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A young man, who was so
unfortunate as to be born with squint eyes, and who had been made the
butt of the village, fell in love with the Chief’s daughter, and wished
to marry her. After many weeks of torture, she refused him, as he was so
ugly.
ZOOHALITZ
Nothing daunted, he
went in search of a wise woman who lived some distance away. When he got
to the place, she already knew what he had come for. “Ah, my son, so you
wish something from me?”
“Yes, my mother and I. am so unhappy. The maiden I wish to marry will
not have me because my face is so ugly. Now, can you give me something
to change my face and put my eyes straight?”
“No, my son; . but do what I tell you, and you may yet be all right and
get your wife. Your grandfather can help you. Well, where does he live?”
“It is a long way, and the way is full of peril.”
“Now, take with you a sack of red paint and one of deer’s fat. Then go
as far as the mountain you see yonder; cross that, and then be
careful—you will see three mountains; keep far from them, but they are
part of your way; when you have safely passed them you will come to a
large plain, as big as the sea, and in the middle you will see smoke
coming out. Go there and you will see your grandfather at work. He is a
very wise man.”
“Thank you, my mother; I will do anything for you when I come back.”
So off the youth went, got the red paint and deer’s fat, and early the
next day he went off to seek for his new face. After a long, toilsome
journey he reached the plain, and there in the middle was a huge cloud
of smoke coming. So on he hastened, till he at length stood before the
smoke, and then looked down the hole and saw an old, old man at work,
carving wood.
“Good day, grandfather; what are you doing?”
“Oh, I am making wooden faces. Come in. So you are the grandson that I
heard was coming to me. Well, you are not handsome; perhaps I can help
you.”
Then the youth produced the red paint and deer’s fat.
“Just things I have been wishing for!” exclaimed the old man. “Now I can
do what you wish.”
“Well, I want a new face, with straight eyes,” said the youth. “Can you
do that for me?”
“Oh, yes. Now, look here,” picking up a mask. “Will this do?”
“No, indeed; it is not nice at all.”
So mask after mask was shown. None would suit. At length a small cedar
box was brought and opened. In it lay a very handsome wooden face.
“Now, I will have that one.”
“Very well, my son; sit down and let me put it on for you.”
So the youth sat down. The old man took the boy’s forehead in one hand
and the chin in the other, and in an instant the old face was off. After
an application of deer’s fat the handsome face was put on.
“Now, look at yourself in this water.”
What a joyful sight met the young man’s eyes ! How he shouted and danced
for joy when he saw how he had been transformed ! His first thought was
to go straight home; so, thanking his grandfather and wishing him
good-bye, he started.
“Not so fast, my son. There are many dangers before you. Now, be careful
when you reach the three mountains, for there lives a giantess, who, if
she sees you, will eat you up. Keep as far away as you can without
losing your way.”
So the youth went off, full of joy, and in his hurry forgetting what the
old man had said. Just as he was passing the three mountains, great was
his horror on beholding an enormous woman coming to meet him. He tried
to escape, but with one stride she was by him.
“Where are you running to, my little husband?” It was the giantess,
Zoohalitz, and she snatched up the poor fellow in her arms and almost
smothered him with her foul breath and kisses. She took him to her cave,
and called her slave Cheetyan.
“Here, Cheetyan, get warm water and wash your brother-in-law.”
So the poor fellow had to submit. After more torture and kissing,
Zoohalitz began to yawn, and the young man jumped into her mouth and
down into her stomach, where he played sad havoc with her heart; he
tried to twist it and so kill his tormentor.
“How ill I am,” cried Zoohalitz. “Send for the doctor and my friends,
for I feel I am going to die.” So word was sent to her friends. They
were wolves, bears, panthers, etc., and the doctor was an immense squid.
When he arrived, Zoohalitz opened her mouth. She was in terrible agony.
For five days the young man had been her unwilling tenant. The squid
thrust his long feeler down into Zoohalitz’s stomach, but he could not
catch the young man, who hid himself behind the heart. So the squid had
to give up trying, and the crane was sent for. The crone pushed his long
bill down her throat and tried to catch the youth, but the latter caught
hold of the crane’s bill and squeezed it with all his might, and braced
himself against the sides of the stomach, so that Dr. Crane could not
pull his bill out. Such struggling there was. At length the youth let go
of the bill, and over went the crane, rolling head over heels, and how
sore was his poor bill! At last Zoohalitz was killed. But the trouble
was how to get the young man out. Finally Cheetyan decided to cut
Zoohalitz open, which she promptly did, and out bounded the youth. How
glad he was to be free once more. He thanked his deliverer, and found
out that she had been kept as a prisoner; so the young man asked her to
marry him, and together they would go back to the village. So off they
went, and at length reached home. How astonished the people were at
seeing the young man come back looking so handsome. They could scarcely
believe that it was the same ugly fellow.
Some of the Ten Brothers on the Lookout for Sea Lion.
Now the Chief’s
daughter came to see the wonder, and fell straightway in love with the
young fellow He turned from her, and would not even look at her. So she,
in despair, consulted the old wise woman, who directed her to the same
place as she had sent the young man, but failed to tell her to take red
paint and deer’s fat. So the poor maid toiled over the mountains and at
length stood before the old man, who asked her what she needed, and she
told him; so off came her face, and in its place did he put the young
man’s discarded face, squint eye and all. How miserably the poor girl
felt when she saw the horrible change; but it was punishment for her
treatment of her lover. She went back, but was flouted by all, and died
after much misery. |
