[Contents]THE RAINMAKERCHARACTERSGáhgaHeron (Small Green Heron)KāhkaasStorkGáhga and his brother lived together. They were so small that people called them “the two little Gáhga brothers.” The elder brother was blind, but he was a great doctor; he could see everything, by the help of his medicines.One day a man came to the Gáhga brothers, and said: “A great many people are going to snare deer. They have made bark ropes and tied them between trees; now they are ready to drive the deer in. They want you to come and help them.”The elder brother was married. He had a nice-looking wife and a little boy. He said to his wife: “You must pound seed and get ready to go with my brother. I don’t want to take my medicines there; I will stay here by the fire with our boy. I can’t look out of my eyes. Maybe the deer would kill me.”The woman pounded seed; she left some for her husband and little boy to eat, and took a bagful for herself and her brother-in-law. Gáhga got out his medicine and watched his wife and brother. He sat by the fire, but he followed them all the way to where the people were driving in deer. As he watched them, he got jealous and mad, for he saw that his wife and brother were fond of each other. When they came home, they brought a fawn. The woman cut it up, roasted the meat, and gave some of it to her husband; he kicked it away. She gave him some wûdjûk (weed like mustard), to eat; he tasted of it, spat it out, and threw the rest in the fire.She said: “The people were kind to me to-day; they gave me the fawn and asked me to come to-morrow,” and she began to pound seed and get ready to go.[119]The next day when the woman and her brother-in-law were starting off, Gáhga said: “I know what kind of stuff you are feeding me! I know you are making sport of me. You don’t fool me. You can do what you like; I don’t care for you any longer, but I will make you feel sorry.” They didn’t answer, didn’t say a word to him.That day Gáhga’s sister came to see her little nephew. Gáhga said: “I want you to get me a straw plate.”“Why do you want a straw plate?” asked his sister.“Get it for me, I want it.”She wouldn’t get him the plate till he told her what he was going to do with it, and he wouldn’t tell. She was afraid of him; she knew he was mad about something.After a while old man Kāhkaas came; he was kin of Gáhga. Gáhga asked him for the plate and he gave it to him, and said: “Your brother is stealing your wife. All the people at the deer hunt say so. But you must keep quiet; you mustn’t get mad. You are old and blind; your brother is young, and your wife is nice-looking.”Gáhga screamed, he was so mad. He called his sister and said: “Lead me to the hunt!”She was so scared that she had to do as he told her. He took the straw plate, and the three started. When they got to the place, his sister said: “Sit down here, away from the snares; then you will be safe.”“No,” said Gáhga, “I am going where my wife is.”“Don’t be a fool,” said his sister. “She doesn’t want you; she has another man.”Gáhga took the plate from under his arm, and sat down on it.About midnight his sister asked: “What are you doing? Why don’t you lie down and go to sleep? Why are you sitting on that plate and keeping awake all night?”“Keep still and let me alone,” said Gáhga. “Stay here by me; I am going to punish those people.” Then he got up and began to dance on the plate and to call out: “Ho! ho! ho!”Right away rain came down, but Gáhga didn’t get wet.[120]He kept shaking himself and calling: “Ho! ho! ho!” Each time that he called, it rained harder. There was deep water everywhere, but the plate was dry and the ground around it was dry. The people got as wet as though they had been swimming.Gáhga’s sister said: “You shouldn’t get mad and act in this way; you will kill everybody.”He didn’t listen to what she said; he called, “Ho! ho! ho!” and danced faster and faster. The people were almost drowned; the water was up to their arms. Still Gáhga kept shaking himself and dancing and calling: “Ho! ho! ho!”When the people saw that Gáhga and his sister were dry, they said to his brother: “You have done this. You have made Gáhga mad. You have taken your brother’s wife,” and they threatened to kill him.He said: “I don’t want her. I am going to die; I am freezing.”The people caught hold of the woman, dragged her along in the water, and threw her down in front of her husband. He stopped dancing, and right away it stopped raining.The people said: “You shouldn’t be mad at us. We didn’t do this. We don’t want to die; we want to go home. You should feel sorry for us