The Humpbacked Manitou
: Thirty Indian LegendsBokwewa and his brother lived in a lodge in the forest, far away from
the rest of the world. They were both Manitous and could do many
wonderful things. Bokwewa had the most gifts and knew all the secrets
of the woods, but his body was deformed. The brother was very
handsome. His body was very straight, and he could run and do many
things that Bokwewa could not do. But he was not as wise as the
humpbacked Manitou.
shoot and fish. Then the brother would go and get the food, and bring
it back to the lodge. Bokwewa did not go out very much, of course.
One day the brother said, "Bokwewa, I am tired of living so quietly.
Where are all the rest of the people? I am going away to find them and
to get a wife."
Bokwewa tried to coax him not to go, but the brother was determined.
He made ready for his journey, and departed. In a few days he
returned, bringing a beautiful maiden with him. Bokwewa was very kind
to His brother's wife and she was good to him, so they became great
friends. One day the brother was away hunting. Bokwewa was sitting by
one side of the fire in the lodge; the wife was sitting on the other
side. Suddenly the door was opened, and a strong, tall man entered.
He seized the maiden and began to pull her to the door. She screamed,
and tried to get away from him; but he held her fast. Bokwewa pulled
and fought with all his strength. The tall man pushed him against the
door and hurt his back. Then he dashed out with the maiden, and took
her away with him.
When the brother returned, he found Bokwewa weeping with sorrow; and
when he heard what had happened, he wept also. Bokwewa tried to
comfort him, but the brother only lay on the bed, refusing to eat
anything, and weeping bitterly. For several days he stayed there. At
length he arose and said, "Bokwewa, I am going to the village where
that mighty Manitou lives. He has stolen my wife."
"Oh, do not go," said Bokwewa, "for that village is many miles to the
south. The people who live there are idle and know only of pleasure.
They have many snares set by the roadside to catch you. Do not try to
go amongst them, for you will become like them and think only of
pleasure."
"I am not afraid of anything," said the brother. "I must go."
"Well, then," said Bokwewa, "I shall tell you of two dangers that lie
in the path. When you first start, you will find a grape-vine across
your path. Do not eat any of its fruit, for it is poisonous. It will
make you become very careless. Then, farther on you will come across
something that looks like bear's fat. It is clear, like jelly. Do not
eat of it, for it is frogs' eggs and will make you forget your home."
The brother promised to remember these warnings, and set out for the
village.
He had not gone very far when he noticed a grape-vine lying across the
road. The grapes were beautiful and juicy, so he ate some. Some
distance on he came to a jellylike mass, and he ate it. This was the
frogs' eggs, and he at once forgot his home and brother, and even his
wife. He travelled on for two days, and towards evening came in sight
of the large village. The people in it seemed to be having a good
time. Some were dancing and singing, and many of the women were
beating corn in golden dishes. When they saw him coming, they ran out,
shouting, "Here comes Bokwewa's brother to visit us."
They welcomed him with joy, and led him into the village. In a short
time he was beating corn with the women. That is the surest sign to
the Indians that a warrior has lost his bravery.
Days and weeks went by, and still he did not try to find his wife,
although she was living in that same village. Bokwewa waited at home,
hoping each day that his brother would return. At length, when some
years had gone by, he set out to find him. As he travelled along the
same road, he passed the grape-vine and the frogs' eggs. But they held
no danger for him, as he did not taste them. When he came in sight of
the village, he felt sorry for the people, who were wasting their lives
in idle games and other pleasures. As he came closer, the people ran
out, shouting, "Oh, Bokwewa has come to visit us! The good Bokwewa of
whom we have heard so much! Welcome to our village!"
Bokwewa entered with them and found his brother. He was still beating
corn with the women, and seemed very happy. Bokwewa coaxed him to come
home, but he would not listen. He seemed content to stay there and do
no work. This made Bokwewa very sorry, for he knew his brother was no
longer a brave warrior. When evening came Bokwewa went down to the
riverside. There he changed himself into one of those hair snakes
sometimes seen in running water. After a while, the wife came down
with a pitcher to get some water.
"Pick me up," said the hair snake, "and leave me in your pitcher."
The wife did as she was told, and took the pitcher to her lodge.
