Indians of North America -- Folklore; Modoc Indians -- Folklore; Modoc Indians -- Religion; Modoc mythology
Wus said to his brothers-in-law: “You will come to my country and live
with me always.” To his wife he said: “I am taking you from Darkness;
now you will change feelings. I will give you the water of life. When
we get to the house, you must go in first, drink the water you find
there, and give some to each one of your brothers and to your mother;
it will change your minds. As you travel, go straight ahead; don’t look
back. If the wind comes from the east, you must go around it. Old Tsmuk
has tried to beat me in many ways; maybe he will try again.”
When they got to Wus’ house, the young woman went in and gave water to
her mother and to her brothers. As they drank, they seemed to open
their eyes, they had good feelings, felt light.
Wus said to his wife: “Off on a high mountain I have an old
grandmother; her name is Wuswelékgăs; I am going to see her.” When he
started, he began to sing. The old woman heard his song, and said: “My
grandson is coming.”
Wus traveled fast; he went like a spirit, and right away he was there.
He thought: “I will cheat her.” Then he said: “Grandmother, I have lost
my mind; this world has made me lose it. When I slept, Gäk woke me up,
and I hadn’t my mind.”
His grandmother said: “I was afraid Tsmuk would kill you.”
“No,” said Wus. “I have turned Tsmuk to a cloud and driven him away.
But he may try to beat me yet; that is why I came to tell you to take
care of yourself.”
“How can I take care of myself? I shall be hungry,” said the old woman.
“I will show you where there are mice,” said Wus, and he took her to a
field where there were lots of them. She was glad, for she would always
have plenty to eat.
When Wus started home, he began to sing. His wife said: “Wus is
coming,” and she pounded roots for him to eat.
When Wus got to the house, his brother-in-law asked: “Will you go with
me to hunt deer on the mountain?”
Wus said: “I always hunt on the flats; I never go to the mountain.”
The brother-in-law went to the top of a high mountain, and when night
came he camped there. Wus hunted on the flat and came back with plenty
of mice. When he got home, his wife had another child. Wus kept awake
for five days and five nights; his brother-in-law didn’t come home.
Wus’ wife said: “I feel badly. I am afraid something has happened to my
brother.”
Wus said: “I know which way he went; I will track him.”
He started out and soon found his brother-in-law lying under a tree.
“What is the matter?” asked Wus. “Why don’t you come home? Your sister
feels badly; she thinks that you are lost.”
“My toe nails have fallen out,” said the young man; “I was going to
stay longer, but I will go with you.”
Wus knew that he had been thinking about his father, and he felt sorry
for him. When they got home, Wus said to his wife: “I am going to a
swimming pond on the mountain; maybe I will have a good dream about my
brother-in-law. Maybe I will find out what is going to happen.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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