Indians of North America -- Folklore; Modoc Indians -- Folklore; Modoc Indians -- Religion; Modoc mythology
As Kalaslákkas went toward the mountain, he heard a girl singing and
dancing, and he said to himself: “I didn’t know that there were people
on this mountain. Some one must be camping here, and that girl is
dancing her maturity dance.” He was afraid to go along the trail, for
if she saw him it would spoil all he had done. He turned and followed
another trail.
When he got to the pond, he went into the water. While he was swimming,
he heard a noise like the dragging along of a dry elk-skin. It was made
by the water against a rock that looked like a man wearing an elk-skin
coat. While Kalaslákkas listened, the water began to roar and roll, and
there was a great noise. He was afraid, but he said: “I must do as my
grandmother told me. I mustn’t give up.”
Then he saw a mass of long black hair floating toward him. He followed
the hair till he came to a second rock standing up in the lake like a
big man wearing an elk-skin coat. Then he came to a third and a fourth.
The fifth was lying down in the water near the bank, and his coat was
just behind him. Those were the five Peltoquas brothers who had been
turned to stone by Komúchass. The fifth and youngest brother had just
thrown off his coat when Komúchass overtook him.
Kalaslákkas came out of the water and lay down on a rock. He fell
asleep and dreamed that a man with long black hair came to him, and
said: “I was a man once; I was a strong man, nobody ever beat me at
gambling.” When Kalaslákkas woke up, the waves were washing over him.
The old woman steamed and bathed herself, and watched for her grandson
to come. When he came, he was a young man; she hardly knew him. She
gave him pounded seeds to eat and went with him to a place where she
had a fire and hot stones. After he had steamed and sweated, she put
red sticks in his ears and nose, and said: “This is the last time you
will go to the mountains. You are working for yourself and for the
earth; you must be glad to do the work,” and she told him where to go.
When he started she spoke to the earth, screamed out, as if calling to
somebody, said: “You know my grandchild. He walks on you every day. He
wants to be strong. I am not selfish, I give my grandson to you; you
must teach him.” She talked to the mountains, to the trees, to the
rocks, and to everything, said: “You know my grandson. He wants to
learn from you.”
When Kalaslákkas got to the mountain, he piled up stones till they
stood around the swimming place like people. He went back and forth at
work till after dark; then he sat down by the pond. He saw stars way
down in the water and he thought: “People are under there with
torches.”
In that pond were five Kai brothers turned to rock; each rock was like
a tall man. When those brothers lived they were great gamblers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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