The Dream Of Juiwaiyu And His Journey To Damhauja's Country
: Creation Myths Of Primitive AmericaPERSONAGES
After each name is given that of the creature or thing into which the
personage was changed subsequently.
=Damhauja=, the moon just before renewal; =Darijua=, gray squirrel;
=Halaia=, morning star; =Jupka=, butterfly of the wild silk worm;
=Juiwaiyu=, acorn of the Eastern black oak; =Kechowala=, blue jay;
=Mahari=, Eastern black oak; =Pahnino=, a kind of ocean-shell;
* * * * *
Juiwaiyu lived far away in the east, in the southern part of it. His
father, Periwiriwaiyu, was old. His mother, Maharia, was old, too; but
both were very beautiful.
Juiwaiyu hunted, fished; was happy till one night he dreamed of two
girls who lived beyond Wahkalu, lived north of that mountain.
"I dreamed of two sisters," said he to his father and mother next
morning, "I saw two women last night. They are both very beautiful. I
must find them; I will bring them home if I can."
"You must not go," said his father and mother. "If you go, you will
never come back to this country. We shall not see you again if you
leave us. We know that those people will kill you. We shall never see
you again if you go from here." Then they cried bitterly, both of
them.
But his father and mother could not stop Juiwaiyu; he would go. When
he was ready to start, his mother said,--
"Your uncle lives at Shultsmauna, near Kamshumatu. Stop there. You
must see your uncle, you must talk with him. His name is Jupka. He is
very wise; he will help you. There will be thunder and a sprinkle of
rain here when you touch your uncle's house. I shall know then that
you have got that far in safety."
Juiwaiyu began to sing. He started, and rose through the air. He went
very high, and cried--cried and sang as he travelled. Though he had
made up his mind to go, he feared that his mother's words might come
true, that the people beyond Wahkalu might kill him. He looked far
ahead, and saw smoke near the edge of the sky. "That may be smoke from
my uncle's house," thought Juiwaiyu.
He moved toward the smoke; went on till he was straight above his
uncle's house. He went down to the roof then, and peeped in through
the smoke-hole. The old man, who was lying with his back to the fire,
saw him look in. Jupka stood up, looked again, grabbed his spear.
"Is that the way you look into my house? What do you want here?" cried
Jupka, aiming his spear at the stranger.
"It is I, uncle,--I, Juiwaiyu."
"Why did you not call me uncle when you looked first? Why did you not
say who you were when you came? I might have killed you; I came very
near killing you with my spear. Come down, come down; let me see you,
my nephew."
"I will," said Juiwaiyu; "I have travelled far to-day, I am tired."
He went down on the central pole.
"Uncle, I have come to talk with you, to let you know where I am
going."
"You would better eat first," said Jupka; and he took Juiwaiyu in his
arms, smoothed his hair, and was glad to look at him.
"You are tired, my nephew; you are hungry; you must eat."
"I am not hungry; I have no time to wait; I am in a great hurry."
"Where are you going, my nephew?" asked Jupka.
"I had a dream last night, my uncle; I dreamed of two sisters,
daughters of Damhauja."
"You would better stay at home. My nephew, stay at home; you would
better not go for those sisters. Forget them; don't think of those
girls," said Jupka. "If you go, you will never come back. The place
where they live is a bad one; every stranger gets killed who goes
there. I have seen many men on the way to Damhauja's; many a man has
passed here to look for those sisters, but never have I seen any come
back with or without a woman. I have been in that country myself, I
know it well. I had to fight for my life there, and came near being
killed. I am many times stronger than you, know people better than you
do, and I would not go to that country."
"No matter what kind of country that is, no matter what kind of
people live in it, I must find those two sisters. I have dreamt of
them. There is no use in trying to hold me back. I must go; I cannot
stop, I cannot help myself."
"Well," said Jupka, "if you must go, I will go with you; you would be
lost without me. I must save you, my nephew. I will make myself small;
you can put me on your head, you can tie me up in your hair easily."
The old man made himself small, and Juiwaiyu put him on the top of his
head, bound him firmly in his hair, bound him so that no one could see
him. Then he went up on the sweat-house and turned toward the sun.
"Sun, O Sun, I wish you to be slow," said he. "I must go very far; I
wish the day to last long."
"I will tell you now of the road," said Jupka. "When you come near a
small mountain east of Wahkalu, there will be three roads there before
you; one on the right hand very narrow. You can hardly see that road,
it is so little beaten, but you must find it, for you cannot go by
another. There is a middle road, smooth and wide; you will see fresh
clover scattered on the road, just as if women had carried some over
and dropped a little here and there. If you go over that road, you
will be killed by lice and wind. On the left hand is a road; if you
take that, you will lose yourself and never reach any place."
