and her roots are not as long as mine, or as nice.”“Well,” said the man, “I don’t know how you can wear out a pair of moccasins every day. Your feet eat up moccasins as stones do.”One morning, when Djáhdjai started off with her basket and digging stick, Djihens thought she would watch and see where she went. So she followed her. Every little while Djáhdjai turned around to find out if anybody was looking at her. Djihens was hiding in the grass; she couldn’t see her. When Djáhdjai got near the mountain, she stopped and began to sing her love song. The song drew Wiĕs to the rocks. Djihens hid under the grass, so he couldn’t see her. He looked all around, then he started toward Djáhdjai.The Wiĕs people had two trails up the mountain, one for men, the other for women. Djáhdjai always waited for him at the end of the men’s trail.Djihens thought: “Now I know why she comes home with an empty basket. She comes here to see Wiĕs; she draws him to her with her love song. How nice it sounds!”After a while Djihens crept away, went off to the flat to dig roots. The next morning she followed Djáhdjai again. She listened to her love song and saw Wiĕs come to meet her. That night she said to her husband: “Don’t make new moccasins for Djáhdjai; she doesn’t care for you.” The man didn’t believe her; he thought she was jealous of Djáhdjai.Djihens always knew what he thought. She said, “If you don’t believe me, go and listen to her love song.” Then she told him how Djáhdjai stole her roots and said she had dug them herself.The next day, after Djihens had carried her roots home, she went to watch Djáhdjai. The woman spent the whole day with Wiĕs, then she dug a few roots and went home.The man had been a good hunter, but after Djáhdjai fell in love with Wiĕs, he couldn’t find a deer, couldn’t find even a fresh track. One day he went home early and asked Djihens:[357]“Where does Wiĕs come from when he comes to meet Djáhdjai?”“I don’t know,” said Djihens. “I see him first on the rocks. He looks around, then he comes straight down the mountain.”When Djáhdjai came home and found her husband there, she said to Djihens: “Why did you leave me and come to the house? I hunted a long time for you.”The man said nothing. He made believe he loved Djáhdjai more than ever. But he said to Djihens: “To-morrow I will watch her myself.”The next morning Djáhdjai said: “I am going to dig roots to-morrow; to-day I will stay at home and rest.” When she didn’t see her husband, she asked where he had gone.Djihens said: “He can’t find any deer on this side of the mountain. He is going to the other side. That is why he started so early.”Djáhdjai said she was going to stay at home, but as soon as Djihens was gone, she started off toward the mountain.The man hid by the side of the trail Wiĕs came on. He hunted for his most poisonous arrow and was going to shoot him. Then he thought: “No, I will just watch them to-day.” Soon he heard Djáhdjai singing. When he saw a big man stand on the rocks and look down at her, he was so jealous that he cried. After a while he went home.That day Djáhdjai said to Wiĕs: “My husband hunts all the time. I am afraid he will see you.”The next morning the man got up early and went to the mountain. As he went, he talked to the mountain and to the earth; said: “Draw him toward me. You, Earth, see everything; you know everything; you know what Wiĕs has done. I want to punish him. Draw him to me.”That day Djáhdjai wanted to stay at home. She didn’t know why her husband went off so early mornings, but Djihens said: “I am sick. One of us must dig roots; you had better go.”The man tracked Wiĕs, then sat down to watch him and see where his life was. As Wiĕs went toward the top of the[358]mountain, the man saw that he kept his life in his neck. He shot at him. Wiĕs ran off northeast and fell among the trees. The man found him, cut up his body, and carried home some of the flesh.Djáhdjai looked up at the mountain and sang her love song; she sang a long time, but Wiĕs didn’t come. When she got home, she said to her husband: “You have killed a deer. Why don’t you cook some meat for me?”He gave her a plateful. She ate it all; she liked it. Then he said: “That was Wiĕs’ flesh. Did you like it?” The woman was scared. When she tried to run away, the man shot her through the body. The arrow went in under one arm, and came out under the other. It left a hole in each side.Then he said: “Hereafter you will be nothing but a grasshopper, but your name will be what it is now, Djáhdjai. I hope that in later times a man will never have such a wife as you were.”To this day grasshoppers have a hole in each side.[359]