and dry up the water.”Gáhga was sorry for them. He danced on the plate, but he didn’t call: “Ho! ho! ho!” The water began to go away, and soon the ground was as dry as it had been before the rain, and every one went home except Gáhga and his wife and his brother.Gáhga sat on his plate; he wouldn’t get up or he wouldn’t speak. His wife got mad. She pushed him, and asked: “Why don’t you get ready to go home?” He didn’t answer: then she took hold of his arm, jerked him up, threw him on top of the load of meat on her back, and went home.His brother went off on the mountains; he was afraid of Gáhga, and afraid of the people; for they hated him, and the woman didn’t care for him any longer.Gáhga was so jealous and cross that he drove his wife away. His sister took the little boy, and Gáhga stayed alone. Maybe[121]he is dead and maybe he is living. Doctors who have him for their medicine can make rain whenever they want to. It is a good medicine. When any one has it, they can look through a man’s body just as we look through a window.[122]
[Contents]THE RAINMAKERCHARACTERSGáhgaHeron (Small Green Heron)KāhkaasStorkGáhga and his brother lived together. They were so small that people called them “the two little Gáhga brothers.” The elder brother was blind, but he was a great doctor; he could see everything, by the help of his medicines.One day a man came to the Gáhga brothers, and said: “A great many people are going to snare deer. They have made bark ropes and tied them between trees; now they are ready to drive the deer in. They want you to come and help them.”The elder brother was married. He had a nice-looking wife and a little boy. He said to his wife: “You must pound seed and get ready to go with my brother. I don’t want to take my medicines there; I will stay here by the fire with our boy. I can’t look out of my eyes. Maybe the deer would kill me.”The woman pounded seed; she left some for her husband and little boy to eat, and took a bagful for herself and her brother-in-law. Gáhga got out his medicine and watched his wife and brother. He sat by the fire, but he followed them all the way to where the people were driving in deer. As he watched them, he got jealous and mad, for he saw that his wife and brother were fond of each other. When they came home, they brought a fawn. The woman cut it up, roasted the meat, and gave some of it to her husband; he kicked it away. She gave him some wûdjûk (weed like mustard), to eat; he tasted of it, spat it out, and threw the rest in the fire.She said: “The people were kind to me to-day; they gave me the fawn and asked me to come to-morrow,” and she began to pound seed and get ready to go.[119]The next day when the woman and her brother-in-law were starting off, Gáhga said: “I know what kind of stuff you are feeding me! I know you are making sport of me. You don’t fool me. You can do what you like; I don’t care for you any longer, but I will make you feel sorry.” They didn’t answer, didn’t say a word to him.That day Gáhga’s sister came to see her little nephew. Gáhga said: “I want you to get me a straw plate.”“Why do you want a straw plate?” asked his sister.“Get it for me, I want it.”She wouldn’t get him the plate till he told her what he was going to do with it, and he wouldn’t tell. She was afraid of him; she knew he was mad about something.After a while old man Kāhkaas came; he was kin of Gáhga. Gáhga asked him for the plate and he gave it to him, and said: “Your brother is stealing your wife. All the people at the deer hunt say so. But you must keep quiet; you mustn’t get mad. You are old and blind; your brother is young, and your wife is nice-looking.”Gáhga screamed, he was so mad. He called his sister and said: “Lead me to the hunt!”She was so scared that she had to do as he told her. He took the straw plate, and the three started. When they got to the place, his sister said: “Sit down here, away from the snares; then you will be safe.”“No,” said Gáhga, “I am going where my wife is.”“Don’t be a fool,” said his sister. “She doesn’t want you; she has another man.”Gáhga took the plate from under his arm, and sat down on it.About midnight his sister asked: “What are you doing? Why don’t you lie down and go to sleep? Why are you sitting on that plate and keeping awake all night?”“Keep still and let me alone,” said Gáhga. “Stay here by me; I am going to punish those people.” Then he got up and began to dance on the plate and to call out: “Ho! ho! ho!”Right away rain came down, but Gáhga didn’t get wet.