"I will sing now," said Juiwaiyu, "and my song will be heard
everywhere, north, south, east, and west."
He began, and rose in the air as he sang; he rose, and as he moved
forward, the whole world heard him; every one looked up to see who was
singing, but no one saw anything.
"That sounds like the song of Juiwaiyu," said some of the people. "I
think that is the voice of Periwiriwaiyu's son," said others; "I think
that is he, for that's how he sings when he travels."
They tried to see who was singing, but saw no one. The song seemed
just above them, but it was high up, very high in the air.
"Hurry, my nephew, hurry," said Jupka; "I don't like to camp on the
journey, I want to be at that place before sunset."
Juiwaiyu sang faster now; he could not move without singing. He moved
swiftly, and soon they were east of Wahkalu.
"Look down carefully," said Jupka; "if you see clover scattered on a
road, you must not go over it. Go over that road on the right, do not
look at the other."
Damhauja had sent people to scatter clover on the middle road and
entice men, make them think that the road to his sweat-house.
"The middle road lies straight toward the mountain," said Jupka; "all
people die who try to pass over it. A great many lie dead on that road
now, my nephew; do not go near it."
Juiwaiyu kept on; soon they heard laughter ahead on the small
mountain, loud laughter.
"You are on the wrong road," said Jupka. "Turn back, my nephew; if
not, you will die surely. That was the laughter of people sent by
Damhauja to kill all who go over the middle road."
Juiwaiyu kept on; he would not listen to his uncle. Soon a great wind
came, bringing clouds of lice with it; the air was filled with them.
They fell on Juiwaiyu, and ate the flesh off his body. The wind drove
him far back on his journey, and blew the beads from his neck. The
people of the mountain did this,--people put there and kept by
Damhauja.
Juiwaiyu was angry. He rushed forward a second time.
"I will pass, I will go through this time," said he.
"I told you of this trouble," said Jupka, "I warned you. I said that
this was an evil road over which no one can pass. Stop, or you will be
dead before night comes. Stop! Let me down; I will save you."
Juiwaiyu came to the ground, and took out his uncle.
"I will save you," said Jupka; "I will give you back flesh and
strength."
The old man took his pipe and drew smoke through it. The wind went
away; the lice disappeared, not one was left anywhere. Jupka took up a
rose-twig. With this he whipped Juiwaiyu, and he was as sound and
strong as ever. He had all his flesh back in a moment.
The people of the mountain saw this. "We cannot kill him," said they;
"he has too much power for us."
"You must turn back and start where the roads part," said Jupka. "On
the right is a small narrow trail; you can barely see it, but you must
find this trail. You cannot go to Damhauja's house by another way."
Juiwaiyu went back to where the paths parted.
"You are looking for the way," said Jupka. "If you see a narrow little
trail, that is it."
He found that trail at last. "That is the right way," said the uncle.
It was so narrow that Juiwaiyu was barely able to see it. He went
forward easily; went fast, like a man who is running down hill. They
came to the small mountain, and when Juiwaiyu was above it, he heard
laughing at a distant village. "That must be the place to which we are
going," said he.
"My nephew, look out now, be careful. When you go into Damhauja's
sweat-house and sit with his daughters, he will give you a pipe filled
with crushed bones of people instead of tobacco. If you breathe smoke
from that pipe, you will die the next moment. With this smoke he has
killed those who escaped lice and wind from the mountain."
Juiwaiyu rested awhile, and thought of the beads he had lost. "I wish
my beads would return to me," said he. That moment the beads were on
his neck. They were as beautiful as ever.
"My beads, you must not go again from me. You must stay with me, and
you must be in plenty. Pahnino Marimi, I wish you to send your
daughters for leaves, wood, and water. Be kind when I come to you. Do
not kill me. Let us go on," said he to his uncle.
They went forward, and soon they saw two girls, one holding the other
by the hand. These girls were coming toward the mountain, swaying
their hands and singing. Juiwaiyu came to the ground, hid behind a
tree, and said, "Let there be wood here in plenty, wood for these
women." The wood was right there in one moment.
The two girls set down their baskets and filled them. "I wish that man
would come," said one sister to the other, "the man we dreamed of last
night."
They put down their hands to take the baskets. Juiwaiyu caught their
hands. They looked around, saw him, and were frightened.