That night the Manitou who had stolen her wanted a drink. In the dark
he did not see the hair snake in the water, so drank it. In a few
minutes he was dead. Then Bokwewa returned to his former shape. He
went again to his brother and tried to make him come home. But the
brother refused. Bokwewa told him that these pleasures would not last
forever, and his tears fell as he saw that his brother would not come.
So he said good-bye to him and disappeared.
After Bokwewa had gone, the brother seemed to remember parts of his
past life. He looked around and saw his wife at a little distance. At
once he remembered everything, and going to her, he wept and begged her
to forgive him and his neglect. She kissed him fondly, and then hand
in hand they walked away from the treacherous land of pleasure, back to
the lodge where Bokwewa waited for them.
More
-
The Great Fire
Patwin (Sacramento Valley, Cal.) Long ago a man loved two women and wished to marry both of them. But the women were magpies and they laughed at him. Therefore the man went to the north, and made for himself a tule boat. Then he set the world on fi... The Great Fire-mountain
Long, long ago, when the earth was very young, two hunters were traveling through the forest. They had been on the track of a deer for many days, and they were now far away from the village where they lived. The sun went down and night came on. It w... The Great Flood
Sia (New Mexico) For a long time after the fight, the people were very happy, but the ninth year was very bad. The whole earth was filled with water. The water did not fall in rain, but came in as rivers between the mesas. It continued to flow in f... The Great Knight Siegfried
Once upon a time there lived in the Netherlands, in Xante, a wonderful castle on the river Rhine, a mighty king and queen. Siegmund and Sieglinde were their names, and far and wide were they known. Yet their son, the glorious hero Siegfried, was s... The Greatest Cheat Of Seven
A great cheat married the cheating sister of seven cheats. One day his father-in-law and seven brothers-in-law came on a visit to his house. After conversing with them for a little, he invited them to accompany him to the river to bathe. He carrie... The Greedy Priest
In the compound of a temple in the south there was a large fruit tree, the fruit of which was coveted by all, as they passed, but the head priest would permit no one to eat of it, because he was greedy and selfish and wished but to satisfy his own a... The Green Picture
In a cellar in Green Street, Schenectady, there appeared, some years ago, the silhouette of a human form, painted on the floor in mould. It was swept and scrubbed away, but presently it was there again, and month by month, after each removal, it ret... The Grey Mare In The Garret
In the portal of the Church of the Apostles, near the new market in Cologne, hung a picture, the portraits of a certain Frau Richmodis von Aducht and her two children, of whom the following singular story is related. The picture was covered with a... The Groac'h Of The Isle Of Lok
Every one who knows the land of the Church (Lanillis), knows also that it is one of the loveliest parishes in the diocese of Leon. To say nothing of green crops and corn, its orchards are famed from all time for apples sweeter than the honey of Si... The Guiding Duck And The Lake Of Death
Zuni (New Mexico) Now K-yak-lu, the all-hearing and wise of speech, all alone had been journeying afar in the North Land of cold and white loneliness. He was lost, for the world in which he wandered was buried in the snow which lies spread there fo... The Guillemot That Could Talk
A man from the south heard one day of a guillemot that could talk. It was said that this bird was to be found somewhere in the north, and therefore he set off to the northward. And toiled along north and north in an umiak. He came to a village,... The Gwineeboos The Redbreasts
Gwineeboo and Goomai, the water rat, were down at the creek one day, getting mussels for food, when, to their astonishment, a kangaroo hopped right into the water beside them. Well they knew that he must be escaping from hunters, who were probably... The Hakas And The Tennas
PERSONAGES After each name is given that of the creature or thing into which the personage was changed subsequently. =Darà Jowá=, eagle; =Haka=, flint; =Hakayámchiwi=, the whole Haka people; =Ilhataina=, lightning; =Tenna=, grizzly b... The Hammer Of Thor
Sif was the wife of mighty Thor, the thunder-god, and she was very proud of her beautiful golden hair, which she combed and braided with great care. One morning when she awoke she was filled with grief and dismay to find that her lovely hair had b... The Hare And The Partridge
A field in common share A partridge and a hare, And live in peaceful state, Till, woeful to relate! The hunters' mingled cry Compels the hare to fly. He hurries to his fort, And spoils almo... The Haunted Mill
Among the settlers in the Adirondacks, forty or fifty years ago, was Henry Clymer, from Brooklyn, who went up to Little Black Creek and tried to make a farm out of the gnarly, stumpy land; but being a green hand at that sort of thing, he soon gave i... The Haunted Ships
