The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-05
PRIMITIVE FOLK LORE.
AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY,
RELIGION AND ROMANCE
Tales of Creation and of
Legendary Heroes.
COLLECTED FROM II INDIANS IN CALIFORNIA,
MEXICO. AMI GUATEMALA.
by JEREMIAH CURTIN.
ro,yy,oht. 1890. bv jeremiah Curtin,
OLELBIS-II..

ny JEREMIAH CURTIN.
Copyright, ,,Sc, BY jeremiah Curtin.
oLELBIs-II..
Olelbis stood watching and looking; he looked
Ave days, found no FIRE in any place. Next
day he saw n little smoke in the southwest
coming straight up as II through a NAL open
ing. Olelbis had winishuyat. on his head tied
IN his hair, and Winishuyat said to him:
NV brother. look; there is a little fire way
down south; a woman there has fire In q
mall basket"
This was Yonot Pokte. the mother OF Po-
hila TIRE child, who had come back TO live
there.
'My BROTHER said Olelbis, turning to Tede
VIII. ''eo you and see that place and bring fire"
Tede Win went quickly to the place where
Olelbis had seen the smoke. In that place he
found n house, and looking through a crack he
could see the glow of fire, but not fire itself.
Tede VIII stayed Ave days and nights watch
ing. He could not get into the house where the
basket was; II was closed up, and had 10 door.
At last he went back to Olelpantt without
fire.
II should like to catch the fish which ! see
jumping in that southern water" said Kun
tihle, but we could not cook the fish II we had
Il. for we have no fire.
'You had better go yourself and try to get
fire." said Olelbis. Kuntihle went and watched
five days. He could not get into the house, and
no fire fell out. He went back to olelpanti.
1--WE need fire." said Olelbis, but how are
we to get it2 Go again and try" said he to
Tede VIII; watch till fire falls out, or you
can go in and get it,"
Klabus and Yilahl were at work yet.
Tede Wit went, went under the house,
watched five days and nights, stayed right under
the basket In which Pohila was. On the sixth
morning. very early, just at daybreak, a spark
of fre fell out. Tede VIII caught the spark,
ran of quickly to Olelbis, and gave It to him.
They had fire In Olelpanti now, and were
glad. Neither Yonot Pokte, the mother, nor
Ttlikus the father of Pohila, knew that fire
had been carried away to Olelpanti.
: Klabus and Yilahl were still at work, but
had almost finished.
Now that there was fire in Olelpanti. Kun
tIhle said: II will go and see about that fish.
Tilitchi. will you come with mel"
Tilitchi went. Before they started Olelbis
gave them a fish net. They caught one fish
and went back, dressed the fish. cooked and
ate it.
'.This is a good fish," said olelbis. How did
II get into that water? That pond In the rock
is small and round; there is no water to run
into it. GRANDMOTHER. what shall we do
with this pond and the fish in itf"
1--WE will tell you.' said the old women. go
to the west under the sky, break off a strip of
tho sky, bring 1t here, and make q pointed
pole Of It,"
Klabuu and Yilahl were Just putting the top
on Bohem Puyuk Mount Shasta]; all the
other mountains in the world were finished.
Olelbis went west, got the sky pole. and
pointed one end of it. He stuck the pole
down at the foot Of Bohem Puyuk, drew the
point OF 1t along southwark, making deep
furrow. Then he stuck the pole far north and
made q second furrow to join the eastern end
of the first one. There was no water In either
furrow vet. and Olelbis said: Now. my
grandmothers, what shall l do next2"
take this Lalat SEX" [grapevine root.
said they. Throw 1t to the place where you
thrust in the pole at the foot Of Bohem
Puyuk."
He threw the root. One end of it went into
the mountain, the other hung out; from this
water flowed.
This will be called wini Mem middle
waterl, said the Rrandmothers. THE coun-
try around it will be good; many people will
60 there to live hereafter"
The grandmothere gave a second root. HOP
SEX [tule root. and Olelbis threw this far up
north. where one end stuck in the ground as
the grapevine root had, and from the other end
flowed Pui Mem Eastern Water, now called
Pit River there Is much tule at the head of
Pit River to Ghis dayl.
Olelbis took his sky pole again and made
deep burrows down southwark from BOHEMIA
Mem, large ones for large rivers and smaller
-. o. ou.aLs WEI aorv.d ard all ~.
ohes W sfeeAs. "a'oi no"ou a"o AK ~
burrows, flowed southwark Till 1t reached the
place where Kuntihle found the first fish. and
rhsn tha Iarre r,v.r reschsd that ,,tt,a nond
"heh IL iafSo No e"'he '""' ~ pohu
fish went out OF It Into the river, and from the
river into nil creeks and rivers.
W.. A.. -. -. s,nho
"heh inc rFerS "ere hh'sheu anu water
was running In them, Olelbis saw an acorn tree
In the east. outside the sky. He looked on the
hortn sac inc Tree ana sa" some one nam
mering. He hurled n stone from his sling,
struck down the person, and sent Tilitchi 10
HING him TiIitchi BROUGHT him
Wink NM iHi.'hi oious"' nm.
''Of what people is this one?" asked he Of the
old women.
gu T. .o oo, -
ne IL OF a good people,. answered they.
Put him OIL the central pillar OF the sweat
house; we will call him Tsurat" [now wood
NJ