"Why are you frightened? I dreamed of you last night, you dreamed of
me. Go home, go ahead, hurry forward, I will follow; I will be at your
father's house soon."
They put the baskets on their backs, ran quickly, reached home soon,
threw down the baskets outside the doorway, and rushed into the
sweat-house.
"What are you scared at, my daughters? You saw some young man in the
woods, I think," said Pahnino, their mother, who was making acorn
bread outside the doorway. "I think that some brother-in-law was
watching you near the mountain."
"You have never seen the man we met," said the sisters.
Pahnino went to look; she looked carefully, but saw no man coming
toward her from any side. The two sisters spread a black bearskin and
sat on it, sat near each other and waited. The old man went out to
look, put his hand over his eyes to see a new son-in-law, but could
see no one. Juiwaiyu was on the house now; he went down through the
central pillar, passed through the ground, and came up between
Damhauja's two daughters. Pahnino Marimi walked in at that moment to
scold her daughters. She looked, and saw Juiwaiyu between them.
"Some one is sitting with our daughters," said she to the old man.
Damhauja went for his pipe, put in crushed bones of Mapchemaina, and
handed the pipe to his daughters.
"Give this to my son-in-law," said he.
They did not like to take the pipe, but they could not refuse their
father, they could not help themselves. They were crying.
"You must not smoke this," whispered they; "we will give you another
kind." They took the tobacco out and put in some of the common sort.
The old man did not watch sharply at first; he was thinking only to
see Juiwaiyu drop dead. The girls handed back the empty pipe to their
father.
Jupka, who was sitting on his nephew's head, laughed in his own mind.
"I don't know what sort of man this is," thought Damhauja; "I have
never seen such a person. I think he must have come to fight with me;
I will try him once more."
He filled the pipe a second time, and gave it to his daughters. They
handed it to Juiwaiyu. This time they could not change the tobacco.
Damhauja was watching too carefully. Jupka smoked this pipe. No smoke
could hurt him. Damhauja, who hoped to see Juiwaiyu fall dead, became
frightened when he saw him as well as ever.
"What am I to do?" thought he. "I give this tobacco to every man who
comes for my daughters, and every man who smokes dies right away. I am
afraid of my new son-in-law. I will not fight with this man. Let my
other sons-in-law try him. My daughters, I want you to give nice food
to your husband; give him good things to eat, take the best care of
him, treat him well. My boys, I want you to bring plenty of nice food
to my son-in-law."
"I will give venison now to these sisters," thought Jupka; and he took
out a small piece of fat venison as large as a walnut. This he gave to
Juiwaiyu, and told him to ask for a large basket. They brought it.
"You, venison, keep this size," said Juiwaiyu; "be no smaller, you
must not be gone;" and then he cut slices.
Damhauja carried off three great baskets of meat, then went out on the
housetop and called all his sons.
"Come for venison, my sons," said he. "There is plenty for all of
you."
Damhauja had a great many sons-in-law on the west beyond a river. All
his daughters were married except two. These sons-in-law heard him
call and wondered. "What has happened?" asked they of one another.
"We've never heard the old man talk that way before. He must have
found a new son-in-law; he must have found a husband for Halaia and
Pahnino Marimi."
All Damhauja's sons came into the sweat-house.
Kechowala, a son-in-law and chief on the west side, sent his two sons,
Kechowala and Darijua, to see what was happening at the sweat-house.
When the boys came and looked in, the elder saw a man, he thought, but
did not know him. Damhauja's sons were dancing a fire-dance. The two
brothers looked around carefully, but the younger did not see the
strange man. They ran down from the sweat-house, and on the way home
began to quarrel.
"I think our grandfather has a new son-in-law; I saw him," said
Kechowala, the elder.
"You did not," said the younger.
"Why do you try to hide him, why do you deny? I saw him surely."
"When we get home, you will say that you saw a stranger in the
sweat-house; but if you do, you will lie."
"We shall see great trouble, I think," said the elder; "there will be
fighting now our grandfather has a new son-in-law, there will be great
fighting."
The two boys ran very fast, disputing as they went. They got to the
river, swam across, ran home.
"There is a strange man over there; grandfather has a new son-in-law,"
said Kechowala.
"Don't believe what he says," cried Darijua to his father; "I could
not see any man."
"Why do you want to hide him, why do you deny? You must have seen him
plainly."
"I did not see him, and you did not. I saw all who were there, but I
saw no stranger."
"I saw him sitting between the two girls," said Kechowala.
"He is there," said the father. "I will see that man to-morrow."