[Contents]GRASSHOPPER IN LOVE WITH DEERCHARACTERSDjáhdjaiGrasshopperDjihensAntWiĕsDeerA man had two wives, Djáhdjai and Djihens. When it came root-digging time, the two women went out every morning to dig roots, but they went in different directions; they didn’t dig on the same flat.At midday Djihens always went home with a basketful of nice, white roots. Djáhdjai never went home till it was getting dark, and then she had only a few roots in the bottom of her basket. Each night she took Djihens’ basket and picked out all the longest and best roots, and when her husband came from hunting deer, she said: “I dug these!”The man loved Djáhdjai better than he did Djihens, but Djáhdjai didn’t love him; she loved Wiĕs.Each morning, as soon as she got to the flat, she began to dance and to chirp her love song. Her song said: “Come this way, Big Head! Come this way; I want to see you!”Wiĕs listened, and as soon as he heard the song, he came up on the rocks and looked down on the flat. He looked all around, as if counting the trees and bushes to see that everything was right, that there was nobody around, then he went to Djáhdjai.Each evening the husband asked his wives if their moccasins were worn out. Djihens always answered: “No, I don’t kick the ground all the time and wear my moccasins out.”Djáhdjai always had holes in her moccasins.Her husband scolded, and asked: “How do you wear out your moccasins so? I haven’t made moccasins for Djihens since we came here.”[356]“I can’t stand still when I dig; I have to jump around and stand hard on the ground. I dig roots among the rocks, where they are long and sweet. Djihens digs on the flat, and her roots are not as long as mine, or as nice.”“Well,” said the man, “I don’t know how you can wear out a pair of moccasins every day. Your feet eat up moccasins as stones do.”One morning, when Djáhdjai started off with her basket and digging stick, Djihens thought she would watch and see where she went. So she followed her. Every little while Djáhdjai turned around to find out if anybody was looking at her. Djihens was hiding in the grass; she couldn’t see her. When Djáhdjai got near the mountain, she stopped and began to sing her love song. The song drew Wiĕs to the rocks. Djihens hid under the grass, so he couldn’t see her. He looked all around, then he started toward Djáhdjai.The Wiĕs people had two trails up the mountain, one for men, the other for women. Djáhdjai always waited for him at the end of the men’s trail.Djihens thought: “Now I know why she comes home with an empty basket. She comes here to see Wiĕs; she draws him to her with her love song. How nice it sounds!”After a while Djihens crept away, went off to the flat to dig roots. The next morning she followed Djáhdjai again. She listened to her love song and saw Wiĕs come to meet her. That night she said to her husband: “Don’t make new moccasins for Djáhdjai; she doesn’t care for you.” The man didn’t believe her; he thought she was jealous of Djáhdjai.Djihens always knew what he thought. She said, “If you don’t believe me, go and listen to her love song.” Then she told him how Djáhdjai stole her roots and said she had dug them herself.The next day, after Djihens had carried her roots home, she went to watch Djáhdjai. The woman spent the whole day with Wiĕs, then she dug a few roots and went home.The man had been a good hunter, but after Djáhdjai fell in love with Wiĕs, he couldn’t find a deer, couldn’t find even a fresh track. One day he went home early and asked Djihens:[357]“Where does Wiĕs come from when he comes to meet Djáhdjai?”“I don’t know,” said Djihens. “I see him first on the rocks. He looks around, then he comes straight down the mountain.”When Djáhdjai came home and found her husband there, she said to Djihens: “Why did you leave me and come to the house? I hunted a long time for you.”The man said nothing. He made believe he loved Djáhdjai more than ever. But he said to Djihens: “To-morrow I will watch her myself.”The next morning Djáhdjai said: “I am going to dig roots to-morrow; to-day I will stay at home and rest.” When she didn’t see her husband, she asked where he had gone.Djihens said: “He can’t find any deer on this side of the mountain. He is going to the other side. That is why he started so early.”Djáhdjai said she was going to stay at home, but as soon as Djihens was gone, she started off toward the mountain.The man hid by the side of the trail Wiĕs came on. He hunted for his most poisonous arrow and was going to shoot him. Then he thought: “No, I will just watch them to-day.” Soon he heard Djáhdjai singing. When he saw a big man stand on the rocks and look down at her, he was so jealous that he cried. After a while he went home.That day Djáhdjai said to Wiĕs: “My husband hunts all the time. I am afraid he will