"Though my mind's not Hoodwinked with rustic marvels, I do think There are more things in the grove, the air, the flood, Yea, and the charnelled earth, than what wise man, Who walks so proud as if his form alone Filled th... The Hawaiian Iliad
Kaupepee, who might have governed Molokai in the twelfth century, had he not chosen war as his vocation, was a believer in home rule. He did not like the immigrants who were swarming northward from Tahiti and Samoa. Though they resembled his own r... The Hawaiian Orpheus And Eurydice
Upon the slopes of Hualalai, just under the clouds and among the fragrant sandal-woods, lived Hana and her son, Hiku. They made their living by beating bark into cloth, which the woman took to the coast to swap for implements, for sea food, for sh... The Head And The Tail Of The Serpent
Two parts the serpent has-- Of men the enemies-- The head and tail: the same Have won a mighty fame, Next to the cruel Fates;-- So that, indeed, hence They once had great debates ... The Headless Skeleton Of Swamptown
The boggy portion of North Kingston, Rhode Island, known as Swamptown, is of queer repute in its neighborhood, for Hell Hollow, Pork Hill, Indian Corner, and Kettle Hole have their stories of Indian crimes and witch-meetings. Here the headless figur... The Heifer The Goat And The Sheep
The heifer, the goat, and their sister the sheep, Compacted their earnings in common to keep, 'Tis said, in time past, with a lion, who sway'd Full lordship o'er neighbours, of whatever grade. The goat, as it happen'd, a ... The Herd Boy And The Witches
Once upon a time a cowherd lost a calf and while looking for it he was benighted in the jungle; for he was afraid to go home lest he should be scolded for losing the calf. He had with him his bow and arrows and flute and a stick but still he was afr... The Heron
The heron as it flies slowly towards the source of a river is said to be going up the river to bring the water down, in other words, this flight is a sign of coming rain. The same thing is said of the crane. Fable of why the Heron frequents... The Heron
One day,--no matter when or where,-- A long-legg'd heron chanced to fare By a certain river's brink, With his long, sharp beak Helved on his slender neck; 'Twas a fish-spear, you migh... The Hidden Golden Chair
It is a good many years since Mrs. Mary Jones, Corlanau, Llandinorwig, Carnarvonshire, told me the following tale. The scene of the story is the unenclosed mountain between Corlanau, a small farm, and the hamlet, Rhiwlas. There is still current ... The Hill-man Invited To The Christening
The hill-people are excessively frightened during thunder. When, therefore, they see bad weather coming on, they lose no time in getting to the shelter of their hills. This terror is also the cause of their not being able to endure the beating of ... The History Of Ali Cogia - From The Arabian Nights
In the city of Bagdad there once lived a merchant named Ali Cogia. This merchant was faithful and honest in all his dealings, but he had never made the holy pilgrimage to Mecca. He often felt troubled over this, for he knew he was neglecting a rel... The Hobomak
Such was the Indian name of the site of Westboro, Massachusetts, and the neighboring pond was Hochomocko. The camp of the red men near the shore was full of bustle one day, for their belle, Iano, was to marry the young chief, Sassacus. The feast was... The Hog The Goat And The Sheep
A goat, a sheep, and porker fat, All to the market rode together. Their own amusement was not that Which caused their journey thither. Their coachman did not mean to "set them down" To see the shows and wo... The Home Of Thunder
Some Indians believe that the Thunder Bird is the agent of storm; that the flashes of his eyes cause lightning and the flapping of his cloud-vast wings make thunder. Not so the Passamaquoddies, for they hold that Katahdin's spirit children are Thund... The Hornets And The Bees
"The artist by his work is known." A piece of honey-comb, one day, Discover'd as a waif and stray, The hornets treated as their own. Their title did the bees dispute, And brought before a wasp the suit. ... The Horse And The Wolf
A wolf who, fall'n on needy days, In sharp look-out for means and ways, Espied a horse turn'd out to graze. His joy the reader may opine. "Once got," said he, "this game were fine; But if a s... The House Accursed
Near Gallipolis, Ohio, there stood within a few years an old house of four rooms that had been occupied by Herman Deluse. He lived there alone, and, though his farming was of the crudest sort, he never appeared to lack for anything. The people had a... The House Bonga
Once upon a time there was a house bonga who lived in the house of the headman of a certain village; and it was a shocking thief; it used to steal every kind of grain and food, cooked and uncooked; out of the houses of the villagers. The villagers k... The House In The Lake