"My son-in-law," said Damhauja, "you must be careful to-morrow. I have
a great many daughters besides your two wives; their husbands will try
to kill you." Then Damhauja said to his sons: "We will go to sleep and
rise early; take good care of your brother-in-law to-morrow."
All went to rest; Juiwaiyu and his wives as well as others.
When all were asleep, Juiwaiyu took Jupka out of his hair and rose up.
"I wish for daylight quickly," said he.
Thunder roared then, and some rain came; Juiwaiyu wished to let his
mother know that he was well. He went out, took one step and went from
the sweat-house to the other side of the nearest mountain, with the
second step he went to the top of a mountain beyond.
Jupka was angry because Damhauja had tried to kill Juiwaiyu with the
poisonous pipe. Now he took vengeance. He put the two sisters on a
high place in the sweat-house, made a great storm of wind and rain.
Soon the whole place was filled with water. It rolled and swept
through the sweat-house, drowned Damhauja and his wife; washed their
bodies out through the door away.
Juiwaiyu on the mountain took his yaiyauna flute and began to play.
All the world heard him, all people went to hill-tops and
mountain-tops, all stretched their heads up and listened, all said,
"That must be Juiwaiyu; no one plays in that way but Juiwaiyu." Deer
began to come from the east along the same way over which Juiwaiyu had
come, and all stood before him.
"Let one stand in front of me and look this way," said Juiwaiyu, "let
all the others stand behind that first one."
They stood in the line, a fawn in the first place. He shot them all
with one arrow, hundreds of them. The arrow entered the mouth of the
front deer and went out near the tail of the last. Then Juiwaiyu took
the little fawn and opened it, made the deer very small, put them all
inside the fawn's body, took that home in one hand, threw the fawn
down on the sweat-house. The deer inside the fawn became as big as
ever, rolled down, filled the whole place around the sweat-house.
Juiwaiyu now saw Damhauja and Pahnino Marimi lying cold and dead. He
ran then to Jupka in the sweat-house. "Bring them to life, my uncle;
bring them to life again!"
Jupka whipped both with a rose-twig and brought them to life. Damhauja
shook himself and said, "I slept too hard."
"You would not have waked up at all but for my nephew. You wanted to
kill him. I punished you."
Damhauja knew Jupka now. "Oh, why did you not let me know that you
were here? I would not have tried to hurt Juiwaiyu."
The old man saw so many deer around the sweat-house that he didn't
know what to think. At last he went up on the sweat-house. "Come, my
sons, come," cried he; "there is venison here for all of you."
All the sons came. Each had one deer, and there were many others to
spare.
All the sons-in-law in the west were angry that Damhauja's sons had so
much venison.
"We will go over and see this man," said Kechowala, the chief. "We
will have some fun to-day with him."
When Damhauja's eldest son was bringing venison to his father, he saw
Kechowala. "He is coming," said the son.
Kechowala had an angry face; he walked fast. When he reached the
sweat-house, all were eating venison. He went to the top of the
sweat-house, took his arrow from under his arm, and said, "Wake up, be
ready; we must play to-day."
Then he looked in and saw Juiwaiyu sitting between the two sisters. "I
know now who that man is; he is from the east. Feed him well, dress
him well, father-in-law; we must have fun before he goes from here. He
must show what he can do before he leaves us."
The old man went out and scolded Kechowala: "You talk loud, you want
fat venison; that's what you have come for, that's why you are at this
sweat-house."
Jupka heard all that Kechowala said.
"I will go home now," said Kechowala, "and be here after breakfast."
"My son-in-law will be killed to-day," said Pahnino Marimi; "what can
we do? They are going to kill our son-in-law who brings so much
venison. Stay in the house, do not go out," said Pahnino.
"Do not go out," said the brothers; "we will meet those people."
All looked, and saw a great crowd coming from the west. The
brothers-in-law were coming, and when near they shouted to Damhauja's
sons. The two sisters tried to stop Juiwaiyu.
"Let me go, wives," said he, "let me go. If I stay here, they will
call me a coward; I will let no one give me that name."
"I want to see that new man who is here," cried Kechowala, "I want to
talk with him."
"I will go out," said Juiwaiyu, to his wives. "My father and mother
told me of this place. I know what it is."
"Come out!" called Kechowala at the door, "come out; don't be afraid
of us, don't be a coward."
"I will come when I am ready, I will meet you."
Kechowala went to his people. "He will be here soon," said he.
All laughed; all were glad. "If he comes," thought they, "we will kill
him."
Juiwaiyu went out and stood on the housetop, looked around, looked at
his enemies, went down slowly, went as if he did not like to meet
them.