see you.”The next morning the man got up early and went to the mountain. As he went, he talked to the mountain and to the earth; said: “Draw him toward me. You, Earth, see everything; you know everything; you know what Wiĕs has done. I want to punish him. Draw him to me.”That day Djáhdjai wanted to stay at home. She didn’t know why her husband went off so early mornings, but Djihens said: “I am sick. One of us must dig roots; you had better go.”The man tracked Wiĕs, then sat down to watch him and see where his life was. As Wiĕs went toward the top of the[358]mountain, the man saw that he kept his life in his neck. He shot at him. Wiĕs ran off northeast and fell among the trees. The man found him, cut up his body, and carried home some of the flesh.Djáhdjai looked up at the mountain and sang her love song; she sang a long time, but Wiĕs didn’t come. When she got home, she said to her husband: “You have killed a deer. Why don’t you cook some meat for me?”He gave her a plateful. She ate it all; she liked it. Then he said: “That was Wiĕs’ flesh. Did you like it?” The woman was scared. When she tried to run away, the man shot her through the body. The arrow went in under one arm, and came out under the other. It left a hole in each side.Then he said: “Hereafter you will be nothing but a grasshopper, but your name will be what it is now, Djáhdjai. I hope that in later times a man will never have such a wife as you were.”To this day grasshoppers have a hole in each side.[359]
GRASSHOPPER IN LOVE WITH DEER
CHARACTERSDjáhdjaiGrasshopperDjihensAntWiĕsDeerA man had two wives, Djáhdjai and Djihens. When it came root-digging time, the two women went out every morning to dig roots, but they went in different directions; they didn’t dig on the same flat.At midday Djihens always went home with a basketful of nice, white roots. Djáhdjai never went home till it was getting dark, and then she had only a few roots in the bottom of her basket. Each night she took Djihens’ basket and picked out all the longest and best roots, and when her husband came from hunting deer, she said: “I dug these!”The man loved Djáhdjai better than he did Djihens, but Djáhdjai didn’t love him; she loved Wiĕs.Each morning, as soon as she got to the flat, she began to dance and to chirp her love song. Her song said: “Come this way, Big Head! Come this way; I want to see you!”Wiĕs listened, and as soon as he heard the song, he came up on the rocks and looked down on the flat. He looked all around, as if counting the trees and bushes to see that everything was right, that there was nobody around, then he went to Djáhdjai.Each evening the husband asked his wives if their moccasins were worn out. Djihens always answered: “No, I don’t kick the ground all the time and wear my moccasins out.”Djáhdjai always had holes in her moccasins.Her husband scolded, and asked: “How do you wear out your moccasins so? I haven’t made moccasins for Djihens since we came here.”[356]“I can’t stand still when I dig; I have to jump around and stand hard on the ground. I dig roots among the rocks, where they are long and sweet. Djihens digs on the flat, and her roots are not as long as mine, or as nice.”“Well,” said the man, “I don’t know how you can wear out a pair of moccasins every day. Your feet eat up moccasins as stones do.”One morning, when Djáhdjai started off with her basket and digging stick, Djihens thought she would watch and see where she went. So she followed her. Every little while Djáhdjai turned around to find out if anybody was looking at her. Djihens was hiding in the grass; she couldn’t see her. When Djáhdjai got near the mountain, she stopped and began to sing her love song. The song drew Wiĕs to the rocks. Djihens hid under the grass, so he couldn’t see her. He looked all around, then he started toward Djáhdjai.The Wiĕs people had two trails up the mountain, one for men, the other for women. Djáhdjai always waited for him at the end of the men’s trail.Djihens thought: “Now I know why she comes home with an empty basket. She comes here to see Wiĕs; she draws him to her with her love song. How nice it sounds!”After a while Djihens crept away, went off to the flat to dig roots. The next morning she followed Djáhdjai again. She listened to her love song and saw Wiĕs come to meet her. That night she said to her husband: “Don’t make new moccasins for Djáhdjai; she doesn’t care for you.” The man didn’t believe her; he thought she was jealous of Djáhdjai.Djihens always knew what he thought. She said, “If you don’t believe me, go and listen to her love song.” Then she told him how Djáhdjai stole her roots and said she had dug them herself.The next day, after Djihens had carried her roots home, she went to watch Djáhdjai. The woman spent the whole day with Wiĕs, then she dug a few roots and went home.The man had been a good hunter, but after Djáhdjai fell in love with Wiĕs, he couldn’t find a deer, couldn’t find even a fresh track. One day he went home early and asked Djihens:[357]“Where does Wiĕs come from when he comes to meet Djáhdjai?”