A long, long time ago there lived in a little hut, in the midst of one of the inland lakes of Erin, an old fisherman and his son. The hut was built on stakes driven into the bed of the lake, and was so high above the waters that even when they were ... The Humpbacked Manitou
Bokwewa and his brother lived in a lodge in the forest, far away from the rest of the world. They were both Manitous and could do many wonderful things. Bokwewa had the most gifts and knew all the secrets of the woods, but his body was deformed. ... The Hundredth Skull
In the early part of this century Bill Quick, trapper and frontiersman, lived in a cabin on the upper Scioto, not far from the present town of Kenton, Ohio. One evening when he returned from the hunt he found his home rifled of its contents and his ... The Hunt Of Lion And Jackal
Lion and Jackal, it is said, were one day lying in wait for Eland. Lion shot (with a bow) and missed, but Jackal hit and sang out, "Hah! hah!" Lion said, "No, you did not shoot anything. It was I who hit." Jackal answered, "Yea, my father, tho... The Hunter Hackelnberg And The Tut-osel
The Wild Huntsman, Hackelnberg, traverses the Hartz mountains and the Thuringian forest, but he seems mostly to prefer the Hakel, from which place he derives his name, and especially the neighbourhood of Dummburg. Ofttimes is he heard at night, in... The Hunter In Hades
A handsome and brave young man, who was skilful in the chase, one day pursued a large bear into the recesses of the mountains. On and on ran the bear, and still the young fellow pursued it up heights and crags more and more dangerous, but without ev... The Hunter Of Calawassee
Through brisk November days young Kedar and his trusty slave, Lauto, hunted along the Calawassee, with hope to get a shot at a buck--a buck that wore a single horn and that eluded them with easy, baffling gait whenever they met it in the fens. Kedar... The Hunter Who Became A Deer
A hunter who had traveled all day without finding any game shot a doe near sunset, and as he was very tired, he lay down near the body and went to sleep. In the morning, when he awoke, he perceived the doe looking at him lovingly out of large, so... The Hunting Princes
Once there was a king whose only thought and only pleasure was hunting; he brought up his sons to the same ideas, and so they were called the Hunting Princes. They had hunted all over the six snow-capped mountains in their father's realm; there wa... The Huntsman's Son
A long, long time ago there lived in a little hut on the borders of a great forest a huntsman and his wife and son. From his earliest years the boy, whose name was Fergus, used to hunt with his father in the forest, and he grew up strong and activ... The Hussar And The Servant Girl
The wife of a priest in olden times, it may have been in the antediluvian world, put all the plates, dishes, and milk-jugs into a basket and sent the servant to wash them in the brook. While the girl was washing she saw a cray-fish crawl out of th... The Hyaena Outwitted
Once upon a time there was a great tiger who lived in a forest; and all the other animals that lived in the forest treated him as their Raja, down to the very birds. They all felt safe under his protection, because he was so much feared that no men ... The Hypothesis Concerning The Asiatic Origin Of The Aryans
When the question of the original home of the Aryan language and race was first presented, there were no conflicting opinions on the main subject.[2] All who took any interest in the problem referred to Asia as the cradle of the Aryans. Asia had alw... The Hypothesis Concerning The European Origin Of The Aryans
In the year 1854 was heard for the first time a voice of doubt. The sceptic was an English ethnologist, by name Latham, who had spent many years in Russia studying the natives of that country. Latham was unwilling to admit that a single one of the... The Icelandic Sorceresses
"Tell me," said Katla, a handsome and lively widow, to Gunlaugar, an accomplished and gallant young warrior, "tell me why thou goest so oft to Mahfahlida? Is it to caress an old woman?" "Thine own age, Katla," answered the youth inconsiderately,... The Idiot And The Hyndet Bread
Long, long ago there lived on the Khasi Hills a certain widow with her only son, a lad possessed of great personal beauty, who was mentally deficient, and was known in the village as "U Bieit" (the idiot). The mother, being very poor and having ... The Indian Messiah
The promise of the return to earth of various benign spirits has caused much trouble among the red men, and incidentally to the white men who are the objects of their fanatic dislike. The New Mexicans believed that when the Emperor Montezuma was abo... The Indian Plume
Brightest flower that grows beside the brooks is the scarlet blossom of the Indian plume: the blood of Lenawee. Hundreds of years ago she lived happily among her brother and sister Saranacs beside Stony Creek, the Stream of the Snake, and was soon t... The Industrious Bride
