231

X. — MYTHS OF THE CAMPS ON THE PALPAL
MOUNTAIN-RIDGE.

68.  Big-Raven and Dog-Man.

         Dog-Man (A'ta^/nvala'n, said, "I am going to Big-Raven (Ouikinn-a'qu) to serve for his daughter." He went and served for her. The people fed him. Once a bone was thrown to Dog-Man. He lay down, and sang, "The girl that is hidden in  Miti"s head wishes to have me."

         Once Big-Raven said, "Miti', give me my strap." She gave him the strap. He went for wood. He gathered the wood, tied it in a bundle, and put it on his back and carried it home. When he came home, he turned around, and noticed that what he had carried was dried fish instead of wood.

         Then he went to fetch ice. He came to the river, put some ice into his bag, and went home. When he had brought the bag home, he looked inside, and found out that the ice had turned into seal-blubber.

         Then Big-Raven said to his daughters, " Go and gather some berries. There are plenty of them in the field. The geese may eat them if you do not go now." They went for berries, but did not find any. They  returned home, and said, "There are none: the geese have eaten them all up." Then their father said to them, "Go and gather stone-pine-cones. There are plenty of nuts in them." They went to the stone-pine, but found nothing. The nut- crackers ¹ had eaten all. They came home, and said, "There are none." Then Big-Raven said to his daughters, "There are many haddock 2  in the river. Go and catch them with the hook." They went fishing. They angled and angled, but caught only one haddock. Raven came flying along and took even that fish away from them. They came home, and said that they had not caught anything.

         Thereupon Big-Raven said to Dog-Man, "Bring some water." He replied, "It will hurt my hands." — "Why do you not put on your mittens?" asked Big-Raven. Dog-Man answered, "My mittens will get torn." Big-Raven said, "Then sew them up with a needle." Dog-Man rejoined, "The needle will break." — "Then sharpen it," said Big-Raven. He continued, "Well, go to your camp and fetch some meat." Dog-Man went. Soon he returned, and said to Big-Raven, "I brought a reindeer flank and brisket." — "Where are they?"   asked   Big-Raven.      "The   fire   has burned  them," answered Dog-Man.

¹ Nucìfraga  caryocatactcs L.                                         2  Boreogadus polaris.

232 

  JOCHELSON, THE  KORYAK.

"And where is the fire?" asked Big-Raven. "The rain has put it out." - And where is the rain?" asked Big-Raven. "The rain went up to the sky,"
answered Dog-Man.

Told by Ñaya'va, a Reindeer Koryak woman, in a camp
on the Palpal Mountain-Ridge, March, 1901.

69.  Big-Raven's Daughters and the Wooden Whale.

         Once Big-Raven (Ouikinn'a'qu) said to his wife, " Let us take our daughters to the wilderness; let them live there." Then they took their daughters, Yiñe'a- ñe'ut and Can'a'i-ña'ut, into the wilderness. They settled down by themselves in an underground house. Their father and mother would eat fat reindeer- meat, but to their daughters they would send the lean pieces.

         Yiñe'a-ñe'ut and Can-a'i-ña'ut became angry with their parents. They fetched a large log, made a whale out of it, and put it into a pail of water. On the following morning they looked into the pail, and saw that the wale had grown so large that there was no room for it inside. They carried it to a small lake. On the following morning they saw that there was no room for it in the lake. They transferred it to a larger lake; but on the next day the whale had grown so large that there was not room enough for it in the large lake. They put it into the river, entered it, and said, "Spotted- Whale, take us over where there is a settlement." Thus they were carried to sea.    That's all.

Told by Ñaya'va, a Reindeer Koryak woman, in a camp
on the Palpal Mountain-Ridge, March, 1901.

70.  Big-Raven and Young-Kala.

         Big-Raven (Quikinn-a'qu) said to his wife, "I am going to take a swing on the strap." He took his strap, went to the woods, attached it to a tree, and began to swing. "I wish some one would swing me!" he said. Young- Kala (Qai-ka'la) came and said, "I will swing you." He began to swing him. Big-Raven asked, "Who is swinging me? is it a man, or somebody else?" Young-Kala replied, "It is a man who is swinging you. You and I have the same reindeer, with the same antlers on their heads."     That's all.

Told by Ñaya'va a Reindeer Koryak woman, in a camp
on the Palpal Mountain-Ridge, March, 1901.

71.  Eme'mqut and Little-Charm-Man.

         Little-Charm-Man   kle'mtila'n)   said   to   Eme'mqut,   "Let us go and eat king-salmon's ¹ They went; but Eme'mqut took out Little-Charm-Man's heads."

1  Salmo chawìcha.

233 

JOCHELSON, THE  KORYAK.

stomach, and  put in  a  mouse-stomach  instead.      They arrived at the river and begin   to   eat.      Little-Charm-Man   ate   just   one small  piece,  and  felt that he had enough.     Then Eme'mqut cut some king-salmon's heads for him, and said, "Take   them   home."     Little-Charm-Man   carried   them   home.      Suddenly   he noticed   his   stomach   hanging   in   his   underground   house.     He  asked,   "Who hung the seal-stomach up here?"    Eme'mqut then said,  "That is your stomach Put it back,  and  eat the salmon's heads."     Little-Charm-Man put his stomach back, began to eat, and ate all there was, and felt that there was not enough for him.    That's all.

Told by Ñaya'va, a Reindeer Koryak woman, in a camp
of the Palpal Mountain-Ridge, March, 1901.

    30 --JESUP NORTN  PAFICIC  EXPED.,  VOL.  VI.