[120]He kept shaking himself and calling: “Ho! ho! ho!” Each time that he called, it rained harder. There was deep water everywhere, but the plate was dry and the ground around it was dry. The people got as wet as though they had been swimming.Gáhga’s sister said: “You shouldn’t get mad and act in this way; you will kill everybody.”He didn’t listen to what she said; he called, “Ho! ho! ho!” and danced faster and faster. The people were almost drowned; the water was up to their arms. Still Gáhga kept shaking himself and dancing and calling: “Ho! ho! ho!”When the people saw that Gáhga and his sister were dry, they said to his brother: “You have done this. You have made Gáhga mad. You have taken your brother’s wife,” and they threatened to kill him.He said: “I don’t want her. I am going to die; I am freezing.”The people caught hold of the woman, dragged her along in the water, and threw her down in front of her husband. He stopped dancing, and right away it stopped raining.The people said: “You shouldn’t be mad at us. We didn’t do this. We don’t want to die; we want to go home. You should feel sorry for us and dry up the water.”Gáhga was sorry for them. He danced on the plate, but he didn’t call: “Ho! ho! ho!” The water began to go away, and soon the ground was as dry as it had been before the rain, and every one went home except Gáhga and his wife and his brother.Gáhga sat on his plate; he wouldn’t get up or he wouldn’t speak. His wife got mad. She pushed him, and asked: “Why don’t you get ready to go home?” He didn’t answer: then she took hold of his arm, jerked him up, threw him on top of the load of meat on her back, and went home.His brother went off on the mountains; he was afraid of Gáhga, and afraid of the people; for they hated him, and the woman didn’t care for him any longer.Gáhga was so jealous and cross that he drove his wife away. His sister took the little boy, and Gáhga stayed alone. Maybe[121]he is dead and maybe he is living. Doctors who have him for their medicine can make rain whenever they want to. It is a good medicine. When any one has it, they can look through a man’s body just as we look through a window.[122]
THE RAINMAKER
CHARACTERSGáhgaHeron (Small Green Heron)KāhkaasStorkGáhga and his brother lived together. They were so small that people called them “the two little Gáhga brothers.” The elder brother was blind, but he was a great doctor; he could see everything, by the help of his medicines.One day a man came to the Gáhga brothers, and said: “A great many people are going to snare deer. They have made bark ropes and tied them between trees; now they are ready to drive the deer in. They want you to come and help them.”The elder brother was married. He had a nice-looking wife and a little boy. He said to his wife: “You must pound seed and get ready to go with my brother. I don’t want to take my medicines there; I will stay here by the fire with our boy. I can’t look out of my eyes. Maybe the deer would kill me.”The woman pounded seed; she left some for her husband and little boy to eat, and took a bagful for herself and her brother-in-law. Gáhga got out his medicine and watched his wife and brother. He sat by the fire, but he followed them all the way to where the people were driving in deer. As he watched them, he got jealous and mad, for he saw that his wife and brother were fond of each other. When they came home, they brought a fawn. The woman cut it up, roasted the meat, and gave some of it to her husband; he kicked it away. She gave him some wûdjûk (weed like mustard), to eat; he tasted of it, spat it out, and threw the rest in the fire.She said: “The people were kind to me to-day; they gave me the fawn and asked me to come to-morrow,” and she began to pound seed and get ready to go.[119]The next day when the woman and her brother-in-law were starting off, Gáhga said: “I know what kind of stuff you are feeding me! I know you are making sport of me. You don’t fool me. You can do what you like; I don’t care for you any longer, but I will make you feel sorry.” They didn’t answer, didn’t say a word to him.That day Gáhga’s sister came to see her little nephew. Gáhga said: “I want you to get me a straw plate.”“Why do you want a straw plate?” asked his sister.“Get it for me, I want it.”She wouldn’t get him the plate till he told her what he was going to do with it, and he wouldn’t tell. She was afraid of him; she knew he was mad about something.After a while old man Kāhkaas came; he was kin of Gáhga. Gáhga asked him for the plate and he gave it to him, and said: “Your brother is stealing your wife. All the people at the deer hunt say so. But you must keep quiet; you mustn’t get mad. You are old and blind; your brother is young, and your wife is nice-looking.”Gáhga screamed, he was so mad. He called his sister and said: “Lead me to the hunt!”She was so scared that she had to do as he told her. He took the straw plate, and the three started. When they got to the place, his sister said: “Sit down here, away from the snares; then you will be safe.”