"Why are you afraid?" asked Kechowala. "Do you think that we will hurt
you?"
He went to them, he sat on a stone. He had but one arrow, and that
without a point. This was a staff which his uncle had given him. The
playground was beyond a hill at some distance from the sweat-house.
"Stand up and play," said the sons-in-law; and they pushed Juiwaiyu to
throw him, but he did not fall. All went to the playground. Juiwaiyu
caught the bones on his club at the middle point, then hurled them;
ran and caught them the second time, ran again, put the bones beyond
the barrier. He did the same a second time, and won the first game. He
won two games; no one else could win.
"Well," said the western brothers-in-law, "we have never seen any one
play bone like him. We will try him in some other way."
Next they gave him a start in racing. The race was to a mountain
opposite. Juiwaiyu was to get there first if he was able. They thought
to strike him from behind, kill him easily, but they could not come
near him. He was at the mountain before they had run half the
distance. In the afternoon they played bone a second time. They
thought to kill him surely in this way. Between the middle of the
playground and Juiwaiyu's barrier they put a great poison spider right
on the path where Juiwaiyu was to run, Jupka knew their plan, and
pointed out the spider to his nephew. Juiwaiyu jumped on the spider,
crushed it right away before it could turn to poison him; then he took
the bones beyond the barrier.
He went back to the middle of the playground. Kechowala's men said
nothing, made no mention of the spider. Juiwaiyu took the bones beyond
the barrier that time, and won the second inning. This made the first
game of the afternoon. While they were making ready for the second
game, Kechowala had flint knives and spear-points put on the path so
that Juiwaiyu should fall and kill himself.
They commenced the second game. Juiwaiyu took the bones from all and
ran ahead, ran quickly. When near the knives and spear-points, Jupka
told him where they were; he came down between some, sprang over
others, took the bones beyond the barrier, came back as if nothing had
been put upon his path; went a second time and won the second game.
He had beaten all who had played against him. They were very angry.
"We must kill him surely in another way," said Kechowala.
The playground was far from the sweat-house, and when Juiwaiyu had won
the second game he turned to go back to the sweat-house. Kechowala
sent a rattlesnake to meet him at one place and a grizzly bear at
another. Juiwaiyu jumped on the snake, and crushed his head. When he
came to the bear, he struck him one blow with his foot and killed him.
He skinned both, took the skins, and hung them up before the
sweat-house.
When Kechowala's men saw the skins, they were angry, terribly
excited; they stopped before the sweat-house, jumped, and shouted,--
"We want to look at Juiwaiyu. Let Juiwaiyu come out here; we want to
see him."
Juiwaiyu went out. All the brothers-in-law from the west crowded up
toward him, all wanted then to kill him. He had no arms but the staff
given by Jupka. All he needed was to point that at any one and say, "I
wish you dead;" that moment the person fell dead. No one could come
near Juiwaiyu when running or hit him, and before they stopped
threatening he killed half of Damhauja's sons-in-law. The others ran
home then, killed their own wives and those of the dead men. "We will
have nothing," said they, "that comes from Damhauja's." They killed
all the children, too; none escaped but Darijua, who ran over to the
sweat-house and told of the killing.
That night Jupka made a great storm, and drowned every western man
left alive by Juiwaiyu. Next morning early he went over, struck the
dead women and children with his rose-twig, brought all except the men
to life again, and took them to Damhauja's.
Juiwaiyu had brought as many deer that morning as he had the first
one. Damhauja made his house stretch out and grow to give room enough
for all the children. They cooked venison and feasted, feasted all
that day at the sweat-house.
Next morning Juiwaiyu went home with his two wives and his uncle.