“I don’t know,” said Djihens. “I see him first on the rocks. He looks around, then he comes straight down the mountain.”When Djáhdjai came home and found her husband there, she said to Djihens: “Why did you leave me and come to the house? I hunted a long time for you.”The man said nothing. He made believe he loved Djáhdjai more than ever. But he said to Djihens: “To-morrow I will watch her myself.”The next morning Djáhdjai said: “I am going to dig roots to-morrow; to-day I will stay at home and rest.” When she didn’t see her husband, she asked where he had gone.Djihens said: “He can’t find any deer on this side of the mountain. He is going to the other side. That is why he started so early.”Djáhdjai said she was going to stay at home, but as soon as Djihens was gone, she started off toward the mountain.The man hid by the side of the trail Wiĕs came on. He hunted for his most poisonous arrow and was going to shoot him. Then he thought: “No, I will just watch them to-day.” Soon he heard Djáhdjai singing. When he saw a big man stand on the rocks and look down at her, he was so jealous that he cried. After a while he went home.That day Djáhdjai said to Wiĕs: “My husband hunts all the time. I am afraid he will see you.”The next morning the man got up early and went to the mountain. As he went, he talked to the mountain and to the earth; said: “Draw him toward me. You, Earth, see everything; you know everything; you know what Wiĕs has done. I want to punish him. Draw him to me.”That day Djáhdjai wanted to stay at home. She didn’t know why her husband went off so early mornings, but Djihens said: “I am sick. One of us must dig roots; you had better go.”The man tracked Wiĕs, then sat down to watch him and see where his life was. As Wiĕs went toward the top of the[358]mountain, the man saw that he kept his life in his neck. He shot at him. Wiĕs ran off northeast and fell among the trees. The man found him, cut up his body, and carried home some of the flesh.Djáhdjai looked up at the mountain and sang her love song; she sang a long time, but Wiĕs didn’t come. When she got home, she said to her husband: “You have killed a deer. Why don’t you cook some meat for me?”He gave her a plateful. She ate it all; she liked it. Then he said: “That was Wiĕs’ flesh. Did you like it?” The woman was scared. When she tried to run away, the man shot her through the body. The arrow went in under one arm, and came out under the other. It left a hole in each side.Then he said: “Hereafter you will be nothing but a grasshopper, but your name will be what it is now, Djáhdjai. I hope that in later times a man will never have such a wife as you were.”To this day grasshoppers have a hole in each side.[359]
CHARACTERSDjáhdjaiGrasshopperDjihensAntWiĕsDeer
A man had two wives, Djáhdjai and Djihens. When it came root-digging time, the two women went out every morning to dig roots, but they went in different directions; they didn’t dig on the same flat.
At midday Djihens always went home with a basketful of nice, white roots. Djáhdjai never went home till it was getting dark, and then she had only a few roots in the bottom of her basket. Each night she took Djihens’ basket and picked out all the longest and best roots, and when her husband came from hunting deer, she said: “I dug these!”
The man loved Djáhdjai better than he did Djihens, but Djáhdjai didn’t love him; she loved Wiĕs.
Each morning, as soon as she got to the flat, she began to dance and to chirp her love song. Her song said: “Come this way, Big Head! Come this way; I want to see you!”
Wiĕs listened, and as soon as he heard the song, he came up on the rocks and looked down on the flat. He looked all around, as if counting the trees and bushes to see that everything was right, that there was nobody around, then he went to Djáhdjai.
Each evening the husband asked his wives if their moccasins were worn out. Djihens always answered: “No, I don’t kick the ground all the time and wear my moccasins out.”
Djáhdjai always had holes in her moccasins.
Her husband scolded, and asked: “How do you wear out your moccasins so? I haven’t made moccasins for Djihens since we came here.”[356]
“I can’t stand still when I dig; I have to jump around and stand hard on the ground. I dig roots among the rocks, where they are long and sweet. Djihens digs on the flat, and her roots are not as long as mine, or as nice.”