“No,” said Gáhga, “I am going where my wife is.”“Don’t be a fool,” said his sister. “She doesn’t want you; she has another man.”Gáhga took the plate from under his arm, and sat down on it.About midnight his sister asked: “What are you doing? Why don’t you lie down and go to sleep? Why are you sitting on that plate and keeping awake all night?”“Keep still and let me alone,” said Gáhga. “Stay here by me; I am going to punish those people.” Then he got up and began to dance on the plate and to call out: “Ho! ho! ho!”Right away rain came down, but Gáhga didn’t get wet.[120]He kept shaking himself and calling: “Ho! ho! ho!” Each time that he called, it rained harder. There was deep water everywhere, but the plate was dry and the ground around it was dry. The people got as wet as though they had been swimming.Gáhga’s sister said: “You shouldn’t get mad and act in this way; you will kill everybody.”He didn’t listen to what she said; he called, “Ho! ho! ho!” and danced faster and faster. The people were almost drowned; the water was up to their arms. Still Gáhga kept shaking himself and dancing and calling: “Ho! ho! ho!”When the people saw that Gáhga and his sister were dry, they said to his brother: “You have done this. You have made Gáhga mad. You have taken your brother’s wife,” and they threatened to kill him.He said: “I don’t want her. I am going to die; I am freezing.”The people caught hold of the woman, dragged her along in the water, and threw her down in front of her husband. He stopped dancing, and right away it stopped raining.The people said: “You shouldn’t be mad at us. We didn’t do this. We don’t want to die; we want to go home. You should feel sorry for us and dry up the water.”Gáhga was sorry for them. He danced on the plate, but he didn’t call: “Ho! ho! ho!” The water began to go away, and soon the ground was as dry as it had been before the rain, and every one went home except Gáhga and his wife and his brother.Gáhga sat on his plate; he wouldn’t get up or he wouldn’t speak. His wife got mad. She pushed him, and asked: “Why don’t you get ready to go home?” He didn’t answer: then she took hold of his arm, jerked him up, threw him on top of the load of meat on her back, and went home.His brother went off on the mountains; he was afraid of Gáhga, and afraid of the people; for they hated him, and the woman didn’t care for him any longer.Gáhga was so jealous and cross that he drove his wife away. His sister took the little boy, and Gáhga stayed alone. Maybe[121]he is dead and maybe he is living. Doctors who have him for their medicine can make rain whenever they want to. It is a good medicine. When any one has it, they can look through a man’s body just as we look through a window.[122]
CHARACTERSGáhgaHeron (Small Green Heron)KāhkaasStork
Gáhga and his brother lived together. They were so small that people called them “the two little Gáhga brothers.” The elder brother was blind, but he was a great doctor; he could see everything, by the help of his medicines.
One day a man came to the Gáhga brothers, and said: “A great many people are going to snare deer. They have made bark ropes and tied them between trees; now they are ready to drive the deer in. They want you to come and help them.”
The elder brother was married. He had a nice-looking wife and a little boy. He said to his wife: “You must pound seed and get ready to go with my brother. I don’t want to take my medicines there; I will stay here by the fire with our boy. I can’t look out of my eyes. Maybe the deer would kill me.”
The woman pounded seed; she left some for her husband and little boy to eat, and took a bagful for herself and her brother-in-law. Gáhga got out his medicine and watched his wife and brother. He sat by the fire, but he followed them all the way to where the people were driving in deer. As he watched them, he got jealous and mad, for he saw that his wife and brother were fond of each other. When they came home, they brought a fawn. The woman cut it up, roasted the meat, and gave some of it to her husband; he kicked it away. She gave him some wûdjûk (weed like mustard), to eat; he tasted of it, spat it out, and threw the rest in the fire.