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There was once, I don't know where, in Slavonia, a man who had three sons. "Well, my sons," said he one day to them, "go to see the land; to see the world. There is a country where even the yellow-hammer bathes in wine, and where even the fence of... The Devil And Tom Walker
When Charles River was lined with groves and marshes there lived in a cabin, near Brighton, Massachusetts, an ill-fed rascal named Tom Walker. There was but one in the commonwealth who was more penurious, and that was his wife. They squabbled over t... The Devil Appearing To A Dissenting Minister At Denbigh
The Rev. Mr. Thomas Baddy, who lived in Denbigh Town, and was a Dissenting Minister in that place, went into his study one night, and while he was reading or writing, he heard some one behind him laughing and grinning at him, which made him stop a... The Devil's Bridge
You may say what you please, but it is certain that the Evil One never appeared in the Philippines until after the Spanish had taken possession of the islands. At least, this applies to Luzon. And, strange to tell, he has not been seen there since... The Devil's Dance-chamber
Most storied of our New World rivers is the Hudson. Historic scenes have been enacted on its shores, and Indian, Dutchman, Briton, and American have invested it with romance. It had its source, in the red man's fancy, in a spring of eternal youth; g... The Devil's Mill
BY SAMUEL LOVER You see, sir, there was a colonel wanst, in times back, that owned a power of land about here--but God keep uz, they said he didn't come by it honestly, but did a crooked turn whenever 'twas to sarve himself. Well, the story g... The Devil's Stepping-stones
When the devil set a claim to the fair lands at the north of Long Island Sound, his claim was disputed by the Indians, who prepared to fight for their homes should he attempt to serve his writ of ejectment. Parley resulted in nothing, so the bad one... The Devil's Tree By Eglwys Rhos
At the corner of the first turning after passing the village of Llanrhos, on the left hand side, is a withered oak tree, called by the natives of those parts the Devil's Tree, and it was thought to be haunted, and therefore the young and timid wer... The Disappointed Priest
In a temple of the north lived a priest who had great greed for the betel nut.[14] One day, compelled by his appetite, he inquired of a boy-priest if no one had died that day, but the boy replied he had heard of no death. A man, while worshipping... The Discovery Of The Upper World
The Minnatarees, and all the other Indians who are not of the stock of the grandfather of nations, were once not of this upper air, but dwelt in the bowels of the earth. The Good Spirit, when he made them, meant, no doubt, at a proper time to put ... The Divining Rod
From the remotest period a rod has been regarded as the symbol of power and authority, and Holy Scripture employs it in the popular sense. Thus David speaks of "Thy rod and Thy staff comforting me;" and Moses works his miracles before Pharaoh with... The Division Of The Saranacs
In the middle of the last century a large body of Saranac Indians occupied the forests of the Upper Saranac through which ran the Indian carrying-place, called by them the Eagle Nest Trail. Whenever they raided the Tahawi on the slopes of Mount Taha... The Division Of Two Tribes
When white men first penetrated the Western wilderness of America they found the tribes of Shoshone and Comanche at odds, and it is a legend of the springs of Manitou that their differences began there. This Saratoga of the West, nestling in a hollo... The Dog And His Master's Dinner
Our eyes are not made proof against the fair, Nor hands against the touch of gold. Fidelity is sadly rare, And has been from the days of old. Well taught his appetite to check, And do full many ... The Dog Bride
Once upon a time there was a youth who used to herd buffaloes; and as he watched his animals graze he noticed that exactly at noon every day a she-dog used to make its way to a ravine, in which there were some pools of water. This made him curious a... The Dog Gellert
Having demolished William Tell, I proceed to the destruction of another article of popular belief. Who that has visited Snowdon has not seen the grave of Llewellyn's faithful hound Gellert, and been told by the guide the touching story of the d... The Dog Whose Ears Were Cropped
"What have I done, I'd like to know, To make my master maim me so? A pretty figure I shall cut! From other dogs I'll keep, in kennel shut. Ye kings of beasts, or rather tyrants, ho! Would any beast have serv... The Dog's Howl
A dog howling on the doorsteps or at the entrance of a house also foretold death. The noise was that peculiar howling noise which dogs sometimes make. It was in Welsh called yn udo, or crying. ... The Doomed Rider
"The Conan is as bonny a river as we hae in a' the north country. There's mony a sweet sunny spot on its banks, an' mony a time an' aft hae I waded through its shallows, whan a boy, to set my little scautling-line for the trouts an' the eels, or ... The Dormouse
Many years ago the animals ruled the earth. They had killed every one but a brother and a sister. These two lived in a lodge far away in the forest, where the animals could not find them. The boy was a tiny, little fellow,--he had never grown any... The Dove And The Ant
A dove came to a brook to drink, When, leaning o'er its crumbling brink, An ant fell in, and vainly tried, In this, to her, an ocean tide, To reach the land; whereat the dove, With every living thing in love, Was pro... The Dracae