Once upon a time a party of three or four men went to a village to see if a certain girl would make a suitable bride for the son of one of their friends; and while they were talking to her, another young woman came up. The visitors asked the first g... The Influence Of The Moon
If a child is born on the day before the new moon the following ceremony is observed. After bathing the child they place an old broom in the mother's arms instead of the child; then the mother takes the child and throws it out on the dung heap behin... The Inland-dwellers Of Etah
There came a sledge driving round to the east of Etah, up into the land, near the great lake. Suddenly the dogs scented something, and dashed off inland over a great plain. Then they checked, and sniffed at the ground. And now it was revealed that... The Insects That Wooed A Wifeless Man
There was once a wifeless man. Yes, that is the way a story always begins. And it was his custom to run down to the girls whenever he saw them out playing. And the young girls always ran away from him into their houses. And when the time o... The Invisible Shepherd Lad
There was once, I don't know where, a poor man who had a very good son who was a shepherd. One day he was tending his sheep in a rocky neighbourhood, and was sending sighs to Heaven as a man whose heart was throbbing with burning wishes. Hearing a... The Iron Wolf
There was once upon a time a parson who had a servant, and when this servant had served him faithfully for twelve years and upward, he came to the parson and said, "Let us now settle our accounts, master, and pay me what thou owest me. I have now ... The Island Of Women
In ancient days, an Aino chieftain of Iwanai went to sea in order to catch sea-lions, taking with him his two sons. They speared a sea-lion, which, however, swam off with the spear sticking in its body. Meanwhile a gale began to blow down from the m... The Jackal And The Chickens
Once upon a time a jackal and a hen were great friends and regarded each other as brother and sister; and they agreed to have a feast to celebrate their friendship; so they both brewed rice beer and they first drank at the jackal's house and then we... The Jackal And The Crocodiles
Once upon a time there was a Raja who had an only son. As the boy grew up his father sent him to a school to learn to read and write. One day on his way back from school, the boy sat down by the road side to rest, and placed his school books on the ... The Jackal And The Crow
Once upon a time a crow and a jackal became bosom friends and they agreed that the crow should support the jackal in the hot weather and the jackal support the crow in the rainy season. By-and-bye the jackal got discontented with the arrangement, an... The Jackal And The Hare
A jackal and a hare were sworn friends. One day they planned to have a dinner of rice cooked with milk. So the hare crouched down under a bush which grew by the side of a road leading to a busy market; and the jackal stayed watching a little way off... The Jackal And The Leopards
Once upon a time a leopard and a leopardess were living with their cubs; and when the parents were away a jackal used to go to the cubs and say "If you won't pay up the paddy you owe, give me something on account." And the cubs gave him all the meat... The Jackal And The Wolf
Once on a time Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw a wagon returning from the seaside laden with fish; he tried to get into the wagon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before and lay in the road as if dead. The wagon ca... The Jackal Punished
Once a hen and a jackal were great friends, and they decided to have a feast and each brewed beer for the occasion; the hen brewed with rice, and maize and millet and the jackal brewed with lizards, locusts, frogs and fish. And when the brew was rea... The Jackdaw
This bird is considered sacred, because it frequents church steeples and builds its nest there, and it is said to be an innocent bird, though given to carrying off things and hiding them in out-of-the-way places. When ignorance of a fault is plead... The Japanese Sword
More than two centuries before Columbus reached America on its Atlantic side a Japanese junk visited the western shore. The tradition is too vague to specify whether the navigators attempted a landing or not, but as their boat was small and could ... The Jealous Stepmother
There was once a man whose wife died leaving him with one son and after a year he married again. The second wife was very jealous of the son and she told her husband that she would not stay with him unless he killed the boy; at first he refused but ... The Jeebi Or Two Ghosts From The Odjibwa
There lived a hunter in the north who had a wife and one child. His lodge stood far off in the forest, several days' journey from any other. He spent his days in hunting, and his evenings in relating to his wife the incidents that had befallen him... The Jew In The Bush
A faithful servant had worked hard for his master, a thrifty farmer, for three long years, and had been paid no wages. At last it came into the man's head that he would not go on thus any longer, so he went to his master and said-- "I have work...