She said: “The people were kind to me to-day; they gave me the fawn and asked me to come to-morrow,” and she began to pound seed and get ready to go.[119]
The next day when the woman and her brother-in-law were starting off, Gáhga said: “I know what kind of stuff you are feeding me! I know you are making sport of me. You don’t fool me. You can do what you like; I don’t care for you any longer, but I will make you feel sorry.” They didn’t answer, didn’t say a word to him.
That day Gáhga’s sister came to see her little nephew. Gáhga said: “I want you to get me a straw plate.”
“Why do you want a straw plate?” asked his sister.
“Get it for me, I want it.”
She wouldn’t get him the plate till he told her what he was going to do with it, and he wouldn’t tell. She was afraid of him; she knew he was mad about something.
After a while old man Kāhkaas came; he was kin of Gáhga. Gáhga asked him for the plate and he gave it to him, and said: “Your brother is stealing your wife. All the people at the deer hunt say so. But you must keep quiet; you mustn’t get mad. You are old and blind; your brother is young, and your wife is nice-looking.”
Gáhga screamed, he was so mad. He called his sister and said: “Lead me to the hunt!”
She was so scared that she had to do as he told her. He took the straw plate, and the three started. When they got to the place, his sister said: “Sit down here, away from the snares; then you will be safe.”
“No,” said Gáhga, “I am going where my wife is.”
“Don’t be a fool,” said his sister. “She doesn’t want you; she has another man.”
Gáhga took the plate from under his arm, and sat down on it.
About midnight his sister asked: “What are you doing? Why don’t you lie down and go to sleep? Why are you sitting on that plate and keeping awake all night?”
“Keep still and let me alone,” said Gáhga. “Stay here by me; I am going to punish those people.” Then he got up and began to dance on the plate and to call out: “Ho! ho! ho!”
Right away rain came down, but Gáhga didn’t get wet.[120]He kept shaking himself and calling: “Ho! ho! ho!” Each time that he called, it rained harder. There was deep water everywhere, but the plate was dry and the ground around it was dry. The people got as wet as though they had been swimming.
Gáhga’s sister said: “You shouldn’t get mad and act in this way; you will kill everybody.”
He didn’t listen to what she said; he called, “Ho! ho! ho!” and danced faster and faster. The people were almost drowned; the water was up to their arms. Still Gáhga kept shaking himself and dancing and calling: “Ho! ho! ho!”
When the people saw that Gáhga and his sister were dry, they said to his brother: “You have done this. You have made Gáhga mad. You have taken your brother’s wife,” and they threatened to kill him.
He said: “I don’t want her. I am going to die; I am freezing.”
The people caught hold of the woman, dragged her along in the water, and threw her down in front of her husband. He stopped dancing, and right away it stopped raining.
The people said: “You shouldn’t be mad at us. We didn’t do this. We don’t want to die; we want to go home. You should feel sorry for us and dry up the water.”
Gáhga was sorry for them. He danced on the plate, but he didn’t call: “Ho! ho! ho!” The water began to go away, and soon the ground was as dry as it had been before the rain, and every one went home except Gáhga and his wife and his brother.
Gáhga sat on his plate; he wouldn’t get up or he wouldn’t speak. His wife got mad. She pushed him, and asked: “Why don’t you get ready to go home?” He didn’t answer: then she took hold of his arm, jerked him up, threw him on top of the load of meat on her back, and went home.
His brother went off on the mountains; he was afraid of Gáhga, and afraid of the people; for they hated him, and the woman didn’t care for him any longer.
Gáhga was so jealous and cross that he drove his wife away. His sister took the little boy, and Gáhga stayed alone. Maybe[121]he is dead and maybe he is living. Doctors who have him for their medicine can make rain whenever they want to. It is a good medicine. When any one has it, they can look through a man’s body just as we look through a window.[122]