These are a sort of water-spirits who inveigle women and children into the recesses which they inhabit, beneath lakes and rivers, by floating past them, on the surface of the water, in the shape of gold rings or cups. The women thus seized are em... The Dragon With Many Heads
An envoy of the Porte Sublime, As history says, once on a time, Before th' imperial German court Did rather boastfully report, The troops commanded by his master's firman, As being a stronger army than... The Dragon-giant And His Stone-steed
Not one amongst the numerous wives of Vladimir the Great was comparable in beauty to the Bulgarian Princess Milolika. Her eyes resembled those of the falcon; the fur of the sable was not more glossy than her eyebrows, and her breast was whiter... The Dream
One night as a man and his wife lay talking in bed, the woman told her husband that she had dreamt that in a certain place she had dug up a pot full of rupees, and she proposed that they should go and look for it and see whether the dream was true. ... The Dream
At sunrise on the following morning two women were seated on the ground, in the back part of a small flat-roofed house, situated in a very secluded spot amongst the hills, not a mile from Jerusalem. They sat opposite to each other, engaged--after t... The Dream Of Juiwaiyu And His Journey To Damhauja's Country
PERSONAGES After each name is given that of the creature or thing into which the personage was changed subsequently. =Damhauja=, the moon just before renewal; =Darijua=, gray squirrel; =Halaia=, morning star; =Jupka=, butterfly of the wild si... The Dream Of The King's Son
There was once a king who had three sons. One evening, when the young princes were going to sleep, the king ordered them to take good note of their dreams and come and tell them to him next morning. So, the next day the princes went to their father ... The Dream Story Of Gojiro
Only a few years ago there was a gentleman in Fukui, Japan, who had a son, a bright lad of twelve, who was very diligent at school and had made astonishing progress in his studies. He was especially quick at learning Chinese characters, of which e... The Drop Star
A little maid of three years was missing from her home on the Genesee. She had gone to gather water-lilies and did not return. Her mother, almost crazed with grief, searched for days, weeks, months, before she could resign herself to the thought tha... The Dumb Shepherd
There was once a very rich and powerful Raja and in his heart he thought that there was no one so powerful in the world as himself; thus he thought but he told no one of his thought. One day he made up his mind to see whether others could guess what... The Dwarf-sword Tirfing
Suaforlami, the second in descent from Odin, was king over Gardarike (Russia). One day he rode a-hunting, and sought long after a hart, but could not find one the whole day. When the sun was setting, he found himself plunged so deep in the forest ... The Dwarfs
A man who was out in his kayak saw another kayak far off, and rowed up to it. When he came up with it, he saw that the man in it was a very little man, a dwarf. "What do you want," asked the dwarf, who was very much afraid of the man. "I saw... The Dwarfs' Banquet
There lived in Norway, not far from the city of Drontheim, a powerful man who was blessed with all the goods of fortune. A part of the surrounding country was his property, numerous herds fed on his pastures, and a great retinue and a crowd of ser... The Eagle And The Magpie
The eagle, through the air a queen, And one far different, I ween, In temper, language, thought, and mien,-- The magpie,--once a prairie cross'd. The by-path where they met was drear, And Madge gave up herself for l... The Eagle And The Owl
The eagle and the owl, resolved to cease Their war, embraced in pledge of peace. On faith of king, on faith of owl, they swore That they would eat each other's chicks no more. "But know you mine?" said Wisdom's bird. ... The Eagle And The Whale
In a certain village there lived many brothers. And they had two sisters, both of an age to marry, and often urged them to take husbands, but they would not. At last one of the men said: "What sort of a husband do you want, then? An eagle, perh... The Eagle Crest
It is well known that there is a certain clan which claims the Eagle for its crest or totem, and this is how it happened. There was once a very poor man, so poor that he could not even get enough to eat. He was always cruising around in a small ca... The Ears Of The Hare
Some beast with horns did gore The lion; and that sovereign dread, Resolved to suffer so no more, Straight banish'd from his realm, 'tis said, All sorts of beasts with horns-- Rams, bulls, goats, stags, ... The Earth-hardening After The Flood
Sia (New Mexico) After the flood, the Sia returned to Ha-arts, the earth. They came through an opening in the far north. After they had remained at their first village a year, they wished to pass on, but the earth was very moist and Utset was puzzl... The Earthen Pot And The Iron Pot
An iron pot proposed To an earthen pot a journey. The latter was opposed, Expressing the concern he Had felt about the danger Of going out a ranger. He thought the kitchen hearth The safest place on earth ... The Earthquake Fish
Mukashi, mukashi, (as most Japanese stories begin), long, long ago, when the gods came down from heaven to subdue the earth for the mikados, and civilize the country, there were a great many earthquakes, and nothing to stop them. The world continu... The Egg Shell Pottage