“Well,” said the man, “I don’t know how you can wear out a pair of moccasins every day. Your feet eat up moccasins as stones do.”
One morning, when Djáhdjai started off with her basket and digging stick, Djihens thought she would watch and see where she went. So she followed her. Every little while Djáhdjai turned around to find out if anybody was looking at her. Djihens was hiding in the grass; she couldn’t see her. When Djáhdjai got near the mountain, she stopped and began to sing her love song. The song drew Wiĕs to the rocks. Djihens hid under the grass, so he couldn’t see her. He looked all around, then he started toward Djáhdjai.
The Wiĕs people had two trails up the mountain, one for men, the other for women. Djáhdjai always waited for him at the end of the men’s trail.
Djihens thought: “Now I know why she comes home with an empty basket. She comes here to see Wiĕs; she draws him to her with her love song. How nice it sounds!”
After a while Djihens crept away, went off to the flat to dig roots. The next morning she followed Djáhdjai again. She listened to her love song and saw Wiĕs come to meet her. That night she said to her husband: “Don’t make new moccasins for Djáhdjai; she doesn’t care for you.” The man didn’t believe her; he thought she was jealous of Djáhdjai.
Djihens always knew what he thought. She said, “If you don’t believe me, go and listen to her love song.” Then she told him how Djáhdjai stole her roots and said she had dug them herself.
The next day, after Djihens had carried her roots home, she went to watch Djáhdjai. The woman spent the whole day with Wiĕs, then she dug a few roots and went home.
The man had been a good hunter, but after Djáhdjai fell in love with Wiĕs, he couldn’t find a deer, couldn’t find even a fresh track. One day he went home early and asked Djihens:[357]“Where does Wiĕs come from when he comes to meet Djáhdjai?”
“I don’t know,” said Djihens. “I see him first on the rocks. He looks around, then he comes straight down the mountain.”
When Djáhdjai came home and found her husband there, she said to Djihens: “Why did you leave me and come to the house? I hunted a long time for you.”
The man said nothing. He made believe he loved Djáhdjai more than ever. But he said to Djihens: “To-morrow I will watch her myself.”
The next morning Djáhdjai said: “I am going to dig roots to-morrow; to-day I will stay at home and rest.” When she didn’t see her husband, she asked where he had gone.
Djihens said: “He can’t find any deer on this side of the mountain. He is going to the other side. That is why he started so early.”
Djáhdjai said she was going to stay at home, but as soon as Djihens was gone, she started off toward the mountain.
The man hid by the side of the trail Wiĕs came on. He hunted for his most poisonous arrow and was going to shoot him. Then he thought: “No, I will just watch them to-day.” Soon he heard Djáhdjai singing. When he saw a big man stand on the rocks and look down at her, he was so jealous that he cried. After a while he went home.
That day Djáhdjai said to Wiĕs: “My husband hunts all the time. I am afraid he will see you.”
The next morning the man got up early and went to the mountain. As he went, he talked to the mountain and to the earth; said: “Draw him toward me. You, Earth, see everything; you know everything; you know what Wiĕs has done. I want to punish him. Draw him to me.”
That day Djáhdjai wanted to stay at home. She didn’t know why her husband went off so early mornings, but Djihens said: “I am sick. One of us must dig roots; you had better go.”
The man tracked Wiĕs, then sat down to watch him and see where his life was. As Wiĕs went toward the top of the[358]mountain, the man saw that he kept his life in his neck. He shot at him. Wiĕs ran off northeast and fell among the trees. The man found him, cut up his body, and carried home some of the flesh.
Djáhdjai looked up at the mountain and sang her love song; she sang a long time, but Wiĕs didn’t come. When she got home, she said to her husband: “You have killed a deer. Why don’t you cook some meat for me?”
He gave her a plateful. She ate it all; she liked it. Then he said: “That was Wiĕs’ flesh. Did you like it?” The woman was scared. When she tried to run away, the man shot her through the body. The arrow went in under one arm, and came out under the other. It left a hole in each side.
Then he said: “Hereafter you will be nothing but a grasshopper, but your name will be what it is now, Djáhdjai. I hope that in later times a man will never have such a wife as you were.”
To this day grasshoppers have a hole in each side.[359]