Indians of North America -- Folklore; Modoc Indians -- Folklore; Modoc Indians -- Religion; Modoc mythology
The elder sister said: “There is Blaiwas; he flies just as mother said
he did.”
The younger sister said: “No, that isn’t Blaiwas.” They watched him
till he flew down among the rocks; then the elder sister said: “His
house is down there; we must follow him.”
When Ndúkis got home, he was so nearly dead that he fell into the
house. His mother jumped on him, and asked: “What is the matter?” (He
knew that the girls were watching him and he had tried to fly as
Blaiwas did.) The old woman kept asking what had happened, but Ndúkis
wouldn’t tell.
When the sisters came in sight of the house, the elder said: “That is
Blaiwas’ house.”
The younger said: “Mother told us that Blaiwas’ house was large; that
one is small. It isn’t Blaiwas’ house.” The elder sister scolded her
and pulled her along.
When Ndúkis saw the girls coming, he told his mother to hurry and fix a
good place for them to sit.
“What shall I fix it with?” asked the old woman. They had no mats or
blankets.
“Oh, anything,” said Ndúkis. “You must watch, and if the girls sit down
near the house, you must bring them in. They are sisters; they saw me
flying and they followed me.”
When the girls came to the top of the house, the old woman told Ndúkis.
He turned his eyes up, as Blaiwas did, and sent her to bring them in.
The girls saw him turn his eyes, and the elder said: “Yes, that is
Blaiwas. See what big eyes he has.” She went in and sat down by him.
When Blaiwas and the head men came home, they sent Tcûskai to tell
Ndúkis to come and divide the meat. Ndúkis said: “Why do they always
send for the chief to divide their meat? I am tired of it.” He didn’t
want to leave the girls.
When the meat was divided, the head men told Ndúkis to open his mouth.
Then they amused themselves by throwing pieces of meat at him. They fed
him the livers and intestines, parts which they didn’t like. When he
had eaten all he could, he started for home; on the way he thought:
“What shall I feed those girls with?”
When he couldn’t think of anything else, he said: “I will cut some of
the meat off from my legs,” and he did so. When he gave the pieces to
his mother to cook, she asked: “Why didn’t you bring more? Here isn’t
half enough for the girls to eat.”
The younger sister tasted of the meat, and said: “This isn’t deer meat.
This tastes badly.” The elder sister scolded her. The younger said:
“You think this man is Blaiwas, but I know he isn’t.”
Ndúkis acted as much like Blaiwas as he could.
The next morning Blaiwas and the head men went to hunt for deer. Ndúkis
didn’t go; he wanted to stay with the girls. At night the hunters came
back with deer hanging in their belts, as men hang squirrels in their
belts now.
Blaiwas said: “Old man Ndúkis is getting lazy. Tell him to come and
divide this meat.” Ndúkis held back, scolded, and said: “Why do they
always send for the chief? I won’t go.” But he wanted to go and have
plenty to eat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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