In the parish of Treveglwys, near Llanidloes, in the county of Montgomery, there is a little shepherd's cot, that is commonly called Twt y Cwmrws (the place of strife) on account of the extraordinary strife that has been there. The inhabitants of... The Eighth Labor
The eighth labor of Hercules was to bring the mares of the Thracian Diomede to Mycene. Diomede was a son of Mars and ruler of the Bistonians, a very warlike people. He had mares so wild and strong that they had to be fastened with iron chains. Their... The Ejectment Of The Evil Spirit From Llanfor Church
Mr. Roberts states that his grandmother, born in 1744, had only traditions of this spirit. He was said to have worn a three-cocked hat, and appeared as a gentleman, and whilst divine service was performed he stood up in the church. But at night ... The Elephant And The Ants
In the days of old there was a great deal more jungle than there is now, and wild elephants were very numerous; once upon a time a red ant and a black ant were burrowing in the ground, when a wild elephant appeared and said "Why are you burrowing he... The Eleventh Labor
At the celebration of the marriage of Jupiter and Juno, when all the gods were bringing their wedding gifts to the happy pair, Mother Earth did not wish to be left out. So she caused to spring forth on the western borders of the great world-sea a ma... The Elf Dancers Of Cae Caled
Dr. Edward Williams, under the year 1757, writes as follows:-- I am now going to relate a circumstance in this young period of my life which probably will excite an alternate smile and thoughtful reflection, as it has often done in myself, howev... The Elves
The happy day at length arrived on which Count Hermann von Rosenberg was married to his beloved Catherine, a princess of the house of Gonzaca. The event was celebrated by a magnificent banquet and festival, and it was late before the Count and Cou... The Enchanted Cave
A long, long time ago, Prince Cuglas,[7] master of the hounds to the high King of Erin, set out from Tara to the chase. As he was leaving the palace the light mists were drifting away from the hill-tops, and the rays of the morning sun were fallin... The Enchanted Crow
In a royal palace dwelt, once upon a time, three fair sisters, all equally young and pretty; the youngest, however, although not at all more beautiful than the two elder, was the best and most amiable of them all. About half a mile distant ... The Enchanted Lake
In the depths of the Great Smoky Mountains there lies a hidden lake which no human eye has ever seen. The hunters know where it must be, for sometimes one has come near enough to scent its freshness, and to hear the rustle of thousands of wings as t... The Enchanted Moccasins
ODJIBWA. There once lived a little boy, all alone with his sister, in a very wild uninhabitable country. They saw nothing but beasts, and birds, the sky above them, and the earth beneath them. But there were no human beings besides themselves. ... The Enchanted Moccasins
Once on Mackinac Island there lived a little Indian boy and his sister. They saw only the birds and animals, for no human beings were there but themselves. The little boy, instead of playing with his sister, used to go into the forest and think. S... The Enchanted Mountain
The hunters who are continually going about from place to place, climbing up high hills, descending into deep ravines and making ways through jungles in search of the wild bison and other game, tell strange tales of an enchanted place away on the to... The Envious Sisters
A king had three daughters whose names were Pride, Gentleness, and Kindness. The king was very fond of them all, but he loved the youngest one, Kindness, the most, as she knew best how to please him. Many clever young gentlemen came to visit Kindn... The Envy Of Manitou
Behind the mountains that gloom about the romantic village of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, was once a lake of clear, bright water, its winding loops and bays extending back for several miles. On one of its prettiest bits of shore stood a village of th... The Escape Of Francois Navarre
When the Hurons came to Sandwich, opposite the Michigan shore, in 1806, and camped near the church for the annual festival of savages, which was religious primarily, but incidentally gastronomic, athletic, and alcoholic, an old woman of the tribe fo... The Escape Of Juanita
Have you heard of the terrible Tic-balan, A tall and thin and very black man, With terrible teeth and a horse's head, And covered with hair that is long and red? He lives in the awful Balete tree, And to pass the place you must say "Tabi";... The Evil Maker
The Great Spirit made man, and all the good things in the world, while the Evil Spirit was asleep. When the Evil Spirit awoke he saw an Indian, and, wondering at his appearance, he went to him and asked-- "Who made you?" "The Great Spirit," r... The Evil Spirit Appearing To A Man Who Frequented Alehouses On Sunday
Jones writes as follows:--W. J. was once a Sabbath-breaker at Risca village, where he frequently used to play and visit the alehouses on the Sabbath day, and there stay till late at night. On returning homeward he heard something walking behind h... The Expeditious Frog
A fox came one day at full speed to a pond to drink. A frog who was sitting there, began to croak at him. Then, said the fox, "Be off with you, or I'll swallow you." The frog, however, replied: "Don't give yourself such airs; I am swifter tha...